1 . Natalie and Callie, both 13 years old, started raising monarch butterflies for fun in 2020.

But after realizing the monarchs were an endangered species, their _______ soon turned into a serious mission.

They learned that the population of monarch butterflies had _______ since the early 1990s, due to habitat _______ and widespread use of chemicals, which made the milkweeds (马利筋草) the monarchs _______ for their main diet dangerous to eat.

So the girls teamed up with a national nonprofit group to plant a native garden _______ for the monarchs. The garden grew organic milkweeds that _______ and kept the butterflies. To help _______ the locals to sustain the monarch population, they created an exhibition about the monarchs in the local library. They also wanted to put up an educational sign in town, but it _______ a lot. To cover the expense, they set up a stand at the Farmers Market to sell their _______ milkweeds for people to plant. Although the fundraising days were ________, they finally succeeded in earning enough money with their hard work and people’s support.

The team has won the Silver Award for their ________ of taking care of butterflies, but they are not ________ with their work. “Our next step is to cut down on the use of ________ to guarantee a safe environment for the monarchs,” said Natalie. In the award ceremony, their teacher Brian ________, “I am so proud of them for their constant ________.”

1.

A．dream

B．hobby

C．career

D．decision

2.

A．doubled

B．aged

C．declined

D．exploded

3.

A．management

B．assessment

C．selection

D．destruction

4.

A．relied on

B．kept off

C．broke down

D．gave away

5.

A．partly

B．secretly

C．rarely

D．specially

6.

A．attracted

B．protected

C．monitored

D．trapped

7.

A．employ

B．educate

C．force

D．limit

8.

A．meant

B．cost

C．changed

D．hurt

9.

A．dry

B．medical

C．healthy

D．wild

10.

A．pleasing

B．light

C．long

D．disappointing

11.

A．project

B．concept

C．schedule

D．assignment

12.

A．concerned

B．connected

C．finished

D．occupied

13.

A．chemicals

B．time

C．funds

D．energy

14.

A．quoted

B．continued

C．replied

D．commented

15.

A．donations

B．support

C．patience

D．efforts

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．

5 . ChatGPT, designed by OpenAI to carry on conversations just like humans, has become a viral excitement. The AI-powered tool went from zero to a million users in just five days! Its ability to provide in-depth answers to user questions has even drawn the attention of distinguished technology companies.

The intelligent robot understands what the user says or types and then responds in a way that makes sense. Its vast body of knowledge has been gathered from the internet and archived books. It is further trained by humans. This makes ChatGPT a useful tool for researching almost any topic.

“We have a lot of information on the internet, but you normally have to Google it, then read it and then do something with it,” says Ricardo, chief science officer and co-founder of AI company Erudit. “Now you’ll have this resource that can process the whole internet and all of the information it contains for you to answer your question.”

ChatGPT cannot think on its own. It depends on the information that it has been trained on. As a result, the AI tool works well for things that have accurate data available. However, when unsure, ChatGPT can get creative and flow out incorrect responses. OpenAI cautions users to check the information no matter how logical it sounds. Also, ChatGPT has only been trained with information till 2021. Hence, it cannot be relied upon for anything that happened after that.

Experts believe ChatGPT has limitless potential to solve real-world problems. It can translate long texts into different languages, create content on almost any topic, and even summarize books.

However, ChatGPT has received mixed reactions from educators. Some believe it could serve as a valuable tool to help build literacy skills in the classroom. It could also be used to teach students difficult science or math concepts. But other educators think ChatGPT will encourage students to cheat. They fear this will prevent them from building critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As a result, many districts are starting to ban its use in schools.

1. What is the unique feature of ChatGPT?

A．It has artificial intelligence.	B．It can answer users’ questions.
C．It has the largest number of users.	D．It can engage in meaningful conversations.

2. What makes ChatGPT helpful to research various topics?

A．Its capability of information processing.	B．Its accurate information.
C．Its availability of up-to-date data.	D．Its vast body of questions.

3. Why do ChatGPT users have to be cautious when using it?

A．ChatGPT is unable to think itself.	B．ChatGPT lacks creativity.
C．ChatGPT offers illogical information.	D．ChatGPT is not properly trained.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards ChatGPT?

A．Favorable.

B．Disapproving.

C．Objective.

D．Intolerant.

6 . Get up at 6 am, arrive at the hospital one hour earlier to help patients check in, and accompany patients during consultations… In recent years, “patient escorts” has emerged as a new industry, and those who have taken on this career are known as “people who sell time”, 26-year-old Zhang Tian is one of them.

September 4 was a lucky day for Zhang Tian. On this day, Zhang Tian saw a video about patient escorts on a short video platform. The daily routine of patient escorts shown in the video fascinated her and gradually inspired her to take this on as a business. She browsed through many platforms and read multiple information and found there indeed exists a certain demand for patient escorts, especially for the elderly, children, and pregnant women. Since she had never engaged in this kind of work before, she spent two days in major hospitals in Wuhan, in order to familiarize herself with all the departments on different floors, as well as the processes of medical consultation and preparation for surgery.

After preliminary preparatory (预备的) work, Zhang Tian posted a video of myself-introduction on major social platforms, talking about the help and services a patient escort provides, as well as some tips for a quick and convenient medical consultation. At first, she was a little worried that her video would go unnoticed. However, after she uploaded the video, it got over 100 likes and she received her first ever offer as a patient escort.

The memory of her first task is still alive and fresh in her mind. She received a phone call on September 9 from a man whose father was seriously ill and might need surgery. He wanted Zhang Tian to accompany his father through his consultation and treatment.” Zhang Tian made full preparations before meeting her first client and did a very good job despite her nervousness.

“Later, the family expressed their gratitude to me over and over again, which warmed my heart and gave me a sense of achievement.” Zhang Tian said.

1. What do patient escorts do?

A．They assist doctors in hospitals.

B．They arrive at hospitals early to check in.

C．They take on this career to sell their time.

D．They help patients get treated in hospitals.

2. September 4 was a lucky day for Zhang Tian because ______.

A．she enjoyed seeing an interesting video

B．she got inspiration for her own career

C．she found a demand for medical workers

D．she was well received on social platforms

3. How did Zhang Tian get her first client?

A．She got familiar with the routine work in hospitals.

B．She spent two days in major hospitals to meet patients.

C．Her video on social platforms attracted her first client.

D．The man’s father was seriously ill and might need a surgery.

4. Which of the following words best describe Zhang Tian?

A．Hardworking and considerate.	B．Humorous and careful.
C．Ambitious and imaginative.	D．Talkative and positive.

7 . Television has transformed politics in the United States by changing the way in which information is spread, by altering political campaigns, and by changing citizen’s patterns of response to politics. By giving citizens independent access to the candidates, television reduced the role of the political party in the selection of the major party candidates. By centering politics on the person of the candidate, television accelerated the citizen’s focus on character rather than issues.

Television has altered the forms of political communication as well. The messages on which most of us rely are briefer than they once were. The stump speech, a political speech given by traveling politicians and lasting 1 to 2 hours, which was popular in the nineteenth-century, has given way to the 30-second advertisement and the 10 second “sound bite” in broadcast news. Increasingly the audience for speeches is not that standing in front of the politician but rather the viewing audience who will hear and see a short video of the speech on the news.

In these simplified forms, much of what comprised the traditional political speech of earlier ages has been lost. In 15 or 30 seconds, a speaker cannot establish the historical context that shaped the issue in question, cannot detail the probable causes of the problem, and cannot examine alternative proposals to argue that one is preferable to others. In short videos, politicians assert (断言) but do not argue.

Because television is an intimate (亲密的) medium, speaking through it requires a changed political style that is more conversational, personal, and visual than that of the old-style stump speech. Reliance on television means that increasingly our political world contains memorable pictures rather than memorable words. Schools teach us to analyze words and print. However, in a world in which politics is increasingly visual, informed citizenship requires a new set of skills.

Recognizing the power of television’s pictures, politicians craft televisual, staged events designed to attract media coverage. Much of the political activity we see on television news has been crafted by politicians, their speechwriters, and their public relations advisers for televised consumption. Sound bites in news and answers to questions in debates increasingly sound like advertisements.

1. What do we know about “stump speech” in paragraph 2?

A．It’s an event created by politicians to attract media attention.

B．It’s an interactive discussion between two politicians.

C．It’s a kind of political presentation typical of the nineteenth century.

D．It’s a style of speech common to televised political events.

2. It is suggested in paragraph 4 that ________.

A．politicians need to learn to become more personal

B．attractive politicians are favored by citizens

C．citizens tend to favor a politician who analyzed issues

D．citizens need to learn how to evaluate visual political images

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Political presentations today are more like advertisements than in the past.

B．Politicians today tend to be more familiar with the views of citizens than in the past.

C．Citizens today are less informed about a politician’s character than in the past.

D．Political speeches today focus more on details about issues than in the past.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Television: an Agent of Change in Politics	B．Television: a Platform for Political Debate
C．Television: an Alternative to Stump Speech	D．Television: a New Medium for Communication

8 . Preamble of《China: Democracy that works》

Published by the State Council on December 4, 2021

Democracy is a common value of humanity and an ideal that has always been cherished by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people.

This year marks the centenary of the CPC. Since its founding in 1921, the Party has taken wellbeing for the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as its abiding goals, and has made continuous efforts to ensure the people’s status as masters of the country. China is a country with a feudal (封建的) history dating back several thousand years that descended into a semi-feudal and semi-colonial society after the Opium War of 1840. Over the past hundred years, the Party has led the people in realizing people’s democracy in China. The Chinese people now truly hold in their hands their own future and that of society and the country.

The people’s status as masters of the country is the essence of people’s democracy. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, with a deeper understanding of China’s path to democracy and the political system, the Party has developed whole-process people’s democracy as a key concept and striven to translate it and relevant democratic values into effective institutions and concrete actions.

Whole-process people’s democracy integrates process-oriented democracy with results-oriented democracy, procedural democracy with substantive (本质上的) democracy, direct democracy with indirect democracy, and people’s democracy with the will of the state. It is a model of socialist democracy that covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is a true democracy that works.

Democracy is a concrete phenomenon that is constantly evolving. Rooted in history, culture and tradition, it takes diverse forms and develops along the paths chosen by different peoples based on their exploration and innovation.

The best way to evaluate whether a country’s political system is democratic and efficient is to observe whether the succession of its leaders is orderly and in line with the law, whether all the people can manage state and social affairs and economic and cultural undertakings in conformity with legal provisions, whether the public can express their requirements without hindrance, whether all sectors can efficiently participate in the country’s political affairs, whether national decision-making can be conducted in a rational and democratic way, whether people of high caliber in all fields can be part of the national leadership and administrative systems through fair competition, whether the governing party is in charge of state affairs in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and whether the exercise of power can be kept under effective restraint and supervision.

Democracy is not a decorative ornament, but an instrument for addressing the issues that concern the people. Whether a country is democratic depends on whether its people are truly the masters of the country; whether the people have the right to vote, and more importantly, the right to participate extensively; whether they have been given verbal promises in elections, and more importantly, how many of these promises are fulfilled after elections; whether there are set political procedures and rules in state systems and laws, and more importantly, whether these systems and laws are truly enforced; whether the rules and procedures for the exercise of power are democratic, and more importantly, whether the exercise of power is genuinely subject to public scrutiny and checks.

Democracy is the right of the people in every country, rather than the prerogative of a few nations. Whether a country is democratic should be judged by its people, not dictated by a handful of outsiders. Whether a country is democratic should be acknowledged by the international community, not arbitrarily decided by a few self-appointed judges. There is no fixed model of democracy; it manifests itself in many forms. Assessing the myriad political systems in the world against a single yardstick and examining diverse political structures in monochrome are in themselves undemocratic.

In the richly diverse world, democracy comes in many forms. China’s democracy is thriving alongside those of other countries in the garden of civilizations. China stands ready to contribute its experience and strength to global political progress through cooperation and mutual learning.

1. Which of the following is the foundation of people’s democracy in China?

A．Fighting against the feudal power which held the nation backwards.

B．Striving to translate Whole-process democracy and relevant democratic values into effective institutions and concrete actions.

C．Asserting their power to rule the country effectively.

D．Ensuring that the public can express their requirements without hindrance and all sectors can efficiently participate in the country’s political affairs.

2. In which way could we tell if a country is in most aspects,ensuring people’s political life fully democratic?

A．Its democracy being rooted in history, culture and tradition as well as taking diverse forms based on exploration and innovation.

B．Even a little bit of shade from the feudal history has been swept away while continuously revoluting its democracy for the better.

C．Teenagers willing to take an active part in political activities such as the Simulated CPPCC.

D．People are able to exercise their rights within the scope of the law unhinderedly (不受阻地).

3. How can we better enjoy the advantage of Whole-process people’s democracy?

A．Observing whether the succession of its leaders is orderly and in line with the law.

B．Raising our status as masters of the country with concrete actions.

C．Always innovating for a better future, not only for ourselves but also for our democracy.

D．Persisting in the Party’s strong leadership.

4. What is the main idea of this paragraph?

A．A full and accurate foreword introducing existing circumstances of democracy.

B．An informative official document giving people knowledge on democracy in China.

C．An introduction of how democracy works in China.

D．Telling people what are thus how to distinguish various kinds of democracy.

9 . As a child, I was proud of my southern origin. My own voice reflected my family’s past and present-part northern Mississippi, part Tennessee, all southern. There was no sound I loved more than my grandmother’s accent: thick, sweet, warm.

While growing up, I began to realize outside of our region, southerners were often dismissed as uncultured and ignorant. I was ready to leave behind my tiny town in West Tennessee, starting a new life and jumping at big chances in some far-off cities. In that embarrassing space between “teen” and “adult”, my accent was a symbol of everything I thought I hated about my life in the rural South. I feared it would disqualify me from being a noted magazine writer. I would have to talk less “country”. So I killed a piece of myself. I’m ashamed of it, but I’m more ashamed that I tried to kill that part of someone else-change Emily’s accent.

I met Emily in college. She was determined to work for the student newspaper, which was where I spent most of my waking hours, and we became friends. She, unlike me, accepted her roots. Early in our friendship, her mother asked where I was from, assuming it was somewhere up north. Then I felt my efforts paid off and even wanted to ignore the mistake.

Emily is two years younger and she cared about my opinion. I advised her to be more like me and hide her signature Manchester accent. I stressed that throughout our college years, often by making fun of her vowel (元音) sounds. I told myself I was helping her achieve her dream of working as a reporter. Now, I see that it was actually about justifying my hiding part of myself.

Grandma Carolyn used to tell me, “Girl, don’t forget where you come from.” Now I truly understand that. Many things have faded from memory, but this sticks in my mind with uncomfortable clarity. Now that I am grown and have left the South, it’s important to me.

1. What made the author want to leave her hometown?

A．Appeal of convenience in cities.

B．Her dream of becoming a writer.

C．Outside prejudice against southerners.

D．Her desire for the northern accent.

2. How did the author feel about the mistake of Emily’s mother?

A．Upset.

B．Pleased.

C．Ashamed.

D．Surprised.

3. Why on earth did the author try to change Emily’s accent?

A．To prove herself right.	B．To help Emily be a reporter.
C．To make herself influential.	D．To protect Emily’s self-dignity.

4. What message does the text want to convey?

A．Stay true to your roots.	B．Never do things by halves.
C．Hold on to your dreams.	D．Never judge a person by his accent.

10 . Growing up, I was fortunate to have dinner with my family almost every day. Sometimes, the family dinner circle_________to include relatives stopping by. Yet, I knew some friends whose parents got home after dinner or even_________the entire evening. So I_________the quality time around our kitchen table, which witnessed countless valuable_________in my life.

_________,my kids cannot relate to my childhood memories. They have been left to_________with babysitters more times than I would like to admit. My husband and I have_________careers. And we often end up staying at the office way past dinnertime. When this happens too often, it_________the balance of our family.

Apart from suffering from_________,what else can a hardworking family do? I think we can all try to__________our own ways to spend time together. Surely there are days when I’m too busy to share a meal with my family. But I would make efforts to__________and chat later that day,__________       setting aside cellphones every time. And I even find a bedtime reading with my kids much__________.I am also proud to have our “big breakfast” routine every Saturday. My husband serves as the head chef, and my younger son__________       him to make the breakfast.

I am aware that my sons are growing up quickly and will be out of the__________someday. But now, I am happy to have so many wonderful things on my plate.

1.

A．widened

B．formed

C．lessened

D．closed

2.

A．missed

B．avoided

C．enjoyed

D．recorded

3.

A．wasted

B．treasured

C．limited

D．calculated

4.

A．shows

B．dishes

C．recipes

D．moments

5.

A．However

B．Otherwise

C．Therefore

D．Besides

6.

A．sleep

B．dine

C．study

D．play

7.

A．suitable

B．flexible

C．satisfying

D．demanding

8.

A．maintains

B．disturbs

C．improves

D．strikes

9.

A．fear

B．anger

C．guilt

D．hunger

10.

A．predict

B．create

C．evaluate

D．accept

11.

A．work out

B．calm down

C．hold on

D．catch up

12.

A．unwillingly

B．casually

C．consciously

D．carelessly

13.

A．louder

B．shorter

C．simpler

D．sweeter

14.

A．assists

B．guides

C．allows

D．orders

15.

A．office

B．kitchen

C．house

D．park