1 . Magazines make great reading materials for kids. Libraries often have a large selection of periodicals (期刊) for every age group and reading level, and for many areas of interest. And some magazines may even have issues going back years and even decades! Below is a list of some of them!

Military Kids Life

It is about finding the bright side of life as a military kid! Inside each quarterly issue, your child will encounter inspiring stories, articles, and photographs! (8 to 16 years)

Faces

With articles, folk tales, and hands-on projects, Faces magazine takes young readers around the world for an honest and objective view of how children in other regions live. (9 to 14 years)

Make

Make magazine publishes tested projects, skill-building tutorials, in-depth reviews and inspirational stories, accessible by all ages and skill ranges. (9 to 18 years)

Brio

Brio magazine for teen girls has a fresh new look that includes more pages filled with inspiring profiles, cultural insights, health & beauty tips, faith-filled features and added fun! (13 to 18 years)

Please note: Though all the magazines on this list are written for children, some issues may contain content that you may feel inappropriate for your child. As always, please review all reading materials before giving them to your child to read.

1. Which magazine can help develop kids’ international awareness?

A．Faces.	B．Make.
C．Brio.	D．Military Kids Life.

2. What can be learned from the text?

A．All the magazines are proper for children.

B．Magazines are usually published for children.

C．Some magazines have back issues in libraries.

D．Only magazines for kids are accessible in libraries.

3. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To argue.	B．To inform.
C．To entertain.	D．To persuade.

2 . Taking exercise can be boring. The good news is that there are some tips which we can apply to our everyday fitness routines

•Have an objective.

When we’re playing a game, there’s always an objective. It helps us focus on the task at hand and motivates us to keep playing until we win the game. Exercise should be no different. Create a clear fitness goal.     1    .

•Add an element of whimsy (奇思妙想)

Some people love video games because there’s a lot of unexpectedness and surprise.     2    . Take photos of at least 5 different flowers on a neighborhood walk. Ride a bike from one friend’s house to another.

•    3    

In a study, a team of researchers challenged 602 overweight workers from a single company to take part in a step-tracking challenge. The group asked to compete against other workers ended up walking more steps than any other groups in the study. If we’re seeking a similar motivation, look into fitness programs that encourage friendly competition.

•Team up with others.

    4    . In that same study, another group of workers was asked to divide into teams of three. Each day, one member of the group was selected to represent the entire team with his/her individual step count of the day. This approach encouraged each member of the group to try to achieve the day’s step goal.     5    . We can try to be energetic by working towards an exercise goal together with other people.

A．Compete against others.

B．Aim to walk 10,000 steps a day, for example.

C．Play against a friend to get competitive.

D．No one wanted to let their team members down.

E．And there are plenty of digital tools that can help with this.

F．We can copy these features into our own fitness game designs.

G．Getting a group to work together is also an effective way.

3 . There are many great independent bookstores in North Carolina. If you’re looking for some good books to read, you can visit the bookstores listed below.

Purple Crow Books

It’s a literary meeting place right in historic downtown Hillsborough. It was opened in 2009. You can find new books, used ones or the latest works by local authors. Because it specializes in local writers, Purple Crow Books is a favorite tourist destination. It’s a great place to grab a signed copy of a book by your favorite local author.

109 West King Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278

Quail Ridge Books

This is an independent bookstore with friendly staff dedicated to (致力于) providing the best customer service. Founded in 1984 by Nancy Olson, the store provides a wide variety of carefully selected books, events, discussion groups and town hall meetings. The owner Lisa Poole bought the store in 2013 and is dedicated to serving the locals.

4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27609

Pomegranate Books

This bookstore is located in the historic Borkenhagen House in the Winter Park neighborhood of Wilmington, North Carolina. It has been finding good homes for great books since 2005. It stocks a carefully selected collection of literary and life-enhancing titles for all ages and also features locally-made cards and gift items.

4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403

Scuppernong Books

This bookstore was opened on December 21, 2013 and has been an important part of the rebirth of downtown Greensboro ever since. It features fiction and poetry along with a remarkable children’s section and a broad range of general interest titles. Within the store is a busy cafe serving coffee, wine, and beer sourced primarily from local small businesses.

304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401

1. What is special about Purple Crow Books?

A．It holds various reading activities.	B．It mainly sells books by local writers.
C．It focuses on selling second-hand books.	D．It is supported by local small businesses.

2. Which bookstore has the longest history?

A．Quail Ridge Books.	B．Purple Crow Books.
C．Pomegranate Books.	D．Scuppernong Books.

3. Who would prefer to visit Scuppernong Books?

A．People loving non-fiction books.	B．People liking handmade cards and gifts.
C．People enjoying a very quiet environment.	D．People fond of buying collections of poetry.

4 . Maximalism, as a design aesthetic (审美), is rooted in cultural shifts throughout history. In the mid-20th century, minimalism dominated social aesthetic, which laid great emphasis on the idea of less was more. In the late 1960s, postmodernism challenged the ideas of minimalism and embraced a more playful approach to design.     1     During the 1980s, maximalism reached its peak and continued to evolve in the following decades.

Today, maximalism has become a noticeable design style characterized by celebrating individuality,embracing the unexpected, and creating st unning and expressive spaces.     2     They hold that maximalism can make homes blossom into spaces that radiate with warmth and joy, and reflect the personalities and tastes of everyone in the house.

    3    Even hallways can be turned into gallery-like spaces with unique art collections, vibrant wall coverings that enhance visual impact. Mirrors, if strategically placed, can add to the pleasant feel of a space that could otherwise be a boring passage.

The living room unfolds with patterns and decor items, creating a dynamic and cozy atmosphere which is all about individuality and comfort.     4     A combination of decoration items such as sculptures, vases, and books are also on display.

Breaking free from regular kitchen aesthetics, maximalism transforms kitchens into exciting and inspiring environments. Using unexpected kitchen lighting options can add some home atmosphere.    5    

As an interior (室内的) stylist, I encourage you to get the best from your home and the possessions you already have by displaying what you love most. This will spark joy everywhere you look, and this concept is at the heart of maximalism.

A．Delicate table lamps may work well.

B．Your home should be a celebration of all you are.

C．Many interior designers are advocates of maximalism.

D．Maximalism breathes life into often-overlooked corners.

E．You can find a variety of ways to bring it into your home, too.

F．Maximalism emerged as a reaction against the idea of simplicity.

G．There is a mix of different patterns through throw pillows and curtains.

5 . When I was a little boy growing up, my Mom, Dad, brothers and I lived in my Nana’s old house. It was surrounded by four huge vegetable gardens. And around the house so many flowers were planted. It was so beautiful there in the spring and summer. That wasn’t all, though. On the back porch Nana had dozens of potted plants hanging on hooks. She watered them, talked to them and nurtured them. And in the winter she would carry them all inside and set them on shelves near the windows of our enclosed front porch. There with a little water and a lot of love she kept them alive, green, and growing even during the coldest, darkest months.

As a boy I was puzzled by all the effort she put into them. I understood the vegetable gardens. They helped to feed the family all winter long. I even understood the flowers around the house. They were pretty and smelled so sweet in the summer months. The reason she put so much effort into caring for those potted plants, however, eluded me. They didn’t give us any food and they rarely had any flowers on them. They remained a mystery to my child’s mind.

Now as I’ve grown older I am beginning to understand why my Nana had those potted plants. It is the same reason I have so many pictures of sunrises and forests hanging in my home. They remind me during the dark, cold, winter months full of bare trees and yellow grass that light, love, and growth still exist. They remind me that Spring will come again. They remind me that God loves us and is still with us even when the earth doesn’t show it.

Today I see Nana’s potted plants in a new light. They are worth every bit of the love and care she put into them. But what tells me most about light and love is Nana herself. She is light to my soul even in my darkest times. And her love lives on in my heart even if she is in Heaven. May we all learn to love as she loved, shine as she shined, and live as she lived.

1. Which of the following is close in meaning to the underlined word “eluded” in paragraph 2?

A．Upset.

B．Misguided.

C．Confused.

D．Distracted.

2. Why was Nana fond of potted plants?

A．They were a sign of hope.	B．They resembled sunrise and forests.
C．They constantly kept Nana company.	D．They were portable and easy to nurture.

3. What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To advocate growing potted plants.	B．To sing the praise of Nana’s spirit and love.
C．To stress the benefits of a positive lifestyle.	D．To recall beautiful memories spent with Nana.

4. What’s the type of the passage?

A．A non-fiction.	B．A book review.
C．An agricultural leaflet.	D．A celebrity biography.

6 . I’m not a good traveler. Without curiosity to get out and ________, traveling has never been my strong point. Sightseeing is not an experience that I find ________: when it’s too hot, I’m uncomfortable; when it’s too cold, I’m uncomfortable. Not knowing what the food will be like at new places has always made me ________.

It would be kind to say that I have a low sense of ________. So, I was ________ about doing a travel show that centered on pushing my ________. But it just goes to show that we’re never too old to ________ ourselves.

South Africa was the biggest surprise. I had never really ________ to go on safari (观兽旅行) and was not excited about the prospect.

Once I was ________ there, all of a sudden, I knew why people say it’s exciting. I started to develop a great ________ for the animals. We visited a rhino conservation park (犀牛保护公园), where rhinos which have been badly injured by hunters are taken good care of. I even bottle-fed these beautiful babies. The most memorable part was the people I ________.

I’ve always been a very ________ person. But the experience of meeting so many new people has been ________, allowing me to ________ some of the cobwebs (蜘蛛网) that have formed for many years. Seeing the world has helped me ________ my natural cynicism (悲观情绪) and turned me into a more outgoing and positive person.

1.

A．exercise

B．experiment

C．explore

D．research

2.

A．dangerous

B．painful

C．suitable

D．enjoyable

3.

A．nervous

B．happy

C．angry

D．curious

4.

A．humor

B．adventure

C．direction

D．responsibility

5.

A．excited

B．serious

C．disturbed

D．hesitant

6.

A．plans

B．dates

C．boundaries

D．projects

7.

A．surprise

B．introduce

C．express

D．teach

8.

A．refused

B．failed

C．feared

D．wanted

9.

A．actually

B．usually

C．mainly

D．hardly

10.

A．respect

B．appetite

C．passion

D．understanding

11.

A．attracted

B．encountered

C．missed

D．helped

12.

A．patient

B．brave

C．shy

D．generous

13.

A．wonderful

B．tiring

C．boring

D．different

14.

A．build up

B．brush off

C．catch sight of

D．run away from

15.

A．accept

B．develop

C．find

D．lose

7 . Recent experiments by psychologists at the University of Pittsburgh shed new light on how we learn and how we remember our real-world experiences. The research, described in the March 12, 2024 online edition of proceedings of the National Academy of Science, suggests that varying what we study and spacing out our learning over time can both be helpful for memory.

“Lots of prior research has shown that learning and memory benefit from spacing study sessions out,” said Benjamin, a director of the Causal Learning and Decision-Making Lab at Pitt. “For example, if you cram the night before a test, you might remember the information the next day for the test, but you will probably forget it fairly soon,” he added. “In contrast, if you study the material on different days leading up to the test, you will be more likely to recall it for a longer period of time.”

But “spacing effect” has been based on the idea that what you are trying to learn repeats identically each time. Yet that is rarely the case in real life, when some features of our experience s may stay the same,but others are likely to change. For example, imagine repeat trips to your local coffee shop. While many features may stay the same on each visit, a new barista (咖啡师) may be serving you. How does the spacing effect work in light of such variation across experiences?

In two experiments, researchers asked participants to repeatedly study pairs of items and scenes that were either identical on each repetition or in which the item stayed the same but the scene changed each time. Researchers found that spaced learning benefited item memory. But they also found that memory was better for the items that had been paired with different scenes compared with those shown with the same scene each time.

“It is hard to provide clear advice for things like studying for a test because the sort of material can be so different,” Benjamin said. “But in theory our findings should be broadly relevant to different sorts of tasks, like remembering someone’s name and things about them and learning new vocabulary in a foreign language.”

1. In what way is “spacing effect” challenged in reality?

A．The lack of sufficient learning time.

B．The misuse of the memory technique.

C．The repetition of the learning process.

D．The variability of real-life experiences.

2. Which behavior is least likely to contribute to long-term memory?

A．Integrating spaced repetition into learning.

B．Studying intensively the night before a test.

C．Linking new information with different tasks.

D．Learning materials against various backgrounds.

3. What will Benjamin suggest readers do to remember a new person's name?

A．Use the name in conversations shortly after meeting them.

B．Repeat the name by associating it with different information.

C．Practice item memory to create a mental image with the person.

D．Engage in active listening when they are introducing themselves.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The impact of constant spaced study.

B．The study of various and self-paced learning.

C．The role of varied learning and spaced study.

D．The significance of repeated learning sessions.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段， 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Grandpa Dixon’s last grandson passed away from a rare disease. With all of his relatives gone, the man grew lonely as he entered his late 80s. His house was big and empty, and he often thought about his lost family. His grandson had lived with him after his parents passed away, and the old man loved him dearly. Grandpa Dixon took care of him in his final days, and he struggled to overcome the loss when he was gone. He even gave up his woodworking hobby.

With no one left to care for, the elderly man started looking towards his community, and he slowly got to know his neighbors. His one neighbor, Sarah, was always pleasant, and he discovered they had much in common. She was a single mother with no other family left. She didn’t have much, and she made a bed for her little Cherise in an empty drawer every night. So, when Grandpa Dixon found out about this, he gave her his late grandson’s old crib (婴儿床) that he had made himself.

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you! The woodwork is lovely, Grandpa Dixon. Where did you get it?” she asked when he showed up at her house with the crib.

He explained he had built it for his grandson before the boy was born. She gave him an impressed look, thanked him again, and the two carried the crib into her room. That night, baby Cherise slept very well, only waking up once. Sarah was so happy about the new crib that she showed it off to all her friends.

“My goodness, Sarah! Where did you find this?” they all wanted to know.

“Grandpa Dixon, the sweet man next door, showed up on my doorstep with it and said he had built it for his grandson. The poor man has no one left after his grandson passed away. I feel so bad for him. I wish there were something we could do.”

The story of Grandpa Dixon and his incredible crib spread through the community.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
Paragraph 1: Soon people showed up at his front door, asking whether he would build them a crib as well.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: After a while, he made it his late career out of the hobby.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . For the past 18 years, my daughter has been around me all the time. Now that she is in college, the _______ of our relationship has totally changed and our relationship is completely _______. I’m not going to be there every morning to have breakfast with her. I won’t know when she’s mad or when she’s happy. Here’s a little story of our new _______.

A week ago, my daughter wanted to _______ so she called me during the day as I was in meetings. I _______her later on, but she was in class. At midnight, she reached out _______ to ask if we could talk. Well, guess what? I was _______ . I thought we would talk the next day, but she was not   _______ .

Research shows that parents are _______ when their children are grown up, but for me that is when I start to get concerned. I am always left to________ , how can I, as a parent, remain ________to my daughter to guide, support and love through life's changes?   

We may have to ________ the way we communicate. My daughter encouraged me to go digital. That’s how I ventured into the world of social media, following her updates and occasionally sharing my own experiences. Through this   ________ presence, the physical gap is ________and I feel I still have an active role in her life. This experience serves as a reminder that ________, however scary, holds the promise of growth in our shared journey.

1.

A．problem

B．progress

C．goal

D．context

2.

A．cold

B．special

C．different

D．casual

3.

A．normal

B．idea

C．approach

D．solution

4.

A．catch up

B．take over

C．check out

D．break away

5.

A．visited

B．touched

C．tried

D．emailed

6.

A．by taxi

B．by text

C．in private

D．in person

7.

A．stupid

B．angry

C．excited

D．asleep

8.

A．available

B．interested

C．ready

D．guilty

9.

A．saddest

B．busiest

C．happiest

D．best

10.

A．decide

B．wonder

C．investigate

D．distinguish

11.

A．kind

B．appreciative

C．sensitive

D．relevant

12.

A．voice

B．ignore

C．shift

D．continue

13.

A．human

B．virtual

C．physical

D．permanent

14.

A．widened

B．formed

C．broken

D．bridged

15.

A．college

B．relationship

C．change

D．communication

10 . It’s no secret that reading good news feels a lot better than reading bad news. Like, would you rather bite into a lemon, or sip on a fresh glass of lemonade?

    1    The world is full of problems and conflicts and we need to stay informed and alert (警觉的) to what’s going on around us. While reading traditional, more negative news is important, consuming good news is also part of staying informed.     2    And it also brings meaningful benefits, like reduced stress and anxiety, higher rates of engagement, community building skills, and inspiration for creating a better world. Plus, knowing what to look for in the good news landscape is a key part of improving our media literacy skills and being thoughtful news consumers.

In fact, good news, known as solutions journalism, is becoming more popular, as publishers and news stations discover the benefits of sharing positive stories. Good Good Good is one of them.     3     A team of reporters and editors there work daily to deliver stories that make readers feel hopeful and equipped to do more good with possible solutions.

“If it bleeds, it leads.” has long been a saying used in the media to describe how news stories about violence, death and destruction draw readers’ attention.       4     The thing is, however, there’s also good stuff out there—the delightful and kind parts of humanity. “Beautiful stories are happening worldwide.    5    When you do find them, the world can suddenly feel like a very different place. Good news is a vital part of how we learn about the world and solving the world’s problems.” Hervey, one of Good Good Good’s editors said.

A．Share good news with people around you.

B．It’s just that we don’t hear as much about them.

C．But the “bad news” has its place in the world.

D．It provides a more balanced view of the world.

E．And so, negative news stories are everywhere on news media.

F．Heartwarming stories make you cry and feel good.

G．The news media company is devoted to providing good news intentionally.