1 . When I was in third grade, my family and I took on an unforgettable trip across the country. It turned out to be more than just a/an
One day, while hiking through the Grand Canyon, I
As Dad showed me footholds, Mom coached me with calming
From then on, every evening, we’d gather around a campfire for what we
The trip taught me that the true meaning of travel isn’t merely about reaching the destination but about the personal growth that happens on the route, and the family bonds formed when facing
| A．crowded | B．physical | C．creative | D．necessary |
| A．relationships | B．potentials | C．dreams | D．inspirations |
| A．guided | B．encouraged | C．comforted | D．attracted |
| A．events | B．stations | C．locations | D．shows |
| A．cultures | B．landscapes | C．groups | D．countries |
| A．imagined | B．constructed | C．smoothed | D．encountered |
| A．froze | B．flew | C．fell | D．forgot |
| A．reached down | B．stood aside | C．stepped in | D．turned back |
| A．words | B．worries | C．noises | D．thoughts |
| A．lost | B．maintained | C．demonstrate | D．restored |
| A．left | B．broke | C．found | D．dug |
| A．nicer | B．tougher | C．braver | D．closer |
| A．originally | B．affectionately | C．frequently | D．simply |
| A．sympathy | B．conflict | C．tears | D．profits |
| A．challenges | B．defeats | C．opposition | D．uncertainty |
2 . A few months ago, a friend gifted me a robot sweeper that’s programmed to move around a room and clean as it goes.
When the box arrived, I was afraid the device would detect me and suck up (汲取) data along with the dog hair and dust. But the instructions were easy, and I finally decided not to care.
I powered up the sweeper, watched it leave its docking station to work, and quickly fell in love with my newly shiny floors. I kept shooting its working videos. “I think you’re giving more attention to it than to us,” joked my son.
One day, I returned home and discovered that our front door had blown open and the robot rolled into the yard, trying to clean the flower beds. Even when its brushes were blocked with leaves, bugs and mud, its little wheels bravely kept turning.
The robot acted properly as it was programmed to clean “dirty” things. In a kitchen, dirt can be garden debris (碎片) such as leaves and mud. In a garden, this kind of dirt does not need to be removed. The context is important. The problem for robots is that reading this context is difficult.
This accident inspired me to think more about AI (artificial intelligence). As far as I am concerned, AI is simply well trained and reproduces what it has learned. And it is undeniable that robots are increasingly being given powerful intelligence. Some experts even predict that we will soon see not only AI-enabled robots designed to solve problems according to their instructions, but also those with the ability to judge how they should respond when they are in a different setting.
Maybe this will happen in the near future.
1. What was the author’s concern about the robot sweeper at first?| A．Its after-sales service. | B．Its working efficiency. |
| C．The privacy of her family. | D．The readability of its instructions. |
| A．Enthusiastic. | B．Regretful. | C．Uncertain. | D．Cautious. |
| A．Its program went wrong. | B．It lacked critical thinking. |
| C．Its wheels were badly designed. | D．It failed to work on rough surfaces. |
| A．The accident. | B．Some experts’ thinking. |
| C．Its appeal to the author. | D．The author’s opinion. |
3 . Even now, I have vivid memories of my last day of high school. In my mind’s eye, I’m cleaning out my locker, and then staring at the emptiness for a few extra beats before slamming it shut for the last time. I’m roaming the halls with my best friend, blissfully ignoring the bells going off every 50 minutes on schedule because, just today, we’re allowed to break the rules. I’m sitting on my desk, swinging my feet, and shooting the breeze (闲聊) with my English teacher, Mr. Carr, in a way that makes me feel almost grown up.
It was maybe my favorite day of the whole year. Like the final layer of watercolor, the freedom and lightness I feel seeps (渗透) into the rest of my memories of that day and turns them just a shade rosier.
If the school year hasn’t yet ended for you, consider what you can do to make the finale count. Why? Because when it comes to human memory, not all moments are created equal. Instead, our remembered experiences are disproportionately (不成比例地) influenced by peaks(the best moments as well as the worst)and endings (the last moments). Nobel Prize winner Danny Kahneman, who discovered this phenomenon, called this the peak-end rule. It suggests that our judgment of a past experience is largely based on its most extreme point and its endpoint.
I took advantage of the peak-end rule years ago, when my girls were young enough to want a bedtime story each night. I remember thinking that whatever strife (冲突) and stress had occurred that day, I could make the last moments count. I could end on a note of calm and act like the patient mom I hadn’t quite managed to be just hours before.
Don’t mistake all moments as equal in significance. There’s a reason why yoga classes end with savasana (挺卧式). There’s a reason we eat dessert last. Do orchestrate (精心安排) endings. As Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll might say: Finish strong. Last impressions are especially lasting.
1. What does the underlined word in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Calmly. | B．Surprisingly. |
| C．Happily. | D．Curiously. |
| A．Peaks in life can be remembered better than endings. |
| B．The last moments matter the most in our memories. |
| C．Our judgment of the past is determined by first impressions. |
| D．The peaks and ends of experiences are easier to remember. |
| A．How the author applied the rule to daily life. |
| B．How the author treated her daughters. |
| C．What struggles the author had in life. |
| D．Why the author read stories to her kids. |
| A．To prove the peak-end rule can be used in sports. |
| B．To encourage readers to value the last moments of an experience. |
| C．To explain why last impressions are lasting. |
| D．To show the importance of doing sports. |
4 . Growing up, I lived in delicious expectation of each September. After the lazy post -exam days of summer, it was a time to start anew: to do up my top button and get back into work mode. There was something quite exciting
And, with the
While those years may long be over, the distinctive rhythm of the school year
It is the same with fashion industry. September brings with it a new
The autumn/winter collections provide the perfect opportunity to
| A．thinking about | B．coming across | C．getting through | D．taking in |
| A．study | B．return | C．start | D．plan |
| A．casually | B．completely | C．seriously | D．simply |
| A．overlooked | B．considered | C．changed | D．abandoned |
| A．compare | B．pretend | C．trade | D．match |
| A．matter | B．sense | C．series | D．period |
| A．back | B．out | C．forward | D．down |
| A．stops | B．remains | C．pauses | D．extends |
| A．copied | B．decorated | C．mistaken | D．established |
| A．preparation | B．determination | C．relaxation | D．imagination |
| A．ripe | B．worried | C．good | D．eager |
| A．picture | B．challenge | C．direction | D．season |
| A．occupying | B．loading | C．hitting | D．ruining |
| A．design | B．display | C．competition | D．sale |
| A．collections | B．ambition | C．tasks | D．devotion |
| A．magazine | B．suit | C．work | D．product |
| A．promises | B．includes | C．intends | D．adds |
| A．schedule | B．activity | C．term | D．part |
| A．cover | B．involve | C．explain | D．present |
| A．tool | B．method | C．duty | D．inspiration |
5 . Producing genuine tears on demand is one of the hardest parts of my job as an actress. Acting teachers will tell you that in order to cry on screen you need to summon up something personal—a fear, an inner secret, a sad experience—that taps into your deepest emotions.
This may sound strange, but the inner secret I use when I need to cry during a movie scene is the image of an elephant. It’s an image that haunts me, an image that will remain in my heart and mind for as long as I live.
Two years ago I visited Samburu National Reserve, a wildlife park in Kenya. There, on a guided walk through the bush, I saw my first dead elephant. Poachers had hunted down this magnificent animal before piercing her tough hide (兽皮) with poisoned spears. As if she already knew her fate, the elephant had walked through the bush, the toxins (毒素) coursing through her veins, until she found a quiet place to lie down. When I saw her, her body was lying in the dusty red soil. That moment, the sight of the dead mother and her mutilated (残缺的) body lying under the shade of the tree, changed something inside me. I remember crying for her as I thought about the cruelty and senselessness that had led to her death.
That’s why I’m supporting a new United Nations campaign against the illegal trade in wildlife, which is pushing many species—not just elephants—to the edge of extinction in every corner of the world. Under the banner “Wild for Life”, this campaign serves to raise awareness about the illegal trade in wildlife and encourage everyone to take action against these crimes. The time for tears is over. The time for action is upon us.
1. Why does the author mention producing genuine tears on demand in the first paragraph?| A．To emphasize it is hard to produce genuine tears on demand. |
| B．To indicate the importance of genuine tears to a successful film. |
| C．To introduce the topic. |
| D．To prove a point. |
| A．The elephant mother lied under a tree and died naturally. |
| B．The elephant was shot with poisoned spears by poachers and died. |
| C．The elephant already knew some poachers would kill her. |
| D．The elephant escaped to a safe place successfully. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Anxious. | C．Sorrowful. | D．Cautious. |
| A．To raise awareness about the illegal trade in wildlife and encourage people to take action. |
| B．To help protect extinct wildlife species. |
| C．To criticize the illegal hunting and trade. |
| D．To stop the illegal trade such as ivory happening entirely. |
6 . Every holiday season, I get nostalgic (怀旧的) and take a trip down Christmas tree lane. I think about how hard my mom worked to make the holidays special. I remember how she said and proudly displayed all of the gifts she received from us. She acted as if her plastic beaded bracelet (手镯) was made of priceless stones. Year after year, whatever we gave her, she would treasure the gifts as though she was the luckiest woman on earth.
Through the years, friends come and go, but my mom is a constant, my true best friend and biggest fan. She’s by my side not only for the good moments cheering me on with pride, but holding my hand and letting me use her shoulder to cry on through the bad. She refuses to give up on me even when I want to. She is always there to encourage me in the midst of life’s challenges and eager to celebrate life’s joys.
So as much as the salt dough ornament (装饰品) pleased her, which is in a noticeable place on her tree every year, I’ve increased its amount now to surprise her at Christmas. I ask myself. What hasn’t she done before? What is something that she would like, but would never, in a million years, buy herself?
Gifts mom will treasure. So for the one who knows you best and still loves you, find a great gift that will show how much you really care and value her support. Select a thoughtful gift based on what brings her the greatest enjoyment.
However, the best gifts, I suppose, cannot be wrapped. Set aside time to spend alone with mom. It can simply be a day together doing what she enjoys most or plan a weekend getaway to a place she has always wanted to see. It will mean more to her than you may ever know. Together you will create lasting memories she will treasure for the rest of her life.
What are your most memorable moments with your mom? For your mom, what would you value most in the holiday season?
1. Why does the author regard her mother as her best friend?| A．Because they share the same interest in Christmas decorations. |
| B．Because she always receives encouragement from her mother. |
| C．Because her mother gives her a big surprise at every Christmas. |
| D．Because they are pleased with whatever gifts they give each other. |
| A．The author’s mother never gets something for nothing. |
| B．The author’s mother has always been giving rather than taking. |
| C．The author feels ashamed of having kept her mother working too hard. |
| D．The author bitterly regrets having cared little for her mother in the past. |
| A．Lasting memories. | B．Long holiday seasons. |
| C．Time with their children. | D．Things moms never buy in person. |
| A．Gifts Your Mom Will Treasure |
| B．How to Make Holidays Special |
| C．Memorable Moments with Your Mom |
| D．Mom-A Strong Supporter and the Best Friend |
7 . “I WANT A MOUSE!” said my grandma. She was 80 years old and sounded quite determined. She was a very enthusiastic reader. In her later years, she had to deal with the language of the digital age. I can only imagine her bitterness at constantly meeting the sentence, “Find more information at the click of a mouse.” And so now you understand why my grandma wanted a mouse.
According to the WHO, the number of people over 60 years will nearly double between 2015 and 2050. We live in glorious times of fast-changing technology. It seems as if we have a million passwords to remember, and a lot of settings to navigate. People who lose some memory ability as they grow older may be disadvantaged. Digital citizenship is a real skill. Mobile apps are like an appendage (附属品) to everything we do. Even our basic needs can be met at the click of a button. This is a real struggle for old folks who did not grow up glued to their screens!
I am sure grandma would say, “At the click of a button, I wish to call, read and watch — without having to spend so much time navigating.” Phone manufacturers and mobile app developers, of course, should take note. It will be of great help to the older people if the settings are more self-explanatory, with few fancy technical terms that require a separate dictionary to understand.
My grandma’s trouble might bring back some memories for you. Remember when you had your grandparents take you on a long winding walk, stopping at every flower, butterfly or an ant under a rock, and patiently listening to your countless questions along the way. They gave you the gift of their patience and time in your curious, exploratory childhood. Now it might be time for you to give them the gift of a little time and patience in return as they click and navigate to where they want to go in a digital world. It’s the old folks’ turn to ask the questions.
1. Why does the author’s grandma want a mouse?| A．To confirm information. | B．To reduce her boredom. |
| C．To follow the fashion. | D．To meet her practical needs. |
| A．curious and passionate | B．ashamed and regretful |
| C．annoyed but eager | D．impatient but satisfied |
| A．We should not forget our grandma’s upbringing. |
| B．It’s high time that we should repay our grandma. |
| C．Our grandma is in desperate need of health care. |
| D．We had a happy childhood even without a mouse. |
| A．A digital return gift of time | B．A great need in digital age |
| C．My grandma’s embarrassment | D．My digitally diligent grandma |
8 . One Saturday last November, I stepped into my local library. I was about to read a book when I heard an elderly man speak to a lady. “This library will soon become a café. Everyone is reading with electronic devices,” he said. Hearing this, I wanted to shout, “I still read library books!” But my words stuck in my throat and I found teenagers around me were talking to friends or staring at their phones.
Reading online feels robotic to me. It’s like I stare at a screen and click “next” for the following page to appear until the very end of the e-book, and at the end of all of that, I just think, “That’s it?” But when I read a printed book, it’s like I’m holding on to the characters. I can imagine the plot better, as I can picture the scenes of each moment in my head with more accuracy and imagination.
Besides, some online books miss components (组成部分) that are in the printed novels. For instance, the physical copy of a fantasy novel I have read contains a map, but the e-book version does not. That is an injustice to e-book users; after reading and understanding the map, the story made a lot more sense for me, in terms of the setting and plot.
And personally, physically turning to the next page is better than clicking “next”. When reading online, I sometimes worry that I click “next” too quickly. It feels more like a race; I want to finish it because the pages just keep making that “flipping” sound and I wonder how long the book really is.
Some printed books have a special smell that makes the novel feel special to me. It’s hard to describe but I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks so. I know I cannot convince every teen to switch from the digital book to the printed one, but maybe my writing about the difference will at least get some of them to think about it.
1. Why will the library be replaced by a café?| A．Few people head for it. | B．It lacks good management. |
| C．Few people read its books. | D．It holds little attraction for the youth. |
| A．They include additional contents. |
| B．They leave a lively impression. |
| C．They have a special pleasant smell. |
| D．They can improve readers’ imagination. |
| A．Making her tired of reading. | B．Leading her to read aimlessly. |
| C．Bringing more fun to her. | D．Stopping her digging into reading. |
| A．To inspire teenagers’ interest in reading. |
| B．To show advantages of printed books. |
| C．To reduce the impact of electronic devices. |
| D．To encourage teens to change the reading medium. |
9 . I was working in my upstairs study when the doorbell rang. I
I quickly opened the door, afraid they might leave, only to be
I made my contribution — politely but with little
Firstly, I wasn’t even
Now I know I made a
| A．carefully | B．slowly | C．eagerly | D．quietly |
| A．trick | B．package | C．emergency | D．investigation |
| A．annoying | B．ridiculous | C．pleasant | D．convenient |
| A．like | B．share | C．return | D．expect |
| A．greeted | B．thanked | C．caught | D．blamed |
| A．interested | B．disappointed | C．embarrassed | D．frightened |
| A．sight | B．thought | C．manner | D．work |
| A．mess | B．panic | C．conflict | D．rush |
| A．force | B．enthusiasm | C．consciousness | D．hesitation |
| A．ashamed | B．bored | C．skeptical | D．helpless |
| A．need | B．danger | C．power | D．fashion |
| A．clear | B．ambiguous | C．positive | D．cautious |
| A．sorry | B．concerned | C．happy | D．sure |
| A．raised | B．lowered | C．deserved | D．indicated |
| A．received | B．enjoyed | C．forgotten | D．bought |
| A．excused | B．protected | C．saved | D．distanced |
| A．relax | B．give | C．improve | D．learn |
| A．friend | B．difference | C．promise | D．mistake |
| A．self-awareness | B．self-confidence | C．self-dependence | D．self-sacrifice |
| A．rely on | B．pass on | C．make out | D．send up |
10 . I came across an image recently of a distance runner with a message that told readers to persevere (坚持) at all costs. It reminded me of a conversation I had. My colleague’s teaching assistant was asking for my advice. He wanted to know when to quit something. He described how he’d been playing an online game with people for some time. It hadn’t been very fun lately, but there was always that small chance of a reward (upgraded equipment, etc).
I inquired further about his relationship with the players and his gains from the game. I then discussed the sunk cost dilemma, a concept I studied in advanced school due to its personal impact. In high school, I applied to five universities, planning to choose the cheapest one. SUU offered the best scholarship, and after paying a $100 commitment fee, I heard back from another school with an even better scholarship. Despite the new offer, I stayed committed to SUU, believing that switching schools, even if it meant acknowledging the “wasted” $ 100, would have been the wiser financial choice.
A rational (理性的) decision maker is not ruled by past investments, but weighs future outcomes. I didn’t focus on future outcomes when weighing colleges. I focused on the money I sunk into SUU. Rather than evaluating future career options, I focused on the fact that I’d already taken elementary education courses.
I’m not the only one that’s fallen prey to this. I wear clothes I dislike simply because I spent money on them (and that money won’t come back). Unhealthy relationships last because of the invested time (leading to more unhappy years). However, time, effort, or money that you’ve invested doesn’t mean you should continue. Society often stresses perseverance — never quit, never give up, don’t waste. However, only you know your right path. Walking away can be the toughest choice. You might realize a path you’re on is no longer the right one or never was.
1. Why does the author introduce a distance runner’s image at first?| A．To make a contrast. | B．To give a definition. |
| C．To draw a conclusion. | D．To illustrate a theory. |
| A．Following suit as most people. | B．Taking elementary education. |
| C．Valuing the development in future. | D．Overlooking past investments. |
| A．Get benefits from. | B．Be harmed by. | C．Be interested in. | D．Get rid of. |
| A．Perseverance is a virtue | B．The chosen path is the toughest |
| C．Cut your losses for your winners | D．Walking away means losing all |
