1 . Do you find yourself pulling away from others, especially if you’ve experienced a deep disappointment? Maybe the most ______ thing most of us can do is to be with people when we don’t feel like being around anybody.

A man who lost his wife to cancer found himself wanting to be ______ . He dropped out of his community and ______ all of the activities he and his wife were used to for year. He ______ socializing at work and returned ______ home to an empty house after work. He turned down ______ from friends and co-workers.

His friends became ______ . One came by to visit and invite him over for supper the next evening. The two old friends sat in comfortable chairs by a ______ . The visitor extended the dinner invitation and ______ him to come, “You may need to ______ others to share your pain.”

The man responded that he felt better ______ staying with other people. “And ______ ,” he said, “it’s just too difficult to get out anymore.”

They sat in ______ for a while, watching the wood burn in the fireplace. Then the visitor did a(n) ______ thing. He took tongs (火钳) by the fireplace, reached into the fire, pulled out a ______ coal and laid down by itself on the earth. “That’s you,” he said.

The man sat in silence, ______ the red-hot ember. Neither man looked ______ as the once hot coal gradually transformed into a black lump. After some moments, the man said, “I get the ______ , my friend. I’ll be over tomorrow evening.”

We cannot ______ in any healthy way by ourselves. The leaf needs the branch. The branch needs the trunk. The trunk needs the roots. And the roots need the rest of the tree. We are ______ . And in that connection life and vitality (活力) are found.

1.

A．exciting

B．common

C．difficult

D．obvious

2.

A．independent

B．cheerful

C．sociable

D．alone

3.

A．enjoyed

B．refused

C．looked back to

D．took part in

4.

A．quit

B．reduced

C．kept

D．became fond of

5.

A．hurriedly

B．hopefully

C．straight

D．eagerly

6.

A．greetings

B．visits

C．kindness

D．invitations

7.

A．annoyed

B．alarmed

C．disappointed

D．curious

8.

A．warm fireplace

B．beautiful garden

C．bright window

D．TV set

9.

A．inspired

B．told

C．encouraged

D．required

10.

A．inform

B．expect

C．leave

D．allow

11.

A．while

B．without

C．regardless of

D．because of

12.

A．besides

B．otherwise

C．generally

D．therefore

13.

A．turn

B．silence

C．tears

D．talks

14.

A．frightening

B．heartwarming

C．unusual

D．interesting

15.

A．black

B．burnt

C．dark

D．flaming

16.

A．watching

B．holding

C．admiring

D．ignoring

17.

A．down

B．away

C．ahead

D．around

18.

A．point

B．invitation

C．news

D．notice

19.

A．think

B．understand

C．escape

D．survive

20.

A．welcomed

B．concerned

C．connected

D．affected

2 . Styrofoam, or polystyrene, is a light-weight material, about 95 percent air, with very good insulation (隔热) properties, according to Earthsource.org. It is used in products from cups that keep your drinks hot or cold to packaging material that protects items during shipping. With the above good features, Styrofoam still enjoys a bad reputation. It cannot be recycled without releasing dangerous pollution into the air. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is the fifth-largest creator of harmful waste.

But now the common worms which are usually disgusting can come to the rescue, specifically, mealworms. Scientists from the U. S. and China have discovered that mealworms can digest plastic. One mealworm can digest a pill-sized amount of plastic a day. Study co-author Wei-Min Wu says that in 24 hours, the plastic is turned into carbon dioxide.

Since Styrofoam has no nutrition at all, are the worms hurt by eating plastic? Much to the scientists’ surprise, the study found that worms eating Styrofoam were as healthy as worms eating bran (谷糠). The researchers will study the worm’s eating habits and digesting system, looking to copy the plastic breakdown but on a larger scale. Once the way can be put into practice, it will make a revolutionary difference to the disposal of plastic.

“Solving the issue of plastic pollution is important”, says Wu, a Stanford University environmental engineering instructor. After all, our earth is small and landfill space is becoming limited with too much garbage waiting to be dealt with, he says.

About 33-million tons of plastic are thrown away in the United States every year. Plastic plates, cups and containers take up 25 percent to 30 percent of space in America’s landfills. One Styrofoam cup takes more than 1 million years to recycle in a landfill, according to Cleveland State University.

1. What do we know about Styrofoam?

A．It can be used to cool drinks.

B．It is a weightless material.

C．It is harmful when recycled.

D．It is usually used on ships.

2. What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A．Mealworms have amazing digesting power.

B．Mealworms are not bad in their nature.

C．Mealworms can rescue people’s lives.

D．People misunderstood mealworms in the past.

3. Why will researchers study the worm’s eating habits and digesting system?

A．To find ways to help mealworms grow larger.

B．To imitate their ways of breaking down plastic.

C．To help develop their digesting ability.

D．To make sure of their safety after eating plastic.

4. In the future, plastic may be recycled ______.

A．by raising amounts of mealworms

B．by environmental engineering instructors

C．using a method inspired by eating mealworms

D．without sending out dangerous pollution

5. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Styrofoam is widely used in daily life.

B．Mealworms are genius at eating plastic.

C．Plastic recycling may be no more a problem.

D．Plastic can be turned into carbon dioxide.

3 . Have you ever come out of a steamy hot shower and tried to look at your reflection in the mirror when it’s completely steamed and fogged up? I often think that is how we tend to view our beauty—through fogged up mirrors. We are seeing ourselves but the picture isn’t exactly clear! The mirrors have been fogged up through different life experiences and memories as we have grown up, and now blend together to form our own definition of our beauty.

The first mirror is formed as a young child and is often based on what was said about us from our parents and those around us. I remember being told that I was a cute child, so that when I got a little older and was around six or seven and another child tried to tell me I was ugly- everything within me rose up against the statement because my self-belief in what my parents had said stood strong.

The second mirror is the mirror of adolescence, those formative years when we are pushed into the big wild world and out of the protection of home. As a teenager I went to a boarding school, and I was one of the only two black people in the entire school. Children being naturally curious, I felt like I was asked a million and one different questions about both my hair and skin tone- -and I don’t think there has ever been a time when I have been more acutely aware of my appearance, which in turn opened up the door for me to question how I looked and to thankfully embrace my differences.

The final mirror comes from socially constructed ideas of beauty. We are often faced with numerous images in the media, popular culture, society, peers and social media, which can create a false ideal of beauty in our eyes. We tend to compare ourselves to those ideals and use it as some sort of margin (差值) of measurement.

However, real beauty comes from within. It is acceptance of yourself, perceived flaws and all. You are a masterpiece, a unique blend of genes and life experiences. It’s essential to appreciate yourself like any other work of art or natural wonder, without judgement. Maybe it’s time to create a fourth mirror, a new mirror that is wiped clean and is minus the fog of comparisons, accusations, judgments and expectations.

1. What do the fogged-up mirrors represent according to the first paragraph?

A．The difficulties of seeing oneself in the mirror.

B．The various sources of beauty standards.

C．The unclear perceptions of one’s beauty.

D．The life experiences and memories.

2. How did the author react when someone called her ugly?

A．She felt embarrassed.

B．She completely denied it.

C．She sought comfort from her parents.

D．She questioned what her parents had said.

3. What can we learn about social constructed ideas of beauty?

A．They push teens out of home protection.

B．They arouse acute awareness of one’s appearance.

C．They may mislead people’s idea of beauty.

D．They are the exact measurement of beauty.

4. What does the author suggest as a possible fourth mirror?

A．A mirror not affected by external factors.

B．A mirror going against society’s expectations.

C．A mirror reflecting one’s childhood experiences.

D．A mirror showing the beauty ideals from social media.

5. The passage is mainly written to tell us that we should________.

A．bring happiness to those around us

B．keep our resolve despite obstacles

C．change ourselves to achieve an ideal

D．embrace our real inner beauty

4 . National Music Theater Competition

The 2024 National Music Theater Competition (NMTC) will be held. It was launched in 2011 as the first national competition for the emerging professional music theater soloist (独唱者). NMTC has provided industry connections for past competitors and winners that have led to their success on Broadway and other venues.

Prizes (each prize only for a person)

The champion: $5,000 plus a concert at the next national conference of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), a $1,000 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard, a Career Management Services package from Stage Door Connections.

The runner-up: $2,500 plus a $500 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard.

The third place: Louise Lerch Prize; $1,000 cash prize.

The fourth place: Bill Hayes Prize; $750 cash prize.

Qualification

Singers aged from 20 to 28 as of September 15, 2023.

Entrance Procedure

Application requires a fee of $900, but for these students of NATS members the fee is $75. Application fees due to cancellation by the applicant won’t be returned. All application materials must be submitted by September 15, 2023. If you are planning to submit your application for the online round, you must complete the submission by September 15, 2023, but you’ll have 30 days after the deadline to upload your audition (试唱) videos. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Where to Audition

The preliminary (预选的) round

Live auditions: November 1 to 10, 2023 in New York City.

Online auditions: Video submission deadline is October 15, 2023.

Semifinal and final rounds

Live auditions: The semifinal round: January 3 to 9, 2024; the final round: January 15 to 20, 2024.

The semifinal and final rounds will be held in New York City as part of the 2024 NATS Winter Workshop.

1. Why was the National Music Theater Competition launched?

A．To make people like music.

B．To promote the leisure industry.

C．To popularize Broadway musicals.

D．To seek promising talents.

2. What will the person coming second in the competition get?

A．A $500 Gift Certificate and Louise Lerch Prize.

B．$2,500 in prize money and a Gift Certificate.

C．A Career Management Services package.

D．A chance to perform at a concert.

3. Which of the following is a necessity for participating in the competition?

A．Being at least 28 years old.

B．Applying for membership of NATS.

C．Submitting application materials on time.

D．Uploading audition videos by September 15.

4. What do you know about the competition?

A．Competitors can enter the semifinal round on January 18, 2024.

B．Both online and live auditions are available in any round.

C．There are three rounds in the competition in total.

D．Application submission deadline is October 15, 2023.

5. What’s the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To call on people to explore their potential in music.

B．To attract young singers to apply for the competition.

C．To appeal to young singers to become NATS members.

D．To encourage people to enter the musical industry.

5 . What is your calling? What is your purpose in life? What did you come to this world to do? Every day we read about how we should find our purpose and pursue it throughout our lives in order to find meaning and contentment. There are even scientific studies that show people who view their work as a calling rather than just a career or a job have a higher life and work satisfaction. So, what exactly is this calling?

I’ve personally struggled with this concept for many years. I knew that happiness not only came from a present state of joy, but also from the pursuit of an objective that gave me something to pursue. That is, until I found myself feeling empty despite my achievement of those goals.

And as I reflected on these feelings of emptiness and boredom that had arisen despite my successes, I realized something. Meaning and satisfaction come from a personal devotion to what we do and the intrinsic (固有的) fulfillment we get from it. It has nothing to do with financial gain, social advancement or any other type of external reward or motivation. It is about doing something that we love. It is about focusing our efforts and spending our time on passions that light the spark inside of us and allow us to share with the world the unique gifts we possess.

I had never before stopped to think about what I found intrinsically rewarding or fulfilling. Financial gain and external recognition were pretty much the only drivers I knew. More so, I thought this calling meant having one passion we were born with to pursue relentlessly (不懈地).

So, I spent some years trying to find this long-lost purpose of mine. I discovered during that time passions I had no idea I even had. Yet, I wasn’t sure how to make them into my life purpose. I searched for an answer but couldn’t find it. It wasn’t until I came to understand the truths about our purpose in life that I was able to find my place in this world.

Our purpose can consist of various things that make us feel alive. As we grow and evolve throughout the different stages in our lives, we may discover new passions and desires that change our sense of purpose and calling.

We all have a longing for lives that give meaning to our existence. The difference lies in how we go about accomplishing this. We must each find our own “shine” and then shine on.

1. According to the passage, the calling refers to________.

A．one’s view about careers

B．a task one has to carry out

C．a life-long career one chooses

D．a strong desire or sense of duty to do a job

2. Which of the following belongs to the author’s previous drivers for finding fulfillment?

A．Financial gain and external recognition.

B．Pursuing passions relentlessly.

C．Discovering new passions.

D．Finding purpose in life.

3. What is the real purpose in life according to the author?

A．Trying to do everything that you can.

B．Trying to achieve your ambitious goals.

C．Doing meaningful things with your passion.

D．Doing something that can be successful easily.

4. According to the 5th paragraph, we know that________.

A．the author spent some years making changes

B．the author used to think he had no passion at all

C．the author didn’t know how to search for the life purpose

D．the author has known his passions since he started to work

5. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A．It’s wise to give up discovering our one true passion.

B．It’s useless to pursue financial gain and external recognition.

C．It’s necessary to find our own calling and pursue it with vigor.

D．It’s important to share our passion with the world without stopping.

6 . Beep! Beep! Beep! I rolled over and turned off my alarm clock. It was still _________ outside so I turned on the light. I got dressed quickly because I knew both of my dogs would be _________ to get outside for their morning walk. I reached over to grab a _________ and stopped. It was technically still fall but the _________ here in the Appalachian mountains of my home didn’t follow the _________. It had been cold and snowy two days ago and chilly and rainy yesterday. I had forgotten to _________ the weather report for today, however, so I wasn’t sure if I _______ my light jacket or my heavy coat.

I _________ my light jacket, pulled it on and leashed up my bigger dog. I opened the door and stepped outside. Instantly I knew I had made the _________ choice. Each breath I exhaled was a frozen mist. The wind chill was bitter cold. The grass was covered in __________ and I tried to keep my __________ while my dog dragged me along behind him.

I shivered (打寒颤) and __________ a bit but finally turned my head up to the heavens. I looked up at the __________sky and saw it was full of twinkling stars. It was so beautiful and so peaceful. __________, I felt a warmth inside of me and __________ shivering. While my dog sniffed the ground, I opened my heart to the __________ of nature’s creation. In all of its sweet seasons it had never __________ to touch my soul. It had heated my heart on the coldest days and     ________ my spirit on the darkest nights.

Our lives here are full of sweet __________ as well. From the innocence and youth of Spring to the wisdom and wrinkles of Winter. __________ all your sweet seasons. Make each day a creation of your love.

1.

A．rainy

B．dark

C．cold

D．snowy

2.

A．curious

B．afraid

C．eager

D．able

3.

A．coat

B．bite

C．leash

D．flashlight

4.

A．temperature

B．condition

C．environment

D．weather

5.

A．method

B．path

C．plan

D．calendar

6.

A．check

B．forecast

C．test

D．provide

7.

A．removed

B．needed

C．packed

D．washed

8.

A．tried on

B．decided on

C．relied on

D．focused on

9.

A．difficult

B．ideal

C．wrong

D．safe

10.

A．water

B．mud

C．dust

D．frost

11.

A．patience

B．balance

C．distance

D．promise

12.

A．complained

B．smiled

C．suffered

D．doubted

13.

A．pre-dusk

B．mid-night

C．pre-dawn

D．post-dawn

14.

A．Actually

B．Suddenly

C．Effortlessly

D．Generally

15.

A．avoided

B．regretted

C．stopped

D．continued

16.

A．wonder

B．reality

C．signal

D．challenge

17.

A．offered

B．refused

C．intended

D．failed

18.

A．found

B．admired

C．reflected

D．lighted

19.

A．discoveries

B．dreams

C．seasons

D．memories

20.

A．Enjoy

B．Examine

C．Admit

D．Remember

7 . Normally, I loved birthdays. When my son and three daughters were little, my husband, Charles, and I always made sure to have dinner, followed by a big cake and presents.

Later, when the kids grew up and lived in different states, they always called to wish me a happy birthday. But this year I could have skipped the whole day, knowing there was one call I wouldn’t be receiving, the one from my daughter Patty. She’d passed away unexpectedly just a month before. One thing which made me feel a little calm was a voice message that she’d left on my cell phone the night before she died, telling me she loved me.

Over the following days I played her message of wishes over and over again, listening to the last words she said. “I love you very, very much, Mom.” Then, a couple of weeks before my birthday, while I was doing laundry (洗衣服), I accidentally dropped my phone in the washing machine. Quickly I pulled it out and dried it off, but when I checked my voicemail, Patty’s message was gone. I cried, heartbroken. Day after day I kept checking my voicemail, hoping Patty’s message would reappear. It never did.

On the morning of my birthday, I received my son’s wishes. However, all I wanted for my birthday was to hear Patty’s voice again. “Happy birthday.” Charles said, “let’s go out for dinner and a movie. It might help take your mind off things.” Charles was right. I turned off my phone, settled into my seat in the movie theater and let the film take me away. But the minute it ended I started thinking about Patty again. As we were walking out of the theater, I turned on my phone. It rang, signaling I’d gotten a voice message. Probably just my youngest daughter, Leslie, calling to wish me a happy birthday, I thought.

I dialed up voicemail and the message began. It was Patty’s voice, clear as a bell, saying again, “I love you very, very much, Mom.”

1. How did the family celebrate the author’s birthday when the children were young? (no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________
2. Why didn’t the author want to celebrate her birthday this year? (no more than 10 words)
________________________________________________________________
3. How do you understand the underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph? (no more than 8 words)
________________________________________________________________
4. What happened when the author was doing some washing one day? (no more than 15 words)
_______________________________________________________________
5. What do you think of the story? Give your reasons in your own words. (no more than 20 words)
________________________________________________________________

8 . Returning to nature

Imagine getting the chance to go camping for five days. It would be an adventure (冒险) in the wild. You could row on a lake every day and leave your smartphone at home. Would you want to try this?

In June, four teenage girls from Minnesota, US, went camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (边界水域泛舟区). They had a great time——even without their smartphones.

Julia Ruelle, 16, put the group together. Earlier this year, she won an essay contest sponsored (赞助) by a company. The award was a five-day canoe and camping adventure with up to three friends. No parents or guides would be there. This award was supposed to encourage kids to be less dependent on technology.

Ruelle had been to the area before, but she had always gone with her parents. Sharing the experience with friends would be very different. She invited three friends: Anna Wander, Madeline Wilson, and Julianna Torelli.

They came up with a daily plan. “We would wake up early every day. We were done paddling (划桨) by noon. We ate lunch at the campsite. Then it was time for hammocks (吊床), reading, writing, making friendship bracelets (手链), talking and napping,” Ruelle said.

“I’m a lot less worried about things,” Wander said when asked how she felt without her cellphone. Her favorite thing to do was lie in her hammock and look at the lake. Torelli enjoyed cooking. She made blueberry pancakes and sandwiches.

No one felt hungry or homesick. “Mental (心理的) health can be improved so much. It really helps to get away and reconnect with yourself,” Ruelle said.

1. The camping trip was unique because the girls _____.

A．had to live on a boat for several days

B．needed to finish many tasks

C．had to live without their smartphones

D．needed to find a guide on their own

2. Julia Ruelle got the chance to camp by _____.

A．not using her smartphone at school

B．asking her parents for help

C．working in a company

D．winning an essay contest

3. How did the girls feel at the end of the trip?

A．Worried.	B．Happy.
C．Hungry.	D．Homesick.

4. What do we know from the story?

A．It is easy to get lost without our phones.

B．The girls didn’t make any camping plans.

C．Wilson enjoyed making pancakes and sandwiches.

D．Using smartphones less can improve our mental health.

9 . I was born a bookworm. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read: It was almost like breathing to me. My fictional worlds took me to all the places I needed to go and I experienced everything indirectly.

My father was in the military service when I was a child, so we moved every two years, but we insisted on going to bookshops wherever we lived. He would take me to the nearest bookshop every Saturday morning and wait patiently while I browsed (随便看看)—after all, the choosing of a new book is something that cannot be rushed. And so started my lifelong love affair with bookshops.

One day I was thinking up the setting for How to Find Love in a tiny bookshop when a feeling of calm, contentment, and excitement came over me. It was a feeling of perfect happiness. That was my light bulb moment: My book would be set in a bookshop, and I could explore what books meant to each of my characters and how they had shaped their lives.

The book isn’t just about discovering romantic love. It’s about finding the love of books: something that can sustain you throughout your life, and provide escape, entertainment, education, comfortd and wonder. And, as I learned from my own father, it’s a love you can share with everyone. There is nothing more satisfying than sharing something you have read with someone else, knowing they will love it as much as you do.

But if we are to keep bookshops alive, we need to use them, and to encourage the next generation to make them a part of their life and view bookshops as a treat, a pleasure, an adventure, a gateway, so they become something we can’t live without. Thus my challenge to you, fellow readers, is to go to your local bookshops as often as possible and come out with something that might change your life.

1. Why did the author often move when he was a child?

A．Because her father loved travelling.

B．Because her father was in the army.

C．Because her parents divorced.

D．Because her parents wanted to find a better school for her.

2. Which word best describes the author’s relationship with bookshops as a child?

A．Distant.	B．Casual.
C．Inseparable.	D．Cooperative.

3. What does the underlined part “light bulb moment” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．A moment of relief.	B．A moment of peace.
C．A moment of sudden shock.	D．A moment of sudden inspiration.

4. What might the book How to Find Love talk about?

A．How books affect people’s lives.	B．Romantic stories of the author’s parents.
C．How bookshops become popular.	D．Touching stories between father and daughter.

5. What does the author call on readers to do?

A．Purchase her books.	B．Go frequent book shopping.
C．Share books with others.	D．Sponsor local bookshops.

10 . In the UK, the government showed throwaway cups should be forbidden altogether by 2023 if they are not all being recycled. As a result, Starbucks said it would try out a 5p (5 pence) cup charge in 20 to 25 central London shops. “We will begin it next month and at first it will last for three months,” the company said, adding that it continued to offer a 25p (25 pence) discount to customers who brought their own reusable cups.

The government agrees plastic waste is a problem and will consider taxing disposable (一次性的) plastics. The committee’s chair, Mary Creagh, said, “The UK throws away 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups every year. Almost none are recycled. Coffee cup producers and shops haven’t taken action to change this. So we need to kick-start a change in recycling.”

The Liberal Democrats said they had been suggesting a charge on coffee cups since September 2016. The party’s spokesman, Tim Farron, said, “The result is clear that the tax works. The 5p charge on plastic bags has largely cut down the usage and helped protect our environment.”

The 5p tax is being against by the makers of paper cups. Mike Tuner, of the Paper Cup Alliance, said paper cups were the safest solution for drinks. “The paper cups we produce in the UK can be recycled, and are being recycled. We are trying to increase recycling rates. Taxing the morning coffee run won’t solve the problem, but it will hurt consumers,” he said.

Disposable coffee cups are technically recyclable, but most are not because the UK has just three machines that can split the paper and plastic parts for recycling. The committee has called on the government to require coffee cups from cafes without in-store recycling systems to carry “not recycled” marks to remind customers. Cafes with in-store recycling systems should print their cups with “recyclable in store only”.

1. About the throwaway cups, Starbucks will ________.

A．offer a half-price discount to customers with their own cups

B．support the idea of forbidding throwaway cups till 2023

C．charge customers 5p per throwaway cup in some shops

D．stop to offer throwaway cups in its shops right now

2. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A．Coffee cup makers will take action to recycle the water.

B．The use of the disposable plastics is a nationwide problem.

C．Coffee cup users pay much attention to the plastic problem.

D．The UK government will ban all disposable coffee cups by 2023.

3. What will be the result of introducing a charge for disposable coffee cups, in Tim Farron’s opinion?

A．More people will fight against the charge.

B．There will be little change in our environment.

C．Fewer people will use the disposable coffee cups.

D．There will be a competition between coffee shops.

4. According to Mike Turner, taxing the paper coffee cups ________.

A．will be supported by the makers of the paper cups

B．will affect the consumers instead of solving the problem

C．can give a hand to increasing recycling rates of the makers

D．can be the best solution for the government to cut down waste

5. What’s the real problem about disposable coffee cups’ recycling in the UK?

A．There are not enough professionals in this area.

B．There is not enough professional equipment.

C．Consumers don’t have recycling knowledge.

D．Cafes don’t have recycling systems at all.