1 . In the old-fashioned town of Willowbrook, two friends named Emma and Liam shared an intimate bond. They were inseparable and spent every moment together, laughing, exploring, and creating unforgettable memories.
One cold winter morning, as the first snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Emma woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. She tried to brave it and get ready for school, but her body felt weak and achy. Unwillingly, she called Liam to let him know she couldn’t make it to school that day.
Liam was concerned when he heard the tiredness in Emma’s voice. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll take care of everything at school for you,” he assured her. Feeling grateful for Liam’s understanding, Emma forced a smile and replied, “Thank you, Liam. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”
After school, Liam hurried to Emma’s house, carrying a meal he had prepared for her. He knocked on the door, and Emma’s mother welcomed him with a warm smile. “Oh, Liam, you’re such a thoughtful friend,” she said.
“I brought some soup and tea for Emma. I hope it will make her feel better,” Liam replied, some concern in his eyes. Entering Emma’s room, Liam found her curled up under a blanket, looking pale but relieved to see him. “Hey, I brought some comfort food to cheer you up,” he said, setting the food on her bedside table.
Emma’s eyes lit up, and she smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This means the world to me,” she whispered. Sitting by her side, Liam kept her company, chatting softly and making her laugh despite her illness. The warmth of their friendship enveloped the room, bringing a feeling of comfort to Emma’s tired soul.
As Emma regained her strength, she realized just how lucky she was to have a friend like Liam. His unwavering presence and kindness had made her recovery easier and brighter. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and from that moment on, they knew they would be there for each other through thick and thin.
1. What does the underlined word “intimate” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Satisfactory. | B．Informal. | C．Close. | D．Temporary. |
| A．It was too cold to go outside. | B．Liam failed to pick her up. |
| C．She was in a bad condition. | D．School was closed for the heavy snow. |
| A．Considerate and caring. | B．Brave but lazy. |
| C．Selfless and active. | D．Independent but stubborn. |
| A．Emma’s illness. | B．A precious friendship. |
| C．Liam’s company. | D．How to help a friend. |
2 . That morning in September, at a five-kilometer race, I waited for my 11-year-old son at the finish line. He’d run 30:34 at another 5k in late spring, so I
It’d already been an
Minutes before the race, it jumped onto the sidewalk. Maybe it wanted to seek freedom, but this wasn’t a safe place due to the
I ran well and felt thrilled at the finish line. However, that
My
Sometimes life gives you something beautiful, but fragile. There’s no need to
| A．indicated | B．knew | C．meant | D．stressed |
| A．question | B．forgive | C．panic | D．regret |
| A．average | B．endless | C．unusual | D．original |
| A．invisible | B．smooth | C．unpredictable | D．easy |
| A．took out | B．reached out | C．gave away | D．put up |
| A．lose | B．change | C．train | D．catch |
| A．eagerness | B．nervousness | C．annoyance | D．excitement |
| A．enjoyed | B．kept | C．practiced | D．stopped |
| A．crossing | B．blocking | C．facing | D．touching |
| A．arguing | B．sighing | C．riding | D．feeding |
| A．evaluations | B．guesses | C．conclusions | D．comments |
| A．facts | B．ideas | C．tasks | D．activities |
| A．overcame | B．treated | C．received | D．blamed |
| A．move | B．fly | C．struggle | D．rush |
| A．gently | B．wisely | C．loosely | D．urgently |
3 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.
This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.
However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!
Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?
The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”
1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing some examples. | D．By analyzing the cause and effect. |
| A．For convenience. | B．At the same time. |
| C．In detail. | D．Free of charge. |
| A．people can’t control their feelings | B．people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing |
| C．people have no patience to do work | D．people are addicted to waiting for a new episode |
| A．To keep online media from stopping functioning. |
| B．To enjoy entertainment as much as possible. |
| C．To learn life lessons from the episodes. |
| D．To watch episodes in a moderate way. |
4 . When you think of a map, is north on the top or the bottom? Usually, maps are designed with north on top, though when we think about it, there is no logical reason for this bias (偏见). After all, there is no up or down in space. So what is wrong with south, east or west being on the top of the map? The answer is: nothing at all. In fact, north-up maps only became the norm in the last few hundred years.
Ancient Egyptian maps had south at the top because the Nile River flows downhill from mountains in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Mecca was to the south of most early Muslim civilizations, and south-up maps were designed so that viewers would look up to see Mecca. Medieval Christian maps had east at the top, as they believed the Garden of Eden was in the east. The only early maps that had north at the top were those of early China because the emperor lived in the north.
North seems to have settled at the top of maps during the 16th century, largely thanks to a Flemish mapmaker, Mercator. Mercator was a great admirer of an early Greek mapmaker, who, for reasons now unknown, put north at the top of maps, so Mercator did, too. When Mercator’s world map became the standard map to navigate the oceans, north up became standard as well.
What is the implication of this north-view of the world? Psychologically, people tend to think of up as good and down as bad. Just think of words and phrases like “upmarket”, “upbeat” and “moving up in the world”, and how they contrast with their opposites. Because north is so consistently put at the top of maps, people now think of north as good, too.
Several attempts have been made in recent years by introducing south-up maps to the market. These maps not only give us a chance to see the world differently, but also give everyone the chance to see themselves on top.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．North-up maps were rare in ancient times. |
| B．Deciding up or down in space is ridiculous. |
| C．Mecca maps were based on a legend. |
| D．The south-up map first appeared in ancient Egypt. |
| A．An illogical reason. | B．The spread of Mercator’s maps. |
| C．People’s preference for up. | D．An age-old tradition in Greece. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．To criticize a phenomenon. | B．To compare various facts. |
| C．To correct a cultural bias. | D．To argue for a viewpoint. |
5 . Sometimes we only appreciate something when we realize we may lose it. That is the story of the Everglades. A shallow slow-moving river, the Everglades once covered about 18,000 square miles of southern Florida. Until the 1900s, few people lived in the grassy wetlands. Not much was understood about the unique balance of nature that existed there. Plants, creatures, and water had formed a remarkable ecosystem.
By the early 1900s, Florida’s pleasant winters attracted more people. Visitors became new permanent residents. They built homes and roads. The conditions looked good for farming, so the newcomers planted large agricultural crops. But South Florida’s cycle of flooding was a problem. To address that, developers attempted to drain (排水) the land. They also built structures to control water levels and flow.
Those changes made it easier for more people to live year-round in South Florida. However, they also disturbed life in the Everglades, which depends on freshwater regularly refilling the land. The area’s growing human population needed freshwater. And large farms consumed large quantities of freshwater. By the mid-1900s, water levels in southern Florida began to go down. Lack of freshwater wasn’t the only problem. As more and more land was developed for people and farms, the Everglades’ historic boundaries contracted. Loss of habitat and hunting threatened the survival of native species in the Everglades.
Some people hoped that the government’s recognition might save the Everglades. They fought for it. Everglades National Park was established in 1947. It became the first park in the United States created for its biodiversity.
Now, Everglades National Park protects 1.5 million acres along the southern tip of Florida. An amazing variety of creatures live there. About 360 different species of birds have been sighted in the park. Nearly 300 different species of fish have been identified. About 40 species of mammals and 50 species of reptiles inhabit the park. Nature still rules in the Everglades, a place worth understanding, appreciating, and protecting.
1. What was the Everglades like before the 1900s?| A．Naturally wild. | B．Partly explored. |
| C．Completely lifeless. | D．Thickly populated. |
| A．A cycle of flooding. |
| B．Pollution of freshwater. |
| C．Possible extinction of native species. |
| D．The extension of historic boundaries. |
| A．To attract visitors to the park. |
| B．To stress the great power of nature. |
| C．To call for more efforts to protect nature. |
| D．To show the successful conservation of the park. |
| A．How people adapted to life in the Everglades. |
| B．How Everglades National Park was established. |
| C．How humans harmed and saved the Everglades. |
| D．How the ecosystem of the Everglades was formed. |
6 . Anyone who has ever witnessed the miracle in which infants progress from mewling to “Mama” to “Mine!” knows how critical it is for youngsters to hear normally before they speak their first words.
Their
Audiologists estimate that 3 out of every 1,000 babies are born with some kind of hearing loss. Of those three infants, one is profoundly deaf. About half the time, doctors can identify a possible cause, such as a birth weight less than 5 pounds, or a family history of
The screening tests work by introducing a sound into a baby’s ear and then measuring either the
It is at this stage that things get a bit
| A．Indeed | B．Meanwhile | C．Occasionally | D．Surprisingly |
| A．reported | B．accepted | C．treated | D．tested |
| A．legal | B．random | C．further | D．compulsory |
| A．charge | B．complaint | C．appeal | D．pursuit |
| A．procedures | B．advances | C．practices | D．insights |
| A．fitted with | B．provided with | C．entitled to | D．attached to |
| A．reasonable | B．imaginable | C．reliable | D．predictable |
| A．disorder | B．blindness | C．obesity | D．deafness |
| A．solution | B．clue | C．reflection | D．doubt |
| A．response | B．volume | C．capacity | D．activity |
| A．however | B．therefore | C．for example | D．after all |
| A．prove | B．produce | C．match | D．affect |
| A．stop | B．review | C．repeat | D．improve |
| A．shocking | B．distracting | C．unpredictable | D．complicated |
| A．worrying | B．classifying | C．engaging | D．prompting |
7 . An Oregon teenager Marcos Ugartes is being praised as a hero after he saved a young boy from a house fire.
The fire broke out just after 10 p. m. Monday. Marcos Ugartes and his dad were sitting on the couch in their home when they heard
After learning that an 8-year-old Cody Ma was still
Marcos Ugartes grabbed a ladder (梯子) and
The Ugartes had never met the Ma family before the
The Ma family expressed their
Marcos told ABC News he got a lot of
| A．singing | B．screaming | C．laughing | D．whispering |
| A．assumed | B．admitted | C．feared | D．denied |
| A．hidden | B．torn | C．stuck | D．pressed |
| A．twice | B．ahead | C．big | D．fast |
| A．ask | B．prevent | C．cheat | D．free |
| A．fell | B．climbed | C．looked | D．marched |
| A．blew up | B．polished up | C．broke through | D．carried away |
| A．boy | B．parent | C．book | D．pet |
| A．rain | B．wind | C．snow | D．fire |
| A．linked | B．analyzed | C．helped | D．checked |
| A．houses | B．addresses | C．grades | D．names |
| A．relief | B．ease | C．gratitude | D．comfort |
| A．donation | B．bravery | C．encouragement | D．sponsorship |
| A．questions | B．doubts | C．congratulations | D．greetings |
| A．consult | B．honor | C．fund | D．examine |
8 . In the past week almost 120 global leaders have resolved to triple (使增至三倍) the world’s renewable energy capacity before 2030 in an attempt to reduce the global consumption of fossil fuels. As the second half of the Cop28 UN climate conference in Dubai unfolds , more countries may join the calls for a global target of 11 TW (太瓦) of renewable power by the end of the decade, three times higher than the 3.629 TW in place at the end of 2022.
Renewable energy really could be tripled in this decade, but it won’t be a breeze, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) .
Based on the rate of growth for wind and solar power, the world is on track to meet this target. But the global energy watchdog (监察人) has warned that “stronger policy actions by governments” will be required to overcome challenges, such as rising costs, uncertain supply chains and grid (电力网) bottlenecks, which are considered essential to hit the goal of limiting global heating to within 1.5C of preindustrialised levels.
Renewable energy sources tripled, the global demand for coal power would be cut in half by 2030, according to estimates. “This is crucial for 1.5C,”said Dave Jones, the global insights lead for climate think-tank Ember. “The tripling goal would take renewables to the next level, with solar and wind reaching 40% of global electricity generation by 2030.”
The goal has won the support of 118 countries. In practice, not every country will triple its renewable capacity to meet the global target. Some countries starting from a lower level would need to more than triple their wind and solar power, while for others with a high share of renewables already, it would not be practical to triple their capacity again.
The prospect of having demand for coal is a goal worth struggling for, but governments must stay the course. Increasing capacity may have been simple in recent years with low interest rates and government support schemes, but the sector’s progress for the rest of the decade is less certain.
1. What does the underlined word “breeze” mean in paragraph 2?| A．A demanding mission. | B．An effortless task. |
| C．A dreamy vision. | D．A fruitless effort. |
| A．The road to the top is full of twists and turns. | B．A good beginning is half done. |
| C．No pains, no gains. | D．Rise from the fall, and you’ll rise high. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Neutral. | C．Cautious. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．Drawbacks of power generation using coal. |
| B．Ways to triple the output of sustainable energy. |
| C．Specific difficulties in the future and solutions. |
| D．Joint achievements made by nearly 200 countries. |
9 . Mobile phone photography is not just a casual snap（抓拍） but an art. This article will recommend some apps for photography enthusiast to shoot various landscapes, portraits, or foods.
◆B612B612 is a photo-taking app that comes with a variety of artistic features, cute stickers, and effects that can add creativity and style to your photos. You can see the different effects before taking the photo, so you can get the best possible images. This helps you make informed decisions.
◆ManbokerManboker, known as Magic Camera, is the first app to create comic-style images directly without editing. The app offers a range of effects, and tools to give your photos a comic-like appearance. You can apply speech bubbles （气泡）, texts, and stickers to enhance the story-telling aspect.
◆SnapseedSnapseed is mainly used for photo editing rather than photo taking. The app offers a comprehensive set of editing tools, including adjustments for exposure, contrast and more. With its non-destructive editing, you can easily compare different edits and undo or adjust them as needed.
◆FoodieFoodie is an app specially designed for taking pictures of food. It allows you to capture delicious food moments with ease. Whether they are fancy cuisines or home-cooked meals, Foodie helps you showcase the colors, textures, and details of the food in the most appealing way.
Experiment with different apps, explore their features and start capturing the world around you in a whole new way!
1. If you want your photos to have a cute and creative style, which app would you choose?| A．Manboker. | B．Snapseed. | C．Foodie. | D．B612. |
| A．Manboker is designed to take comic-style photos. |
| B．Snapseed comes with artistic features and cute stickers. |
| C．Foodie is mainly used for photo-editing. |
| D．B612 features non-destructive photo shooting. |
| A．Mobile phone users. | B．Photography beginners. |
| C．Professional photographers. | D．Photography enthusiasts. |
10 . Italy’s oldest man Tripoli Giannini, who credited “light meals and no stress” for his longevity, has died at the age of 111, on New Year’s Eve. He was the second oldest man in Europe, after André Ludwig, a Frenchman 75 days older.
His son, Romano, wrote on Facebook: “He believed he was immortal …instead, at 9.30 am, December 31, 2023, my father Tripoli Giannini died. He was 111 years and 133 days old — a record! He joins his wife, Tosca, my mother, who has waited for him for over 40 years.”
There are a record number of centenarians (百岁老人) in Italy. According to the national statistics agency, there were 22,000 people aged over 100 in 2023. The vast majority are women.
His life is like a living history textbook. Giannini, who belonged to the Italian army infantry corps, was born in Cecina in 1912. He not only witnessed the changes of the two world wars, but also experienced the election of about ten popes (教皇). The more admirable thing is that he has successfully withstood the multiple pandemic s from Spanish flu in his childhood to COVID-19 in his later years, demonstrating his unyielding energy. He is not only known for his longevity, but also a sports enthusiast.
During celebrations, he said the secrets to his longevity were light meals — always accompanied by wine — no stress, being a non-smoker and treating each day as a gift.
The Italian island of Sardinia has been identified as one of five regions in the world that have high concentrations of centenarians, while the Italian city with the most people over the age of 100 is Genoa in Liguria. The Mediterranean diet has long been considered to be the main ingredient for longevity among Italians. The country’s ageing population is a challenge for the government, especially as it coincides with a reducing birthrate, placing pressure on the pension and healthcare systems.
1. How old might Tripoli Giannini be when he lost his wife?| A．In his 50s. | B．In his 60s. | C．In his 80s. | D．In his 90s. |
| A．Wine drinking and smoking. | B．Light diets and no pressure. |
| C．Wine drinking and his wife. | D．Light diets and healthcare. |
| A．He might get involved in politics. |
| B．He might be optimistic towards life. |
| C．He might be the oldest in both Italy and Europe. |
| D．He might have suffered from many illnesses in his long life. |
| A．To advertise the diet of Italy. | B．To promote the anti-smoking campaign. |
| C．To highlight the ageing situation in Italy. | D．To publicize Italy’s oldest man’s death. |
