1 . 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。

My childhood is magical and full of adventure. I have so many childhood memories, and I would like to share one that still stimulates me. This unforgettable childhood event was about the first day when I learned how to swim. It happened so unexpectedly and quickly that not only I but my parents were surprised. Of course, we were proud as well. I was barely seven years old back then, and my parents thought that it was time for me to learn how to swim. One summer morning, they took me to a swimming pool in the City Swimming Complex which was just a 35-minute drive from our house. It was a weekend and both my parents accompanied me. After we reached the Swimming Complex, we found many people were learning how to swim. My mother said she would watch me learn this important skill with the help of my father. Then she cheered me on and took a seat.

I had no idea how to swim but I was excited to try this new adventure. However, when my father got into the swimming pool with me, I became a bit nervous. It seemed that things were not quite as easy for me.

Looking around, I noticed that many other children of all ages were also trying to grasp this skill and some of them had pretty much learned the art and science of this skill. Influenced by others, I was determined to focus on my training and swim as well as them. Under the guidance of my father, I learned with all my effort and devotion, and I made rapid progress. After teaching me for 30 minutes or so, my father went to buy some snacks for us and my mother came to talk to me for a while near the pool. She asked me if I had learned anything at all. To prove my progress, I jumped into the water and started swimming.

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。

My mother was frightened by my action at first.

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Eating the snacks bought by my father, we were all thrilled and excited.

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2 . 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。

Mount Tai, is a representative of Chinese mountains with     1     (impress) views and beautiful natural scenery. Above all, it     2     (carry) historical and cultural significance in China.

Mount Tai,     3     (locate) north of Tai’an in Shandong province, is the third highest of the Five Great Mountains. However, in Chinese culture, east is viewed as a     4     (true) sacred direction, where the sun and the moon rise. Therefore, Mount Tai is closely related to sunrise, birth and renewal (复兴). That is     5     it is known as the leader of the Five Great Mountains. The summit, Jade Emperor Peak, standing     6     an altitude of 1,545 meters, provides tourists with a remarkable bird’s eye perspective of Tai’an city.

Historically, Mount Tai served as     7     essential ceremonial center in China, witnessing the presence of 72 emperors. It was a must for emperors to visit it when they came into power, because Mount Tai     8     (consider) the symbol of the kingdom’s peace and prosperity. Moreover, Mount Tai sparked countless creations of works,     9     (leave) behind a wealth of cultural relics. In 1987, Mount Tai was listed as both a World Natural Heritage site and a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO. Nowadays, Mount Tai continues to be a source of inspiration for     10     (poem), essays and paintings.

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。续写的词数应为150左右。

The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old fashioned, pot-bellied stove. A little boy had the job of coming to school early each day to start the fire and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates arrived.

One morning, they arrived to find the schoolhouse engulfed (吞没) in flames. They dragged the unconscious little boy out of the flaming building more dead than alive. He had major burns over the lower half of his body and was taken to the nearby county hospital.

From his bed the dreadfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor talking to his mother. The doctor told his mother that her son would surely die—which was for the best, really—for the terrible fire had devastated (破坏) the lower half of his body.

But the brave boy didn’t want to die. He made up his mind that he would survive. Somehow, to the amazement of the physician, he did survive. When the mortal (致死的) danger was past, he again heard the doctor and his mother speaking quietly. The mother was told that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh in the lower part of his body, it would almost be better if he had died, since he was doomed to be a life-time cripple (瘸子) with no use at all of his lower limbs.

Once more the brave boy made up his mind. He would not be a cripple. He would walk. But unfortunately from the waist down, he had no motor (引起运动的) ability. His thin legs just dangled there, all but lifeless.

Ultimately he was released from the hospital. Every day his mother would massage (对……按摩) his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever. When he wasn’t in bed, he was confined (限制) to a wheelchair.

Paragraph 1:
One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Ultimately through his strong determination, he did develop the ability to stand up.
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4 . Sharaine Caraballo and her husband Wilson met 82-year-old Paul Callahan in March last year when Wilson began working on their recently purchased home. Paul offered Wilson a ladder to work with. From then on, it didn’t take very long for the family of eight and their new neighbor to become _______ .

A retired Texas Instruments manager, Paul’s wife sadly passed away six months before the family moved into the neighborhood. Sharaine thinks her family _______ an important refuge (慰藉) for Paul.

“One of my biggest _______ was meeting our new neighbors. I was _______ who they were going to be and what they were going to be like,” said Sharaine, who is _______ from Pawtucket, New England. “When Paul welcomed us into the neighborhood, I knew I had made the right _______.”

Paul’s warm welcome really helped put the couple at _______ , offering the new homeowners advice and help with all kinds of _______ they were facing with their new home.

“He was coming over with tools. He’d bring screwdrivers (螺丝刀) and teach Wilson how to fix up the garage and Wilson _______ all his advice,” explained Sharaine. “He’s always coming over with little trinkets (小玩意儿) for the kids. They play with him a lot.”

Paul has ________ the role of de-facto (实际的) grandpa.

Sharaine’s kids love Paul as much as she does and the elderly man makes great ________ to make them feel at home too. As much as Paul has helped the family, Sharaine thinks her family played an important role in the months that followed the passing of Paul’s wife.

“I asked what ________ him to us and he said he was a very ________ person and that he grew up around lots of kids,” Sharaine said. “That’s ________ I grew up. My house was always where everybody ________ out.” He’s also the last of his siblings (兄弟姐妹), who have all passed away.

The Caraballos and Paul now see each other every other day. They spend every holiday together, and this Father’s Day Paul received a present from the family.

1.

A．close

B．awkward

C．fragile

D．tense

2.

A．shared

B．searched

C．provided

D．permitted

3.

A．honors

B．fears

C．hobbies

D．decisions

4.

A．informing

B．asking

C．suffering

D．wondering

5.

A．generally

B．originally

C．simply

D．especially

6.

A．advice

B．behavior

C．choice

D．discovery

7.

A．ease

B．leisure

C．loss

D．random

8.

A．questions

B．ideas

C．risks

D．issues

9.

A．respected

B．followed

C．refused

D．agreed

10.

A．taken on

B．made up

C．come out

D．given in

11.

A．contribution

B．decisions

C．efforts

D．devotion

12.

A．drew

B．forced

C．invited

D．allowed

13.

A．cautious

B．selfish

C．humorous

D．social

14.

A．why

B．how

C．where

D．what

15.

A．stepped

B．went

C．hung

D．travelled

5 . XZERO, “World’s Most Walkable City” Will Be Built in Kuwait

Do you fancy giving up your car for good, but are worried you won’t be able to get around? Plans have been released for the “world’s most walkable city”.

Dubbed XZERO, the planned sustainable community in Kuwait would provide a net zero carbon lifestyle for 100, 000 residents, in balance with nature. All facilities and homes will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy and will recycle all their water with smart water system.

UAE-based designers URB say the city will provide food and energy security while promoting a green circular economy. The estimated cost of the project is £13 billion, and URB are aiming to start construction in 2024, to complete by 2034.

The central area is surrounded by a series of “hubs” (枢纽) , each dedicated to education, entertainment and medical facilities. The hubs will reduce the walking distances required of residents, while the homes are densely spaced to promote a connected community. The green-tech hub will promote a collaborative innovative environment in food, energy, water and water tech. The medical hub will feature an autism (自闭症) village, wellness center and clinics. The educational hub will feature a nursery, school and an institute, while the commercial hub will include indoor mall and flexible office space. The green landscape is designed with engineered natural areas to provide a variation of habitats for wildlife as well as rain water harvesting, mitigating (和缓的) flooding, better air quality and cleaner water. The 1, 600 hectare development will provide 30, 000 residential units, as well as 30, 000 green jobs. These jobs will be created in the various hubs.

“The creation of sustainable cities that follow the highest standards of living with lowest impact on the environment is no longer a choice, it has become a necessity,” Baharsh Bagherian, the CEO of URB, said, “The heart of XZERO is the unique resilient (弹性的) landscape, which is multifunctional and designed to promote health, wellbeing and biodiversity.”

XZERO will promote sustainable tourism through its various eco-friendly hospitality assets, including a 5-star eco resort and eco lodges. “Edutainment” (寓教于乐型) facilities such as the utility park and nature conservation center are expected to transform the city into a unique visitor attraction.

1. What is XZERO intended to do?

A．Better residents’ life.	B．Save the limited energy.
C．Explore a challenging lifestyle.	D．Strengthen the power of Kuwait.

2. What can we know from Paragraph 4?

A．Wild animals can’t be found.	B．The hubs are closely connected.
C．Only indoor mall is available.	D．Residents have trouble finding a job.

3. What can be inferred from Baharsh Bagherian’s words?

A．People have the right to say no to XZERO.

B．Many other countries are expected to follow suit.

C．XZERO will promote the development of tourism.

D．XZERO can benefit both humans and environment.

4. Which of the following best describes the impact of XZERO?

A．Doubtful.

B．Short-lived.

C．Far-reaching.

D．Unidentifiable.

6 . On July 29, 10-year-old Mayah Zamora went home after being hospitalized for 66 days. Mayah was a survivor of the May 24 shooting rampage at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

The little girl had more than 20 surgeries and underwent weeks of physical therapy after being shot in her hands, chest and back during the school shooting. Mayah’s doctors have called her survival miraculous.

On August 24, she was honored as the Hero of the Month for August by MLB’s Houston Astros at a game against the Minnesota Twins, where she threw out the first pitch. While there, Mayah also met former Astros shortstop (游击手) Carlos Correa, who shared some incredible news with her family.

The Zamoras learned during the game that the Correa family Foundation and other donors are funding the construction of a new home for the family in a location they chose. The trauma (创伤) of living just blocks from the gunman’s house had been taking a toll on (给……造成重大损伤) the young survivor.

“I could never begin to imagine everything she has gone through, and we feel that this is one thing we could do to try to alleviate some of her pain,” Correa said. “I’m thankful to both teams for being a part of this effort.”

His foundation shared a statement and some great photos of Mayah’s special night at the ballpark on its Facebook page.

“We are so proud of you. Mayah, and we are honored to recognize you as our Hero of the Month,” wrote the Correa Family Foundation. “We hope this will be an opportunity for Mayah and her family to rebuild their lives, make new memories, and look towards a bright future.”

1. Why did the Correa family Foundation and other donors fund a new home for the Zamoras?

A．Because the Zamoras didn’t want to live in their home.

B．Because Correa wanted to reward Mayah for her bravery.

C．Because the Zamoras’ home was near the gunman’s house.

D．Because the Zamoras’ home had been destroyed by the gunman.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “alleviate” in Paragraph 5?

A．Ease.

B．Suffer.

C．Delay.

D．Confirm.

3. Which of the following can best describe Correa?

A．Selfish.

B．Caring.

C．Determined.

D．Responsible.

4. What is the text?

A．A diary entry.

B．A news report.

C．A book review.

D．A moving story.

7 . 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。

The Secret

“Your secret is safe with me” was Ming’s promise when I told him that I wanted to learn ballet, which was unusual for boys and must be laughed at by most people in my place. I even dared not tell my parents about it.

Ming was my best friend at school. Wearing the same type of school uniform, Ming looked older and bigger, but we were the same age. We grew up together in the same neighbourhood and our parents knew each other well. Ming was always the first one to hear stories from me. I trusted him on everything and anything. One afternoon after school, we met at the balance bars on the school playground as usual. It was just the two of us. I gathered up courage and told him about my secret.

Ming seemed slightly surprised, but he soon smiled and agreed to keep it a secret for me, as he had done other times. We were best friends after all. After a few push-ups, we headed for our own homes.

The next morning, in the school corridor, just as I was about to wave at him and say hi, I noticed something was different. As soon as he saw me, he dropped his head and continued to walk on, avoiding eye contact with me. In the classroom, I couldn’t help casting frequent glimpses at his side—he wasn’t looking at me. In fact, he remained quiet all day. When the school bell rang, he picked up his schoolbag and left the classroom in a rush. Was it because of my secret? What did he do to my secret?

I ate very little that evening. Mum frowned when she saw the food I’d left in the bowl. Dad threw me a disapproving look and asked me how my day was. “It was OK,” I replied, “lots of homework to do.” I stood up, ready to leave the table.

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。

“Wait!” Dad raised his hand and gestured me to sit down.

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“Ming will remain your friend,” Dad comforted me.

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8 . 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。

With the worldwide celebration of the Chinese New Year, traditional Chinese cultural forms such as the Yingge Dance (Dance of Heroes) and dragon and lion dances have once again attracted widespread attention.

As the Chinese New Year is increasingly celebrated     1     (global), it has brought its traditional celebrations elsewhere and seen people of other countries join the festivities. This Spring Festival, a team of Yingge dancers from South China’s Guangdong Province     2     (invite) to the UK, bringing an exciting performance to London’s Burlington Arcade     3     (celebrate) the Chinese New Year.

Literally     4     (translate) as the “Songs of Heroes” dance, Yingge Dance is an old folk dance     5     originated from the Chaoshan area of South China’s Guangdong Province. Dressed in colorful costumes, performers wave wooden sticks in their hands while     6     (dance) in orderly formations to the music.

Based on the stories of the 108     7     (hero) of Liangshan Mountain from the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh (《水浒传》), this is     8     folk art combining a variety of forms, from martial arts and Chinese operas to dance.

From a centuries-old art form to a magnum opus (杰作) of Chinese tradition worldwide, the     9     (popular) of Yingge Dance on the streets of London during the Spring Festival was a success     10     terms of traditional Chinese folk art sailing overseas.

9 . Having a regular dentist check up is as essential for ensuring healthy teeth and gums (牙龈) as regular brushing and flossing. Here’s why you should make the trip.

Prevention is better than cure. Regular dental check-ups are recommended to maintain healthy teeth and gums.     1     Your dentist will advise you on what’s right for you. The aim of a check-up is to nip any problems in the bud, before you experience pain, lose teeth or have other health problems.

You’ve had a new medical diagnosis.     2     For example, high blood sugar levels in saliva caused by diabetes favour bacteria which can cause cavities (蛀牙). Some medications can cause oral problems ranging from dry mouth to stained teeth.

    3     More and more adults are having orthodontic (正畸) treatment to straighten their teeth. Not only does it make a huge difference to your smile, it can also prevent gum disease, which is more likely to take hold if you struggle to clean crooked teeth.

You’ve got bad breath. Halitosis (口臭) is embarrassing and can sometimes leave a nasty taste in your mouth. You might have a hole in your tooth, an infection or gum disease.     4     Your family and friends will thank you for it.

Check for cancer. Dentists don’t just look for cavities and unhealthy gums. They can also spot mouth cancer and refer patients to hospital to see a specialist. Cases have risen by 34 per cent in the past decade, according to the Oral Health Foundation.     5    

A．You want to improve your confidence.

B．You think it is time to have some changes.

C．However, early diagnosis can save your life.

D．Certain conditions can affect your oral health.

E．You might just be brushing too enthusiastically.

F．It varies from three months to two years depending on your oral health.

G．Your dentist can give you tips on freshening your breath more effectively.

10 . 2023 Collection of Australian Stamps (Executive Edition)

Explore a bound treasure of gummed and perforated (涂胶打孔的) stamps presented in exclusive layouts. In addition to all the stamps released in 2023, this book gets the essence of stamp collecting with fascinating text about each stamp issue. Included is an exclusive gummed Concession Stamp minisheet, the 2022 Native Animals stamps and 89 mint stamps presented in unique layouts. This great gift comes with $124.25 worth of stamps.

Our network of more than 400 Parcel Lockers are free and available around the clock, so you can pick up your order anytime. With over 3,600 locations across Australia, get your order delivered to a post office near work or home, and collect during business hours. Australia Post has partnered with hundreds of third-party retailers to provide another option for collection.

Dispatch is the time your order takes to leave our warehouse. Most orders leave the warehouse within 2 business days.

Standard delivery is free Australia-wide on orders $30+. For orders under $30, we charge a flat fee of $5. Most orders arrive to you within 6 business days.

Express delivery is $15. View current delivery times. Express Post is our fastest postal service, but we do not guarantee next business day delivery for Online Shop orders.

International delivery is available for some orders, depending on what you’re buying and where it’s being sent. Most orders take at least 10 business days to arrive via an untracked service. Transit times vary based on destination — see our international delivery times for more information.

Occasionally, high delivery volumes and other network issues can cause delays, as well as where the order is being sent.

1. What can we learn about the collection?

A．It is issued twice a year.	B．It includes 89 stamps in total.
C．Each stamp is presented with a text.	D．All stamps are about native animals.

2. How much should we pay for the postage at most by standard delivery?

A．$5.

B．$15.

C．$30.

D．$ 124.45.

3. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To introduce the network of Australia Post.

B．To advertise the most valuable stamps in 2023.

C．To inform people of change of delivering message.

D．To persuade people to buy a book including stamps.