2 . Last Thursday, Michael and Linda were distributing (分发) meals to 4,000 homeless people for their wedding reception (婚宴) in the border town of Kills. The _________ had decided that instead of playing host to their friends and family with a traditional feast reception, they _________ to feed the homeless people from an earthquake-stricken area.

The idea came from Michael’s father, Ted, who _________ for a Turkish relief organization. For the past few years, the organization has handed out _________ meals to thousands of people who’ve suffered from natural disasters. He called Adam, who was _________ the organization, and suggested that the family cover part of the cost of feeding them for the day.

Then he told his son, who was surprised by the _________, but soon agreed. When he told that to Linda, she was really shocked but finally _________ because in southeastern Turkey there is a real culture of sharing with people _________. They love to share their _________, their table and everything they have. And afterwards she was quite __________ in it. So, they arrived at the __________ on Thursday to spend the day serving food and taking photographs with their grateful recipients (接受者).

On Tuesday evening, the __________ married couple were still pleased with their decision to __________ a personal celebration for one with greater good. Michael said, “A small act of __________ could make a big difference. __________, this will give the start for other wedding dinners to be held here with our brothers and sisters in need.”

1.

A．friends

B．people

C．couple

D．students

2.

A．refused

B．applied

C．pretended

D．preferred

3.

A．calls

B．searches

C．volunteers

D．works

4.

A．real

B．daily

C．big

D．personal

5.

A．controlling

B．cleaning

C．changing

D．following

6.

A．order

B．solution

C．command

D．suggestion

7.

A．considered

B．accepted

C．doubted

D．felled

8.

A．in need

B．in common

C．in depression

D．in danger

9.

A．money

B．experience

C．food

D．happiness

10.

A．amazed

B．disappointed

C．interested

D．annoyed

11.

A．accommodation

B．hotel

C．company

D．soup kitchen

12.

A．actually

B．officially

C．newly

D．nearly

13.

A．hold

B．quit

C．organize

D．remember

14.

A．kindness

B．happiness

C．rudeness

D．selfishness

15.

A．Thankfully

B．Surprisingly

C．Finally

D．Hopefully

3 . Koalas live in the eucalyptus (枝树) forests of southeastern and eastern Australia. They rely on the eucalyptus tree for both habitat and food. In fact, they seldom leave these trees. When not sleeping, they’re usually eating. They can eat more than a pound of eucalyptus leaves a day. Eucalyptus is poisonous, so the koala’s digestive (消化的) system has to work hard to digest it, breaking down the poisons and taking in the limited nutrients (营养). That’s why koalas sleep for 18 to 22 hours a day—they get very little energy from their diet.

Koala numbers decreased in the late 19th and early 20th century from hunting for their fur. Now they face serious threats from habitat loss. Land clearing and bush fires-especially the 2019-2020 Australia Bushfire Season-have destroyed much of the forest they live in. Koalas are easy to be affected by climate change. Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is decreasing the nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves and causing longer, more serious droughts and wildfires. In response to drought, koalas are forced to stop sleeping and come down from the trees to find water, putting them at a higher risk of being killed.

Koalas have been identified by the Australian government as one of the 113 animals requiring urgent (紧急的) help. Ensuring there’s the right kind of forest for them to return to is extremely urgent. State governments should create new koala reserves and persuade landowners not to cut down eucalyptus trees. Meanwhile, getting the public to understand koalas’ living habits and their health will throw light on koala biology, which helps to develop plans to better protect the species.

1. What can we learn about koalas?

A．They like moving around very much.	B．They can be found everywhere in Australia.
C．They have developed smart survival skills.	D．They often got ill while eating eucalyptus leaves.

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．Koalas’ newly-formed habits.	B．The potential threats to Koalas.
C．Koalas’ decreasing population.	D．The outcomes of increased carbon dioxide.

3. What is the most important thing to do right now to protect koalas?

A．Make sure they can have their habitat back.

B．Conduct the research on their living habits.

C．Realize that they are sensitive to climate change.

D．Educate people about the awareness of protecting them.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A travel brochure.	B．A nature magazine.
C．A sports newspaper.	D．A health magazine.

4 . Yesterday was my birthday, but I didn’t _______ a plan to do anything with anyone. Feeling greatly _______, I decided to go out to buy a cup of coffee for a birthday celebration by myself. By the time I arrived at my favourite coffee shop, I _______ a couple of ladies into the shop and waited to _______. One of the ladies asked me, “Do we get our own table or do the waiters find one for the _______?” I answered, “I think you get your own table and I’m waiting for that small one because I’m here to _______ my birthday alone.” The coffee shop was fairly _______ and they suggested we _______ a table together. I _______ that wonderful idea.

To my ________, when it was my turn to order and pay the bill, I was told it had been ordered and paid for. On sitting at the table, the ladies told me they were glad to give the surprise as a ________ to me on my birthday.

We spent one hour ________ happily together and we shared many topics of common interest. ________, we had to say goodbye and continued on our separate journey. It was more than I could have expected for the day. Thank you, ________ — my lovely angels for the day. They ________ me that sharing is a joy. We should thank those who help and care about us.

1.

A．give away

B．stick to

C．come up with

D．break away from

2.

A．proud

B．excited

C．sad

D．tired

3.

A．helped

B．advised

C．followed

D．drove

4.

A．order

B．fight

C．listen

D．change

5.

A．friends

B．customers

C．bosses

D．workers

6.

A．show

B．celebrate

C．protect

D．attend

7.

A．far

B．clean

C．full

D．empty

8.

A．lay

B．buy

C．move

D．share

9.

A．reported

B．refused

C．accepted

D．recorded

10.

A．fear

B．surprise

C．pity

D．regret

11.

A．cake

B．dish

C．menu

D．gift

12.

A．standing

B．waiting

C．looking

D．talking

13.

A．Finally

B．Slowly

C．Luckily

D．Secretly

14.

A．kids

B．parents

C．ladies

D．gentlemen

15.

A．offered

B．wished

C．asked

D．taught

5 . At the hillside of the Emei Mountain in Sichuan, a homestay (民宿) — My Own little Yard (吾家小院) is attracting travelers from far and wide, especially on weekends. The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a small company in Chengdu, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li worked overtime on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.

In 2020, they quit (辞掉) jobs and went back to their village, where there were plenty of homestays around their old countryside house coming into their sight. Stepping onto every balcony of every homestay, they could see the beautiful scenery of the Emei Mountain. More importantly, the villagers have earned a lot of money without entering cities to be peasant-workers, which impressed the couple most.

The couple began to rebuild their old countryside house, which was updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, and a dining room. Japanese cherry trees were planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool was placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.

Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. During the summer holiday in 2023, their My Own little Yard — homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media.

1. How did Li feel about city life?

A．Satisfied.

B．Attractive.

C．Noisy.

D．Tired.

2. What impressed the couple most when they went back to their village?

A．Villagers becoming rich.	B．Many many homestays
C．Their old countryside house.	D．Scenery of Mount Emei.

3. What can we infer about the homestay from paragraph 3?

A．It is ancient and broken.	B．It can hold many guests.
C．It has been rebuilt by the couple.	D．It must have been carefully designed.

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Sichuan homestays are very popular.

B．The Emei Mountain attracts many travelers.

C．A couple gives up city life to run a homestay.

D．The villagers have earned lots of money as peasant-workers.

6 . The Golden Week is just about to end and soon we will be back at school. It’s with both happiness and sadness. I look forward to seeing my friends and starting practice again, but it also means that I’m officially going through the placement test (分班考试) in less than half a year. From that time on I can choose some subjects I am good at and like. With school starting there are new club activities to try out and experience. For example, Lily is starting a new sport, Track. It’s similar to Cross Country, which I did before The Golden Week.

Being here for a month now, I can easily tell the differences between my junior and senior schools. The hardest or most different part for me was to have the same schedule every day here. Honestly, I prefer to have different classes every day, as I did in my junior school. However, I have fallen in love with the Friday football games. Football is one of my favorite sports now. Before I came, I knew nothing about it. Now I love it, especially to watch it with my junior schoolmates. In Golden Week, we have also been so lucky to go to two school football games.

Before I left school on the Golden Week, I had a test called Weekly Test. Mostly because I didn’t have too many hard classes, it went pretty smoothly. My favorite class is English, and also my hardest. Personally I really like English, where I could write essays (文章), challenge writing skills and improve English talking.

With the end of the Golden Week, I expect to get starting again, starting a new sport and see my friends and classmates.

1. Why does the author feel sad before school starts again?

A．Her homework is not finished.	B．The placement test will take place soon.
C．Her school life will get harder.	D．The new sport no longer attracts her.

2. How does the author’s junior school differ from the one she is in now?

A．The holidays are longer.	B．The teachers are kinder.
C．The meals are healthier.	D．The courses are richer.

3. What does the author enjoy doing most with his junior schoolmates?

A．Watching football matches.	B．Playing video games.
C．Having a talk in English.	D．Visiting her relatives.

4. What does the underlined word “it” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．Class.

B．Game.

C．Test.

D．Student.

7 . Who says you have to stay indoors when the temperatures drop? Here are favourite places to explore this winter.

Athens, Greece

In Athens, every November temperatures stay around the mid-20s, so’ have a trip to the Parthenon and Acropolis. A full afternoon is also necessary for exploring the Museum of Cycladic Art and its exhibitions—recently it has hosted Picasso’s.

Edinburgh, UK

Yes, it’s probably going to be freezing cold. Hot coffee steams up in a pleasing, romantic fashion in cafes. People can take a few minutes’ walk from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

For simple Scottish dishes there’s neighbourhood inn, the Little Chartroom. And the Sheep Heid Inn has been long enough to have served Mary Queen of Scots. In the eight bedrooms at the 18th century Rock House, each is a mixture of ancient details and current fashion.

Valletta, Malta

Flights from the UK to Malta’s capital are only around £30, making it one of the best destinations for a November trip. This tiny city has a temperature of 17 or so and has changed itself into a year-round city break with artistic cafes, hotels and newly opened galleries—Muza opened last year and houses the former National Gallery collection.

1. Which place has exhibited Picasso’s works lately?

A．Muza.	B．The Museum of Cycladic Art.
C．National Gallery.	D．Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

2. Which of the following is the coldest in winter?

A．Athens.

B．Valletta

C．Huarz

D．Edinburgh.

3. What is special about Rock House?

A．It served the Queen of Scotland.	B．It has at least eight kinds of rooms.
C．It combines ancient and modern styles.	D．It offers Scottish local specialties.

8 . A few years ago, Andy Davis and his wife decided to ride their bikes across the country. They spent months ________ and planning for their adventure.

But one day just a few months before they were going to ________, Davis felt an intense pain across his ________. He was soon diagnosed with heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart can no longer ________ blood efficiently. “It was ________ because I was so fit, and just a couple months later I could hardly ________,” he said.

His doctors told him that the only way he’d ________ was with a new heart. By November, Davis was placed on a heart transplant list—a/an________ that can take months, if not years. “You don’t know if you’re going to get a heart,” he said. “You ________ hope.”

But Davis’ condition quickly worsened, and for 11 days, he was kept ________ with a balloon pump placed inside his heart. On the 12th day, Davis was ________ learn that a new heart was on its way. It would come from a wife and mother named Sarah Ivy.

Today, Davis marvels that he is still alive. And he is filled with ________ for Ivy and her family, who gave him the gift of life in a time of ________.

Davis and his wife are now considering ________ that cross-country bicycle trip. And on the way, they plan to meet Ivy’s family for the first time, to thank them ________.

1.

A．studying

B．training

C．working

D．struggling

2.

A．start

B．quit

C．win

D．return

3.

A．shoulder

B．chest

C．arm

D．leg

4.

A．donate

B．produce

C．pump

D．seek

5.

A．unbelievable

B．available

C．professional

D．optional

6.

A．stay up

B．get around

C．settle down

D．join in

7.

A．compete

B．perform

C．survive

D．react

8.

A．operation

B．examination

C．game

D．wait

9.

A．also

B．even

C．again

D．just

10.

A．athletic

B．alive

C．attractive

D．joyful

11.

A．excited

B．eager

C．curious

D．patient

12.

A．embarrassment

B．disappointment

C．gratitude

D．satisfaction

13.

A．sadness

B．faith

C．relief

D．concern

14.

A．spending

B．taking

C．canceling

D．promoting

15.

A．in return

B．in secret

C．in person

D．in public

9 . I live in Xizhou in Yunnan Province, on the historic Tea Horse Road. I have to admit that when I first heard that Paul Salopek was going to walk the entire globe on his own two feet, I was blown away. I couldn’t imagine that there could be such an unusual person in the world.

Last May, I met Paul. He told me that it was his first time in China. He talked to me with great excitement about the history, migrations, and discoveries in my region of China. He spoke of the Shu-Yandu Dao (the Southern Silk Road), the travels of the 17th-century Chinese explorer Xu Xiake, the Tea Horse Road and the early 20th-century American botanist Joseph Rock. He also talked of Xuanzang. Paul considered many of them heroes and in a sense Chinese pioneers of slow journalism.

I decided to accompany Paul on his walk toward Yunnan. On September 28, 2021, we set out. Our days were simple: walk, eat, sleep, and repeat. We woke up at sunrise, set off in high spirits, and rested at sunset, dragging ourselves into exhausted sleep.

We met many people on the road. Some were curious, surrounding us and watching us; some gave us directions; some invited us into their home to take a rest; some spoke of the charm of their hometown. We met many beautiful souls, simple souls and warm souls. We were walking with our minds.

Together, we were impressed by the biodiversity of the Gaoligong Mountains. As I walked on ancient paths through mountains, I seemed to hear the antique voices of past travelers urging me to be careful on the road.

Looking back on the more than 200 miles I walked with Paul, I came to a realization. Walking for its own sake, while healthy and admirable, is only a small part of the benefit of moving with our feet. A deeper reward is rediscovering the world around us, shortening the distance between each other, and sharing each other’s cultures.

1. How did the writer first respond to Paul’s travel plan?

A．Scared.	B．Puzzled.
C．Disappointed.	D．Surprised.

2. What can we learn about Paul Salopek from paragraph 2?

A．He was a western journalist.	B．He had a knowledge of China.
C．He came to China several times.	D．He was Joseph Rock’s acquaintance.

3. What does paragraph 4 tell us about the writer and Paul?

A．They honored the ancestors.	B．They set off in high spirits.
C．They satisfied the locals’ curiosity.	D．They built bonds with people.

4. What is the main purpose of the writer’s writing the text?

A．To share and reflect on a journey.	B．To suggest a new way of travel.
C．To advocate protection of biodiversity.	D．To introduce and promote Chinese culture.

10 . Just wanting a hamburger, Hembert Figueroa was surprised to learn the dollar bills in his pocket were no good at Dos Toros Taqueria in Manhattan.

Figueroa, an ironworker, had to stand to the side, holding his hamburger, until a cashier helped him find another customer willing to pay for his meal with a card in exchange for cash. “I had money but I couldn’t pay,” he said.

Cash-free stores are causing a backlash among some activists who say the practice looks down upon people like Figueroa, who either lack bank accounts or rely on cash for many transactions (交易).

Supporters for banning cashless stores worry that technology is moving too fast for the 6.5% of American households—8.4 million—that do not have a bank account.

Business owners who go cashless say they are following the lead of majority of customers who are abandoning cash payments. Retailers are under pressure to satisfy customers with higher expectations for fast and convenient service, driven by companies like Amazon and Uber.

Leo Kremer, co-worker of Dos Toros, said the amount of cash transactions at his stores fell from about 50% a decade ago to 15% last year. Cash transactions made handling cash especially troublesome. Before going cashless, Dos Toros locations were robbed twice.

Financial experts who work with low-income people caution against making assumptions about the shopping preferences or buying power of those who rely on cash. Justine Zinkin, CEO of Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners, said the greater urgency in the digital time is finding ways to better include low-income people in the banking system, such as urging banks to offer no-fee starter accounts and encouraging banks to open branches in underserved areas.

1. What trouble was Hembert Figueroa faced with at Dos Toros Taqueria?

A．He failed to find a cashier for help.	B．He couldn’t make a deal with cash.
C．He took no money or a card with him.	D．He was caught carrying false bank notes.

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

A．Strong disagreement.

B．Warm welcome.

C．Heated debate.

D．High expectation.

3. What did Justine Zinkin suggest according to the text?

A．Making regulations to ban cashless stores.

B．Raising the buying power of low-income people.

C．Finding ways for banks to adapt with the digital time.

D．Making banks more accessible to low-income people.

4. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．An introduction of cashless stores, a new form of transaction.

B．An introduction of cashless stores, a production of new technology.

C．A discussion about whether cashless stores are lawful.

D．A discussion about whether cashless stores should be banned.