1 . A year back I received a full scholarship to attend the University of San Francisco. All of my hard work had paid off. My mom had spent a lot in my attending a private high school, so I made sure to push myself: I volunteered, joined different clubs, and graduated with honors.

I was so excited to start a new life. I had totally packed two weeks and wanted to go to college at once before it was time to leave.

Soon enough, the big day came, but it wasn’t like what I had thought. The first two weeks were the most difficult days of my entire life. Every night I would cry myself to sleep.

I was so homesick (想家) and I didn’t know how to deal with my broken heart. To distract myself, I threw myself into my studies and I applied for a lot of jobs. In any remaining free time, I started forcing myself to the gym. I wanted to keep every part of my day busy so I wouldn’t think how lonely I felt.

Soon after, I began to limit food, and then I became worse. Finally, I went to see a doctor. When the doctor weighed me, I was crazy about the number of my weight. So I continued to lower my goal, and convinced that controlling this number was the solution to my homesickness. But when I was told that I had no choice but to spend time on my studies. I quickly started recovery in my mind.

How could I do? I told myself that school was what I was best at. I decided to get rid of my homesickness and took exercise actively. My first term of college had passed by at last and I had gotten straight A’s. That’s why I want to share my story—to help other students feel less lonely.

1. How was the author during the two weeks before she left for the college?

A．She was as normal as before.

B．She couldn’t wait to leave for the college.

C．She was afraid to leave her home.

D．She didn’t enjoy her mother’s company.

2. What is the author’s problem at the beginning of studying in the university?

A．Her weight.	B．Her diet.
C．Her homesickness.	D．Her bad study habit.

3. Which can best replace the underlined phrase “distract myself” in paragraph 2?

A．achieve my dream	B．earn money by myself
C．improve my studies	D．take my attention away

4. What is the main purpose of the author in writing the text?

A．To look back at her past middle school life.

B．To help girls to lose weight.

C．To help lonely college students.

D．To increase her own confidence.

2 . “When studying foreign speech, don’t forget about body language. ” Anne Merritt said.

Something as simple as a smile can show: friendliness in one culture, embarrassment in another, impatience in a third. Even silence means different things in different places. If you want to avoid making some mistakes when traveling abroad, you should pay attention to the following.

Touch     

Britain, along with much of Northern Europe and the Far East, has a “noncontact” culture. In those countries, there is very little physical contact (接触) in people’s daily talks. Even brushing someone’s arm by accident is the reason for an apology. However, in the high-contact cultures of the Middle East, Latin America, and Southern Europe, physical touch is a big part of daily life.

What’s more, there are different standards, for who touches whom and where. In much of the Arab world, men hold hands and kiss each other in greeting, but would never do the same with a woman. In Thailand and Laos, it is taboo (禁忌的) to touch anyone’s head, even children’s. In South Korea, elders can touch younger people with force when trying to get through a crowd, but younger people can’t do the same.

Eye contact     

In most Western countries, frequent eye contact: is a sign of confidence and attentiveness (注意). We may think that a conversation partner who looks away is either not listening to us or lying. Of course, this is not the standard around the world.

In many Asian, African, and Latin American countries, the unbroken (未间断的) eye contact would be considered impolite and rude. These cultures consider avoiding eye contact a sign of respect for bosses and elders. In these parts of the-world, children won’t look at an adult who is speaking to them, nor will employees look at their bosses.

1. In Britain, when people are talking, they usually_________.

A．avoid eye contact	B．brush the others’ arms
C．avoid physical contact	D．apologize for their mistakes

2. In Southern Europe, physical touch is________.

A．unnecessary

B．impolite

C．dangerous

D．common

3. What does this passage mainly tell us?

A．How to have a good time abroad.	B．The importance of body language.
C．How to communicate with foreigners.	D．An introduction to some body language.

3 . Yesterday was Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, my mother was not among the many happy mothers, as I couldn’t visit her this year. I made a________on the phone that I would go to see her as soon as possible. 

My mother always says that kids don’t need to________a national day to say they love their mums. However, I remember one year I________calling her on that very day, and the next morning she rang up to complain about it. 

If you________Thailand, you could hear the sentimental (伤感的) songs about mothers’ greatest love playing in public places a week before the holiday. Schools, especially, take this day very________. Back in my teenage years, I ________ there was once a Mother’s Day singing competition and my friend represented the school. She was so emotional while singing the famous song on Mother’s Day________ “Kah Nam Nom” that she almost didn’t finish the song. 

However, her deep connection to the song helped her to________third prize. After the contest, I asked her why she was so emotional________the song. She told me that while she was singing, suddenly she had the________that one day her mother would no longer be with her and every word in the song became heartbreaking. Every time I hear this song, it’s not my mother who________to my mind but a picture of my friend crying with a microphone in her hand. The image________vivid today. 

Last week, a colleague________an experience with me—every year on Mother’s Day, she has to attend a________ceremony at her daughter’s school. Every year the teachers invite mothers to the school for a big gathering in which students pay________with flower garlands (花环).

1.

A．remark

B．promise

C．practice

D．suggestion

2.

A．long for

B．turn to

C．wait for

D．refer to

3.

A．missed

B．tried

C．regretted

D．avoided

4.

A．visit

B．like

C．leave

D．hate

5.

A．strangely

B．carelessly

C．seriously

D．kindly

6.

A．remember

B．think

C．doubt

D．wonder

7.

A．called

B．designed

C．made

D．created

8.

A．assist

B．place

C．win

D．adopt

9.

A．in

B．except

C．besides

D．about

10.

A．duty

B．gift

C．idea

D．habit

11.

A．hits

B．comes

C．occurs

D．catches

12.

A．develops

B．controls

C．remains

D．increases

13.

A．compared

B．shared

C．provided

D．filled

14.

A．common

B．special

C．serious

D．rare

15.

A．respect

B．attention

C．satisfaction

D．manners

5 . Is It Worth Buying Organic Food?

Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels (标签). However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious (有营养的) and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren’t necessarily more nutritious, and they’re no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either.

The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. “We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier,” says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. “So consumers shouldn’t assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer.”

For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats.

While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends.

Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn’t always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that “Whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste.” Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic.

1. The new research questions whether organic food ________.

A．should replace traditional food

B．has been overpriced by farmers

C．is grown with less harmful chemicals

D．is really more nutritious and healthier

2. Smith Spangler and her colleagues found that ________.

A．organic food could reduce the risk of heart disease

B．traditional food was grown with more natural methods

C．both organic and traditional food they examined were safe

D．there was not a presence of any forms of bacteria in organic food

3. Which of the following is relatively healthier according to the passage?

A．Organic chicken and pork.

B．Organic milk and chicken.

C．Traditional chicken and pork.

D．Traditional fruit and vegetables.

4. What is the author’s attitude toward organic food?

A．Doubtful.

B．Positive.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Approving.

6 . I have always been hard­working in school. And I enjoyed gaining new understanding about study. One way was making _________.

Math has always been my favorite subject. During each math class, while _________, I waited for my opportunities to show myself, which were questions. When they came, I would _________ my hand. Answering them _________ made me feel I was great. The only problem was that I wanted to be _________ ——to be right every time.

As it turned out, living up to this standard was _________. In one class, I stood up confidently but gave a _________ answer. Even though I knew this was not my first mistake in life, something different had come at that moment. I thought that my classmates might think I was_________. The beautiful castle that I had built up _________ after my mistake.

In the following classes, I was in low spirits and became silent. Even if I may have known the answer, I was __________ to take the risk of damaging (破坏) my self-confidence any more. Noticing my ________, my math teacher talked with me and learned my problem. She told me that mistakes are an important part of learning ________ they can point out our weaknesses and help us make progress. I should form the habit of __________ mistakes.

From that experience, I realized that I was wrong in my __________ to mistakes. School is not a place to __________ but a place to learn. What I now know is that by holding fast to humility (谦虚) and learning to grow from my mistakes, I can truly learn in a way I could never in the past.

1.

A．mistakes

B．rules

C．friends

D．promises

2.

A．teaching

B．writing

C．reviewing

D．listening

3.

A．touch

B．shake

C．raise

D．wave

4.

A．briefly

B．finally

C．carefully

D．correctly

5.

A．perfect

B．creative

C．smart

D．popular

6.

A．natural

B．impossible

C．unnecessary

D．informal

7.

A．wrong

B．short

C．quick

D．right

8.

A．stupid

B．funny

C．clever

D．strange

9.

A．took in

B．turned up

C．set off

D．fell down

10.

A．easy

B．happy

C．excited

D．unwilling

11.

A．silence

B．anger

C．happiness

D．shyness

12.

A．if

B．so

C．because

D．before

13.

A．accepting

B．making

C．realizing

D．repeating

14.

A．schedule

B．dream

C．hobby

D．attitude

15.

A．get along

B．show off

C．play

D．choose

7 . Aron Ralston was a pretty normal guy, but he always had an extremely adventurous desire to travel and see the world. During his childhood, his family moved to Denver, Colorado, a place offering many opportunities to climb mountains, explore, and eventually become the adventurer he’d always wanted to be. Back in 2003, Ralston was climbing in the remote, mountainous area of Southwestern Utah, when the unthinkable happened: Aron got stuck in a crevice (裂缝) in the rocks and pinned by a big stone that weighed over 360 kilograms. The weight of the rock crushed his arm, and he was pinned by it. Aron took photos of his bad situation (which was going to get a lot worse), hoping rescue teams (救援队) would know where he was and came to remove the rock so that he could get out and home safe.

But rescuers never came. Aron waited for them for days till he lost his hope. He knew he had to do something. He was 18 meters above the floor of the valley where he was pinned in, and he had a pocketknife. He made what must have been one of the most difficult decisions of his life: to cut his own arm in order to survive. Aron cut the lower part of his arm off, having to wrench (扭动) his forearm against the big stone to break the bones, and then got himself down to the bottom of the valley, where he would begin to walk and search for help. Luckily, help arrived in the form of a helicopter (直升机) that spotted him, covered in blood. Aron had tied off the wound to keep himself from bleeding to death pretty successfully and would eventually make it out alive.

Ralston went on to become an inspiring speaker and continued to travel and climb mountains—he didn’t let an incident that forced him to cut his own arm off, stop him from doing what he really loved.

1. What can be inferred about Aron’s getting stuck?

A．It was unavoidable.	B．It resulted from his being lost.
C．It was unexpected.	D．It was caused by a moving stone.

2. Why did Aron take photos of his bad situation?

A．To send them to rescuers for help.	B．To keep a record of his adventure.
C．To remind his friends of the danger.	D．To tell the doctors about his wound.

3. What did he do to survive when no rescue was expected come?

A．He waited for the rescue to come.

B．He cut the stone using his pocketknife.

C．He moved off the stone using all his might.

D．He cut his lower part of his arm and broke the bones.

4. What helped Aron Ralston survive?

A．His cruelty and anger.	B．His effort and bravery.
C．His talent and creativity.	D．His calmness and determination.

8 . Winning the silver medal at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League in the United States, on Sunday, the Chinese women’s volleyball team enjoyed their best result in the tournament (联赛), with the key to the breakthrough being their unity and never-say-die spirit.

“I just feel that our team is more united than ever,” said Yuan Xinyue, Team China captain. “We support and help each other on the court. This is the most important reason behind our success. All of us should shoulder the responsibility of winning.”

She continued to say, “ We have firm determination, and we will keep moving forward. We cherish the road that we have walked. We will summarize events, and we will keep tackling the problems. We will also try hard and hold onto our dreams and the belief that the Chinese women’s volleyball team can be the best.”

Team China was one step away from gold, but the Turkish women’s team showed greater momentum (势头) in the final beating China 3-1. As the Chinese team only finished sixth at last year’s VNL, the second-place finish was a surprise to Chinese fans.

Sunday’s final attracted huge media attention and generated a series of trending topics on social media. While many joined in heated discussion about the final, many more expressed congratulations on the fast rise of the young women’s team.

“Although the Chinese women’s team wasn’t able to stand on the highest podium (领奖台) at the Volleyball Nations League, they still produced the best possible result by fighting together. Hand in hand, Team China players march forward together,” reported by China Sports Daily. “Team China was not among the favorites to reach the final of the VNL, but the team still managed to pocket a silver medal, which is huge progress compared to last year’s result. They proved all the doubters wrong, and they showed the world what a united team they are.”

1. How can we best describe Team China’s performance in the tournament?

A．Overconfident.

B．United.

C．Disappointing.

D．Careless.

2. Which can replace the underlined word “tackling” in paragraph 3?

A．Checking out.

B．Bringing about.

C．Giving up.

D．Dealing with.

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.

A．People were concerned about Team China because it lost the game.

B．Team China played very hard in the tournament and won the first prize.

C．Team China has made significant advances though not pocketing the gold medal.

D．Team China didn’t try their best.

4. What can be the best title for the news report?

A．Team China shines in silver medal success

B．Team China not among favorites to reach final

C．Chinese women’s volleyball team plays against Turkish team

D．Team China wins the game

9 . Last year, 138,000 San Francisco residents used Airbnb, a popular app designed to connect home renters and travelers. It’s a striking number for a city with a population of about 850,000, and it was enough for Airbnb to win a major victory in local elections, as San Francisco voters struck down (否决) a debatable rule that would have placed time restrictions and other regulations on short-term rental services.

The company of Airbnb fiercely opposed the rule, Proposition F. It also contacted its San Franciscan users with messages urging them to vote against Proposition F.

Most people think of Airbnb as a kind of couch-surfing app. The service works for one-night stays on road trips and longer stays in cities, and it often has more competitive pricing than hotels. It’s a textbook example of the “sharing economy”, but not everyone is a fan.

The app has had unintended consequences in San Francisco. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported last year, a significant amount of renting on Airbnb is not in line with the company’s image. Middle-class families rent a spare room out to help make ends meet. Backers of Proposition F argued that this trend takes spaces off the conventional (传统的), better-regulated (监管更好的) housing market and contributes to rising costs.

San Francisco is in the middle of a long-term, deeply rooted housing crisis that has seen the cost of living explode. Located on a narrow land overlooking the bay, San Francisco simply doesn’t have enough space to accommodate the massive inflow of young, high-salaried tech employees flocking to Silicon Valley. Consequently, the average monthly rent for an apartment is around $4,000.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, some San Francisco residents supported the rule simply because it seemed like a way to check a big corporation. Opponents of Proposition F countered that the housing crisis runs much deeper, and that passing the rule would have discouraged a popular service while doing little to solve the city’s existing problems.

1. The intention of Proposition F is to ______.

A．place time limits in local election	B．set limits on short-term rental
C．strike down a debatable rule	D．urge users to vote against Airbnb

2. What negative effect does Airbnb have on San Francisco?

A．It reduces the living space of middle-class families.

B．Users are taken advantage of by the service financially.

C．It helps regulate the house market effectively.

D．It indirectly leads to high house rental price.

3. What causes the housing crisis in San Francisco?

A．Explosion of the living cost.	B．Its historic characteristics.
C．Inflow of migrant population.	D．Development of local economy.

4. What is the author’s attitude toward Proposition F?

A．Objective.

B．Optimistic

C．Subjective.

D．Indifferent.

10 . Different ways have been applied to dealing with waste paper, specifically used newspapers. Some people put them in the recycling area, while others keep them as wrappers (包装纸). While these are both good measures, a Japanese publishing company had a better idea for their end use.

The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. invented the “Green Newspaper”, which allows people to grow plants with it. This unique newspaper was published on Greenery Day, which is focused on environmental news and made of green paper with seeds placed into it. What makes it even more special is the ink (油墨) used to print words and photos, which is made from plants. The publisher advises readers to tear the used newspaper into small pieces and plant them in a container with soil. They should water them, like they would do for any plant. Within a few weeks, the seeds will grow into plants.

This brilliant concept was invented by Dentsu Inc., one of Japan’s most famous advertising companies, which works with the publishing company on the initiative (倡议). The publisher’s belief is environmental sustainability (持续性). As its mission statement says, “The Mainichi doesn’t take action only through information, but also by solving global issues.” With joint efforts, this initiative has reached the corners of Japan and sold around millions of copies daily. Other such initiatives producing plantable paper are also seen in India and the US.

About 95 million trees are lost for producing newspapers every year. The Internet, the number of whose users stands for 62.5 percent of the population worldwide, has influenced how people read news and the print readership has dropped greatly. However, the reinvention and reimagination of this newspaper will bring about a change in the publishing industry as well as having an environmental influence.

1. Why was the Green Newspaper invented?

A．To get newspapers cheaper.	B．To make the most of waste paper.
C．To improve the printing.	D．To advertise the publishing company.

2. What can be learned about the “Green Newspaper”?

A．It uses high-tech materials.	B．It provides energy for seeds.
C．It’s printed with plant-based ink.	D．It’s published to celebrate Greenery Day.

3. What message does the publisher’s mission statement convey?

A．It’s easier said than done.	B．Everything comes to one who waits.
C．Many hands make light work.	D．Actions speak louder than words.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．About 59 million trees are lost for producing newspapers.

B．The Internet has changed the way people read news totally.

C．The popularity of the Internet leads to the fall of the print readership.

D．The “Green Newspaper” will encourage more people to protect the environment.