1 . Progress means the act of going forward. Making any kind of progress can make us healthy and happy in life. By setting and actively working towards our goals, we can make progress in our life.

To make more progress in life, start looking at problems in a different way. Whatever happens, if we think positively, it can be useful and helpful. We need to know that problems are part of our life. After we solve problems one after another, we can make more progress and become stronger.

Having confidence is helpful for us to make progress. Confidence comes from different places, such as proper education, training or having good relationships. We should also stay with people who believe in our success and actively support us. These people can help push us towards progress.

Slow progress is still worth celebrating. Just as the old saying goes, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” Progress usually comes a lot more slowly than we expect. Even if progress is slow, try not to be worried. One important thing is that we keep making progress towards our goals, and another is that we clearly remember what our goals are all the time. The actual speed isn’t so important.

The road to progress is not always smooth. Most progress often comes with setbacks along the way. Sometimes, maybe it feels like we’re taking one step forward and three steps back, but it won’t always be like that. Keep going towards our goals and we can much more easily make the progress we want.

Progress doesn’t always happen in a straight line. As long as we keep working, we will achieve higher levels.

1. Paragraph 2 is mainly about ______.

A．the reasons for making more progress	B．the advantages of thinking positively
C．how to look at problems	D．how to solve problems

2. Who can help push us towards progress?

A．The people who get a proper education.	B．The people who give us plenty of advice.
C．The people who give us trust and support.	D．The people who are confident in themselves.

3. How does the writer like slow progress?

A．It often goes smoothly.	B．It still means progress.
C．It sometimes stops progress.	D．It always gives us a clear mind.

4. What does the underlined word “setbacks” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Prizes.

B．Advantages.

C．Excuses.

D．Difficulties.

2 . Recently, China has announced the list of the first five national parks. Each of them is divided into two parts — the core protection area and the general control area. In the core protection area, only research and surveillance (监视) in science are allowed. And the general control area is open to the public, allowing travel activities such as camping and hiking. In the future, national parks are expected to be natural classrooms. People can learn about different kinds of animals and plants through eco-friendly travel activities.

Three River-Source National Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the largest national park in China. Because it is home to the sources of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, people call it “China’s water tower”.

Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park is in Heilongjiang and Jilin Provinces. It covers an area of 14,100 square kilometers. It is our country’s biggest and only place for wild Siberian tigers and Amur leopards to live in.

Wuyi Mountain National Park in Fujian Province is a UNESCO natural and cultural heritage site. The forest makes up over 96 percent of the park. The park is the paradise of birds, kingdom of snakes and world of insects. You can also see the Danxia landform there.

Giant Panda National Park connects panda habitats in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces. Inside the park are more than 1,600 wild giant pandas. They make up over 70 percent of the pandas in China.

Hainan Tropical Rain forest National Park is the largest tropical forest in China. There are more than 400 kinds of plants that can only be found in Hainan.

1. Which is called “China’s water tower”?

A．Three River-Source National Park.	B．Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park.
C．Giant Panda National Park.	D．Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park.

2. The underlined word “paradise” means ________.

A．a perfect place	B．a happy feeling
C．a good example	D．a sweet smile

3. Which of the following is not mentioned?

A．Three River-Source National Park is the largest national park in China.

B．Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park covers an area of 14,100 square kilometers.

C．There are more than 1,600 wild giant pandas in Giant Panda National Park.

D．More than 400 kinds of plants and animals can only be found in Hainan.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．The beautiful scenes of nature	B．The home of animals and plants
C．The introduction to the five national parks	D．The relationships among the five national parks

3 . It was one week before Teachers’ Day. Tom’s mother was very busy. But she didn’t forget to buy cards for her son’s teachers. She drove to a gift store on her way home from work. When she came back, she put the cards on the table in the living room. She was so busy that she did not have time to write them.

When Tom came home from school, she said to him, “Here are the cards for your teachers, and here are some stamps, a pen and our book of addresses. Can you write the cards when I am cooking the dinner?” Tom did not say anything, but walked out of the living room and went into his room. Tom’s mother was a little unhappy, but she did not say anything either. She knew that her son always talked little. She was just thinking how to teach Tom to be thankful and make him write the cards.

A few minutes later, Tom came back with a box full of cards. All of them had addresses and stamps on them. Tom’s mother was very surprised and asked, “Oh, what are these?” “Mom,” Tom answered, “I bought the cards and wrote all of them a few days ago.” Hearing this, his mother was very moved and said,“________.”

1. How did Tom’s mother go to the gift store?

A．By bus.

B．By car.

C．By bike.

D．By subway.

2. What did Tom’s mother want Tom to do when he came back home?

A．To cook the dinner.	B．To find some stamps.
C．To write some cards.	D．To clean the living room.

3. In the eyes of Tom’s mother, her son was ________.

A．quiet

B．serious

C．funny

D．smart

4. How did Tom’s mother feel about Tom?

A．Unhappy→Moved→Surprised.	B．Moved→Unhappy→Surprised.
C．Unhappy→Surprised→Moved.	D．Surprised→Unhappy→Moved.

5. Which of the following can be the best for the blank in the third paragraph?

A．Don’t be afraid, dear	B．You’re really great, dear
C．Many thanks for helping me, dear	D．I think you did something terrible, dear

4 . A healthy eating habit along with enough exercise can help you keep healthy. When you are young, it is important to give your body what it needs. If you skip meals, you can’t get enough calories (卡路里). And then you may feel tired. By the way, the calorie is just another word for energy. About 50% of your calories should come from rice, bread, vegetables and fruit. You also need to drink a lot of water, 6 to 8 glasses a day. Drinking enough water can make your body work better and make you healthy.

Exercise can help to make you look good, feel good and be healthy. Scientists say that kids should spend at least 30 minutes exercising a day, five times a week. It is easy to do! You can walk or ride your bike to school, and play sports at school. However, kids often give up sports, saying they have no time left after finishing their homework. In fact, doing exercise can help them sleep better and do better in their lessons.

If you follow the advice above, you will look and feel much better and become healthy.

1. The underlined word “skip” means “________” in Chinese.

A．询问

B．跳过

C．阻止

D．转移

2. According to the scientists, kids should spend at least ________ minutes exercising every week.

A．30

B．50

C．100

D．150

3. Why do many kids give up sports according to the passage?

A．Because they are too lazy to exercise.	B．Because they feel great after giving up sports.
C．Because they are busy with their studies.	D．Because they don’t like playing sports at all.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．About 80% of your calories should come from rice, bread, vegetables and fruit.

B．You need to drink three or four glasses of water every day to keep healthy.

C．Students should exercise at least twice a week to keep healthy and happy.

D．Doing exercise can help kids sleep better and do better in their lessons.

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

A．How to Sleep Well	B．How to Exercise
C．How to Look Thinner	D．How to Keep Healthy

5 .

What do you usually do on the Internet?
	Mike, a student I’m always busy from Monday to Friday. I only use the Internet on weekends. I often play computer games and chat (聊天) with my friends online.
	Linda, an office lady I love shopping on the Internet. It’s fast. I can sit in front of the computer for hours. I shop every day. I can always find cheap but good things online. Sometimes, I watch films or listen to music.
	Mr. Green, a manager (经理) I can’t work without (没有) the Internet. I need it to send (发送) and receive (接收) emails. I write at least twenty emails every day. When I am free, I also love to read news online.
	Mrs. Brown, a housewife I like cooking. I write blogs (博客) about my cooking and upload (上传) the photos of my dishes every day. I love reading people’s replies (回复). And I’m happy that they love my dishes.

1. How often may Mike play computer games?

A．Every day.

B．Once or twice a week.

C．Three times a week.

D．Twice a month.

2. What does Mrs. Brown upload every day?

A．The photos of her games.	B．The photos of her friends.
C．The photos of her parties.	D．The photos of her dishes.

3. Which of the following is TRUE (正确的)?

A．Mike sends and receives emails every day.

B．Linda always sells clothes on the Internet.

C．Many people love Mrs. Brown’s blogs.

D．Mr. Green plays computer games every day.

6 . A severe outbreak of cholera (霍乱) cast a shadow over Londoners’ life. Faced with two apparently contradictory theories about the possible cause, John Snow, a brilliant ________ scientist, was determined to ________ the disease once and for all.

Instead of using a microscope to study the ________ , he marked on a map where the victims ________ . He noticed that multiple deaths were near the water pump (水泵) in Broad Street ________ some households who drank free beer given by the pub they worked in. John Snow ________ that the pump water was to blame but still he needed concrete ________ . He had the handle of the pump________ so that it could not be used. Through this ________ , the disease was immediately under control.

John Snow subscribed to the view that there was a link between the________   and the Broad Street outbreak. He continued to discover that the water had been________ by raw waste. He announced his findings and urged that people drink ________   or boiled water. Soon, there was a substantial ________ in cholera cases. ________ his solid work, people were able to defeat cholera. Furthermore (此外), his use of maps and statistics transformed the thinking of the scientific world towards ________   diseases. That is why he is considered “Father of Modern Epidemiology (流行病学)”.

1.

A．chemical

B．technical

C．medical

D．agricultural

2.

A．affect

B．cause

C．damage

D．defeat

3.

A．crisis

B．virus

C．assumption

D．cancer

4.

A．attacked

B．concerned

C．lived

D．head

5.

A．except

B．besides

C．including

D．from

6.

A．suspected

B．convinced

C．estimated

D．wondered

7.

A．solutions

B．methods

C．proposal

D．proof

8.

A．turned

B．switched

C．removed

D．bent

9.

A．innovation

B．evaluation

C．intervention

D．persuation

10.

A．map

B．pump

C．beer

D．handle

11.

A．tackled

B．comprised

C．examined

D．polluted

12.

A．pure

B．nutritional

C．raw

D．salty

13.

A．change

B．decrease

C．development

D．increase

14.

A．Thanks to

B．Apart from

C．In spite of

D．Rather than

15.

A．conventional

B．incredible

C．relevant

D．infectious

7 . Scientists train AI to read human thoughts

Scientists have created a new tool that can turn people’s thoughts into words. It works by using an AI program called GPT-1 to translate brain activity words. In order to achieve this, scientists did a lot.

First, scientists got everything ready before the tests. They invited some volunteers. Each spent sixteen hours listening to stories in a scanner (扫描仪). They imagined the stories as they heard them, and the scanner recorded their brain activity. GPT-1 made connections between the ideas in the stories and the recordings of the listeners’ brain activity.

Then came the tests. The scientists did them in three different ways.

Test 1

The researchers played a new story. GPT-1 was only given recordings of the volunteers’ brain activity. But the words that GPT-1 predicted were very similar to the words in the story that they were listening to. The words weren’t exactly the same, but they often carried the same meaning. For example, when a volunteer was listening to a story about a woman who didn’t have a driver’s license, the program came up with this: “She hasn’t even started to learn to drive yet.”

Test 2

The scientists also carried out the test when volunteers imagined their own stories. “It really works at the level of ideas. The ideas are the same but expressed in different words,” says Alexander Huth, one of the scientists behind the study.

Test 3

The researchers showed the volunteers silent movies, with no spoken words at all. GPT-1 could still figure out the basic ideas.

After the tests, the scientists say that GPT-1 is the first AI program to turn what people are thinking into words without brain surgery (外科手术). The tool isn’t something that can be easily used today, mainly because of the size and the cost of the scanner. In the future, they believe, a similar but cheaper tool could help people who have lost the ability to speak because of an injury or disease.

The scientists say their tool can’t be used to “read people’s minds” without permission. The tool only works if the person wants to share their thoughts.

1. What was the scanner used to do?

A．Record brain activity.	B．Read the volunteers’ ideas.
C．Catch the ideas of stories.	D．Work out the ideas.

2. What was GPT-1 used to do?

A．Receive sounds.	B．Test the scanner.
C．Produce silent movies.	D．Turn recordings of brain activity into words.

3. In which way was information put into volunteers’ brain in Test 3?

A．Listening.

B．Imagining.

C．Watching.

D．Reading.

4. Who could the tool help according to the passage?

A．People who can’t speak.	B．People who can’t hear.
C．People who can’t read.	D．People who can’t drive.

8 . My best friend, Connie, is two years older than me. We ______ a lot of time together.

Connie has long dark brown hair and her eyes are big and round. People say she is ______ and looks like a doll. When we go out, people often ______ that I am older than her ______ she is shorter and slimmer.

Connie is positive(乐观的) even when things go ______. Last week she got her examination ______,which were not very good. I thought she was going to be______. Instead, she simply decided to do ____the next time. Then, every day after class, ______ teachers are free in their offices, she will______them for help.

Connie gets on well with others. Everyone in my family ______ her, even my younger brother. When you hear her laugh, you will naturally laugh ______. When I feel unhappy, I will talk to Connie and she will make me feel ______.

I think my______ with Connie is very valuable, and I hope we will______ be best friends.

1.

A．take

B．spend

C．cost

D．pay

2.

A．crazy

B．beautiful

C．lazy

D．ugly

3.

A．think

B．hope

C．suggest

D．ask

4.

A．so

B．because

C．although

D．and

5.

A．wrong

B．welcome

C．important

D．interesting

6.

A．lessons

B．symbols

C．novels

D．results

7.

A．stupid

B．interested

C．sad

D．glad

8.

A．good

B．well

C．better

D．best

9.

A．although

B．if

C．before

D．even though

10.

A．give

B．show

C．care

D．ask

11.

A．sees

B．likes

C．wakes

D．catches

12.

A．suddenly

B．early

C．recently

D．together

13.

A．happy

B．angrier

C．busier

D．heavier

14.

A．purpose

B．opinion

C．friendship

D．habit

15.

A．hardly

B．hardly ever

C．never

D．always

9 . It’s common for people to have the idea, believing that happiness will come after reaching certain goals. This can include things like getting a promotion, finding a romantic partner, or reaching a certain level of life success. While these achievements can certainly bring some happiness, this way of thinking can lead to an endless cycle of waiting for the next thing to bring happiness.

The truth is that happiness should not be dependent on material achievements but rather a choice we make in each moment. By linking happiness with outside factors, we often lose sight of the present moment and miss the joy that can be found in everyday experiences. It’s important to realize that happiness is not something that can be achieved in the future, but rather a state of mind that we can keep at present. By being present, we can appreciate the simple pleasures in life, like the warmth of the sun on our skin, the laughter of loved ones, or the taste of a delicious meal.

Life is indeed filled with challenges, which are an important part of our journey towards personal growth. They often push us out of our comfort zones and force us to think creatively and find new solutions, providing us with opportunities to learn, get valuable experience and discover our inner strength. By embracing these opportunities to learn, we can grow and become better equipped to handle future challenges instead of always waiting for the perfect moment or for all our problems to be solved before allowing ourselves to be happy. When we understand that challenges are not difficulties to our happiness but rather opportunities for growth and learning, we can appreciate the present moment and find happiness regardless of the situations.

Rather than waiting for future events to bring happiness, it’s better to accept the present and find joy and contentment in the journey itself. Let’s grasp the opportunity and embrace the joy that is within our reach. Time waits for no one, so why wait to be happy?

1. How can people find happiness according to the passage?

A．By reaching certain goals.	B．By achieving material success.
C．By being content with present situation.	D．By keeping seeking new experiences.

2. What do challenges bring to us?

A．Perfect moments.

B．Comfort zones.

C．Inner beauty

D．Personal progress.

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

A．Accepting.

B．Assuming

C．Creating

D．Believing

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The chance of personal growth.	B．The way to get the happiness.
C．The courage to face the challenge.	D．The solution to achieve the goals.

10 . It was a bright and sunny day. Keegan and I arranged to spend the afternoon at his place. Eager to show me his large collection of toys, he took me to his room. Among all the toys, his most treasured one was a model aeroplane. Keegan said it was a gift from his uncle who worked as a pilot.

I wanted to take a closer look so I asked Keegan if I could hold it in my hands. He graciously agreed. Knowing how easily broken the aeroplane was, I carefully removed it from the display cabinet. Just as I was putting it back, I sneezed. “Snap!”One of the wings of the model aeroplane broke in my hands.

When Keegan saw this, tears welled up in his eyes. Soon, tears started to roll down his cheeks uncontrollably. With my head hung low, I rushed out of his house as I did not know how to comfort him.

For the next few days, I stayed out of Keegan’s way in school. I was worried that he would still be angry with me. Feeling sad without his company, I built up the courage to approach Keegan after school one day. I told Keegan, “I am so sorry for breaking your valuable aeroplane. ”

“It’s okay! Our friendship is more important than a toy aeroplane, ”Keegan replied with a smile.

I was extremely touched when I heard what he said. I offered to fix the broken wing of the damaged aeroplane, Keegan took me to his house and we fixed it together.

1. Why did Keegan take the writer to his room?

A．To talk about their future jobs.

B．To show his large collection of toys.

C．To teach the writer to make model aeroplane.

D．To offer the writer a model aeroplane as a gift.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．One of the wings.	B．The large collection of toys.
C．The display cabinet.	D．The model acroplane.

3. How did the writer feel after he broke the model aeroplane?

A．Embarrassed.

B．Amazed.

C．Touched.

D．Shocked.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The writer lost his best friend forever.

B．They fixed the broken model aeroplane together.

C．The writer mended his friendship with Keegan.

D．The writer said sorry to Keegan immediately.