1 . Given the chance, 15-year-old Lenny King likes nothing more than to climb over seven foot-high garden fences and run across the busy road to the Co-op, which he associates with free biscuits. His sister Daisy, 17, frequently falls over, and she was told she’d never walk.

The eldest, 19-year-old Rosie, might launch into an outburst of swearing (咒骂) at any moment. The King family are special in a number of ways. Not only are all three children on the autism (自闭症) spectrum, but their parents — rather than see their situation as at best unlucky and at worst a curse (诅咒) — regard it as a blessing. “In some ways my children are forever young, so while in most families the children grow up and pull away from their parents, mine continue to be a source of childlike surprises,” says Mum Sharon, 47.

Sharon and Richard King met in a Wakefield nightclub. Sharon had a normal pregnancy (怀孕) and gave birth to Rosie, who was a highly developed youngster. While her parents thought her “a bit different”, they saw no reason to be concerned about having a second child. Two years later Daisy was born and, within 12 months, she was diagnosed (诊断) with the rare genetic condition Kabuki Syndrome which is a rare, multi-system disorder characterized by abnormalities including distinctive facial features, growth delays, varying degrees of intellectual disability.

The Kings were told that Daisy may never walk or talk, though she proved the doctors wrong in the first instance by getting to her feet, aged five. Sharon and Richard, a 52-year-old civil engineer, were also advised to think carefully about having any more children. At that point Sharon was already six months pregnant with Lenny. When their son was 18 months old, the Kings noticed that he wasn’t meeting his developmental milestones and doctors raised the possibility that he might be autistic. Lenny was finally diagnosed with classic autism before his third birthday, which then raised questions about nine-year-old Rosie. Tests revealed she had high functioning Asperger’s (阿斯伯格综合征).

Now Lenny and Daisy are collected by an autism resource centre at 8 a. m. each day and returned at 4 p. m. People who are not defeated by suffering are brave warriors in life, and they definitely will have a bright future.

1. Which can best describe Sharon?

A．Optimistic.

B．Pitiful.

C．Inspiring.

D．Grateful.

2. Why did the couple have a second child without any concern?

A．They were healthy.	B．They prefer a large family.
C．Rosie seemed almost normal.	D．There was no history of the illness in them.

3. What happened to Rosie?

A．She was infected by Lenny.	B．She also carried some disease.
C．She was ignored by her parents.	D．She was diagnosed with autism at birth.

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To explain the unfairness of life.	B．To encourage readers to offer help.
C．To persuade people to focus on autism.	D．To tell people to be positive about misfortune.

2 . Hummingbirds are natural acrobats (杂技演员), twisting their wings in ways that let them fly backward and upside down, unlike any other bird. Now, high-speed video shows how the birds can slip through gaps narrower than their wingspan (翼宽).

Hummingbirds fly sideways to make it through holes too small for their stiff (僵硬), outstretched wings, scientists report November 9 in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The birds move their wings at a part of the full range of motion, keeping them from hitting the hole’s sides while preserving the backward flying ability. After navigating (穿行) the barriers a few times, hummingbirds flatten their wings against the body and travel through the holes.

“This is a new insight into the amazing capacity of hummingbirds,” says Bret Tobalske, a biomechanist at the University of Montana in Missoula who was not involved in the study. Most birds just pull their wings close to the body to fly through thick vegetation. Sideways flight highlights how unique these hummingbirds are, Tobalske says.

Biologist Marc Badger and colleagues trained four wild Anna’s hummingbirds to fly between two feeders, then introduced barriers monitored by high-speed cameras. Each barrier had holes ranging from 6 to 12 centimetres across, which are equal to about half or a full hummingbird wingspan.

The sideways flight astonished study coauthor Robert Dudley, a physiologist at the University of California, Berkeley. “To slow it up and then go sideways and not drop in altitude was a novel behaviour.”

Perhaps hummingbirds fly sideways to navigate barriers that might hide enemies, says Badger, who did the work while at UC Berkeley. Once the birds know it’s safe, they use the technique to avoid breaking feathers, he suggests.

1. What makes it difficult for hummingbirds to fly through tiny gaps?

A．They have poor vision.

B．Their wings don’t easily bend.

C．They are unable to fly backward.

D．Their enemies often hide in narrow gaps.

2. What can we know about Bret Tobalske?

A．He didn’t engage in the study.

B．He works at the University of California.

C．He thinks little of hummingbirds’ flying ability.

D．He trained four hummingbirds to fly between two feeders.

3. How does Robert Dudley feel about hummingbirds’ unique flying skill?

A．Doubtful.

B．Upset.

C．Concerned.

D．Amazed.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Hummingbirds Are Natural Performers

B．Hummingbirds Have High Survival Abilities

C．Hummingbirds Show off Their Sideways Flight

D．Hummingbirds Are Recorded by High-Speed Cameras

3 . 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。

Once upon a time, there was a naughty (淘气的) and curious little boy named Jack. Growing up in the city, he had always been fascinated by the countryside and all its wonders. So when his mother decided to take him to visit his grandmother in the village during one summer, Jack was overjoyed.

As soon as they arrived, Jack’s eyes widened with excitement at the sight of the old-fashioned spinning (纺纱) wheel and waterwheel in the yard. But it was the large geese (鹅) in the fenced enclosure that truly seized his attention. Their white feathers, long necks, and distinctive cackles (嘎嘎叫) were unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Eager to explore, Jack approached the fence and reached out to gently tap one of the geese on its head. He laughed at his own playfulness, but little did he know that his actions would have unintended consequences.

The goose, feeling threatened and annoyed, let out a loud squawk and charged towards Jack. Frightened and shocked, Jack moved backwards, tripping over his own feet and falling onto the ground. The goose continued to pursue him, its sharp beak (嘴) coming dangerously close to his face.

Just as the situation seemed terrible, Jack’s grandmother rushed to his rescue. She quickly grabbed a broom and managed to scare the angry goose away, saving Jack from potential harm. Breathless and shaken, Jack sat on the ground, realizing the gravity of his action.

His grandmother sat down beside him and gently explained that animals, even seemingly harmless ones like geese, could attack if they felt threatened. She reminded Jack that it was important to treat all creatures with kindness and respect, regardless of their size or appearance.

Feeling ashamed and regretful, Jack apologized to the goose for his thoughtless behaviour. From that day on, he made a conscious effort to be more mindful of how his action could affect others, both human and animal alike. He learned that true bravery wasn’t about being fearless, but about facing your fears and making amends (补偿) when you were wrong.

注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

As the summer days passed, Jack helped his grandmother tend to the garden and care for the animals.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Years later, as an animal rights activist, Jack often reflected on that decisive summer in the village.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Tigris River and the Euphrates River are two of the most significant rivers in the Middle East     1     define Mesopotamia, the ancient land between the rivers. They shaped the civilizations that flourished along their banks and have been essential     2    (source)of water for agriculture, transportation and trade.

The Tigris River originates in the Taurus Mountains of eastern Turkey and flows southeast through Iraq before joining the Euphrates River     3    (form)the Shatt al-Arab which then empties into the Persian Gulf. The river has a     4    (long)of about 1,900 kilometres.

In ancient times, the Tigris River served as     5     lifeline for different groups of people,     6    (include)Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians. Cities like Baghdad and Mosul     7    (situate)along its banks. The river provided water for irrigation, enabling the cultivation of crops such as wheat, barley and dates. It also facilitated trade routes, connecting ancient Mesopotamian cities and     8    (great)improving the exchange of goods and ideas. Similar     9     the Tigris River, the Euphrates River played a crucial role in the development of ancient civilizations.

Both rivers     10    (face)challenges in recent times. Dams, diversions(分水渠)and water projects have been constructed along their courses, impacting the flow and availability of water downstream.

5 . After losing her house to a fire, Jo Ann Ussery had a strange idea: to live in an airplane. She bought an old Boeing 727, had it shipped to a piece of land she already owned, and spent six months renovating (翻新), doing most of the work by herself.

By the end, Ussery had a fully functional home, with over 140 square metres of living space, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms. All for less than $30,000．

Ussery had no professional connection to aviation (航空), and was following the offbeat suggestion of her brother-in-law, an air traffic controller. She lived in the plane from 1995to 1999, when it was seriously damaged after falling off the truck that was moving it to a different location.

Although Ussery wasn’t the first person to ever live in an airplane, her perfect execution (执行)of the project had an inspirational effect. In the late 1990s, Bruce Campbell, an electrical engineer, was struck by her story, “I was driving home and listening to the radio, and they had Jo Ann’s story, and my focus turned entirely to it. The next morning I was placing phone calls,” he said.

Campbell has now been living in his own plane — also a Boeing 727 — for over 20 years. “I still stand on Jo Ann’s shoulder and I’m grateful for the proof of concept.” His project cost $220,000 in total, of which roughly half was for the purchase of the plane.

If you think living in an airplane is extravagant (肆意挥霍的) enough, how about living in two? That’s the plan for Joe Axline, who owns an MD-80 and DC-9 in Brookshire, Texas. Axline has lived in the MD-80 for over a decade and is planning to renovate the DC-9 and equip it with recreational areas such as a movie theatre.“I’ve spent less than a quarter of a million dollars in the whole project,” said Axline, who has very few running expenses because he owns the land and has built his own water well.

1. What does the underlined word “offbeat” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Practical.

B．Great.

C．Stupid.

D．Unconventional.

2. Whose story inspired Bruce Campbell to live in an airplane?

A．Joe Axline.	B．Jo Ann Ussery.
C．Jo Ann Ussery’s brother-in-law.	D．An unknown air traffic controller.

3. How much did Bruce Campbell spend in buying his plane?

A．Less than $30,000．	B．About $110,000.
C．About $220,000．	D．Less than 250,000．

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To persuade readers to live in airplanes.

B．To entertain readers with interesting stories.

C．To introduce some people who live in airplanes.

D．To introduce a new and fashionable way of life.

6 . The demands of today's busy schedules have driven us indoors, where we now spend almost 90 percent of our time commuting（通勤）, at work, and inside our homes. This modern way of living disconnects us from the outdoors and from the natural light and fresh air we all require to be healthy.     1    

Marvin Skycove: A Cozy Nook Like No Other

Marvin Skycove is a glass structure that projects into the open air, enhancing connections with the outdoors. Skycove creates a smart extension of usable space, opens a room to panoramic（全景的）views, and allows in restorative light from four directions.     2     And while Skycove is a fantastic way to use light and views, imagine yourself sitting in this space on a starry night or during a summer rain shower.

Marvin Signature Modern: Windows and Doors that Play Nice

Combining large windows and doors to create large glass walls is a great way to complement a modern design and truly blur（模糊）the boundaries between indoors and out.     3     The Marvin Signature Modern line was created to solve these very problems. Marvin Modern windows and doors are engineered to work as part of a high-performing, unified system.

Bi-Fold Windows: Not Just for Restaurants Anymore

    4     Like their bigger cousins, bi-fold windows can virtually pull a room outdoors. These types of windows have been used commercially for many years in restaurants and bars, but they're now finding their way into our homes.

Marvin Has Well-Being in Mind

At Marvin, well-being is our guidepost.     5     We try hard to find new ways to thoughtfully bring light and fresh air into every inch of a building. We purposefully marry our 100 years of industry expertise with a forward-thinking approach to deliver people-first products inspired to help people feel happier and live better in their homes.

A．But doing so can result in poor performance and may create odd feelings.

B．Bi-fold windows are often found between doorways and outdoor living space.

C．Our windows and doors are designed to help people feel balanced and healthy.

D．This glowing（发光的）setting creates a calming space to enjoy a coffee or a book.

E．When Bi-fold doors open, the panels are folded, leaving the whole space wide open.

F．It was designed to allow people to effortlessly create a personalized atmosphere inside.

G．Here are some products that are designed to connect our indoor space to the outside world.

7 . Three of the Best Small Breweries (啤酒厂) in the USA

If you’re tired of drinking the same old beer and would actually like to have a taste of true beer that’s been handcrafted with care and genuine passion by newbies (新手) in the market — then this blog is going to give you exactly that.

City Built Brewing Co.

This place has got something for everybody — whether you’re a “classic” person who just wants to have a glass of your favourite beer on a hot summer day or an adventurer who wants to be hit with flavours that you have never tried before-the City Built Brewing Company will meet all your needs since it provides a variety of drinks for a mixed crowd.

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Even though it’s not one of the biggest players in the market, its extremely innovative marketing strategies will convince you otherwise. The Firestone Walker Brewing Co. has quickly managed to gain a lot of visibility in 2022 simply by having a great social media presence, along with a killer webpage that invites beer lovers in. Its true specialty lies in creating seasonal beers made annually and available only for a limited period of time. Apart from this, it also has a variety of other kinds of beer that are brewed all year round.

Dovetail Brewery

Here’s a place that you should go to for both-the great beer and the fun experience. Started by two friends (Bill and Hagen) who met in beer school, the brewery is best known for how well they convert classic European beers to suit the American tastebuds (味蕾).

Not just that, but you’ll also get to experience a place of great architecture when you visit this brewery, along with the amazing food that’s to die for.

1. What is unique about Firestone Walker Brewing Co. ?

A．It brought in foreign flavours.	B．Its architecture style is appealing.
C．Some of its beer is offered for limited time.	D．It makes special flavour only for adventurers.

2. What do the three breweries have in common?

A．Their beer is of poor quality.	B．Their products are handmade.
C．They provide hands-on experience.	D．They don’t have webpages to advertise.

3. Where is probably the text from?

A．A guidebook.

B．A newspaper.

C．A textbook.

D．A website.

8 . Leonardo da Vinci experimented with chemicals while painting some of his representative works — including The Mona Lisa — forming a poisonous layer hidden beneath the celebrated art. Researchers studying a tiny microsample from a corner of the painting found a substance known as plumbonacrite (水白铅矿), a poisonous compound (化合物) formed when oil and lead(Ⅱ) oxide (氧化铅)are mixed together.

The Mona Lisa, and many other paintings from the Renaissance era in the early 1500s, were painted on wooden panels. These required a thick base layer to enable artists to create their works on top. The most common method was using a substance called gesso, which comes from plaster of Paris, but the presence of plumbonacrite suggests Da Vinci layered his painting with lead white paint, mixed with oil infused (泡) with lead(Ⅱ) oxide.

Writing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the authors said, “The most remarkable signature in the sample is the presence of plumbonacrite, a rare compound that is stable only in an alkaline(碱性的) environment. Leonardo probably attempted to prepare a thick paint suitable for covering the wooden panel of The Mona Lisa by treating the oil with a high load of lead(Ⅱ) oxide. ”It is thought the lead(Ⅱ) oxide may have been used to help the paint applied on top of it to dry.

The team reviewed Da Vinci’s writing to find reference to his use of the chemicals, but found only “unclear references” to plumbonacrite. It seems once again the famous scholar was ahead of his time, with the technique only found in other paintings by Rembrandt in the 1600s. Use of plumbonacrite at the time seems to have been limited to skin and hair treatment.

In addition to The Mona Lisa analysis, the team used high-resolution analytic techniques on 17 samples from across the surface of The Last Supper and found it also contained the same poisonous base layer.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．A poisonous compound was found in The Mona Lisa.

B．Da Vinci created his painting through trial and error.

C．Researchers damaged the famous painting while studying it.

D．Da Vinci buried some poison under the painting to protect it.

2. What did Da Vinci possibly do while painting?

A．He used lead to decorate the painting.

B．He applied oil to cover the wooden panel.

C．He treated skin and hair with plumbonacrite.

D．He mixed oil and lead together to create a thick paint.

3. Why did the author mention The Last Supper?

A．To support the finding above.

B．To show how talented Da Vinci is.

C．To explain the process of artwork creation.

D．To stress the importance of analytical techniques.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Mona Lisa, a Mysterious Woman

B．Poisonous Chemicals Help Create Artworks

C．Da Vinci, a Distinguished Painter as Well as a Chemist

D．The Mona Lisa Reveals a Poisonous Secret Hidden in the Painting

9 . Ever since we were together, my wife has known about a magical place called Lincoln City, a modest beach town on the central-Oregon ______. But for me, it holds a Shangri-La-like myth. Lincoln City is where I spent one ______ week each year as a boy, ______ the rough beaches for beautiful pebbles, fishing off the local pier, and ______ matches outside my aunt’s beach house. These are ______ my happiest childhood memories.

So it was with great ______ that, not long after marrying, I took my wife to visit the “Best Place” in the world. For me, it was every bit as ______ as I remember. For her, no so much. She couldn’t ______ the fishy smell as well as the chilly wind. Ever since, she has considered Lincoln City my unexplainable ______ with no basis in reality.

In most cases, our assessments of a place or experience seldom differ. In this case, our wildly ______ perceptions of Lincoln City can be ______ by one of the strangest and most powerful feelings that humans ______: nostalgia (怀旧). Psychologists have-defined nostalgia as a, self-conscious, ______ but dominantly positive- experience, a defense response to unhappiness and a relief from a negative mood. Maybe that is why on a windy ______ day, the kind that would normally make me ______, a fishy smell will bring me the mixed feelings that my wife couldn’t share.

1.

A．plain

B．forest

C．coast

D．desert

2.

A．chained

B．compared

C．crowded

D．contented

3.

A．combing

B．marking

C．piling

D．cleaning

4.

A．putting out

B．throwing away

C．playing with

D．trading for

5.

A．tightly

B．literally

C．slightly

D．noisily

6.

A．greed

B．expectation

C．envy

D．guilt

7.

A．practical

B．charming

C．modern

D．mysterious

8.

A．oppose

B．adopt

C．encounter

D．stand

9.

A．affection

B．crisis

C．touch

D．respect

10.

A．same

B．varied

C．stubborn

D．objective

11.

A．instructed

B．explained

C．prevented

D．judged

12.

A．abandon

B．occupy

C．lack

D．possess

13.

A．bittersweet

B．breath-taking

C．awe-inspiring

D．carefree

14.

A．sunny

B．foggy

C．misty

D．freezing

15.

A．tolerate

B．relax

C．complain

D．enjoy

10 . A 40-year-old man in China found his calling — teaching quantum mechanics (量子力学) on social media — after being unemployed for more than 20 years. Li Wei, from Qinghai province in northwestern China, became ________ for teaching science in an easy-to-understand way on his Douyin account.

Such is his popularity, he has ________ 1.8 million followers. “I don’t like ________ people,” Li said. He ________ a bachelor’s degree in law 20 years ago, but he did not find ________ in that field because of his personality. “I suffered a great failure,” he said. The turning point in his ________ came two years ago when he ________ his friend in the photovoltaic (光伏电池的) business and was ________ to find that lots of people have no knowledge of the technology.

Photovoltaic ________ a special electrical system that produces energy from a ________ and inexhaustible source, usually the sun. With a strong ________ to help people understand, Li came up with the idea of creating clips to teach science using simple everyday words ________ of terms. As he created more teaching videos, he began to realize he was good at it and ________ his subjects to include quantum mechanics and life sciences. Despite experiencing a series of failures, he finally found his ________. It’s never too ________ to do what we enjoy.

1.

A．evident

B．attractive

C．effective

D．popular

2.

A．accumulated

B．told

C．urged

D．admired

3.

A．listening to

B．waiting for

C．dealing with

D．talking about

4.

A．needed

B．gained

C．offered

D．refused

5.

A．employment

B．experts

C．information

D．applications

6.

A．game

B．career

C．relationship

D．growth

7.

A．left

B．saved

C．joined

D．believed

8.

A．anxious

B．horrified

C．surprised

D．eager

9.

A．results in

B．responds to

C．looks for

D．refers to

10.

A．strange

B．reputable

C．secret

D．renewable

11.

A．desire

B．tradition

C．character

D．knowledge

12.

A．full

B．free

C．true

D．aware

13.

A．introduced

B．expanded

C．found

D．chose

14.

A．caring

B．ending

C．setting

D．calling

15.

A．late

B．busy

C．good

D．easy