1 . I remember the day during our first week of class when we were informed about our semester（学期） project of volunteering at a non-profit organization．When the teacher introduced us to the different organizations that needed our help，my last choice was Operation Iraqi Children （OIC）．My first impression of the organization was that it was not going to make enough of a difference with the plans I had in mind．

Then，an OIC representative gave us some details，which somewhat interested me．After doing some research， I believed that we could really do something for those kids．When I went online to the OIC website，I saw pictures of the Iraqi children．Their faces were so powerful in sending a message of their despair（绝望） and need that I joined this project without hesitation．We decided to collect as many school supplies as possible，and make them into kits——one kit，one child．

The most rewarding day for our group was project day，when all the efforts we put into collecting the items finally came together．When I saw the various supplies we had collected，it hit me that every kit we were to build that day would eventually be in the hands of an Iraqi child．Over the past four months，I had never imagined how I would feel once our project was completed．While making the kits，I realized that I had lost sight of the true meaning behind it．I had only focused on the fact that it was another school project and one I wanted to get a good grade on．When the kits were completed，and ready to be sent overseas，the warm feeling I had was one I would never forget．

In the beginning，I dared myself to make a difference in the life of another person．Now that our project is over，I realize that I have affected not only one life，but ten．With our efforts，ten young boys and girls will now be able to further their education．

1. How did the author feel about joining the OIC project in the beginning？

A．It would affect his/her initial plans．

B．It would involve traveling overseas．

C．It would not bring him/her a good grade．

D．It would not live up to his/her expectations．

2. What mainly helped the author change his/her attitude toward the project？

A．Images of Iraqi children．	B．Research by his/her classmates．
C．A teacher's introduction．	D．A representative's comments．

3. The author's OIC project group would help ten Iraqi children to________．.

A．become OIC volunteers	B．further their education
C．study in foreign countries	D．influence other children

4. What can we conclude from this passage？

A．One's potential cannot always be underrated．

B．First impression cannot always be trusted．

C．Actions speak louder than words．

D．He who hesitates is lost．

3 . Early fifth-century philosopher St．Augustine famously wrote that he knew what time was unless someone asked him．Albert Einstein added another wrinkle when he theorized that time varies depending on where you measure it．Today's state-of-the-art atomic（原子的） clocks have proven Einstein right．Even advanced physics can't decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you're asking．

Forget about time as an absolute．What if，instead of considering time in terms of astronomy,we related time to ecology？What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo（节奏） of human life？We're increasingly aware of the fact that we can't control Earth systems with engineering alone，and realizing that we need to moderate（调节）our actions if we hope to live in balance．What if our definition of time reflected that？

Recently，I conceptualized a new approach to timekeeping that's connected to circumstances on our planet，conditions that might change as a result of global warming．We're now building a clock at the Anchorage Museum that reflects the total flow of several major Alaskan rivers，which are sensitive to local and global environmental changes．We've programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate．If the rivers run faster in the future on average，the clock will get ahead of standard time．If they run slower，you'll see the opposite effect．

The clock registers both short-term irregularities and long-term trends in river dynamics．It's a sort of observatory that reveals how the rivers are behaving from their own temporal frame（时间框架），and allows us to witness those changes on our smartwatches or phones．Anyone who opts to go on Alaska Mean River Time will live in harmony with the planet．Anyone who considers river time in relation to atomic time will encounter a major imbalance and may be motivated to counteract it by consuming less fuel or supporting greener policies．

Even if this method of timekeeping is novel in its particulars，early agricultural societies also connected time to natural phenomena．In pre-Classical Greece，for instance，people“corrected”official calendars by shifting dates forward or backward to reflect the change of season．Temporal connection to the environment was vital to their survival．Likewise，river time and other timekeeping systems we're developing may encourage environmental awareness．

When St．Augustine admitted his inability to define time， he highlighted one of time 's most noticeable qualities：Time becomes meaningful only in a defined context．Any timekeeping system is valid，and each is as praiseworthy as its purpose．

1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1？

A．Timekeeping is increasingly related to nature．

B．Everyone can define time on their own terms．

C．The qualities of time vary with how you measure it．

D．Time is a major concern of philosophers and scientists．

2. The author raises three questions in Paragraph 2 mainly to________．

A．present an assumption	B．evaluate an argument
C．highlight an experiment	D．introduce an approach

3. What can we learn from this passage？

A．Those who do not go on river time will live an imbalanced life．

B．New ways of measuring time can help to control Earth systems．

C．Atomic time will get ahead of river time if the rivers run slower．

D．Modern technology may help to shape the rivers’ temporal frame．

4. What can we infer from this passage？

A．It is crucial to improve the definition of time．

B．A fixed frame will make time meaningless．

C．We should live in harmony with nature．

D．History is a mirror reflecting reality．

4 . Two years ago, I lost my wallet. I made the poor decision of keeping my identity card, my credit card, a large amount of money and other various things inside my_________. I worried about anyone who got my wallet would take_________from my bank account, and I was also _________that my identity card would be used to do something___________

About a week ___________, a police officer knocked on my door and_________my wallet. Someone handed it into_________! Much to my _________, they didn’t touch the money inside or anything. I felt so lucky that such a kind person___________my wallet and took time out of their day to try and give__________back to me.

After that, I decided that I wanted to do __________things for other people, hoping that they also could feel that way. I started to do small things to __________ people. They were small simple things, like holding the door open for others. When you make others feel __________, you will have a great day.

That’s why I__________everyone to do small nice things for others. Helping others is to help____________

1.

A．handbag

B．wallet

C．pocket

D．car

2.

A．money

B．food

C．gold

D．card

3.

A．satisfied

B．excited

C．worried

D．puzzled

4.

A．bad

B．good

C．beautiful

D．wonderful

5.

A．ahead

B．earlier

C．long

D．later

6.

A．threw

B．searched

C．returned

D．suggested

7.

A．the people

B．the police

C．the students

D．the children

8.

A．sadness

B．surprise

C．regret

D．disappointment

9.

A．got up

B．looked up

C．gave up

D．picked up

10.

A．it

B．her

C．him

D．them

11.

A．kind

B．funny

C．stupid

D．serious

12.

A．protect

B．respect

C．help

D．recognize

13.

A．bad

B．good

C．free

D．sick

14.

A．allow

B．force

C．choose

D．encourage

15.

A．herself

B．himself

C．itself

D．yourself

5 . If you are planning to start a career in the field of education，science，or culture，then an internship（实习） at UNESCO will be ideal for you．

Who can apply？

       You have completed your full-time university studies；or．

       You are studying in a graduate program for a master's degree．

       Applicants in technical assignments must have reached the last year of their studies in a technical institution．

What are the requirements？

       You must be at least 20 years old．

       You should have a good command （掌握） of either English or French．

       You must have an excellent knowledge of office-related software．

       You should be able to work well in a team and adapt to an international working environment．

       You should possess strong interpersonal and communication skills．

What do you need to prepare？

       Visa：You should obtain the necessary visas．

       Travel：You must arrange and finance your travel to and from the location where you will do your internship．

       Medical insurance：You must show proof of a comprehensive health insurance valid（有效的）in the target country for the entire period of the internship．UNESCO will provide limited insurance coverage up to USD30,000 for the internship period．

       Medical certificate：You must provide a medical certificate indicating you are fit to work．

       Motivation letter：You should have your motivation letter ready before filling out the application form．

Your application will be accessed by UNESCO managers and will stay in our database for six months．We do not respond to every candidate．If selected，you will be contacted by a manager．If you do not receive any update within six months，it means that your application has not been successful．

1. According to this passage，applicants are required to________．

A．hold a master's degree in science

B．have international work experience

C．be fluent in either English or French

D．present a letter from a technical institution

2. What will UNESCO provide for the internship period？

A．Limited medical insurance coverage．

B．Training in communication skills．

C．A medical certificate for work．

D．Financial support for travel．

3. What should applicants do before filling out the application form？

A．Contact UNESCO managers．	B．Get access to the database．
C．Keep a motivation letter at hand．	D．Work in a team for six months．

7 . Apply for the 2024 –2025 School Year

We are thrilled you are considering Marist School for your child’s next chapter. Marist has two primary entry points for students in 7th and 9th grades to which we typically accept 150 and 50 students respectively.

Marist School utilizes Ravenna, an application management system, for all aspects of the admissions process. Through Ravenna, parents can access the Marist application, submit supporting materials, track application status, and view admission decisions. Our application for the 2024 - 2025 school year will be available late September with a January 22, 2024 deadline.

Importantly, Marist continues to require the SSAT as part of the application process. On Saturday, January 6, 2024, Marist will serve as a community test site for the SSAT. This is the last national testing day prior to our application deadline when a first set of SSAT scores is due.

Important Dates

September 2023 - March 2024	Marist School admissions events
Late September 2023	Marist 2024 - 2025 application available in Ravenna
October 2023 - January 2024	Required SSAT testing
December 3, 2023	Open Heuse
January 22, 2024	Deadline to apply to Marist; preliminary application and fee, parent and student questionnaires, and a first set of SSAT scores are due
February 1, 2024	Deadline for Marist to receive any outstanding supplemental materials;     transcripts, teacher and administrator evaluations, and parish/church verification form are due
February 12, 2024	Deadline to submit separate tuition assistance application
March 30, 2024	AAAIS common notification date
April 11, 2024	Deadline to respond to offer of admission

1. Who is this article mainly intended for?

A．Students in all grades.	B．Students in 6th or 8th grades.
C．Parents of children in 6th or 8th grades.	D．Parents of children in 7th to 9th grades.

2. What do we know about Ravenna?

A．It deals with entry applications.	B．It promotes school management.
C．It is accessible the whole school year.	D．It monitors the admissions process.

3. Which can be a possible date for applicants to submit teacher evaluations?

A．August 30, 2023.	B．January 26, 2024.
C．February 3, 2024.	D．March 30, 2024.