1 . Every fast-food employee knows that the drive-through window is the worst position. It was a freezing afternoon. Drivers
“I`ll get the next car’s order as well,” she said as she came up to the window to pay. She
Completely shocked, I
The trend
| A．hate | B．refuse | C．hesitate | D．attempt |
| A．worry | B．annoyance | C．fear | D．stress |
| A．exception | B．witness | C．employer | D．victim |
| A．nodded | B．stopped | C．stood | D．screamed |
| A．hunger | B．pain | C．tiredness | D．cold |
| A．Take | B．Pay | C．Put | D．Look |
| A．charged | B．aided | C．permitted | D．assessed |
| A．presented | B．recalled | C．explained | D．claimed |
| A．confused | B．excited | C．discouraged | D．disturbed |
| A．honesty | B．kindness | C．bravery | D．integrity |
| A．impatient | B．ashamed | C．polite | D．incredible |
| A．sandwich | B．drink | C．fries | D．recipe |
| A．disappeared | B．ceased | C．continued | D．varied |
| A．rider | B．individual | C．passenger | D．stranger |
| A．warm up | B．hold on | C．put aside | D．kick off |
2 . Life is full of uncertainties, and every activity we do carries some level of
In March, Ian and a group of friends went on a snowboarding trip in Washington State. During their
Ian explained the
Francis saw a flash of red in the corner of his eye. He
Without hesitation (犹豫), Francis began to dig hard to save Ian from the snowy trap. In the end, he
| A．interest | B．risk | C．boredom | D．success |
| A．discovered | B．described | C．mentioned | D．guessed |
| A．glorious | B．nervous | C．creative | D．lucky |
| A．visit | B．adventure | C．training | D．discussion |
| A．beaten | B．hidden | C．trapped | D．tested |
| A．situation | B．method | C．application | D．invitation |
| A．close | B．equal | C．unique | D．various |
| A．advised | B．cleared | C．chose | D．saw |
| A．quiet | B．final | C．effective | D．historic |
| A．heard | B．imagined | C．prevented | D．noticed |
| A．related | B．legal | C．unusual | D．impossible |
| A．report | B．warning | C．promise | D．answer |
| A．made | B．got | C．put | D．promoted |
| A．injured | B．thankful | C．curious | D．satisfied |
| A．regarded | B．touched | C．spared | D．saved |
3 . After an earthquake most survivors can be expected to recover over time, particularly with the support of family and friends. Some families will be able to return to their normal life quickly, while others will have to contend with the destruction of their homes, medical problems, and injury to family members. Children especially will need time to recover from the loss of a loved one or a pet or from the closing down of their school.
Children often turn to adults for information, comfort and help. Parents should try to remain calm, answer children’s questions honestly and remain understanding when they see changes in their children’s behavior.
Children react differently to an earthquake depending on their ages, developmental levels and former experiences. Some will respond by withdrawing (不与人交往), while others will have angry outbursts (爆发). Parents should remain sensitive to each child’s reactions. Parents should spend time talking to their children, letting them know that it’s OK to ask questions and to share their worries. Although it may be hard to find time to have these talks, parents can use regular family mealtimes or bedtimes for them. They should answer questions briefly and honestly and be sure to ask their children for their opinions and ideas. Issues may come up more than once and parents should remain patient when you answer the questions again. For young children, parents, after talking about the earthquake, might read a favorite story or have a relaxing family activity to help them calm down. Parents should also tell children they are safe and spend extra time with them. They could play games outside or read together indoors. Most importantly, be sure to tell them you love them.
1. The underlined phrase “contend with” in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by “________”.| A．deal with | B．make up | C．put off | D．turn back |
| A．All people will recover from an earthquake quickly. |
| B．Children may need a longer time to recover after an earthquake. |
| C．Children should turn to their classmates for help after an earthquake. |
| D．Children react in the same way as adults do to an earthquake. |
| A．read a favorite story to comfort them |
| B．ask them to help do some housework |
| C．be patient and answer the question again |
| D．take them out to play games |
| A．Keep a close watch on children’s behavior. |
| B．Tell the children they are safe. |
| C．Tell the children you love them. |
| D．Ask educational experts for help. |
4 . Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and the rain poured down.
Suddenly, a wail (尖叫) of a steam engine
“The bridge collapsed!” Kate shouted to her sick mother. “I’ve to
The bridge was little more than two steel rails stretched across narrow wooden strips, which were spaced so far apart that Kate could easily
Kate hurried to the station and burst through the
Rushing out onto the tracks to give a
Years later, a new bridge named Kate Shelley Bridge was built across the river
| A．added to | B．cut through | C．headed for | D．led to |
| A．unless | B．so | C．as soon as | D．in order that |
| A．rose | B．extended | C．bent | D．moved |
| A．warn | B．accuse | C．phone | D．leave |
| A．catching hold of | B．taking notice of | C．keeping up with | D．putting up with |
| A．avoid | B．rebuild | C．walk | D．cross |
| A．run | B．fall | C．jump | D．walk |
| A．took | B．let | C．picked | D．blew |
| A．regularly | B．easily | C．politely | D．safely |
| A．bridge | B．home | C．door | D．train |
| A．tired | B．surprised | C．embarrassed | D．disappointed |
| A．welcome | B．signal | C．response | D．lesson |
| A．in case | B．as if | C．so that | D．even if |
| A．patience | B．bravery | C．guidance | D．confidence |
| A．sacrificed | B．spent | C．risked | D．lived |
5 . My name is Ben. I am 13, and I live in Chantilly, VA. Just yesterday, June 24, I was at home watching my sister, who is mentally handicapped (弱智的). My father was at work while my mother and younger sister were at my mother’s office.
I had noticed the clouds growing darker and the ones to the east were turning green. At first I thought nothing of it, but then on TV, the weather reporter was announcing a big thunderstorm warning, one that usually brings hail (冰雹) and heavy rain.
After seeing that, I called my mother and told her about it. She told me I should not be worried because it was just a thunderstorm so we hung up. Then I looked outside and noticed it was almost pitch black at 4：30. I took a flashlight (手电筒) because I was sure the power was going to go out any second. Then no sooner had I gotten back from getting the flashlight than the weather reporter announced a Tornado Warning! I had never been in an actual tornado before, but I had seen some funnel clouds before in Montana.
Suddenly I realised I had no time to lose and I had to try to get my sister down the stairs to the basement in a matter of minutes. I surprisingly got her down there with no trouble at all and I raced back up the stairs to get the cordless phone. When I got back downstairs my dad called and told me to get downstairs immediately. I told him I was already down there! He said OK and we talked for a few seconds and then we hung up. Then_through the basement windows, the only thing_I_could_see_was_lightning.
I do not recall hearing of any deaths, or too many injuries so I guess everyone got a good head start to run to their basements. Either that or we are all lucky.
1. Ben took a flashlight because ________.| A．he wanted to look for something | B．it was not bright enough in the room |
| C．he wanted to take care of his sister | D．he was prepared for the power off |
| A．By staying upstairs at home. | B．By running out of the house. |
| C．By hiding in the basement. | D．By using the cordless phone. |
| A．Worried. | B．Excited. | C．Disappointed. | D．Encouraged. |
| A．It was completely dark outside. | B．They were scared. |
| C．The flashlight was broken. | D．It was at midnight. |
6 . There’s one patient that Sarah Rose Black still thinks about. Back in 2019, the nursing team at Toronto’s Cancer Center called to ask if she could reach out to a patient who had been there for about a week. The man was struggling, and unwilling to communicate with workers or be part of any activities.
Black isn’t a doctor or a nurse. Since 2013 she has played an important role for patients at the center as a music therapist (治疗专家). On any day, she might see one person who’s anxious about an operation, another who’s in need of a calm moment.
So, Black walked into the patient’s room and introduced herself. She asked if she could sit and offer to play some music. In an effort to persuade him, she said, “If you don’t like it, you can just tell me to leave.” After some gentle urging, the man in his 70s, who had lung cancer, told her a few musicians he liked and then turned away to look out the window. But as she started to play one of his favorites, a change came over him. He turned towards Black and started to cry.
She stopped playing. “Do you want me to continue?” “Certainly,” he said through tears. “It was as if the music went places that nothing else could,” recalls Black. The music showed up at a moment when it felt like a hug.
As Sarah Rose Black says, people have been connecting with music for their whole lives—she is just helping them use it again at a time when they need it most.
“We have a heartbeat, so we have a drum (鼓) inside us; we are wired to be musical people,” she says. She smiles softly as she reflects back on the experience.
1. Why did the nursing team call Black?| A．A struggling patient hoped to meet her. | B．She worked as a nurse in the center. |
| C．They wanted her to help a patient. | D．They wanted to enjoy her music. |
| A．The patient was moved to tears. | B．She gave the patient a warm hug. |
| C．She was asked to stop playing. | D．The patient looked out of the window. |
| A．We are born to be musicians. | B．We like playing the drum. |
| C．We can live without music. | D．We need musical instruments. |
| A．Strong and talented. | B．Clever and honest. |
| C．Thoughtful and helpful. | D．Hardworking and humorous. |
7 . When you eagerly dig into a long-awaited dinner, it’s traditionally believed that signals from your stomach to your brain stop you eating so much. However, a research team recently discovered that it’s our sense of taste that immediately pulls us back from eating food overly on a hungry day. Stimulated by the perception of flavor, a set of brain cells become active to quickly curtail food intake.
Previous studies have suggested that the food taste may control how fast we eat, but it’s been impossible to study relevant brain activities during eating because brain cells that control this process are located deep in our brains, making them hard to access or record in an awake animal. New techniques developed by the team allowed for the first-ever imaging and recording of a brainstem structure critical for feeling full, called NTS, in an active mouse.
The new study found that when researchers put food directly into the mouse’s stomach, brain cells called PRLH were activated by signals from the gut (消化道), in line with traditional thinking. However, when they allowed the mice to eat the food as they normally would, those signals from the gut didn’t show up. Instead, the PRLH brain cells switched to a new activity pattern that was entirely controlled by signals from the mouth. “It’s astonishing that these cells were activated by the perception of taste,” said researchers. “It shows that there are other components of the appetite-control system that deserves our attention.”
The PRLH-activated slowdown also makes sense in terms of timing. The taste of food allows PRLH to switch their activity in seconds. In contrast, another group of brain cells, called CGC, takes several minutes to respond to signals from the gut. The good thing is that CGC can hold back hunger for a much longer time. These two sets of brain cells interact to work together: one uses taste to slow down eating, while the other signals that you are full.
Understanding how body signals regulate appetite could improve weight-loss programs for the overweight by making use of interactions between signals from different brain cell sets.
1. What does the underline word “curtail” in paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Activate. | B．Limit. | C．Expand. | D．Assist. |
| A．Inadequate technologies. |
| B．Inefficient funds. |
| C．Unqualified professionals. |
| D．Improper methods. |
| A．They helped stimulate the mice’s appetite. |
| B．They encouraged the mice to speed up eating. |
| C．They were activated by signals from the mouth. |
| D．They were controlled by signals from the stomach. |
| A．To slow down eating speed. |
| B．To improve the digestion system. |
| C．To extend the feeling of fullness. |
| D．To interact with signals from taste. |
8 . After the death of her nature-loving mother, Margaret Renkl tenderly placed in an antique jar the “soft white hair” left behind in her mother’s hairbrush. Years passed. When it no longer carried the scent (气味) she treasured, Renkl laid the hair across a tree branch in her yard. This act was meant as a direct invitation to the birds in her yard, and it was accepted: A bird used the hair for the nest it was building.
Renkl devotes only a half-page to this story, but it conveys the beautiful interaction of human and other animal lives at the heart of The Comfort of Crows. Starting in winter and continuing through the seasonal round, Renkl brings alive in 52 chapters her love for the animals and plants in her half-acre (半英亩) yard in Tennessee and in nearby parks. Equally moving, she admits her desperation at the human-caused crisis the natural world faces, and her determination not to back off.
Her determination is more than lip service. She cures a neighborhood fox against a skin disease, with the help of a trap, a bit of bacon, and advice from an animal doctor; ensures that leaves from the trees in her yard are not gathered so that insects overwinter and hungry birds can dine there; fills a garden with milkweed in support of monarch butterflies.
With these steps, Renkl refuses to give up in the face of human-caused global warming that is changing our environment and harming other species. In these days of climate crisis, the phenomenon of ecological anxiety is real. In order to seize opportunities to help, many of us do require fuel to restore our spirits. Find that fuel in Renkl’s chapters of The Comfort of Crows. The animals and plants so cherished by Renkl need us now more than ever.
1. What is the central theme of Renkl’s The Comfort of Crows?| A．Personal preference towards country life. | B．Fond memories of close family members. |
| C．Profound disappointment at climate crisis. | D．Amazing interactions between man and nature. |
| A．Renkl’s efforts in protecting animals. | B．Renkl’s service in the neighborhood. |
| C．Renkl’s attempts to treat an injured fox. | D．Renkl’s determination to preserve the yard. |
| A．Indifferent yet realistic. | B．Concerned yet active. |
| C．Pessimistic yet tolerant. | D．Regretful yet hopeful. |
| A．To introduce the beauty of rural life. | B．To present the daily routine of Renkl. |
| C．To recommend an inspirational book. | D．To provide advice on nature protection. |
9 . Calling All Science Lovers
PacSci is always seeking exceptionally talented people who believe deeply in our mission and reflect our diverse community. PacSci offers a variety of job opportunities, from entry-level positions to management roles, all with opportunities to learn, and grow.
Is this you?
·Intensely curious and motivated
·Passion for science and science education
·Team player
·Service-oriented
You might find yourself
·Interpreting exhibits
·Running planetarium (天文馆) shows
·Rowing down River Mercer Slough with summer campers
·Tending to the tropical tree leaves in our Butterfly House
·Managing details for private event sales
·Making things run smoothly behind the scenes
Benefits and bonus
·Exciting location in Seattle Center
·Easy access to public transportation (take the Monorail to work!)
·100% employer paid medical, dental, and vision benefit options
·Approximately 4 weeks of paid vacation plus 12 paid holidays annually
·Annual membership including unlimited admission and other great benefits
·Regular opportunities to learn, grow, and develop new skills across departments and projects
Each PacSci team member plays a vital role in fulfilling our mission: to stimulate curiosity in every child and fuel a passion for discovery, experimentation, and critical thinking in all of us. Join our team to help expand access to science, in the Pacific Northwest and beyond!
1. What is required of a PacSci member?| A．Prior experience. | B．Language skills. |
| C．Cooperative spirit. | D．Academic background. |
| A．Hosting talent shows. |
| B．Holding science exhibitions. |
| C．Planting tropical trees. |
| D．Accompanying summer campers. |
| A．unlimited vacation days |
| B．self-improvement opportunities |
| C．free public transportation |
| D．discounted annual membership |
10 . Starting this December, multiple popular Chinese apps and websites such as WeChat, Taobao and Douyin will be redesigned to make them more senior-friendly.
These redesigns are aimed at solving challenges faced by the elderly in using new smart phones. Specifically, the measures include: launching senior-friendly products with easy-to-use interfaces(界面); and improving the accuracy(精确度)of dialect-recognition systems to allow the elderly who can’t speak Mandarin(普通话) to use voice commands. Also, on apps set to “senior mode,” there will be no mobile advertisement, or any design that leads people to extra payments; and people over 65 will be able to reach a customer services assistant over the phone without the need to follow difficult voice instructions or type text through keypad(小键盘).
Nowadays, people in China use their cellphones for everything: Ordering taxis, making payments, booking train tickets and ordering take away. However, among the 274 million senior cellphone users in China, nearly 140 million don’t have internet access or never enjoyed the benefits of a smartphone.
As smart technology becomes increasingly widespread, the elderly can sometimes run into problems. For example, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a “health code” is required to enter public places in China. However, this has made it difficult for many senior citizens to get around if they don’t know how to use a smartphone or the “health code.” Therefore, recently, the call for solving the difficulties that the elderly face when using smart technology has become stronger in China.
Making websites and apps more senior-friendly is a new campaign started by the Chinese government to make the elderly’s life easier. According to reports, 115 websites and 43 apps are planning to rollout barrier-free designs for the elderly this year. Many have described these new changes as truly heartwarming.
1. What’s the main idea of paragraph 2?| A．The benefits of smartphones. |
| B．The advanced technologies of mobile apps. |
| C．The problems facing the elderly when using smart phones. |
| D．The newly-designed functions of smartphones for the elderly. |
| A．People cannot make payment without a cellphone. |
| B．There are still a lot of people who don’t own a cellphone. |
| C．A large number of old people haven’t benefited from smartphones. |
| D．Almost all the senior people are afraid of using smartphone technologies. |
| A．They don’t have a smartphone. |
| B．They can’t apply for a “health code”. |
| C．They are not familiar with smartphone use. |
| D．They are not allowed to enter public places. |
| A．Senior-Friendly Changes of Apps |
| B．What You Can’t Miss about New Apps |
| C．How the Elderly are Troubled by Technologies |
| D．The Appropriate Ways of Respecting the Elderly |
