1 . How I wish to go to the bottom (底部) of the sea for an adventure (探险)! There are quite a lot of beautiful fishes swimming here around me and they are in different shapes and colors. A big whale or a shark might appear. Frightening, isn’t it? But most fishes are friendly and won’t hurt you if you do not attack them. It would be great fun just to watch the fishes quietly and even play with them. — from Qin Yixing.

Last night, I had a dream. I was flying to Africa. Once I reached the land, I found a jeep to the grasslands. I was about to get into the jeep when I saw a few snakes in front of me. Luckily, they went away without hurting me. Soon I happened to find some nice giraffes and a crowd of zebras. On my way back, there was something wrong with the jeep. I was so scared that I fell with the jeep upside down. Much to my surprise, a helicopter (直升飞机) came in time to rescue me. What a dream adventure! — from Zhang Liang.

1. Qin Yixing dreams to go to the bottom of the sea to ______.

A．have a holiday

B．take an adventure

C．find a job

D．watch a game

2. According to Qin Yixing, we know most fishes are _______.

A．noisy

B．frightening

C．friendly

D．quiet

3. Zhang Liang got to Africa ______.

A．by plane

B．by jeep

C．by water

D．by bus

4. In his dream, Zhang Liang saw all these animals EXCEPT _______.

A．snakes

B．giraffes

C．zebras

D．tigers

2 . In Jan. 2020, Teresa Hernandez was 35 weeks pregnant. One morning, she _________ the baby wasn’t moving as much as usual. She decided to go to the hospital to _________ everything was OK.

When she got there, she learned that the baby’s heart rate was _________. The doctors told her that her baby needed to be delivered _________ by an operation. Hernandez was in complete _________. But the doctors said if it was inside, they wouldn’t be able to help if something went wrong.

Hernandez was _________ to the operating room. On the way, her anxiety became _________ . That’s when a nurse in the operating room _________to help.

“This nurse took my hand and started pressing. And then she _________ me while they were doing the operation. And then she __________ one hand on my cheek. And she started humming softly,” Hernandez __________. “I felt like my mom was there, holding me.”

__________ her husband, Hernandez had no family with her. But the nurse’s gesture of warmth brought her __________. It felt like her mom stayed by her side. “When your mom is there, you feel __________. You feel like everything is going to be right,” Hernandez said.

Looking back, Hernandez remembers a string of unsung heroes who helped her that day. But she says that nurse was the first one that left a lasting __________.

1.

A．imagined

B．acknowledged

C．realized

D．assumed

2.

A．promise

B．ensure

C．explain

D．argue

3.

A．declining

B．happening

C．approaching

D．emerging

4.

A．immediately

B．formally

C．hurriedly

D．gradually

5.

A．shame

B．shock

C．regret

D．enthusiasm

6.

A．invited

B．introduced

C．rushed

D．recommended

7.

A．appealing

B．disappointing

C．embarrassing

D．overwhelming

8.

A．stepped down

B．turned out

C．stepped in

D．dropped by

9.

A．admired

B．called

C．showed

D．held

10.

A．placed

B．grasped

C．skipped

D．covered

11.

A．concluded

B．reported

C．reminded

D．recalled

12.

A．Due to

B．Instead of

C．Apart from

D．As for

13.

A．glory

B．relief

C．sorrow

D．principle

14.

A．protected

B．affected

C．educated

D．respected

15.

A．excitement

B．impression

C．curiosity

D．prediction

3 . Scientists have been experimenting with playing sounds to plants since at least the 1960s, during which time they have been exposed to everything from Beethoven to Michael Jackson. Over the years, evidence that this sort of thing can have an effect has been growing. One paper, published in 2018, claimed that an Asian shrub known as the telegraph plant grew substantially larger leaves when exposed to 56 days of Buddhist music — but not if it was exposed to Western pop music or silence. Another, published last year, found that marigolds and sage plants exposed to the noise of traffic from a busy motorway suffered growth difficulty.

Plants have been evolving (进化) alongside the insects that eat them for hundreds of millions of years. With that in mind, Heidi Appel, a botanist now at the University of Houston, and Reginald Cocroft, a biologist at the University of Missouri, wondered if plants might be sensitive to the sounds made by the animals with which they most often interact. They recorded the vibrations made by certain species of caterpillars (毛毛虫) as they chewed on leaves. These vibrations are not powerful enough to produce sound waves in the air. But they are able to travel across leaves and branches, and even to neighbouring plants if their leaves touch.

They then exposed tobacco plant — the plant biologist’s version of the laboratory mouse — to the recorded vibrations while no caterpillars were actually present. Later, they put real caterpillars on the plants to see if exposure had led them to prepare for an insect attack. The results were striking. Leaves that had been exposed had significantly higher levels of defensive chemicals, making them much harder for the caterpillars to eat. Leaves that had not been exposed to vibrations showed no such response. Other sorts of vibration — caused by the wind, for instance, or other insects that do not eat leaves — had no effect.

“Now speakers with the right audio files are more often being used to warn crops to act when insects are detected but not yet widespread,” says Dr. Cocroft. “Unlike chemical pesticides, sound waves leave no dangerous chemicals.”

1. What can we learn about plants from the first paragraph?

A．They may enjoy Western music.	B．They can’t stand Buddhist music.
C．They can react to different sounds.	D．They can make different sounds.

2. What’s the basis for Appel and Cocroft’s research?

A．Plants can make a cry for help.	B．Plants evolve alongside insects.
C．Plants are sensitive to the sounds.	D．Plants have been studied for years.

3. What can we infer about plants from Paragraph 3?

A．They can recongnize harmful vibrations.	B．They look like laboratory mice.
C．They can threaten the caterpillars.	D．They can release poisonous chemicals.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Disadvantages of chemical pesticides.	B．Application of the experimental results.
C．Interaction between plants and insects.	D．Warning system of widespread insects.

4 . My 15-year-old daughter landed her first job this summer as a dishwasher at the local cafe, making $16 an hour. And I was filling with pride and unrequested advice.

After her first shift, my daughter issued her grievances. She was on her feet for hours on end! The water was extremely hot! She was too busy to eat dinner! And every time she turned around, the sink was piled high with pots and pans covered in cheese and sauce!

I panicked. Over the next few days, I tried talking to my daughter about what she could do differently. I tried coaching her on how to ask her manager for a 15-minute snack break. And I offered her a pair of rubber gloves. My daughter would have none of it.

As the weeks wore on, she got to know the work well. Oh, she still complained. But she told me that she was gamifying (游戏化) the washing system, that the line cooks had an amusing middle school sense of humor, and that the head chef was developing a dessert that she got to taste-test before it hit the menu. Plus, there was the money.

The other day she said that during her first week at work, she didn’t understand how to clock in and out on the time clock (考勤钟).“So, I told my boss the clock wasn’t working for me and I texted him my hours,” she said. “But later on, I watched a few other people clock in and figured it out.”

“You know, sometimes it’s OK to ask for help,” I advised.

As soon as I saw her wounded look, I regretted my words. Why was I correcting her when she’d eventually found the solution on her own? That was her chance to grow, learn, and gain independence and responsibility.

Last night she told me excitedly the boss asked her to do some salad preparation. When I heard the news, I smiled happily. A promotion already! For a teenager, having a summer job is a beautiful growing experience, and for a parent, watching your child experience it is an exercise in learning to let go.

1. What does the underlined word “grievances” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Standards.

B．Securities.

C．Warnings.

D．Complaints.

2. What can we learn about the daughter from the fourth paragraph?

A．She adapted herself to the job.	B．She tried to impress the chef.
C．She liked playing games at work.	D．She earned a higher salary.

3. Why did the daughter wear a wounded look?

A．She didn’t know how to ask for help.	B．She was wounded while washing dishes.
C．She didn’t get enough support from the boss.	D．She was dissatisfied with her mother’s words.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．Experience is the best teacher.	B．Industry is the parent of success.
C．Parenting is hard in modern times.	D．The first step is as good as half over.

5 . 2024 Seattle Marathon’s Summer Events

The Seattle Marathon Association (SMA) is a non-profit organization proud of providing a quality running event in the Pacific Northwest. Join us for our annual family-friendly run at Seward Park with views of Lake Washington and Mount Rainier. Dogs welcome! Choose your distance: 5k, 10k or Half Marathon! Kids are welcome to participate in the Kids Fun Run, a quick 1k run with specially provided snacks waiting at the end.

Event schedule

At 3:00 PM, June 21 — Early Packet Pickup

At 7:00 AM, June 22 — Event Day Registration & Packet Pickup

Registration fees

Events	Early Bird Pricing (Now-Feb. 29)	Regular Pricing (Mar. 1-Jun, 20)	Race Day Pricing (Jun. 21-22)
Half Marathon	$62.00	$82.00	$122.00
10K Run/Walk	$35.00	$52.00	$72.00
5K Run/Walk	$31.00	$42.00	$62.00
Kids Fun Run	$20.00	$25.00	$25.00

Cash prizes and awards

All finishers will receive an event me dal and a technical fabric shirt.

●Top 3 overall men & women participants in the 5k (must come in under 25min), 10k (must come in under 45min) and Half Marathon (must come in under 1hr 30min) races will receive cash prizes at the finish line.

●In addition, in the week following the race, non-cash awards will be emailed to the top three runners in each age division. Age divisions are as follows: 14 and under,15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89 and 90+.

Free entries for the best athletes

We offer free entries for athletes who can prove qualifying time(s) within the last 2 years. Please note that we only offer free registration and do not cover any transportation, accommodation, food or visa fees. Please contact us with proof of your qualifying time(s) within the last 2 years for a free entry to the race.

1. What will a child receive after finishing the kids Fun Run?

A．Cash prizes.	B．Special snacks.
C．Track shoes.	D．Free accommodation.

2. How much will a couple pay if they register for 10K Run/Walk in May?

A．$70.00.

B．$84.00.

C．$104.00.

D．$144.00.

3. What is required for free registration for athletes?

A．Having received event medals twice.

B．Offering evidence of their qualifying times.

C．Completing the Half Marathon in 90 minutes.

D．Ranking among top three in their age divisions.

6 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.

Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.

Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”

Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.

Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”

Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”

1. What can we say about the new research?

A．It started in 2013.	B．It is the first of its kind.
C．It was carried out by AIS.	D．It covers the whole Atlantic.

2. What do the underlined words “This change” in paragraph 3 refer to ?

A．Rapid population growth.

B．Rising global temperatures.

C．The huge increase in shipping.

D．The disappearance of marine life.

3. What does Dr. Sarah Marley want to tell us in paragraph 5?

A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy.

B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment.

C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity.

D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．New waterways across the Atlantic

B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic

C．New research opens windows into life under the water

D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping

7 . Frosty Ridge Resort (FRR) is a popular tourist attraction with a long history. Do you want to join the proud tradition of service at FRR? Welcome to join us!

Parking Host

The responsibility of a parking host is to help guests properly park their vehicles (交通工具), informing guests of parking steps and answering questions. You must be at least 18 years of age. A driver’s license (执照) is required. It’s necessary to have a team player attitude and be able to work with people of diverse cultures. The ability to work with different groups of people in a calm and professional manner is also a must.

Child Care Provider

Previous child care experience is preferred. You should provide quality child care, by meeting the needs of various age groups and guest demands in a positive way. Show positive communication skills, and offer children funny activities. Climb stairs to work space and work at a desk or computer work station for one or two hours.

Ski Instructor

Teach ski lessons to guests with the specific focus on students’ goals while emphasizing (强调) safety, fun and learning. You should be able to ski or snowboard. Great customer service skills and good adaptability are required. In particular, unlike the two positions above, you must work during the Christmas week.

1. What should people in the parking host position do?

A．Teach ski lessons to guests.

B．Help guests park their cars.

C．Look after guests’ children.

D．Answer questions from FRR director.

2. What is specially required for a ski instructor?

A．Being communicative.	B．Providing fun for guests.
C．Working during Christmas week.	D．Having related working experience.

3. Who is the text intended for?

A．Job hunters.

B．Project managers.

C．Local visitors.

D．College students.

8 . How I Study English

I often hear some students say English is difficult, and it gives them a headache. So they can’t learn it well. But English is very easy for me. I’m good at it. I’m very glad to tell you something about how I study English.

First, I think an interest(爱好) in English is very important. When I was in Grade One, we had a new subject—English. It was fresh for me. I was interested in it, so I worked hard at it. Soon we had an English exam and I got a very good mark. How happy I was! After that, I learned English harder and harder. Our English teacher often teaches us English songs, the songs sound nice. I often think how interesting English is!

Second, I think English is a foreign language. I should learn it well in the following ways: Listen to the teacher carefully, speak bravely, read aloud and have a good vocabulary(词汇). Then practice again and again, never be tired. And I also have a good habit: Asking whenever(不论何时) I have a question, I must make it clear by asking our English teacher. How happy I am when I understand!

Besides this, I often read English stories, jokes and easy novels. From these I know English is not only interesting, but also useful. They help me understand a lot of things. So to do more reading is an important way to learn English well.

And I also do some exercises from our class magazines, and I often write English diaries. English has become a close friend of mine.

Now I have learned English for more than two years. I always keep the first position in our school. From these words, I hope every student can learn English well.

1. Why do some students often “have a headache”?

A．Because they are easy to catch cold.	B．Because it’s often very cold.
C．Because they think English is easy.	D．Because they don’t think English is easy.

2. The writer tells us that we should be         in English if we want to learn it well.

A．bored	B．interested
C．surprised	D．strict

3. The sentence “I got a very good mark” means “        ”.

A．I got a good way

B．I had a good idea

C．I did badly in the exam

D．I did well in the exam

4. The writer thinks English is interesting because        .

A．English is full of stories

B．English is full of jokes

C．his teacher often teaches them nice English songs

D．of nothing

9 . I knew that my first day of senior high school would be challenging. I was _______ that I would spend my first day in senior high school.

On Monday I was _______ for my first day of senior high school. My backpack was _______ with materials I needed, such as pencils, notebooks and so on. I hoped the first day of senior high school would go _______. Finally the first day of school _______. As I walked into the classroom, I saw my first class was _______. I didn’t do well in math. Doing math at first in the morning could be _______. I was surprised at what the math teacher said, “_______ wherever you’d like. There are no fixed seats in math class.” My math teacher was _______ very nice, and I like her from the start. My next class was English. My English teacher was Ms Popstar. She was so knowledgeable that we ________ her. After lunch I had a biology class, I figured the day was closing out and I didn’t feel too ________ about senior high school.

I knew this year was going to be a ________ because I started to realize that I was growing up to be an adult. I would ________ my classes. There were many fun and unknown things for me to ________ in senior high school. I ________ some new friends and new teachers that were so nice and welcoming on the first day.

1.

A．careless

B．nervous

C．annoyed

D．amazed

2.

A．preparing

B．looking

C．asking

D．calling

3.

A．satisfied

B．disappointed

C．impressed

D．filled

4.

A．suitable

B．advanced

C．perfect

D．expert

5.

A．passed

B．missed

C．improved

D．arrived

6.

A．Chinese

B．math

C．PE

D．physics

7.

A．tiring

B．doubtful

C．unique

D．informal

8.

A．Stand

B．Leave

C．Sit

D．Play

9.

A．actually

B．secretly

C．officially

D．partly

10.

A．tested

B．cheated

C．admired

D．helped

11.

A．strange

B．dangerous

C．wonderful

D．bad

12.

A．job

B．change

C．plan

D．goal

13.

A．give up

B．concentrate on

C．believe in

D．carry out

14.

A．recommend

B．exchange

C．explore

D．support

15.

A．met

B．recognised

C．tracked

D．greeted

10 . I’ve been interested in languages for as long as I can remember. My dad was a language genius. My family traveled widely when I was a child, and my dad would talk to everyone we met with ease. His abilities greatly impressed me. I wished then that I would someday be able to speak as many languages as he had been able to.

I wasn’t a natural language learner. When I was 11 years old, I made slow progress with French at school and almost gave it up. After I entered college, I read many German writers in translation. I loved them so much that I wanted to read them in their native tongue. This desire drove me to pick up German. Once I had mastered German, I found myself in love with languages. Since then, I have never stopped learning new languages. By my late twenties, I was able to speak French, Latin and Greek.

I’m often asked what my secret is. The answer is, predictably, endless hours of reading and studying. Before I got married, I would spend 16 hours every day studying languages. I used to like walking fast outdoors while listening to a recording of language and repeating it out loud.

Now, I can read about 40 languages and speak most of them fluently. Asian languages are more difficult to master. It took me almost ten years to get my Korean skills close to native level. I live in Singapore now. At home, I speak French with my sons. If my Korean wife is there, we’ll use English. When we don’t want the kids to understand our conversations, we use Korean.

I’ve studied Esperanto (世界语). Though I can see the benefits of a world language, I think the world would be a less interesting place if there were only one language. It would be like visiting a garden where there was only one type of plant!

1. When he was a child, the author had a wish to be able to ________.

A．travel as widely as his father had

B．meet as widely as his father had

C．speak as many languages as his father had been able to

D．learn languages as easily as his father had been able to

2. According to the article, when he was learning Greek, the author ________.

A．was still a teenager	B．had just entered college
C．was 23 years old	D．could already speak German fluently

3. According to the article, the author learns new languages by ________.

A．walking fast outdoors	B．chatting with native speakers
C．following traditional methods	D．doing lots of grammar exercises

4. By comparing the world to a garden and languages to plants in the last paragraph, the author mainly wanted to show that ________.

A．Esperanto is a useful invention

B．the variety of languages is necessary

C．Asian languages are difficult to master

D．there are no shortcuts to learning languages