1 . 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.

2 . One snowy night, a pair of beagles（比格犬）was struggling on a rural highway. The father-to-be looked around anxiously, trying to seek _________ for his dear companion. Frequently he would look at her _________, feeling guilty she labored along, her way made heavier by the new life growing inside her. They _________ for a warm, dry place. When her _________ came, it must not be out here along the roadway.

As _________ would have it, Gus Kiebel, a county wildlife officer, who was driving home from work, spotted the pair. He _________ to the shoulder of the road immediately.

The beagles made no effort to _________ when Gus bent down and stretched out his hands to them. Gus _________ their tags（狗牌）by his truck’s headlights and tried to ring, but the falling snow _________ the screen. He placed the dogs in his truck, __________ his phone and called again. A man answered and instantly grew __________ when Gus told him why he was calling.

“I already gave them away,” the man responded coldly.

Obviously, these beagles were __________. Meeting their large begging eyes, Gus felt his heart __________. “Putting them back in the snow is out of the __________,” Gus thought to himself, “I must bring them home.”

It’s a simple story, but it speaks to the best of our nature: Kindness and love can keep cruelty and cold at __________.

1.

A．shelter

B．shade

C．instructions

D．routes

2.

A．patiently

B．helplessly

C．fondly

D．proudly

3.

A．waited

B．prepared

C．cheered

D．longed

4.

A．trouble

B．opportunity

C．time

D．turn

5.

A．life

B．luck

C．history

D．news

6.

A．pulled over

B．turned up

C．headed off

D．sped up

7.

A．submit

B．bark

C．struggle

D．escape

8.

A．tore

B．adjusted

C．untied

D．read

9.

A．colored

B．misted

C．dusted

D．damaged

10.

A．dried

B．charged

C．examined

D．grabbed

11.

A．persuasive

B．defensive

C．curious

D．grateful

12.

A．discovered

B．licensed

C．identified

D．abandoned

13.

A．racing

B．sinking

C．aching

D．beating

14.

A．blue

B．question

C．way

D．world

15.

A．bay

B．hand

C．ease

D．peace

3 . 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．

4 . On Mondays, two of my children get ready for school in an unusual way. Each packs plenty of food and water, a pair of rubber boots and sometimes a cup of hot chocolate. Then, I drop them off at a nearby park where they spend the entire day outside at a certified forest school.

When I first signed them up for forest school program, I loved the idea, but as a mum, I was concerned about a few things: Would they be comfortable outside for that long? Would they stay engaged for that many hours? Then I asked them if time ever seemed to move slowly, they stared at me in confusion. They didn’t understand my question, which fittingly removed it.

In this program, kids direct their own play, climbing tall trees or testing ice on the frozen lake. They are never told their play is too high or too sharp, but are rather trusted to self- adjust. Something else my sons appreciate about forest school is not being told to move on to the next activity, but being left to stay in a particular spot for as long as their curiosity allows. :

“What about all the things they’re missing in real school?” concerned parents have asked me. Neither of their classroom teachers thinks it’s a problem, but most significantly, my kids are learning new and different skills that a classroom cannot teach. They are learning to sit silently and observe nature up close-a skill that’s virtually impossible to develop in a noisy and overcrowded classroom setting. They are making social connections across a broader range of age groups. They cooperate together, using their different sizes and strengths to fulfill various roles within their games.

I appreciate it that forest school is shaping my boys’ relationship with the outdoors. They’re learning how to spend extended periods of time in nature, what to do to pass the time, and developing knowledge that will get them much closer to nature in the coming decades.

1. What is special about the forest school program?

A．Teachers engage in kids’ play.	B．Kids play and learn outdoors.
C．It focuses on nature protection.	D．It offers various food and drinks.

2. How did the author feel about kids’ reaction to her questions?

A．Awkward.

B．Concerned.

C．Relieved.

D．Proud.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．The concerns caused by the program.

B．The benefits gained from role plays.

C．The skills acquired by children.

D．The games loved by teachers.

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

A．Nature: a wonderland for the young

B．Forest school program proves a hit

C．Parks are replacing traditional schools

D．Forest school: a fine place for my kids

5 . When I retired, my wife Peg said “Great! You’ll have time to clean the garage!” After 30 years’ ________ as director of a radio station, I would finally have more time for housework, but I worried I’d lose the sense of________ I had felt in my profession.

I pushed at the garage’s wooden doors, but they were as ________as I felt in this new stage of my life. I finally got the doors open and started to empty the shelves. Then my hand hit something ________. It was a common old metal can. I ________ the cover and found a ________ envelope with a postmark of May 13, 1940 inside. ________, I opened it and found some flower seeds in it, “ Eighty years old! I wonder if they’ll still grow. ”

I ________the seeds in a plastic pot. I checked it every day, but nothing happened. “I guess they’re just too ________to be any good, ” I told Peg in ________ . I picked up the pot to get rid of it, but something made me ________. I changed my mind and set it aside. Meanwhile, I was keeping ________, buying some books to improve my photography skills and teaching my granddaughters everything I knew about gardening and dogs.

Six weeks later, I was out in the yard when I ________ to notice the pot. A new bit of green-a leaf had ________. I proudly showed it off to my granddaughters. “Look, girls, even something this old can still ________ for its purpose and be pretty cool. Just like your grand- papa!”

1.

A．dream

B．belief

C．study

D．service

2.

A．freedom

B．purpose

C．trust

D．security

3.

A．worn

B．stuck

C．broken

D．lost

4.

A．delicate

B．special

C．hard

D．sharp

5.

A．removed

B．washed

C．cleaned

D．fastened

6.

A．labeled

B．selected

C．yellowed

D．ruined

7.

A．Curiously

B．Sincerely

C．Skillfully

D．Bravely

8.

A．collected

B．planted

C．abandoned

D．stored

9.

A．old

B．wet

C．weak

D．small

10.

A．anger

B．surprise

C．regret

D．relief

11.

A．delay

B．reflect

C．hesitate

D．disappoint

12.

A．upset

B．awake

C．social

D．busy

13.

A．expected

B．attempted

C．failed

D．happened

14.

A．showed up

B．fallen off

C．taken off

D．dried up

15.

A．compete

B．grow

C．survive

D．relax

6 . Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus during rush hour. The bus was filled with cold, tired people________ with one another. Two men________ at each other for an unintentional push. An elderly woman got on, and nobody offered her a________. Anger was in the air; no________ could be found here.

As the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver’s words came from the speaker. “Folks,”   he said. “I know you’ve had a(n)________ day and that you are depressed, but I will________. When each of you walks by before getting off, drop your________ into my palm (手掌). My route goes right by the Hudson River, into which I’ll________ them.”

It seemed as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing, their faces shining with________. The passengers who had been________each other’s existence were suddenly grinning (咧嘴笑) at each other — is this guy serious?

At the next stop, just as________, the driver held out his hand, palm up, and waited. All the________passengers performed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. The driver________the same action at every stop that followed.

Occasionally we may sink into a grey world, but someone can ________it like a ray of light, showing us hope. What if we are the light?________, anyone possesses the power to shine on others’ dark days.

1.

A．satisfied

B．associated

C．impressed

D．annoyed

2.

A．waved

B．nodded

C．barked

D．shot

3.

A．reminder

B．seat

C．ride

D．choice

4.

A．mercy

B．fortune

C．courage

D．security

5.

A．tough

B．average

C．important

D．fruitful

6.

A．make comments

B．show up

C．help out

D．take risks

7.

A．memories

B．troubles

C．faults

D．tips

8.

A．transform

B．stretch

C．accompany

D．cast

9.

A．envy

B．greed

C．pleasure

D．pride

10.

A．suspecting

B．ignoring

C．expecting

D．appreciating

11.

A．ordered

B．promised

C．requested

D．reported

12.

A．chosen

B．fooled

C．sitting

D．exiting

13.

A．repeated

B．designed

C．interpreted

D．evaluated

14.

A．divide

B．explore

C．reward

D．brighten

15.

A．However

B．Instead

C．Actually

D．Consequently

7 . Adapting to technological advances is a defining part of the 21st-century life. Just two months after being launched in November 2022, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has already reached an audience of over 100 million people. While ChatGPT threatens to change writing and writing-related work, the Mesopotamians, who lived 4,000 years ago in a geographical area centered in modern-day Iraq, went through this kind of far-reaching change before us.

Ancient Mesopotamia was home to many of civilization’s early developments. Its people were world leaders in adapting to technological and cultural changes. They invented the wheel and agriculture, and pioneered advances in mathematics and urbanization. These breakthroughs are reflected in cuneiform(楔形文字)literature，one of the oldest known forms of writing.

In its literature, Mesopotamians don’t present cultural and technological advances as consistently beneficial.They often represent new technologies being controlled in the service of human conflict and mostly serving the interests of those with high social positions. In some ways，the representation of new technologies in its literature echoes(映现)contemporary concerns about AI: fears of increasing social inequalities and its potential use in information war.

In recent years，AI—the newest form of writing—has been used to decipher(破译)the oldest: cuneiform literature.In broader fields,the boundaries of how AI may be used haven’t been clearly explained.In January,for example, a top international AI conference banned the use of AI tools for writing scientific papers.

Humans have been struggling to invent, use and adapt to technology since our earliest civilizations. But the technology and resulting knowledge are not always evenly distributed. Knowing how we adapted to changing technology in the past helps us more fully understand the human condition and may even help us prepare for the future.

1. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about concerning Mesopotamians?

A．Their adaptation to threats.

B．Their influences on writing.

C．Their contribution to literature.

D．Their achievements in civilization.

2. What can be inferred about technological advances from paragraph 3?

A．They prevent human conflict.

B．They bring about hidden dangers.

C．They take away people’s concerns.

D．They lower people’s social status.

3. What is the current situation of AI according to paragraph 4?

A．Its use in literature is popular.

B．It is not allowed to finish papers.

C．Its range of application is undefined.

D．It is not accepted in broader fields.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．How People Can Use the Latest Technology

B．How ChatGPT Will Threaten Writing and Work

C．What AI Will Do by Learning Cuneiform Literature

D．What History Can Teach Us About New Tech’s Impact

8 . Everyone knows what makes a good story. Our hero starts their journey as a flawed being. In scene after scene, they face challenges that push them down new paths. By the end of the talc, they overcome setbacks and become a better person in the process.

We love these plots in the novels we read but the principles of a good story offer much more than entertainment. Recent research shows that the narratives we tell ourselves about our lives can powerfully help us recover from stress. People who generate tales of struggling and turning over a new leaf from their own lives appear to have much better mental health. Professor Dan McAdams put forward this idea and discovered that whether someone can describe having had some control over events in their past is an important predictor of mental health. Another key theme involved is finding some kind of positive meaning after stressful events.

McAdams invited 14 and 15-year-olds to join in an experiment to write about their experiences of failure and success. Half of them were then given extra instructions to describe the ways they had made their success a reality and how the failure had changed them for the better. Eight weeks later, members of this group reported greater persistence and better grades in their schoolwork.

Exciting as these results are, some experts sound a few notes of caution. They worry that, hearing about the power of self-narratives, many people may feel they have to find a positive turning point in life. If they can’t, they could end up feeling guilty about having somehow “failed”.

Clearly, self-narratives aren’t the panacea. Nevertheless, if you hope for self-improvement, you can use the findings to good effect. By recognizing ourselves as the hero at the center of our own struggles, we can all become the author of our own destiny and change ourselves for the better.

1. What does the research focus on?

A．The causes of stress.

B．The principles of narrative.

C．The connection between struggle and well-being.

D．The link between mental health and self-narratives.

2. Why is the experiment mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．To give proof.	B．To make predictions.
C．To draw a conclusion.	D．To make comparisons.

3. What does the underlined word “panacea” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Attempt to get rid of worries.	B．Means of recognizing yourself.
C．Solution to adolescent problems.	D．Guarantee to become better people.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Embrace Life Struggles	B．Be Your Own Hero
C．Ways to Make a Good Story	D．The Power of Self-improvement

9 . I was heading home after giving my colleague a lift. I took a _______ as the snowstorm was approaching.

Then the snow started and was coming down _______. Within minutes I was in a whiteout.The windows were _______ and getting covered with snow, so I slowed down and rolled down my driver's side window, thinking I could better _______ the road edge and keep to a straight line. But really, I had no _______ where I was. I stopped and kept the car running to stay_______. I called 911.The operator told me to wait things out for the night.

The call left me in _______. Breathe, I told myself. An idea occurred to me. I _______ my location online and explained what I was _______, wishing for anyone to come to my rescue. Soon enough, people started chiming in on my post. I got a ________ from someone who was going to put me in touch with people nearby. I had never been more ________.

Then I saw a big ________ in the dark. He had walked about 500 metres to get me, ________ the wind and snow each step of the way. “You’ll be OK. Follow me.” He turned around and started to trudge through the snow, sure of the ________. I drove slowly behind him. When we reached his house,I burst into tears of ________.

1.

A．shortcut

B．turn

C．look

D．risk

2.

A．soon

B．fast

C．lightly

D．suddenly

3.

A．locked

B．closed

C．frozen

D．broken

4.

A．follow

B．cover

C．mark

D．remember

5.

A．plan

B．clue

C．doubt

D．problem

6.

A．awake

B．calm

C．warm

D．still

7.

A．confusion

B．trouble

C．embarrassment

D．panic

8.

A．confirmed

B．found

C．posted

D．checked

9.

A．looking at

B．going through

C．searching for

D．carrying out

10.

A．tip

B．comment

C．like

D．message

11.

A．inspired

B．relieved

C．convinced

D．amazed

12.

A．policeman

B．creature

C．shadow

D．figure

13.

A．fighting

B．avoiding

C．checking

D．reporting

14.

A．goal

B．danger

C．depth

D．direction

15.

A．hope

B．love

C．gratitude

D．pride

10 . Marvelous Scenic Walks Near London

There are plenty of walking routes in London. If you fancy something a bit more rural, then the green and pleasant land has plenty to offer.

Goring Gap and the Thames Path

If you’re in the mood for a gentle rural walk, the Thames Path is far from boring. The 5-mile footpath follows the curve of the river, winding past wildflower meadows (草地).

Post-walk pub: Pangbourne’s seventeenth-century pub The Swan serves high-end dishes. Bag a table on the riverside or keep toasty by one of its open fires.

Box Hill

To admire this spots rural views, first you’ve got to jump across 17 stepping stones and climb 272 steps to the top of Box Hill, where the path begins. The total distance is 6.8 miles.

Post-walk pub: The cavernous Tree on Box Hill has an attractive menu and huge beer garden, or sample a glass of Juniper Hill at Denbies Winerie.

A South Downs Ridge (山脊)

If you’ve already done the classic Seven Sisters clifftop walk or can’t face all those hills, this is a long but lovely alternative. The route covering 14.3 miles snakes along a ridge and a river valley.

Post-walk pub: There are always 10 real beers at the old-school pub The Wellington.

Chess Valley in the Chilterns

Chess Valley in the Chiltern Hills isn’t home to any chess masters, but it used to produce a kind of water plant. This walk of 4.9 miles follows the river, winding through rolling meadows and woods.

Post-walk pub: The George & Dragon is a simple old coaching pub on the High Street with a log fire, real beers and giant burgers.

1. Which of the following walks covers the shortest distance?

A．Box Hill.

B．A South Downs Ridge.

C．Chess Valley in the Chilterns.

D．Goring Gap and the Thames Path.

2. What do the listed scenic walks in the text have in common?

A．The pubs are pretty and old-fashioned.

B．Visitors can relax at special pubs after walks.

C．There are rivers winding through the meadows.

D．The food served there is expensive and of high quality.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A geography book.	B．A travel brochure.
C．A fashion website.	D．A science magazine.