1 . I manage a financial department. I recently promised my team that if they exceeded their goal, the company would _________ them to a very good Italian restaurant that we all love. They exceeded the goal by a lot, so I made a _________ for the sixteen of us.

The day of our outing, we were seated. Right away and in a while the waitress took our _________. Then, the waitress told us that she was sorry, because the person who was supposed to be helping her didn’t _________. So she had to _________ our party, and other customers on her own.

She looked visibly _________ when I told her that I would pay for everything on one check instead of separate checks. Our ordering was a little chaotic. We were busy having fun and conversation, so none of us _________ that. The food was delicious and we enjoyed it very much. It came time for the _________ and, as was explained to me when I made the reservation, the restaurant _________ an 18% tip to the bill. The bill came to about US $ 650 before the tip and I gave her my credit card.

She returned with my receipt and thanked us and __________ that their service was a little slow. We told her everything was perfect and thanked her for working so hard. She had been so nice to us and __________ that I left an additional US $ 50 cash tip in the receipt folder.

All of a sudden, the waitress came out of the restaurant and grabbed my arm. I was thinking if I forgot to sign the __________ or something when I noticed she had __________ in her eyes. She thanked me for the tip and said she really hadn’t __________ it. She had had a __________ time lately and the tip really warmed her heart.

1.

A．deliver

B．send

C．lead

D．treat

2.

A．promise

B．difference

C．reservation

D．remark

3.

A．menu

B．invitation

C．shelf

D．order

4.

A．show up

B．set off

C．calm down

D．ring back

5.

A．observe

B．handle

C．organize

D．postpone

6.

A．disappointed

B．shocked

C．relieved

D．embarrassed

7.

A．noticed

B．heard

C．missed

D．minded

8.

A．separation

B．payment

C．celebration

D．movement

9.

A．added

B．passed

C．returned

D．reduced

10.

A．stressed

B．announced

C．apologized

D．complained

11.

A．generous

B．honest

C．patient

D．intelligent

12.

A．receipt

B．tip

C．contract

D．form

13.

A．smiles

B．tears

C．fright

D．hope

14.

A．expected

B．deserved

C．wanted

D．understood

15.

A．precious

B．warm

C．wonderful

D．tough

2 . It was the day before Thanksgiving and Kaleb Benham was wandering around outside his home in Noring California. His 90-pound pit bull (斗牛犬), Buddy, was playing around nearby, doing what dogs do: getting into trouble. And this time, Buddy was getting into a whole lot of trouble.

The unmistakable sound that no one wants to hear alone in the woods caught Benham’s attention. It was the deep, strange roar of a black bear. Benham wheeled around to see the beast, which Benham figured weighed around 350 pounds, some 100 feet away. In an instant, the bear fastened on to Buddy’s head and started dragging him away.

Benham, a thin, fit, 24-year-old, took off after them. “Honestly,” he told CBS13, “the only thing I could think of was ‘save my baby’.” He lowered his shoulder and ran quickly towards the bear. But it only seized Buddy tightly. Benham grabbed the bear by the throat. Nothing. He tried getting its mouth open but the jaw was locked tight. Benham resorted to street fighting —punching the bear over and over around its mouth and nose. It worked. The bear dropped the dog and ran off into the woods.

Buddy was in bad shape. His face was bloodied. He had a bite mark clear through his lip and one that barely missed an eye.

“My first thought was that I was going to lose him,” Benham said. He picked up Buddy, put him into his car, and sped off to a nearby veterinarian. Buddy’s surgery took nearly four hours. Benham watched the procedure through a window, waiting for a miracle.

This was the second time Benham had rescued Buddy, says CBS13. The first was from a shelter a few years ago. “If it was your kid, what would you do?” he asked. Nodding toward Buddy, he added, “That’s my kid.”

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．A brave rescue.	B．A regular routine.
C．A fearless pet dog.	D．A demanding surgery.

2. Why did the author mention the weight of the bear in paragraph 2?

A．To prove the excitement of Benham.

B．To describe the fear in Buddy’s heart.

C．To indicate the difficulty of the rescue.

D．To show the bear’s starvation and fierceness.

3. How was the dog finally saved from the bear?

A．Benham defeated the beast by grabbing its throat.

B．Benham ra n towards the beast with dropped shoulder.

C．Benham punched the beast’s mouth and nose repeatedly.

D．Benham forced open the beast’s mouth by unlocking its jaw.

4. What can we know about Benham and Buddy?

A．Buddy once saved Benham.

B．They used to share a shelter.

C．Benham had no kid but Buddy.

D．They had very close relationship.

3 . Four of the World’s Greatest National Parks

Komodo

Location: Indonesia; Area: 1,733 km²

Home to the world’s largest lizard (蜥蜴), the Komodo dragon, Komodo National Park is made up of 29 islands. The park’s three main islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar make ideal destinations for divers, as the coral reefs support an amount of oceanic diversity. With over 1,000 species of fish, 260 species of coral, and countless sea animals, this is an ideal spot to swim with whales, dolphins and more.

Namib-Naukluft

Location: Namibia; Area: 49,768 km²

In the world’s oldest desert, the landscape moves. The golden dunes (沙丘) shift as winds blow and seasons pass. Visitors come to explore the dunes and it can be a real adventure. You’ll need a permit and doctor’s letter to take on the longer hikes, but one-day hikes give anyone a chance to see more of the Namib.

Tongariro

Location: New Zealand; Area: 795 km²

As New Zealand’s oldest national park, Tongariro National Park is home to three active volcanoes. And here’s the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a 19.4-kilometr e hike that takes you across beautiful landscapes. This park also draws in skiers during the winter seasons. The biggest ski area, Whakapapa, covers 5.5k m² 2 and has 15 lifts in all.

Teide

Location: Tenerife, Spain; Area: 190 km²

This park is home to Mount Teide, the highest peak in Spain. With a height of 3,718 metres, Mount Teide is also the third largest volcanic structure on the planet. Besides, Teide National Park possesses unique plants. The most unusual among the 139 recorded species is red bugloss.

1. What can visitors do in Komodo National Park?

A．Be surrounded by lizards.	B．Encounter ocean life closely.
C．Go diving on its 29 islands.	D．Play with the Komodo dragon.

2. Which of the following parks is the biggest?

A．Komodo National Park.	B．Namib-Naukluft National Park.
C．Tongariro National Park.	D．Teide National Park.

3. What do the last two parks have in common?

A．Both are perfect choices for skiers.

B．Both have the feature of golden dunes.

C．Both own more than 100 plant species.

D．Both are famous for their volcanoes.

6 . More American businesses are starting to use artificial intelligence(AI)tools to come up with new ideas and to deal with customers.

Mattel is known for making children’s toys. The company recently used an AI image generator (生成器) called DALL-E to come up with ideas for new Hot Wheels toy cars. The used vehicle seller CarMax is using ChatGPT to gather thousands of customer comments. The social media service Snapchat has added a chatbot (聊天机器人) to its messaging service. And Instacart, a delivery service, now uses ChatGPT to answer food questions. Even the Coca-Cola company plans to use AI to help create new marketing content. It has not said exactly how it plans to use the technology. But the move shows that businesses are under pressure to use the tools that many of their employees and customers are already trying on their own.

Some experts warn that businesses should carefully consider possible harms to customers, society, and their own companies before choosing to use AI tools in the workplace. Chaire Leibowicz works at The Partnership on AI, a nonprofit group. The group recently released recommendations for companies producing AI- generated images, audio and other media. “I want people to think deeply before deploying this technology” Leibowicz said. “They should play around. . . but we should also think, what purpose are these tools serving in the first place?”

While text generators like ChatGPT can make the process of writing emails and marketing documents faster and easier, they also appear to present misinformation as fact. And image generators like DALL-E are trained in copying widely available digital art and photography. This has raise copyright(版权)concerns from the creators of those works.

“It is safer to use AI tools as a ‘thought partner’ but still people as the creator of final products,” said Anna Gressel. She works at the law company Debevoise & Plimpton, which advises businesses on how to use AI.

1. Which company made creative products with Al tools’ help?

A．Instacart

B．Matel

C．CarMax

D．Snapchat

2. What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A．People rely too much on technology in their daily life.

B．AI tools are widely used to help businesses grow.

C．AI tools have an effect on improving business conditions.

D．Customers are more and more connected online.

3. What does the underlined word “deploying” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．presenting confidently	B．promoting successfully
C．debating publicly	D．applying effectively

4. What can we learn from Anna Gressel’s words?

A．AI tools should just be humans’ assistants.

B．The use of AI tools should be forbidden.

C．A business should partner with a law company.

D．Copyright concerns are unnecessary

7 . On July 20, Yu Yifei, a medical student, made his way home in a subway train after his first day’s training. When a downpour struck the city, he _________ about a dozen people trapped in a flooded subway train as the rainfall reached 201.9 millimeters between 4 pm and 5 pm, a totally new _________ in the history of Zhengzhou.

Flood _________ through a barrier and entered the underground area. The train came to a sudden stop before the water began _________ in the carriages, trapping passengers inside. Thus, Yu, _________ to leave and fearful of his life, made a _________ call to his father.

As water continued to flow into the carriages, passengers’ _________ rose. When subway workers arrived to rescue them, Yu _________ to get out. However, as he made his way to safety, he heard a cry for help. He quickly _________ the white coat given to him at the hospital __________ and returned to the platform to save other passengers. On seeing him, a number of frightened people were greatly encouraged and their spirits __________.

As more passengers were pulled from the __________, Yu instructed others in the key steps to save a victim from drowning. He __________ CPR (心肺复苏) on those unconscious and near death from drowning. One of the passengers, a female doctor, nearly died. After __________ consciousness, she joined Yu in treating others. Yu was very __________ yet he gathered up his strength and tried to provide help to those in need. In the end, Yu and the other rescuers managed to save many lives from the flooded subway train. Yu’s actions proved that even in the darkest of moments, there is always hope for humanity.

1.

A．asked

B．prevented

C．thought

D．saved

2.

A．record

B．number

C．point

D．depth

3.

A．worked

B．watered

C．crashed

D．pulled

4.

A．rising

B．waving

C．building

D．disappearing

5.

A．uncertain

B．unfortunate

C．unusual

D．unable

6.

A．alarming

B．unique

C．considerate

D．desperate

7.

A．disappointment

B．fears

C．feelings

D．thrills

8.

A．managed

B．failed

C．intended

D．hesitated

9.

A．tried on

B．took on

C．put on

D．carried on

10.

A．later

B．further

C．earlier

D．former

11.

A．gained

B．lifted

C．sank

D．lowered

12.

A．seats

B．hospital

C．boat

D．water

13.

A．introduced

B．performed

C．explained

D．taught

14.

A．recovering

B．refreshing

C．repeating

D．reporting

15.

A．bored

B．heartbroken

C．worried

D．exhausted

9 . Is it true that our brain alone is responsible for human cognition(认知)? What about our body? Is it possible for thought and behaviour to originate from somewhere other than our brain? Psychologists who study Embodied Cognition(EC)ask similar questions. The EC theory suggests our body is also responsible for thinking or problem-solving. More precisely, the mind shapes the body and the body shapes the mind in equal measure.

If you think about it for a moment, it makes total sense. When you smell something good or hear amusing sounds, certain emotions are awakened. Think about how newborns use their senses to understand the world around them. They don’t have emotions so much as needs – they don’t feel sad, they’re just hungry and need food. Even unborn babies can feel their mothers’ heartbeats, and this has a calming effect. In the real world, they cry when they’re cold and then get hugged. That way, they start to associate being warm with being loved.

Further studies have backed up the mind-body interaction. In one experiment, test subjects were asked to judge people after being handed a hot or a cold drink. They all made warm evaluations when their fingertips perceived warmth rather than coolness. And it works the other way too. In another study, subjects’ fingertip temperatures were measured after being “included” in or “rejected” from a group task. Those who were included felt physically warmer.

For further proof, we can look at the metaphors(比喻)that we use without even thinking. A kind and sympathetic person is frequently referred to as one with a soft heart and someone who is very strong and calm in difficult situations is often described as solid as a rock. And this kind of metaphorical use is common across languages.

Now that you have the knowledge of mind-body interaction, why not use it? If you’re having a bad day, a warm cup of tea will give you a flash of pleasure. If you know you’re physically cold, warm up before making any interpersonal decisions.

1. According to the author, what is the significance of EC?

A．It brings us closer to the truth in human cognition.

B．It offers a clearer picture of the shape of human brain.

C．It reveals the major role of the mind in human cognition.

D．It facilitates our understanding of the origin of psychology.

2. Where does the newborns’ understanding of their surroundings start from?

A．Their personal looks.	B．Their mental needs.
C．Their inner emotions.	D．Their physical feelings.

3. What does the author intend to prove by citing the metaphors in Paragraph 4?

A．Human speech is alive with metaphors.

B．Human senses have effects on thinking.

C．Human language is shaped by visual images.

D．Human emotions are often compared to natural materials.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the last paragraph?

A．To deepen the readers’ understanding of EC.

B．To encourage the reader to put EC into practice.

C．To guide the reader onto the path to career success.

D．To share with the reader ways to release their emotions.

10 . Are You a Moring Person?

Mornings are not for everyone. Knowing that our own bodies may be wired to prefer a certain time of day is certainly a relief. But many of us still have to wake up and function during those first daylight hours. So what can you do?

We tapped a variety of experts - from sleep experts to nutritionists to life organizational pros (生活管理达人) — to share their tricks on how to make morning less stressful and more pleasant for even the most after-hours of night owls.

1. Night waking

Poor sleep quality can explain why we sometimes wake up from eight hours of snoozing and feel like we only clocked in at four. “It’s normal to have one or two awakenings, but more than that leaves us feeling groggy (昏昏沉沉) in the morning because of the fragmented sleep,” explains Shelby Harris, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at Montefiore Medical Center.

2. The Science of snoozing

The snooze button does more harm than good. Nodding off again sends you into a light and fragmented sleep! Multiple snoozes can leave you feeling groggier than just getting out of bed the first time. Instead, be honest about the time you intend to get up and then enjoy every last minute of sleep, so you can wake up alert and ready to go.

3. Don’t ease into your workday

It can be tempting to plow through the easy things early on—checking e-mail, scanning the headlines—but it’s wise to tackle the bigger stuff first. “Getting to work on the most important tasks not only ups the chances that they actually get done, but it also leaves you with a burst of accomplishment to take with you the rest of the day,” says Jason Selk, coauthor of Organize Tomorrow Today.

4. Save social media for later

Schedule a social media block later in the afternoon to check in when you’re likely to need a break anyway, and save the morning for the important stuff.

1. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To help us to get the most out of our mornings.

B．To relieve us from the guilt of multiple snoozes in the morning.

C．To warn us of the harm of not getting out of bed immediately.

D．To inform us about the fact that our bodies are wired to prefer a certain time of day.

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

A．One or two awakenings ensure us a good night’s sleep.

B．To be an early bird, better forget about the snooze button.

C．It’s important not to block social medium if you want to save your morning.

D．Beginning a day with easy things aroused our interest and a sense of accomplishment.

3. Where can we find the passage?

A．Classified Advertisement	B．Travel Brochure
C．Life and Study	D．Scientific Journal