1 . High school graduation requirements

To earn a high school diploma, students must meet the following requirements.

Compulsory credits

*4 credits in English (1 credit per grade) *3 credits in mathematics *3 credits for group 1, 2 and 3 courses *2 credits in science *1 credit in Canadian history (Grade 10) *1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)

*1 credit in the arts *1 credit in health and physical education *1 credit in French as a second language *0.5 credit in career studies *0.5 credit in civics and citizenship

Optional credits

Students must earn 12 optional credits. by successfully completing courses offered in the school’s program and course calendar. Optional credits may include up to four credits earned through approved dual (双倍的) credit programs. .

The literacy graduation requirement

In September 2023, the literacy graduation requirement was introduced and it became effective immediately. Students graduating in the 2023-2024 school year and beyond are required to meet this requirement to earn their high school diploma.

Community involvement

Students are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as part of the requirements for a diploma.

Students who are looking for community involvement opportunities should:

★make sure they know which activities satisfy the community involvement requirement
★check their school board’s website for a list of approved and prohibited activities
★have a discussion with their parents to plan and select their community involvement activities(students under 18 years old only)
1. What’s the minimum number of credits required for a high school diploma?

A．30.

B．32.

C．34.

D．36.

2. When did the literacy graduation requirement take effect?

A．In September 2021.	B．In September 2022.
C．In September 2023.	D．In September 2024.

3. What should adult students do before doing community involvement activities?

A．Ask for their parents’ permission.

B．Turn to local community centers for help.

C．Set community involvement hours with teachers.

D．Have a clear understanding of the qualified activities.

2 . When Posten walked outside to her car, she saw something that looked like a note or receipt stuck to the windshield.

She grabbed it and saw it was a black and white photo of a woman holding a little boy. On the back, it said, “Gertie Swatzell & J.D. Swatzell 1942.” A few hours later, Posten discovered that the photo had made quite a long journey — almost 130 miles on the back of terrible winds.

Posten had been tracking the tornadoes that hit the middle of the U.S., killing dozens of people. They came close to where she lives in New Albany, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. So she figured it must be from someone’s damaged home.

“Seeing the date, I realized that was likely from a home hit by a tornado. How else is it going to be there?” Posten said. “It’s a well-kept photo.”

So she posted an image of the photo on Facebook and Twitter and asked for help. She said she was hoping someone on social media would have a connection to the photo or share it with someone who had a connection.

“A lot of people shared it on Facebook. Someone came across it who is friends with a man with the same last name, and they tagged him,” said Posten.

That man was Cole Swatzell, who commented that the photo belonged to family members in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, almost 130 miles away from New Albany. Cole Swatzell on Sunday didn’t respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.

Posten plans to return the photo to the Swatzell family sometime this week.

“It’s really remarkable, definitely one of those things, given all that has happened, that makes you consider how valuable things are — memories, family heirlooms (传家宝), and those kinds of things,” Posten said. “It shows you the power of social media for good. It was encouraging that immediately there were tons of replies from people, looking up ancestor records, and saying ‘I know someone who knows someone and I’d like to help.’”

1. What helped Posten know the photo had made quite a long journey?

A．Learning about a home hit by a tornado.

B．Looking into the information of the photo.

C．Making tracks for the process of the tornadoes.

D．Recognizing the person in the photo at first sight.

2. What do we know about the photo?

A．It’s a damaged photo.

B．It belongs to Cole Swatzell.

C．Its owner lives in New Albany, Indiana.

D．It travels 130 miles away from Kentucky.

3. How did Posten get information of the photo’s owner?

A．From Twitter.	B．From Facebook.
C．From her friend.	D．From ancestor records.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Valuable things should be kept well for good.

B．Common item sometimes is also very valuable.

C．We should encourage each other on social media.

D．Posten thinks highly of the function of social media.

4 . Ideally located in the heart of New York Times Square, Yotel New York, a five-star hotel, has comfortable accommodation in a modern design.

The hotel has convenient transportation with an 18-minute walk from Fifth Avenue and Grand Central Station. John F Kennedy Airport can be reached directly from Times Square Underground Station.

All rooms include cozy beds, 54-inch HD TVs with free Sports and Movie channels, and free Wi-Fi. Each room also has luggage storage, and hanging space for clothing. Yotel New York also offers wheelchair accessible rooms and free accommodation for kids under 13.

American breakfast is served in Yotel New York every morning, including fresh juice, corn flakes, buttered toast and scrambled eggs. A selection of salads, sandwiches and hot dishes are offered throughout the day.

Yotel New York is our guests’ favorite part of New York, according to independent reviews. This area is also great for shopping, with popular brands nearby: Apple, H&M, Zara, Burberry and Channel.

Yotel New York is rated for the best value in America! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other hotels in this city. Come and stay with us!

Prices:

Room type	Price	Options
Twin Room — non-smoking	$125	Non-refundable Good breakfast $9
Double room — non-smoking	$165	Non-refundable Good breakfast $9
Queen Room — disability access	$215	Pay at the hotel Good breakfast included

1. What probably makes a tourist choose this hotel?

A．Airport pick-up service.	B．Chinese-style breakfast.
C．Good value for guests’ money.	D．A shop with popular brands in the hotel.

2. If a person in a wheelchair wants to stay in this hotel for two nights, how much should he pay?

A．$ 259.

B．$ 339.

C．$ 421.

D．$ 430.

3. In which section of the newspaper will readers see the above information?

A．Advertisement.

B．Lifestyle.

C．Entertainment.

D．Business.

6 . Two Georgian twins, separated at birth when they were sold to different adoptive families, have been reunited and have TikTok to thank for bringing them back together.

The astonishing story began 10 years ago when one of the twins, Amy Khvitia, sat watching Georgia’s Got Talent in her godmother’s house near the Black Sea. A young girl, who looked exactly like her, climbed up on stage and began to dance in front of the reality show’s judges. Another seven years went by when Ano Sartania, the young girl that had danced on television, was sent a TikTok video of a young woman with blue hair getting her eyebrow pierced. Determined, Ano took to a WhatsApp university group with her plea. asking for help finding the woman with the blue hair. Against all odds, someone in the group knew Amy and the pair was connected through Facebook. Amy and Ano agreed to meet in-person at a local train station.

“It was awkward, it was awesome, it was everything,” Ano told The Sun of that first meeting, adding, “It was weird for me like I was looking in a mirror.” As they grew to know each other more, the two women began to list the similarities they shared and admit to being a bit unsettled by it all. Both were born in the same hospital, but their birth certificates said they were born a couple of weeks apart. Wanting answers, they turned to their families to ask some hard questions and soon had an explanation — both families admitted to adopting the girls as newborns.

It turns out both of their mothers had been unable to have children and were told they could pay to adopt unwanted babies at the hospital. DNA tests ‘eventually confirmed that that Amy and Ano were twins. However, they wanted to know why their biological parents have given them up and if they had been sold for profit. The twins have since been reunited with their birth mother, Aza, who claimed she fell into a coma after delivering her identical daughters and when she woke up hospital staff told her that her babies were dead.

“While Ano and Amy’s story contains a lot of coincidence on their path to reunion, their adoption circumstances aren’t that unique in Georgia — as many as 100,000 Georgian babies have been put up for illegal adoption since the 1950s on the black baby market,” says Georgian journalist Tamuna Museridze, who has been working to reunite families.

1. Which of the following properly describes the twins?

A．Their foster parents paid to adopt them legally.

B．Their first in-person meeting was full of mixed feelings.

C．It took them a smooth decade to get connected with each other.

D．Their biological parents sold them at birth for profit through hospital staff.

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

A．Changed.

B．Shaped.

C．Upset.

D．Unsolved.

3. What is Tamuna Museridze’s attitude to baby adoption?

A．Tolerant.

B．Supportive.

C．Unclear.

D．Disapproving.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Black baby market gains popularity in Georgia

B．Twin sisters, abandoned by birth mother, reunited

C．Twin sisters, sold illegally at birth, reunited thanks to TikTok

D．Lots of coincidence brought adopted twin sisters a family reunion

7 . Being bored is no fun, especially at work. However, a recent study from the Research School of Management at the Australian National University suggests that boredom may have an unexpected benefit.

In a study, 52 participants (参与者) were given a boring task of separating red from green beans for 30 minutes, while another group of 49 participants was asked to create art projects with paper, beans, and glue. Then both groups were instructed to spend five minutes on a creative task. Surprisingly, the group that had performed the boring task produced a higher quantity and quality of creative ideas than the group that had taken part in the art project.

“Boredom is not necessarily terrible based on my research,” says the study’s lead author, Guihyun Park. “People want to get out of a boring state, so they tend to find novelty, which can lead to unique thinking and bring out creativity.” Moreover, it’s also worth noting that studies have found that not everyone experiences the same level of creative benefits from boredom. Researchers have discovered in one experiment that participants who are open to new experiences and driven to achieve specific goals are more likely to see positive effects from being bored.

Finally, Park admits that not every type of job allows a state of boredom, and it really can be detrimental to some important work. “I would say at safety jobs where you need to stay alert (警惕的) all the time, like police or safety guards, boredom will keep your mind wandering, which is really bad,” says Park. “Also, those jobs require less creativity but much attention to details instead; boredom won’t help much there.”

But for designers and anyone in a creative field, boredom is not something to fear, but to embrace (欣然接受). J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has shared how she would spend hours sitting on trains, letting her mind wander and coming up with new ideas for her stories. This boredom allowed her to tap into her creativity and imagination, leading to one of the most beloved book series ever.

1. What did the recent study find about boredom?

A．It inspires creative ideas.	B．It raises people’s patience.
C．It improves work efficiency.	D．It leads to negative feelings.

2. Which kind of people are more likely to benefit from boredom?

A．People who are afraid of change.

B．People who tend to focus on details.

C．People who are willing to try new things.

D．People who enjoy competing with others.

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

A．Attractive.

B．Harmful.

C．Necessary.

D．Challenging.

4. Why does the author mention J.K. Rowling in the last paragraph?

A．To show the power of embracing boredom.

B．To encourage people to stay bored in their daily life.

C．To prove the importance of creativity and imagination.

D．To explain the creation process of the Harry Potter series.

8 . Bullet comments—comments which fly across the screen on certain video platforms—represent a ·modern approach to communication that young people use in cyberspace to express their ideas, emotions and feelings. When looking back, however, they are a good reminder of what was hot or trending in the past year.

On Dec 15,2023, Bilibili, a Chinese video-sharing platform, picked “Ah?” as the Bullet Comment of the Year. In 2023, “Ah?” appeared more than 13.2 million times on Bilibili as a bullet comment, according to Dazhong Daily.

Today, young people in China use “Ah?” to express their surprise and amazement. User Mo Xin filmed himself writing down the ancient Chinese text Hard Is the Road to Shu (《蜀道难》) in one stroke (一笔) and subsequently uploaded the video to Bilibili. This feat (壮举) resulted in the video winning the most “Ah?”bullet comments on the platform.

China’s huge technological advancements have also generated “Ah?” comments from Bilibili users. In August, China made a breakthrough in controllable nuclear fusion (可控核聚变) technology. Its new-generation “artificial sun” Huanliu-3 looks to open new doors in the world of nuclear fusion. Videos announcing this news were inundated (淹没) in “Ah?” comments.

Though simple and easily understandable, “Ah?” provides insights into young people’s interests. Their focus extends beyond mere entertainment, however. They also, use “Ah?” to engage with. commentaries, and scientific discoveries, indicating a deeper, more serious layer of interest. These “Ah?” comments reveal that young people are attentive to the world around them. “Ah?” has become their unique way of responding to contemporary events, using it as a tool to document today’s history.

Every year brings a new bullet comment of the year, but what never changes is how young people want their voices to be heard. Do you still remember which video got you to send an “Ah?” in 2023?

1. What do we know about “Bullet comments” according to the text?

A．They will remind others of your opinions.

B．They are an easy way to interact with others.

C．They enable us to think about the popular events.

D．They are used in young people’s daily communication.

2. Why is Hard Is the Road to Shu mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．To prove the function of “Ah?”.	B．To argue for the benefit of “Ah?”.
C．To explain the popularity of “Ah?”.	D．To clarify the development of “Ah?”.

3. What are the features of “Ah?”?

A．Concrete and modern.	B．Easy and accessible.
C．Abstract but popular.	D．Unique but meaningless.

4. Which of the following is likely to get most “Ah?” on Bilibili according to the text?

A．Huawei made a breakthrough in 5G.

B．Southern little potatoes poured in Harbin.

C．The Moutai-flavoured coffee came into the market.

D．China, Singapore mutual visa-free policies will boost tourism.

10 . As a young woman, Pei Aimin, now 49, hid her natural gift for writing, hoping nobody in her farming village would notice and accuse her of neglecting (忽视) work and family.

That was the way of things when Pei was young in her village. In the past, girls often dropped out of school at an early age to get married and settle into the regular routines of rural life.

A few, like Pei, however, yearned for a wider world and looked for ways to express themselves. Pei began to write in middle school and mailed her stories to publishers. Two of them were published, one in a newspaper, another in a magazine.

After her marriage, she had to create secret opportunities. Sometimes she would water useless land just so she could read or write outdoors without being observed. Sometimes she sat under a tree, expressing her feelings on paper until somebody came, and she would hurriedly hide the papers and pen.

“Few women in my village could read or write, “Pei said. “All my family members thought it was a waste of time.”

After reading and writing like that for years, Pei took everyone by surprise when she published a book, Diary of Aunt Vole. It is a collection of 365 short diary entries that describe the natural scenery of the northwestern countryside, the daily routine of the local people, and interesting things that happened in the village.

Pei said she hoped the book would help readers understand that farm work consists of both hardship and fun.

Now Pei’s family no longer objects to her hobby. “Although women in the village still don’t read, many have changed their minds about it,” Pei said. “Learning, after all, is useful.”

1. What do the underlined words “yearned for” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Desired.

B．Avoided.

C．Found.

D．Left

2. What did Pei have to do in order to write?

A．Become a publisher.

B．Tell harmless lies.

C．Drop out of school.

D．Hide from other people.

3. How did people in her village feel when Pei published her book?

A．Proudly

B．Doubtful.

C．Surprised.

D．Pleased.

4. What role does Pei want her book to play?

A．Inspire students to study hard.

B．Show the real life on the farm.

C．Encourage more women to read.

D．Attract people to the countryside.