1 . I was halfway across Indiana headed home to Kentucky when my car broke down. My phone was ______, too. I managed to get to a gas station, but it was Sunday in the early fall, and there was no ______ on duty. I was working my way through university then and had little money for ______ the car.

I sat alongside my car for several hours trying to ______ the heat when an older gentleman ______ to fuel his car.   He asked about my car, and I ______ my predicament (困境). To my ______, the gentleman told me that he had a daughter my age, and then he opened his trunk and ______ a tool set.

Right then and there, this total ______ examined my engine, explaining as he worked that my spark plugs (火花塞) hadn’t been charged for so long that they were ______ to function.   After about an hour, he ______ that my car was safe to finish the trip.

______ came at the hands of a stranger. ______ his clothes, working on a hot September afternoon, this man ______ a college student from disaster, just because she could have been his ______ .

1.

A．busy

B．loud

C．dead

D．secure

2.

A．mechanic

B．policeman

C．manager

D．guide

3.

A．washing

B．parking

C．purchasing

D．maintaining

4.

A．feel

B．beat

C．absorb

D．produce

5.

A．promised

B．refused

C．stopped

D．volunteered

6.

A．solved

B．noticed

C．escaped

D．explained

7.

A．surprise

B．regret

C．amusement

D．disappointment

8.

A．called up

B．pulled out

C．put down

D．threw away

9.

A．liar

B．beginner

C．stranger

D．loser

10.

A．free

B．ready

C．uncertain

D．unable

11.

A．pronounced

B．agreed

C．discovered

D．doubted

12.

A．Tiredness

B．Kindness

C．Loneliness

D．Carefulness

13.

A．Folding

B．Drying

C．Soiling

D．Mending

14.

A．saved

B．called

C．judged

D．banned

15.

A．friend

B．daughter

C．coworker

D．customer

2 . David hoped to be a teacher when he was young. “The minute I walked into my university, I knew _________ what I wanted to be,” he says. “The teachers were so _________ and welcome.”

As an education major, he was excited to learn his classroom _________ would begin during his second year of his university. “That was very important to me because I didn’t want to _________ until I was a student teacher to get into a classroom,” he says. David was also _________ by his university’s short-term study abroad program and the opportunities it offers to students to be adaptable to the university.

David quickly adapted himself to the university. He was _________ freshman class president and joined many organizations, all about children education. He also held several campus_________, took on several leadership positions and was accepted into a leadership development program. “These _________ allowed me to learn things outside the classroom. I built my _________ in leadership and teamwork,” says David. “These are real life experiences that I can ________ to the classroom.”

By the end of the second year of his university, David had __________ two practicums (实习课) at elementary schools, including a special education internship (实习) focused on students with reading __________. He went on to finish two __________ practicums and a student teaching task over the next two years.

Two months before graduation, David was __________ a full-time position as a special education teacher at Millstone River Elementary School in the West Windsor—the same school where he completed his junior practicum in spring 2017. “It is such a relief to be hired so early. I feel all my hard work __________,” he says.

1.

A．regularly

B．exactly

C．widely

D．randomly

2.

A．clever

B．proud

C．warm

D．mean

3.

A．playing

B．building

C．disciplines

D．experiences

4.

A．run

B．wait

C．study

D．respond

5.

A．bored

B．frightened

C．attracted

D．confused

6.

A．voted

B．allowed

C．sent

D．left

7.

A．libraries

B．tasks

C．jobs

D．posters

8.

A．failures

B．performances

C．requests

D．activities

9.

A．skills

B．tips

C．right

D．body

10.

A．return

B．bring

C．throw

D．award

11.

A．chosen

B．forgotten

C．refused

D．completed

12.

A．disorders

B．preferences

C．abilities

D．habits

13.

A．easy

B．expensive

C．additional

D．strange

14.

A．passed

B．offered

C．showed

D．served

15.

A．paid off

B．went wrong

C．fell apart

D．broke down

3 . More than 50 percent of the largest lakes in the world are losing water, storing less water than they did three decades ago, according to a new assessment published today in Science. The key causes are not surprising: The warming climate and unsustainable human consumption.

Lead author Fangfang Yao, a climate fellow at University of Virginia, and his team created a technique to measure changes in water levels of nearly 2,000 of the world’s biggest lakes and reservoirs (水库), which represent 95 percent of the total lake water storage on Earth.

They used 250,000 lake-area pictures taken by satellites between 1992 and 2020 to survey the area of 1,972 of Earth’s biggest lakes. They collected water levels from nine satellite altimeters (测高计) and used long-term water levels to reduce any uncertainty. For lakes without a long-term level record, they used recent water measurements made by newer instruments on satellites. Combining recent level measurements with longer-term area measurements allowed scientists to reconstruct the volume of lakes dating back decades.

The result was staggering: 53 percent of lakes globally experienced a decline in water storage. The authors compare this loss with the size of 17 Lake Meads, the largest reservoir in the United States.

To explain the trends in natural lakes, the team used recent advancements in water use and climate modeling. “Climate change and human water consumption were mainly responsible for the global net decline in natural lake volume and water losses in about 100 large lakes,” Yao said. “And many of the human and climate change footprints on lake water losses were previously unknown, such as the dryness of Lake Good-e-Zareh in Afghanistan.”

And their research offers an understanding into possible solutions. Yao said, “If human consumption is a large cause of lake water storage decline, then we can adapt and explore new policies to reduce large-scale (大范围) declines.” This happened in one of the lakes the team studied, Lake Sevan in Armenia. Lake Sevan has seen an increase in water storage, in the last 20 years, which the authors linked to the enforcement (实施) of conservation laws on water withdrawal since the early 2000s.

1. What phenomenon does the author describe at the beginning of the text?

A．Many largest lakes are in decline.	B．Sustainable development is important.
C．Global warming is worsening quickly.	D．The water storage system needs improving.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The reason for reducing the uncertainty.	B．The process of looking for lakes.
C．The measures used to do the research.	D．The ways to reconstruct the lakes.

3. What does the underlined word “staggering” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Understandable.

B．Exciting.

C．Useful.

D．Shocking.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The increase in human consumption has slowed.

B．Some laws are needed to increase lake water storage.

C．Lakes have seen significant growth in water increase.

D．Water resources management is unknown to the public.

4 . Researchers have trained a robot “chef” to watch and learn from cooking videos, and recreate the dish itself.

Grzegorz Sochacki, a PhD in Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory, and his colleagues designed eight simple salad recipes and filmed themselves making them. They then used a publicly available neural network (神经元网络) to train their robot chef. The neural network had already been programmed to identify a range of different objects, including the fruits and vegetables used in the eight salad recipes.

Using computer vision techniques, the robot analyzed each frame (画面) of videos and was able to identify the different objects and features, such as a knife and the ingredients (佐料), as well as the human demonstrator’s arms, hands and face. Both the recipes and the videos were changed to vectors (模型) and the robot performed mathematical operations on the vectors to determine the similarity between a demonstration and a vector. By correctly identifying the ingredients and the actions of the human chef, the robot could determine which of the recipes was being prepared. The robot could infer that if the human chef was holding a knife in one hand and a carrot in the other, the carrot would then get cut up.

Of the 16 videos it watched, the robot recognized the correct recipes 93% of the time. The robot was also able to detect that slight changes in a recipe, such as making a double portion (份) or normal human errors, were changes and didn’t mean a new recipe. The robot also correctly recognized the demonstration of a new, ninth salad, added it to its cookbook and made it.

“Our robot isn’t interested in the sorts of food videos that are popular online, which quickly move back and forth between the person preparing the food and the dish they’re preparing—they’re simply too hard to follow,” said Sochacki.   “But as these robot chefs get better and faster, they will be able to use those videos to learn a whole range of recipes.”

1. What did Sochacki and his colleagues do for the experiment?

A．They posted a film featuring network online.

B．They made videos to train their robot chef.

C．They designed a neural network themselves.

D．They prepared 16 salad recipes for the robot.

2. What can be learned from paragraph 3?

A．The learning process of the robot chef is very easy.

B．It is difficult to tell ingredients from human chefs’ faces.

C．The robot chef can predict what will happen next accordingly.

D．Few mathematical operations are needed for the identification.

3. What is Sochacki’s attitude towards the future of robot chefs?

A．Positive.

B．Unclear.

C．Doubtful.

D．Worried.

4. Which is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Similarity Between a Demonstration and a Vector Is Proved

B．A Publicly Available Neural Network Makes Cooking Easier

C．Online Videos Help Robot Chefs Learn a Whole Range of Recipes

D．A Robot Chef Learns to Recreate Recipes from Watching Food Videos

5 . On April 10, the University of Utah became officially Bee Campus certificated. This process was started by senior Zoē Bross in her second year on campus. Bee Campus USA hopes to protect the native pollinators (传粉者) on college campuses by increasing the number of native plants, providing nest sites, reducing the use of pesticides, and offering educational opportunities that help with pollinator conservation.

After first hearing her school wasn’t certificated a Bee Campus and finding becoming Bee Campus certificated would give the University more point s on the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) program, which decides ratings to campuses according to their sustainable efforts, Bross wanted to help.

There are many requirements to become Bee Campus certificated. The first major step for Bross was to create a standing Bee Campus committee with a mix of students and staff. Bross tried to reach out to professors and people specializing in this field. After many efforts, the program was finally passed through and a garden for it was created.

Over 100 people showed up to help plant in the garden. After the planting was done, Grounds, responsible for planting the pollinator gardens, set up their hydroseeder (水力播种机) and let attendees take turns spraying the hill, with a mixture of water and wildflower seeds, making the area more pollinator-friendly. Rocky, the school robot, even made an appearance, taking turns spraying.

Certificated by Bee Campus USA, Bee Campuses are expected to continue maintaining or improving pollinator habitats on campuses, as well as maintaining an educational online presence. “I see the campus continuing to be very interested,” Bross stated.

Future plans for the campus include more pollinator gardens, native wildflowers, and even bee sculptures to provide new habitats. As for Bross? She pictures herself somewhere warm and sunny in the near future, working in environmental communications and doing something for the change she wants to see in the world.

1. What is the purpose of Bee Campus USA?

A．To offer some advice on sustainable development.

B．To find educational opportunities to rate the college.

C．To protect native pollinators on college campuses.

D．To increase the number of college campuses.

2. What did Bross need to do first?

A．Form a committee.	B．Buy a hydroseeder.
C．Create a garden.	D．Join a student organization.

3. Why did Rocky appear in the garden?

A．To scare the pollinators away.	B．To help spray the hill.
C．To plant wildflower seeds.	D．To welcome people.

4. What can we know about Bross from the last paragraph?

A．She is fond of drawing.	B．She will look for some new habitats.
C．She owns pollinator gardens.	D．She has an environment-related work plan.

6 . A school Picture Day usually occurs either once in the fall, or twice a year during both the start of the fall and spring terms. A school Picture Day is you and your children’s chance to record and keep memories for the school year. Missing a Picture Day means missing out on joy and special moments of the childhood—so it’s important to plan ahead.

Hairstyle

Don’t get a new haircut right before the Picture Day. If you’re planning your children’s haircut for the Picture Day, make sure it gets done at least two weeks before the Picture Day. This will ensure that any bad spots have time to grow back before the photos.

Try to stick to a neutral haircut. Recent trending hairstyles, colors and other unique hairstyles may not go well. You should find a hairstyle that is both neutral and something that represents your children’s personality.

Keep the hair out of their face. If your children’s hair naturally falls in front of their face, try to use hairpins, hair spray, or even a fresh haircut to keep their bright smile shining through.

Clothing

Dress for the weather. If it’s cold outside, you should make sure your children arrive at school in clothing that keeps them warm. On the contrary, if the Picture Day is scheduled on a forecast heatwave, dressing your children in warmer clothing (even if it’s your favorite one) could result in sweat showing up in the photos.

Don’t make your children wear anything they don’t like. They’ll shine in clothing they’re comfortable in, but will look obviously less comfortable in one they don’t like. Help your children show their best side by letting them wear clothes they love.

Accessories (配饰)

Keep jewelry minimal. You never want children’s jewelry to distract from their photos. If they do want to wear some sort of jewelry, make sure that it’s small or understated.

Avoid hats. Hats do little help, other than covering up your children’s head and face and should never be included.

1. Who is the text intended for?

A．Parents.

B．Students.

C．Teachers.

D．Photographers.

2. What is a requirement for children’s hairstyle on the Picture Day?

A．It should be newly cut.	B．It should be colored in a recent trend.
C．It should cover the smile.	D．It should show children’s uniqueness.

3. In order to have better photos, children had better ________.

A．choose warm clothes	B．avoid much jewelry
C．follow adults	D．wear a small hat

7 . In an awe-inspiring incident, a young killer whale recently demonstrated remarkable intelligence by seeking assistance from a group of humans to save its trapped mother, which challenged our conventional understanding of wild predators (食肉动物).

The online viral video, shared by Alvin Foo, began with a young killer whale emitting distressing cries towards a group of people on a boat. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the concerned individuals promptly responded by contacting a rescue team. The young whale’s desperate request for help touched more people’s hearts and set a truly extraordinary chain of events in motion.

As the rescue team arrived, they were amazed to witness the young killer whale’s playful interaction with the humans. The whale appeared elated, seemingly understanding that assistance had finally arrived. This interaction between the mother killer whale and rescuers underlined the potential for mutual understanding beyond the boundary of traditional predator-prey relationships.

The young whale took on the role of a guide, leading the rescue team to its mother trapped in a fishing net. It navigated the water with purpose, as if fully aware that the humans possessed the means to save its mother. This display of intelligence left the rescuers in awe, highlighting the complex cognitive abilities of these magnificent marine creatures. With its guidance, the rescue team swiftly initiated the liberation process, carefully cutting the net to free the trapped whale. Astonishingly, they seemed to understand that the humans were there to help and did as asked.

The instant the mother whale was finally freed, an eruption of joyous cries filled the air. The emotional outpouring conveyed the immense gratitude of both the mother whale and the young whale to the humans who had intervened. As the rescue team made their way back to shore, the two whales swam alongside them. This heart-warming sight emphasized the lasting impact of the rescue. The bond formed through this extraordinary rescue operation was well obvious, proving that the profound connections can be established between various species. The journey back to safety symbolized the victory of compassion over adversity.

1. What can we learn about the video from paragraph 2?

A．It spread widely.

B．It went unnoticed.

C．It documented humans’ requesting help.

D．It recorded passive response to the rescue.

2. What does the underlined word “elated” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Tired.

B．Excited.

C．Frightened.

D．Confused.

3. What is the young whale like?

A．Wise and cooperative.	B．Complex and mysterious.
C．Curious and careful.	D．Wild and rude.

4. What does the author mainly want to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Adversity is a good discipline.

B．It is urgent to protect wildlife.

C．Different species can coexist in harmony.

D．Human intervention poses a threat to whales.

8 . In various restaurants worldwide, there’s a new sight-child-sized robots. These robots can welcome guests, show them to their tables, deliver food and drinks, and even transport dirty dishes back to the kitchen. Some believe these robot waiters could be a solution to today’s worker shortages in the restaurant industry, with tens of thousands of them now in use.

But other people think that robots can’t replace human workers. Robot waiters can’t take orders, and they struggle with steps, limiting their abilities.

Despite these disadvantages, their use is growing. For example, in Madison Heights, Michigan, Li Zhai faced difficulty finding enough workers for his restaurant, Noodle Topia. To address this, he purchased robots from Pudu Robotics. These robots have been a success, with one leading diners to their seats, another delivering food, and a third transporting dirty dishes.

Zhai found that using these robots reduced his need for employees. Three robots now do the work of what used to require five or six people. In terms of cost, a robot costs around $15 000, while a human can cost $5,000 to $6,000 per month. These robots also have a surprising benefit-they free up human servers to spend more time with customers, resulting in increased tips, Additionally, diners often share videos of the robots on social media, attracting more visitors to the restaurant.

However, not all restaurants have had the same success. For instance, Chili’s (奇利斯餐厅)introduced robot servers in 2020, expanding the test to 61U.S. restaurants before suddenly stopping the program. The robots were criticized (批评) for their slow movement and getting in the way of human servers. A survey showed that 58% of guests believed the robots didn’t improve their overall dining experience.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce a survey about robot waiters.

B．To show the success of robot waiters in restaurants.

C．To describe the appearance of child-sized robots in restaurants.

D．To discuss the challenges of hiring human workers in restaurants.

2. What does the underlined word “address” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Solve.

B．Narrow.

C．Ignore.

D．Control.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．The history of robot waiters in the U.S.

B．The challenges of introducing robot servers.

C．The effect of social media on the restaurant industry.

D．The advantages of using robots in the restaurant industry.

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．All restaurants with robot servers are successful.

B．The use of robot waiters still has a long way to go.

C．Robot waiters are cheaper to employ than human workers.

D．The restaurant industry is not affected by worker shortages.

9 . Haze (薄雾) and smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires covered most of the US Northeast for a second day — Wednesday, with New York City experiencing the world’s worst air quality over the last two days.

New York, the Big Apple became the Big Orange by midday Wednesday as the sky over the nation’s largest city fell into a deep hazy orange. Streets in Manhattan are like what they were like during the pandemic (流行病) as residents again wore masks and cared for warnings from health officials about the impact of PM2.5, which can lead to respiratory (呼吸的) illnesses.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday that the state was making one million N95 masks available to the public. Approximately 400,000 N95 masks would be distributed at New York state parks, and at subway stations and other locations in New York City, Hochul said at a press briefing. An additional 600,000 masks would be made available at Homeland Security stockpiles (囤聚的物资) for local governments to pick up, she said.

Hochul called the poor air quality “a very serious, dangerous situation”. She recommended that people across the state cancel outdoor activities. “Simply stay indoors. Outdoors is dangerous in just about every part of our state,” the governor said. Officials at the briefing said they had been monitoring any potential rise in respiratory illnesses or health issues due to the poor air quality.

The city’s air was more polluted than all the world’s major cities on Wednesday morning, according to data from Swiss technology company IQAir. Dubai and Delhi came in second and third, respectively. Mike Hardiman, a staff in the National Weather Service, told The New York Times the city “smells like cigars”.

1. Why do people wear masks in New York?

A．Because of health concern.	B．Because of the pandemic.
C．Because of officials’ demand.	D．Because of their habits.

2. What message does Paragraph 3 convey?

A．New York has good welfare system.	B．N95 masks can settle the crisis.
C．The public’s support is vital.	D．The government took measures to handle the issue.

3. What kind of activity might Hochul recommend?

A．Camping.	B．Doing housework.
C．Fishing.	D．Climbing mountains.

4. What does Mike Hardiman mean by saying the city “smells like cigars”?

A．The city is polluted by cigars.	B．Cigars have very good smell.
C．The air quality in the city is terrible.	D．There are too many smokers in the city.

10 . If you can brave cooler temperatures and sometimes rainy weather, you’ll likely be rewarded with fewer crowds and lower travel rates in the following popular destinations.

Maui

Although March falls within Maui’s peak season, its excellent weather and conditions for water sports and wildlife viewing make it a superb time to visit. Experienced surfers can head to popular surf spots like Ho’okipa Beach and Kaanapali Beach to catch waves, while animal lovers can look for migrating whales during a whale watching cruise (乘船游览). To save some coin, book your Maui hotel and airfare at least a few months in advance.

Whitehorse

Whitehorse is the capital of Canada’s Yukon region. You can visit the SS Klondike National Historic Site and the MacBride Museum to learn about Whitehorse’s ties to the Klondike Gold Rush and the First Nations people who settled here during the ice age. Then, travel outside of Whitehorse to check out some of the Yukon’s breathtaking natural attractions, such as Kluane National Park and Reserve and see the northern lights in March.

Galapagos Islands

While you can spot wildlife in the Galápagos year-round, March is nesting season for animals like green sea turtles and red-footed boobies. Keep an eye out near the water, too, as sea lions are known to hang on the beaches. And though March falls within the wet season, there should still be ample warm, sunny days to enjoy the beach, particularly towards the end of the month.

Moab

Located between two of Utah’s five main national parks, Moab is an outdoor adventure centre known for its awe-inspiring red rock formations. Travellers can admire them during visits to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, which is the largest national park in the state. Popular March activities include hiking, rock climbing, off-roading and camping.

1. What is special about Whitehorse?

A．It is a capital with a rich history.	B．It owns two large national parks.
C．It needs to be reserved in advance.	D．It allows interacting with sea lions.

2. Where are you most likely to go if you take an interest in rock formations?

A．Maui.	B．Whitehorse.
C．Galapagos Islands.	D．Moab.

3. What is known about the places mentioned in the text?

A．They are very rich in wild animals.	B．They are excellent places to visit in March.
C．They have sunny days all year around.	D．They offer unique hiking experiences.