1 . In mid-October many years ago, I, with my little sick daughter, needed to pick up my youngest son from school. In a station, I fueled(加油) my car with my last dollar.
Once out of the station, the tire was flat(爆胎) and I was out of
I
Then, I thanked him, telling him I couldn’t
Tracey stopped to help a
| A．control | B．sight | C．cash | D．breath |
| A．unnoticed | B．unaccepted | C．unaffected | D．unknown |
| A．promised | B．allowed | C．told | D．forced |
| A．reminded | B．informed | C．warned | D．convinced |
| A．window | B．tire | C．wallet | D．phone |
| A．enthusiastically | B．finally | C．gradually | D．nervously |
| A．appearing | B．coming | C．working | D．returning |
| A．again | B．too | C．already | D．instead |
| A．looking forward to | B．keeping up with | C．caring about | D．calling on |
| A．refuse | B．hesitate | C．fail | D．afford |
| A．make | B．replace | C．find | D．repair |
| A．job | B．business | C．trick | D．majority |
| A．free | B．eager | C．ready | D．brave |
| A．number | B．name | C．career | D．payment |
| A．stranger | B．friend | C．passenger | D．neighbor |
2 . A survey of 2, 000 American adults finds that an average American spends nearly $3, 000 a year on unused groceries (杂货).
The survey shows that when people do cook, a quarter of them always make more food than they’re able to finish, usually with the intention of having leftovers (剩菜剩饭). On average, people have leftovers to put into their fridges three times a week; however, they don’t always get around to using them up. Actually, a third admit they’re likely to forget about leftovers once they’re out of sight. Forgetting about food is one of the top reasons people end up having food waste, along with leftovers not being popular among family members(23%). While 4 in 10 have a strong desire to eat their leftovers, a quarter admit they get tired of eating the same thing before they’re able to finish.
“With the rapid rise of food costs, wasting groceries each week hurts both nature and consumers’ wallets, “says director of sustainability at HelloFresh, Jeffrey Yorzyk. “Families cook with the best intention of using their leftovers, but our research shows that they’re generally not consuming all of those leftovers. Getting creative with the food in your fridge can help families feel like they’re eating something new and exciting!”
For some people, what excites them at the supermarket doesn’t do it anymore when they get home. The survey shows that 38%admit they’ve thrown food away simply because they don’t feel like eating it after purchasing it. Some waste starts even before shoppers get home, as a fifth say they don’t know how much food they’ll use when grocery shopping.
With these foods, 22%are not confident they know the best methods to store foods to keep freshness. Happily, seven in ten are trying to cut down on food waste. In fact, once you’ve bought food at the grocery store, there are a number of strategies to ensure you can save it completely and cook it smartly.
1. Which is the percentage of Americans preferring to have leftovers?| A．23%. | B．25%. | C．33%. | D．40%. |
| A．Eating them up at once. | B．Deal with them inventively. |
| C．Using them to protect nature. | D．Giving them up to save money. |
| A．Attract the shoppers. | B．Produce leftovers. |
| C．Lose the freshness. | D．Go to the fridges. |
| A．Benefits of saving foods. | B．The art of cooking in the USA. |
| C．The recent studies of leftovers. | D．Ways to reduce grocery waste. |
3 . One day when DeJuan Strickland was in fourth grade, he didn’t have the money for school lunch. “That really kind of stuck with me, ”said DeJuan, now 15. This year, DeJuan, who goes by DJ, raised money on the GoFundMe website. “I wanted to do something to make sure other kids don’t have to feel that same way. ”
DJ’s goal was to raise $200 to help parents in his community pay for their kids’ school meals. In less than two weeks, he raised $400. He went back to his old school, and presented the principal(校长)with a check.
Now he’s raising money to support the entire Hazelwood School District. That includes more than 30 schools. “Sometimes, school lunch is the only meal a kid can depend on, “he says. ”I’m doing what I can to fight food insecurity. “As of September 23, 2023, donations to DJ’s fundraising campaigns totaled nearly $10, 000. Food insecurity affected more than 44 million people in America in 2022. Many kids rely on school meals, which families can struggle to pay for. A report by the School Nutrition Association shows that unpaid school meal debt in the U. S. topped $19 million in 2022.
This school year, six states—Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Vermont—have made school meals free for all public school students, regardless of their family’s wealth.
DJ is now in high school. He keeps busy playing football and running Team Tech Boy, a business he started when he was 12 to encourage kids’ interest in STEM. And he has written two STEM-themed books, Tech Boy and Science Girl. For college, DJ hopes to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “I plan to become a computer programmer and video-game developer, ”he says.
At the moment, DJ and his mom are working to set up an organization to deal with food insecurity and other issues that affect young people. “We want to do more initiatives like the lunch-money fundraiser, ”he says. “But on a larger scale(规模). ”
1. What made DJ collect money to help others?| A．His own past experience. | B．The principal’s example. |
| C．His parents’ encouragement. | D．The call from his community. |
| A．It happens in six states. | B．It’s exactly wide-spread. |
| C．It’s slowly disappearing. | D．It affects a family’s wealth. |
| A．He dreams of becoming a writer. | B．He is a determined student. |
| C．He has a wide range of interests. | D．He has earned much money. |
| A．Difficult. | B．Successful. | C．Time-saving. | D．Out-dated. |
4 . Below are some fun holidays. Which do you like best?
Hug Your Cat Day
It falls on June 4. On this unofficial holiday, go and give your cat a big hug. Although its origins are unknown, it’s clear that the creators wanted people to let their cats know that they are loved. Studies have shown that giving your cat a hug can reduce stress and help you relax.
Pardon Day
It’s on September 8, a day to seek and give forgiveness and be kind to everyone and forgive those who may have hurt you. It’s thought that this unofficial holiday owes its existence to the pardon given by United States President Gerald Ford to former President Nixon.
Swap Ideas Day
It falls on September 10, which is a day to share thoughts, exchange ideas, trade opinions and discuss views with family members, friends, co-workers and strangers.
This unofficial holiday promotes the concept that knowledge grows best when shared and that best ideas come about through teamwork. The day is also known in the United States as National Swap Ideas Day.
Teddy Bear Day
This unofficial holiday is on September 9, a day to bring out all your teddy bears and thank them for the fun times you have had with them, and for all the days and nights they comforted you. Created in the early 20th century, this toy owes its name to American President Theodore Roosevelt, who was lovingly called Teddy by his family and friends, and it’s also become a part of children’s literature.
1. Which holiday has something to do with American presidents?| A．Pardon Day. | B．Swap Ideas Day. |
| C．Teddy Bear Day. | D．Hug Your Cat Day |
| A．Pride comes before a fall. | B．Great minds speak alike. |
| C．Two heads are better than one. | D．It is never too late to learn. |
| A．They are celebrated in September. | B．They owe their existence to animals. |
| C．They contribute to children’s books. | D．They’re only recognized by the public. |
5 . Endangered polar bears are breeding (繁殖) with grizzly bears (灰熊), creating “pizzly” bears, which is being driven by climate change, scientists say.
As the world warms and Arctic sea ice thins, starving polar bears are being forced ever further south, where they meet grizzlies, whose ranges are expanding northwards. And with that growing contact between the two come increasing hybrids (杂交种).
With characteristics that could give the hybrids an advantage in warming northern habitats, some scientists guess that they could be here to stay. “Usually, hybrids aren’t better suited to their environments than their parents, but these hybrids are able to search for a broader range of food sources,” Larisa DeSantis, an associate professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, told Live Science.
The rise of “pizzly” bears appears with polar bears’ decline: their numbers are estimated to decrease by more than 30% in the next 30 years. This sudden fall is linked partly to “pizzly” bears taking up polar bears’ ranges, where they outcompete them, but also to polar bears’ highly specialized diets.
“Polar bears mainly consumed soft foods even during the Medieval Warm Period, a previous period of rapid warming,” DeSantis said, referring to fat meals such as seals. “Although all of these starving polar bears are trying to find alternative food sources, like seabird eggs, it could be a tipping point for their survival.” Actually, the calories they gain from these sources do not balance out those they burn from searching for them. This could result in a habitat ready for the hybrids to move in and take over, leading to a loss in biodiversity if polar bears are replaced.
“We’re having massive impacts with climate change on species,” DeSantis said. “The polar bear is telling us how bad things are. In some sense, “pizzly” bears could be a sad but necessary compromise given current warming trends.”
1. Why do polar bears move further south?| A．To create hybrids. | B．To expand territory. |
| C．To relieve hunger. | D．To contact grizzlies. |
| A．Broader habitats. | B．More food options. |
| C．Climate preference. | D．Improved breeding ability. |
| A．A rare chance. | B．A critical stage. |
| C．A positive factor. | D．A constant change. |
| A．Polar bears are changing diets for climate change. |
| B．Polar bears have already adjusted to climate change. |
| C．“Pizzly” bears are on the rise because of global warming. |
| D．“Pizzly”bears have replaced polar bears for global warming. |
6 . Lots of animals play. But the behavior is best known in mammals (哺乳动物) and birds. Now the scientists at London’s Queen Mary University report that bumblebees (大黄蜂) know the same thing. But before this, there were no reports of insects playing.
Dr. Lars Chittka began to wonder if bumblebees played during an earlier test. In that test, Chittka guided bumblebees to move balls into a goal for food. He noticed that some bees were rolling (滚动) balls even when they weren’t given food. He wondered if they were playing.
To test the idea, the scientists at his lab set up a new test. First, they numbered 45 young bumblebees between one and 23 days old. The numbers let them follow bumblebees’ behavior. Then, they set up a clear pathway from the bumblebees’ home to a feeding area. On either side of the open pathway, the researchers placed small colored wooden balls. On one side of the path, the balls couldn’t move. On the other side, the balls could roll around. For three hours a day, over 18 days, the scientists opened the pathway between the home and the feeding area. The bumblebees never had to leave the pathway to find food, but they left anyway. They weren’t interested in the side where the balls didn’t move, but they made lots of visits to the side with the rolling balls.
Catching the balls with their legs, the bees would move their wings to pull on the balls, causing them to roll. The 45 numbered bumblebees did this 910 times during the test. Though some only did it once, others did it a lot. The younger ones liked to spend more time rolling balls while the older ones showed less interest in it. One bee was recorded rolling balls 44 times in a single day. One was seen rolling balls 117 times over the whole test.
The test raises important questions about how the insects’ minds work and whether they have feelings.
1. What did Chittka want to do about bumblebees in the earlier test?| A．Discover if they played. | B．Train them to move balls. |
| C．Make them learn to relax. | D．Find out if they’d share food. |
| A．They named each of them. | B．They let them interested in balls. |
| C．They had all of them go hungry. | D．They marked them one by one. |
| A．They held their attention for longer. | B．They understood simpler numbers. |
| C．They were less active in rolling balls. | D．They helped the young pull on balls. |
| A．Bumblebees Are First Insects Known to Play |
| B．Two Tests Prove Bumblebees Expect to Play |
| C．Bumblebees Are the World’s Smartest Insects |
| D．Scientists Make Bumblebees Work for Them |
7 . It may sound like the plot of a Disney movie, but Todd, a fox, really does think he’s a dog. The animal was tamed after being rescued as a 4-month-old baby and was raised as a pet by owner Emma D’ Sylva. Since then the lovable fox has picked up a number of dog characteristics such as tail wagging (摇尾巴), playing with toys and even walking on a lead.
The 11-month-old animal accompanies Emma’s pets Sky and Oakley on walks, drawing double attention from other dog-walkers when they see Todd moving quickly through the local park with Sky and Oakley. They thought as a fox, he has too many dog characteristics. He also sleeps and plays with the other dogs and even wags his tail during its feeding time.
“I’ve had Todd since he was about 4 months old because his previous owners couldn’t look after him anymore. He was a bit crazy when he first came to me last year, but now he has a really strong bond with me. He will run up to me wagging his tail when I go to feed him,” Emma, 25, from Stanfield, said.
“Sometimes he comes into my room, but he prefers being outside. He gets on well with my two dogs, and wants to play with them all the time. If people or dogs come up to him in the park, he will lie down at first and freeze but after a few seconds he will sniff around the dogs or sit patiently.”
Emma takes some of her 40 pets into schools and care homes to enable children and the elderly to interact with a range of animals. Emma’s husband, Steve Johnson, added, “Todd went out on his first school visit the other week and the children really enjoyed playing with him.”
1. The author mentions “like the plot of a Disney movie” in Paragraph 1 to ________.| A．attract readers to know more about Todd |
| B．introduce a Disney movie’s actor |
| C．inspire people to treat foxes more friendly |
| D．share his favorite movie with readers |
| A．he’s considerate and warmhearted | B．he’s successful and patient |
| C．he acts like a dog instead of a fox | D．he gets along well with dogs |
| A．He is very aggressive in public. |
| B．He misses his previous owners. |
| C．He used to sleep in Emma’s room. |
| D．He leads a happy life at Emma’s home. |
| A．How to raise dogs and foxes | B．A lovely dog-like fox |
| C．Emma and her pets | D．To be a good pet owner |
8 . A man who knows how to write a personal letter has a very powerful tool. A letter can be enjoyed, read and
I will give a(an)
| A．refused | B．rewritten | C．returned | D．reread |
| A．class | B．promise | C．friendship | D．secret |
| A．example | B．lesson | C．experience | D．talk |
| A．through | B．together | C．along | D．away |
| A．brothers | B．children | C．neighbors | D．classmates |
| A．normal | B．necessary | C．pleasant | D．possible |
| A．deepen | B．start | C．express | D．settle |
| A．toured | B．left | C．reached | D．moved to |
| A．touch | B．letter | C．weight | D．credit |
| A．think | B．write | C．work | D．read |
| A．driven | B．honored | C．surprised | D．disappointed |
| A．never | B．seldom | C．sometimes | D．once |
| A．realized | B．judged | C．thought | D．recommended |
| A．well | B．often | C．much | D．soon |
| A．later | B．anyhow | C．too | D．again |
9 . Robert Moody, 52, is an experienced police officer. Much of his work involves dealing with drug problems in the schools of his community. Knowing that many kids often ran into trouble, he decided to do something about it. So he began to invite small groups of kids to go fishing with him on his day off.
Those fun trips had a lasting influence. A chance encounter later proved that. One day, while working security at a school basketball game, Moody noticed two young guys quarreling. He sensed trouble between them. Suddenly one of them headed toward Moody and gave him a hug. “I remember you. You took me fishing when I was in fifth grade. That was one of the best days of my life.”
Deeply touched by the boy’s word, Moody decided to create a foundation (基金会) that introduces teenagers to the basics of fishing in camping programs. “As a policeman, I saw where there was violence, drugs were always behind it. They have a damaging influence on the kids,” says Moody.
By turning kids on to fishing, he intended to present an alternative (可选择的) way of life, “When you’re sitting there waiting for a bite ,” he says, “you can’t help but talk to each other, and such conversations can be pretty deep.”
“Talking about drugs helped prepare me for the peer pressures in high school,” says Michelle, 17 who participated in the first program. “And I was able to help my little brother avoid drugs.”
Moody faces retirement in three years, when he hopes to run the foundation full-time. “I’m living a happy life and I have a responsibility to my community to give back,” Moody says. “If I teach a kid to fish today, he can teach his brother to fish tomorrow.”
1. Why did Moody start to invite some kids to go fishing?| A．Because he had his day off. |
| B．Because they were in the same community. |
| C．Because he wanted to help them get out of trouble. |
| D．Because he wanted to help them do their school projects. |
| A．It was created as two boys quarreled at a school basketball game. |
| B．It was inspired by the meeting with a boy who had fished with him. |
| C．It was created to teach teenagers how to deal with violence problems. |
| D．It was created to stop violence and drugs having a damaging influence on kids. |
| A．Both he and his little brother could benefit from the program. |
| B．Both he and his little brother learned how to fish in the program. |
| C．He could talk about drug problems with his little brother in the program. |
| D．Both he and his brother are drug users, who were helped by the program. |
| A．The positive impact of fishing on kids. |
| B．The damaging influences of drugs on kids. |
| C．A police officer’s connection with some kids in school. |
| D．The creation of a foundation devoted to introducing kids to fishing. |
10 . Travel Peru
Amazon Rainforest Tour
A short flight from Cusco takes you from the Andes into the Amazon rainforest. From there, you’ll spend one day travelling by boat to your accommodation in the middle of the forest. You can then spend three days exploring the rainforest with a local guide and enjoying the plants and animals unique to the rainforest.
Machu Picchu Tour
This four-day walking tour will take you on amazing paths through the Andes Mountains on the way to the city of Machu Picchu. After reaching your destination, you will have a day to explore and be amazed by this ancient city. Especially amazing is the Incas’ dry stone method of building. Inca builders cut stones to exact sizes so that nothing was needed to hold walls together other than the perfect fit of the stones.
Cusco Tour
Spend four days enjoying the unique Spanish and local Indian culture high in the Andes at Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th until the 16th century. Stay in a local hotel, visit the museums, admire the architecture, enjoy the excellent local food, and go shopping at the local markets.
Lake Titicaca Tour
Enjoy the beautiful countryside as you spend a day driving along the new highway connecting Cusco to Lake Titicaca. There, a boat will take you to stay with a local Uros family on an island for three days. Both the island and the Uros homes are made of water plants from the lake.
1. If you are a wildlife addict, which tour is your best choice?| A．Cusco Tour. |
| B．Lake Titicaca Tour. |
| C．Machu Picchu Tour. |
| D．Amazon Rainforest Tour. |
| A．The ancient city. |
| B．The plants and animals. |
| C．The dry stone method of building. |
| D．The paths through the Andes Mountains. |
| A．Visitors can live in hotels. |
| B．Visitors can experience local life. |
| C．Visitors can enjoy the beautiful countryside. |
| D．Visitors can go shopping at the local markets. |
