2 . Mid-Autumn Festival, a typical agricultural harvest and get-together festival, falls on lunar August 15. I disliked it not because it’s _________ commercialised but because I’m an orphan (孤儿). However, a(n) _________ changed my view.

Last year, finding I had little in common with my classmates, I felt _________. With Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, my class   _________ to hold a Mid-Autumn Festival Party. After all, this was a _________ occasion for them. On that day, we dressed up in beautiful costume, setting off to the _________ together. To be frank, seeing the classroom _________ fancy lanterns, everyone seemed happy except me. After having mooncakes and some snacks, many activities, ranging from singing to solving riddles, went off. Everyone _________ when someone gave a great performance.

Later, in spite of my unwillingness, I was still invited to _________ my group in the wrestling match. Unbelievably, I won. Given __________, I was wild with joy. I was grateful to the __________, taking advantage of this chance to express my __________ to them. From then on, I began to make friends with others. As time marched on, I had more faith in myself.

In brief, I __________ Mid-Autumn Festival now. I __________ always on the joyful moments and merry atmosphere of that night, believing that life’s __________.

1.

A．gradually

B．briefly

C．possibly

D．originally

2.

A．contest

B．atmosphere

C．lecture

D．experience

3.

A．unique

B．lonely

C．weak

D．frightened

4.

A．decided

B．remembered

C．learned

D．promised

5.

A．formal

B．suitable

C．creative

D．significant

6.

A．gym

B．hotel

C．restaurant

D．classroom

7.

A．mixed with

B．decorated with

C．related to

D．compared to

8.

A．benefited

B．hugged

C．clapped

D．followed

9.

A．represent

B．greet

C．find

D．encourage

10.

A．messages

B．suggestions

C．orders

D．congratulations

11.

A．teachers

B．parents

C．organizers

D．customers

12.

A．concern

B．respect

C．apology

D．secret

13.

A．document

B．popularize

C．enjoy

D．defend

14.

A．comment

B．reflect

C．live

D．depend

15.

A．beautiful

B．easy

C．generous

D．fresh

3 . When I was 13, I climbed my first mountain — a fairly gentle 3,900-foot peak. I was overweight at the time and out of breath when I reached the summit. But I loved challenging myself. Soon I’d climbed nearly 100 peaks. My parents were happy that I finally found a hobby.

I often go climbing with my friend Mel Olsen. She and I drove to tackle 11,240-foot Mount Hood. It’s safer to start winter climbs at night when there’s less risk of the sun melting the snowpack. That day, we started at 3 am. At around 9 am, we reached an ice step. It was about three or four feet tall and sloped at a 75-degree angle. I volunteered to go first. I placed my left foot on the ice step.

I gained a sense of the ice when I stuck my ax and crampons (鞋底钉) into it, and it felt good. Confident I was safe, I put my full weight on it. Suddenly, I heard a crack, and as the snowpack became thinner, a whole piece of ice broke off the step, right under my foot.

In an instant, I fell backward, bouncing off the rock face and rolling down the mountain as if I were a character in a video game. I remember thinking: This is it. You’re done. I stuck out my arms and legs, grabbing at anything. That stopped my rolling down the mountain, but I was still sliding. After a few seconds, I came to a stop on a shallow slope.

I asked myself: Where are you? Mount Hood. What’s the date? December 30. Good. My brain was functioning. Then I checked my body to see where I was hurt. For the most part, I was fine, except that I was suffering from a sharp pain in my left leg. Later I’d learn that I’d broken my femur (大腿骨) and that the bone was slicing into my skin and muscle.

At the bottom of Mount Hood, I was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital. The doctors told me it would be a year before I could climb again, but I was back on the trails within six months.

1. Why did the author and her friend set out at 3 am?

A．It was the best time to enjoy scenery.	B．It was more challenging to climb at night.
C．They hoped to avoid some possible dangers.	D．They wanted to finish the climb before sunset.

2. Why is “a character in a video game” mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．To show her strong character.	B．To make her idea more convincing.
C．To help readers imagine the scene.	D．To add to the humor of the description.

3. How did the author make sure she could still think clearly?

A．By recalling what had happened.	B．By checking whether she was injured.
C．By calling an ambulance for rescue.	D．By asking herself some factual questions.

4. What can we learn about the author?

A．She is too brave to pay attention to any danger.

B．Adversities can’t stop her from challenging herself.

C．The love for nature sets her apart from her friend.

D．She has a strong desire for professional knowledge.

4 . During Yang Zhongkai’s early years, a 500-year-old majestic ginkgo tree that did not sprout leaves for two to three years at a stretch used to be a daily sight for him on his way to and from high school. Since villagers widely regarded the tree as having the power to make their wishes come true, they used to kneel down in front of the “lucky” tree and burn offerings under it, which led to prolonged heat exposure at its roots, stunting its growth.

“Millions of such old trees are in urgent need of protection given their importance as vital biological resources and symbols of ecological civilization,” said Yang, who started the team — Zhiyue — dedicated to protecting ancient trees.“But the recording and management of ancient and famous trees nationwide commonly rely on Excel spreadsheets (电子表格), which present issues such as information silos, lack of real-time updates and incomplete content,” he said.

However, things have changed of late. Yang and his team now use the artificial intelligence technology developed by Tencent Cloud to identify and register trees accurately based on individual traits and GPS tracking. “With the acceleration of a new generation of technological revolution and industrial transformation, new technologies bring more excitement to the protection of ancient trees.” Yang said. “We can now collect data on the trees’ growth, health and environment in real time, which helps us make informed decisions on how to better protect them.”

“In addition to applying cutting-edge technologies such as AI and large models to assist in the development of traditional industries, the company also makes great efforts to promote the development of charitable causes through technological and platform advantages, “Wu Yunsheng said, vice-president of Tencent Cloud, adding that“the power of technology can change the world”.

1. What does the underlined word“stunting”in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Preventing.

B．Promoting.

C．Measuring.

D．Maintaining.

2. What problem did ancient trees face according to paragraph 2?

A．The lack of effective protection measures.

B．The risk of information loss and accuracy.

C．The destruction by local villagers.

D．The extreme heat from burning.

3. What do we know about Tencent Cloud's new technology?

A．It enables the collection of real-time data on trees'growth.

B．It is a valuable tool for people to protect the eco-system.

C．It has been widely used in the traditional industries.

D．It can quickly update the number of trees in China.

4. Which is probably the best title for the text?

A．Modern Technology Advances Charitable Causes

B．Ancient Tree Management is Vital for Biodiversity

C．Ancient Trees Hold Cultural Traditions

D．New Technology Helps Tree Protection

5 . Poetry is one of the important art forms of literature, and is an easy way to express your feelings. Moreover, everyone understands it in their own way. Some find relief in poems; some read them simply for peace; some read poems for simple artistic pleasure.

There are some special features of poetry, which make it quite different from other forms of literature. First of all, poems have rhythmic patterns. Generally most parts of a poem follow the same form of rhythm. Poems may have rhyme, but they don’t have to. The lines are neatly arranged together so that they express a particular feeling or emotion.

There can be various types of poems but according to the pattern or the form, there are mainly three types:

Lyrics (抒情诗) : The lyric mainly concentrates on human thoughts and emotions rather than a story. Lyrics always bear song-like appeal. These are mainly short poems. Popular lyric poem forms are the elegy (挽歌), the ode (颂歌) and the sonnet (十四行诗). William Shakespeare, Edmund Waller and Keats are some of the greatest lyric writers of all times.

Narrative poems: This type of poetry tells a story. Narrative poems are usually long poems. Epics (史诗) and ballads fall under this type. Some of the greatest epic poets are John Milton, Dante, Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Pope, William Shakespeare, etc.

Dramatic poems: Any drama that is written in verse is a dramatic poem. These poems generally tell a story. Black verse, dramatic monologues and closet drama belong to this type. William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson are some of the great dramatic poets.

Whatever the form is, one thing, which cannot be denied, is that poetry is one of the most powerful tools to express our feelings.

1. What can we know from the first paragraph?

A．Poetry is the most important art form.	B．People write poems for fun.
C．People read poems for different purposes.	D．Everyone can write poems.

2. Which of the following belongs to narrative poetry?

A．The elegy.	B．The dramatic monologues.
C．The epic.	D．The ode.

3. This passage is written mainly to ______.

A．tell us some simple facts about poetry	B．teach us how to write poems
C．give some advice on reading poems	D．make us interested in poems

7 . Yesterday was Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, my mother was not among the many happy mothers, as I couldn’t visit her this year. I made a _________ on the phone that I would go to see her as soon as possible.

My mother always says that kids don’t need to _________ a national day to say they love their mums. However, I remember one year I _________ calling her on that very day, and the next morning she rang up to complain about it.

If you _________ Thailand, you could hear the sentimental (伤感的) songs about mothers’ greatest love playing in public places a week before the holiday. Schools, especially, take this day very _________. Back in my teenage years, I _________ there was once a Mother’s Day singing competition and my friend represented the school. She was so emotional while singing the famous song on Mother’s Day _________ “Kah Nam Nom” that she almost didn’t finish the song.

However, her deep connection to the song helped her to _________ third prize. After the contest, I asked her why she was so _________ about the song. She told me that while she was singing, suddenly she had the __________ that one day her mother would no longer be with her and every word in the song became heartbreaking. Every time I hear this song, it’s not my mother who __________ to my mind but a picture of my friend crying with a microphone in her hand. The image __________ vivid today.

Last week, a colleague __________ an experience with me—every year on Mother’s Day, she has to attend a __________ ceremony at her daughter’s school. Every year the teachers invite mothers to the school for a big gathering in which students show __________ with flower garlands (花环).

1.

A．complaint

B．promise

C．response

D．belief

2.

A．long for

B．bring about

C．wait for

D．figure out

3.

A．missed

B．tried

C．regretted

D．avoided

4.

A．visit

B．select

C．leave

D．reflect

5.

A．strangely

B．carelessly

C．seriously

D．kindly

6.

A．remember

B．admit

C．doubt

D．wonder

7.

A．called

B．published

C．claimed

D．created

8.

A．assist

B．place

C．win

D．adopt

9.

A．curious

B．disappointed

C．worried

D．emotional

10.

A．duty

B．gift

C．idea

D．faith

11.

A．refers

B．comes

C．leads

D．heads

12.

A．develops

B．fades

C．remains

D．increases

13.

A．compared

B．shared

C．provided

D．filled

14.

A．common

B．special

C．serious

D．commercial

15.

A．respect

B．attention

C．satisfaction

D．manners

8 . There are many traditions around the world that are interesting and fun, but there are also those that are bizarre (奇异的) and even a little cruel.

In Sweden it’s common for parents to leave their babies outside to nap (小睡) even when the temperatures are below zero. Many people, including me, would find this custom risky and merciless, but many Swedes actually consider it good for their babies. They believe that by exposing their young ones to their country’s cold temperature they can help their babies to grow up healthily and protect them from diseases. They also believe doing so will help them sleep longer and better.

In Bali, Indonesia, babies are forbidden to touch the ground for three months. The reason is that during the baby’s first months its connection to the “spirit” is still unbroken and clean and letting it touch the ground would defile it. For three months, the baby is constantly held in someone’s arms — the father, mother, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and even neighbors. After 105days, a special ceremony called the Nyabutan is held where the baby touches Mother Earth for the first time.

In Guatemala, it’s common to see babies being bathed with cold water. Maya mothers commonly practise this bizarre custom with the belief that it’s beneficial to the baby’s health. Bathing their babies with cold water is also an effective means to remove heat rashes (痱子), and this custom helps babies sleep better.

Some Indians allow their babies to be thrown from temple roofs as high as 50 feet. This strange custom started 500 years ago and continues to this day, though there’s a movement to ban it for obvious reasons. However, Hindus believe that performing this custom brings good luck and health to their babies. Below the roof is a bed sheet that’s held lightly by several men. The baby lands safely on the sheet. The tradition’s practitioners and believers strongly prove that it’s safe, saying no babies have ever been injured.

1. What does the author think of the baby custom in Sweden?

A．Interesting and fun.	B．Unique and thoughtful.
C．Dangerous and a little cruel.	D．Beneficial and practical.

2. What does the underlined word “defile” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Make the best use of.	B．Achieve or realise completely.
C．Leave or break away from.	D．Make something dirty or no longer pure.

3. Why are babies bathed with cold water in Guatemala ?

A．To bring good luck and health to those babies.

B．To stop them from getting all kinds of illnesses.

C．To prevent them from feeling hot during summer.

D．To get rid of their heat rashes and contribute to sleep.

4. Why do some Indians ask the baby custom to be stopped?

A．They have no religious belief.

B．It is a new custom and many people hate it.

C．They think the custom leads to babies’ injuries.

D．Many babies have been seen injured in the past years.

10 . A simple project to help a family in need stopped Luke Mickelson in his tracks. In 2012, he and his family were inspired to build and donate a bunk bed, one bed on top of the other, after learning there were local children who slept on the floor. Shocked to discover how widespread this need was in his community, Mickelson founded Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that builds and delivers beds to children in need.

Born and raised in Idaho, Mickelson, now 41, had a successful career. He coached his kids’ sports teams and fished in the nearby river. But when he met children who were sleeping on the floor, his peaceful life changed course.

Using safety guidelines and his daughter’s bunk bed as a model, Mickelson started buying wood and supplies to build beds with his own money. He recruited friends and family members to help around the holidays. As the word spread, interest and involvement from his and other communities flooded—along with Mickelson’s bunk bed output. “That first project, we built 11 bunk beds in my garage,” he said. The next year, they did 15. Then it doubled every year. In 2017, they built 612 bunk beds.

With the motto “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town”, the nonprofit and its more than 65 branches have built and delivered more than 1,500 free beds to children across America. But along with the rapid growth, Mickelson was faced with a tough choice: advancing his career-or has nonprofit. He chose the latter and went from making “great money to zero money”. He’s never looked back. “I found that the need I have isn’t financial,” he said. “The need I have is seeing the joy on kids’ faces, knowing that I can make a difference.”

1. Why did Mickelson set up Sleep in Heavenly Peace?

A．To help the poor children.	B．To make a big fortune.
C．To inspire his community.	D．To get more donations

2. What do we know about Luke Mickelson?

A．He had his own fish farm.

B．He often changed his career.

C．He used to sleep on the floor as a kid.

D．He originally had a relaxing and pleasant life.

3. How did other people react to Mickelson’s project?

A．They showed little interest in it.

B．They were supportive and involved in it.

C．They were doubtful about the safety of the bunk bed.

D．They volunteered to buy beds with their own money.

4. What is Mickelson’s attitude to the nonprofit?

A．Uncertain.

B．Doubtful.

C．Cautions.

D．Positive.