1 . My husband Dan and I were just finishing breakfast at a busy diner when a young soldier, his wife and their two school-aged children were seated at the table next to us. As they all sat down, the woman ________ her handbag and opened a small blue wallet.

“Eighteen,” she said softly to her husband after ________ counting out the bills inside. “And a few loose coins.” He nodded silently and then began ________ the menu, reading off food ________ to the children.

The kids ordered the silver-dollar pancakes while their parents requested scrambled eggs and sausage. “Can we get strawberries, too, puh-leeeeeeeze?” the kids asked with ________ . Mother and father exchanged a(n)________ look. “Sure,” the man spoke up. And the couple looked at the menus again, ________ their options. The soldier suggested they split something but his wife insisted she would just get toast. ________they spoke in hushed tones, we couldn’t help but overhear them in the ________ space.

Then we went to settle the bill at the ________, where Dan handed the cashier our check and asked if she could also add in a $25 restaurant ________ card.

“Sure,” the cashier responded. “Whose birthday?” Dan looked at her ________, a bit confused that she had immediately ________ this was a birthday gift.

“Oh, I just figured one of them was having a birthday today,” the cashier________, “because you’re the third person in the last few minutes who bought a gift card to send to that ________ table.”

1.

A．took out

B．dipped into

C．searched for

D．showed off

2.

A．excitedly

B．hurriedly

C．carefully

D．slowly

3.

A．taking over

B．thinking over

C．turning over

D．going over

4.

A．prices

B．selections

C．ingredients

D．recipes

5.

A．anxiety

B．curiosity

C．eagerness

D．embarrassment

6.

A．uneasy

B．distant

C．confused

D．annoyed

7.

A．removing

B．exchanging

C．adding

D．weighing

8.

A．Since

B．Though

C．Once

D．Unless

9.

A．secret

B．quiet

C．crowded

D．luxurious

10.

A．kitchen

B．register

C．door

D．bathroom

11.

A．consumer

B．discount

C．membership

D．gift

12.

A．blankly

B．fondly

C．directly

D．admiringly

13.

A．announced

B．admitted

C．noticed

D．assumed

14.

A．reported

B．explained

C．evaluated

D．suggested

15.

A．unique

B．exact

C．same

D．right

2 . Right now, summers are getting hotter, winters colder and the polar ice is melting at an alarming rate. Extreme weather events and natural disasters frequently occur. The climate time-bomb is ticking. Strict measures must be taken to tackle the problem.

It reminds me of how the lives we live seem to follow roughly in the way put forward years earlier by the writers of science-fiction. I guess it’s “life imitating art”. When I was young there were stories about rockets going into space and even going to the moon, although there had never been a rocket into space at that time. Years later, Russia launched Sputnik, the first man-made object to go into earth orbit and later the US landed people and even a car on the moon.

When I was growing up there were also science-fiction stories about governments looking for solutions when the world’s natural resources were being over-extended, such as they are in the case of climate change. The solution in the stories was to assume that the cause of the problem was over-population and the solution, therefore, was to limit the number of people. Various plans were put forward for doing that, from limiting the birth rate to killing off anyone over a certain age. That age, if I remember correctly, was usually about 60 and when you reached that you were supposed to turn yourself over to a government facility where you would be put to death.

Still, a look at the old science-fiction stories provides an interesting and somewhat chilling approach to what is acknowledged to be a very serious and worsening world-wide problem. There is general agreement that urgent action is needed to stop us from literally making our world unfit to live on. The answers, at least so far, concentrate on managing those resources and the ways in which we use them. However, I wonder if the day will come when life will imitate the art of the old science-fiction stories and someone will propose limiting the number of people on the planet as a way of making it more suitable for those who are left. It’s a grave thing to predict.

1. What does the author say about climate problems?

A．The problems can be tackled in a scientific way.

B．The problems are in urgent need of being resolved.

C．The explosion of extreme climates is under control.

D．The loss of natural resources leads to climate changes.

2. How does the author clarify the concept of “life imitating art”?

A．By giving examples.	B．By using quotes.
C．By giving definitions.	D．By making contrast.

3. What possible solution to climate problems concerns the author?

A．Removing overpopulated species.	B．Getting rid of seniors.
C．Over-extending natural resources.	D．Moving onto the moon.

4. What’s the author’s tone in the passage?

A．Calm.

B．Serious.

C．Frustrated.

D．Matter-of-fact.

3 . Do you know the next space explorer or climate change hero? Got an idea that will transform people’s lives? Inspire inquisitive minds to think big, challenge facts, ask questions and invent solutions with the UK’s top annual science and engineering competition. The Big Bang Competition is open and will close for entries on 27 March 2024.

How to enter

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition is free, and is open to young people in the UK aged 11 to 18 in state-funded secondary education, who are home educated or who enter as part of a community group.

Competitors can only enter one project into The Competition, either as an individual or as part of a team. Project entries for The Competition can cover any topic in the field of STEM and competitors can find inspiration in The Big Bang Project Gallery online, which is home to past projects, with topics ranging from improving well-being to creating sustainable solutions. Entry into The Competition is through the online heat only.

Key dates
Online entry opens: October
Online entry closes: 5 pm on Wednesday 27 March
Finalists announced: Thursday 25 April
Special Awards judging(virtual): Tuesday 7 May to Wednesday 15 May
VIP Judging(virtual): Wednesday 8 May to Thursday 9 May
Prizes

The Big Bang Competition offers a fantastic opportunity for young people to win amazing prizes in recognition for their hard work. Prizes range from generous cash prizes to prestigious(有声望的) titles, and may change a bit from year to year.

1. What’s the purpose of The Big Bang Competition?

A．To appeal to young people to explore space.

B．To call on young people to win amazing prizes.

C．To fuel young people’s creativity for better lives.

D．To transform young people’s lives with inventions.

2. What can we learn about the competitors?

A．Participants should submit entries by 15 May.

B．Multiple projects are allowed for each participant.

C．Competitors should focus on sustainable solutions.

D．Winners will receive grand awards for their efforts.

3. Which section of a website is the text probably taken from?

A．Culture and society.	B．Science and technology.
C．Nature and environment.	D．Sports and entertainment.

5 . Artemisia Gentileschi (1593—1653)

As the daughter of a painter, Artemisia Gentileschi was afforded access to the art world at a young age. Early on, she was in her father’s workshop mixing paints and he supported her career when he noticed that she was gifted. As a famous painter of the Italian Baroque period, Artemisia Gentileschi did not let her gender hold her back from her subject matter. She painted Biblical and mythological (神话的) paintings, just like male painters.

Angelica Kauffman (1741—1807)

Born in Switzerland, Angelica Kauffman was the daughter of the artist Johann Joseph Kauffman. She received artistic training while acting as her father’s assistant from a very young age and copying the works of old masters as they traveled for commissions (委托). As a young woman, she also trained in Italy, where her historical paintings and portraits were well received.

Rosa Bonheur (1822—1899)

Like many female artists at the time, Rosa Bonheur’s father was a painter. The French Realist painter is considered one of the most famous female artists of the 19th century, known for her large-format paintings that featured animals. She showed her works regularly at the famous Paris salon and found success abroad in both the United States and Britain.

Berthe Morisot (1841—1895)

Considered one of the great female Impressionists, Berthe Morisot had art running through her veins. Born into a noble French family, she was the great-niece of celebrated Rococo painter Jean-Honore Fragonard. Her art often focused on family scenes, and she preferred working with pastels (粉彩), watercolor, and charcoal (木炭).

1. What artistic style do Artemisia Gentileschi’s paintings belong to?

A．Rococo.

B．Baroque.

C．Realism.

D．Impressionism.

2. Who is famous for painting animals?

A．Artemisia Gentileschi.	B．Angelica Kauffman.
C．Rosa Bonheur.	D．Berthe Morisot.

3. What do these four female painters have in common?

A．They all learned painting from their fathers.

B．They all loved copying classic paintings.

C．They were all born into a noble family.

D．They all grew up in an artistic environment.

9 . I have struggled with feelings of unworthiness since forever. My most painful moments were at parties. My friends made fun of me because I was rhythmically (有节奏地)__________ and I couldn’t get my__________ body to imitate the latest dance moves. I was never chosen to dance. I felt like I didn’t__________.

Around age 12, I decided that the way to__________ these feelings of unworthiness was perfection. If I was just perfect then I would fit in. But this strategy didn’t__________.My self-esteem (自尊心) was high when I got good grades and felt__________, but crashed when I didn’t do well__________, or was left out.

After several years of spiritual growth, it__________ me that for many of us, self-worth is tied to our__________. We experience low self-worth__________ we fail or lose approval. So I have begun to cultivate an unconditional self-worth. It’s not about doing things perfectly.__________, “Unconditional self-worth” is the______ that you deserve to be alive, to be loved and cared for.

The__________ to unconditional self-worth is not always easy. It takes courage to free yourself from the __________ you’ve placed on your worth. But this journey is beautiful and worth taking. So I challenge you to embrace yourselves and find your metaphorical (隐喻的) __________ floor and move freely.

1.

A．adjusted

B．bothered

C．challenged

D．compromised

2.

A．twisted

B．annoyed

C．limited

D．awkward

3.

A．belong

B．appeal

C．match

D．deserve

4.

A．solve

B．cure

C．release

D．arouse

5.

A．sustain

B．work

C．hatch

D．dismiss

6.

A．included

B．excluded

C．inspired

D．appreciated

7.

A．internally

B．academically

C．professionally

D．contemporarily

8.

A．occurs to

B．happens to

C．calls on

D．knocks on

9.

A．desires

B．strengths

C．accomplishments

D．harmony

10.

A．as well as

B．as soon as

C．as much as

D．as far as

11.

A．Still

B．However

C．Meanwhile

D．Rather

12.

A．definition

B．resolution

C．sense

D．pose

13.

A．discovery

B．access

C．journey

D．experience

14.

A．emphasis

B．burden

C．demand

D．conditions

15.

A．valley

B．forest

C．dance

D．balcony

10 . We’ve all had them: “It’s been one of those days” days. It starts out ________, moves to worse and then gets horrible.   That’s what I was having. As the day wore on, I started ________ dinner. Midway through the recipe, I ________ I was out of salt. I jumped into my car, and ________ to a neighborhood grocery store. Along with the salt, I ________ a few extra things and headed for the checkout stand. At the register, I wrote the ________ for the required $12 51, and the clerk ________ my items.

Then I noticed the salt ________ in the shopping cart. I handed it to the cashier. She ________, “Why not just pay for it with cash? It’s only 35 cents.” I _______ I’d run out of the house with only a single check and my driver’s license. Then the cashier ________ a dollar bill from her pocket and rang up the salt. Then she ________ I take the change! She explained she always kept a few singles in her pocket for such emergencies. That ________ gesture turned my entire day from ______ to smiles. It’s little things like what she did for me that day that truly make this a brighter world, and I’ll always remember her ________.

1.

A．bad

B．early

C．new

D．gradual

2.

A．serving

B．preparing

C．enjoying

D．displaying

3.

A．realized

B．acknowledged

C．inferred

D．pretended

4.

A．walked

B．ran

C．drove

D．cycled

5.

A．handed in

B．picked up

C．put down

D．went through

6.

A．recipe

B．salt

C．cash

D．check

7.

A．bagged

B．estimated

C．obtained

D．purchased

8.

A．even

B．again

C．still

D．also

9.

A．argued

B．assumed

C．suggested

D．blamed

10.

A．complained

B．explained

C．suspected

D．found

11.

A．pulled

B．evaluated

C．spotted

D．switched

12.

A．persuaded

B．recommended

C．commanded

D．insisted

13.

A．unique

B．abnormal

C．identical

D．kind

14.

A．bows

B．frowns

C．shouts

D．nods

15.

A．incident

B．promise

C．example

D．emergency