1 . Falcons are powerful birds that may be trained to hunt in cooperation with humans. The art of training falcons as “hunting dogs of the skies” is called falconry (训鹰术). It was developed in the ancient Arabian Desert around 4000 B. C. In the past, falconry mainly involved hunting with falcons to supplement one’s diet. But now, it has become the favorite sport and pastime in the Arabian Peninsula.
Falconry includes three major processes: acquiring the falcons, training them, and hunting with them. Every year, falconers begin capturing wild falcons in June and July, the migration season. The best birds to catch are the ones with naturally nurtured hunting skills, aged one or two years. Once the falcons are captured, their heads are immediately covered with a leather hood. This is essential because they imprint as their master whomever they see first after the hood is removed. Right after a bird is caught, the training process starts. It begins by depriving (剥夺) the bird of food to make it easier to tame. The birds are taught to know their own name and respond to their master when called. Arab falconers live with their birds day and night in order to build a strong relationship with them.
By the end of October or mid-November, the trained falcons are ready to hunt in the desert. They have excellent vision, 2. 6 times greater than that of a human. They are also the fastest divers on the planet. One hunting technique that sets them apart from other animals is that they can be trained to deliver their prey, without killing it first. This is vital in Islamic culture because animals used for food must still be alive to ensure that the meat is halal, that is, properly prepared according to Islamic law.
Falcons have played such a crucial role in traditional Islamic cultures that a number of countries in the Middle East have made them their national bird. Falconry has grown so popular that specialist hospitals have been established to take care of these magnificent birds. Falcons are even issued their own passports. They are the only animals in the United Arab Emirates that are legally allowed to travel inside planes, enjoying a level of luxury that some humans can only dream of.
1. What is the main reason for Arabic people to hunt with falcons today?| A．To serve as entertainment and exercise. |
| B．To supplement their diet. |
| C．To replace the practice of hunting with dogs. |
| D．To honor their national bird. |
| A．Falconers don’t give food to falcons in order to capture them. |
| B．Falcons are not allowed to see their masters during the training process. |
| C．Wild falcons with natural hunting skills are ideal for falconers to catch. |
| D．The trainers’ names are written on the hoods covering the birds’ heads. |
| A．Falcons keep their prey alive before delivering it to falconers. |
| B．Falcons can form a strong bond with their owners quickly. |
| C．Falcons’ vision is particularly suitable for hunting in deserts. |
| D．Falcons are relatively easy to train for specific hunting. |
| A．Free air ticket. | B．Passports issued by the King. |
| C．Expensive meals. | D．Access to specialized medical care. |
2 . At 13, I resolved to be an amazing teacher, overwhelmingly driven by a
In fifth grade, Ms. Charlotte, an English teacher could magically
She told us stories from books we would otherwise never
What a man! So Ms. Charlotte inspired us to fight for our own pride and defend it,
Now, dear teachers, we love you and thank you from the bottom of our heart! I will keep the
When your dreams come alive you’re unstoppable
Take a shot, chase the sun, find the beautiful
We will glow in the dark turning dust to gold
1.| A．depressing | B．burning | C．living | D．entertaining |
| A．transport | B．interpret | C．deliver | D．transform |
| A．feature | B．factor | C．function | D．flavour |
| A．attached | B．advocated | C．breathed | D．exposed |
| A．pursue | B．contract | C．emerge | D．correspond |
| A．pick up | B．put up | C．set up | D．get up |
| A．catching | B．carving | C．casting | D．ceasing |
| A．seal | B．seashell | C．fish | D．dolphin |
| A．declare | B．contain | C．encounter | D．integrate |
| A．drilled | B．soiled | C．nailed | D．covered |
| A．genuine | B．identical | C．tough | D．internal |
| A．right away | B．at once | C．on the spot | D．on end |
| A．embarrassed | B．depressed | C．disappointed | D．exhausted |
| A．in addition | B．despite | C．due to | D．given |
| A．stick | B．hit | C．strike | D．rank |
3 . My aunt Cindy has her own cake shop. She can make nice cakes for special occasions, such as weddings and birthdays. I spent a week last summer helping her in the shop. Making a nice cake is harder than I thought it would be.
I practised for hours in Aunt Cindy’s shop. I made little colored dots (圆点) on a piece of wax paper (蜡纸). Unluckily, I could not get the dots to be the same shape or size. I decided to take a break from making the dots, so I helped move cakes. However, that was not easy for me, either. I dropped a cake when trying to take it out of the freezer (冰箱) by myself. Luckily one of Aunt Cindy’s assistants (助手) was there. He saved the cake from hitting the floor.
It takes a whole team to make a huge cake. That’s one of the most important things I learned. Each person on the team has to be great at his or her job. Aunt Cindy designs the cakes on paper, Larry does the mixing and baking, and assistants carve and put frosting on the cakes. Aunt Cindy and Larry do most of the decorating while the assistants help make small parts like flowers and figures. Building a big cake is like playing a team sport. If one person doesn’t do his or her job well, the whole team pays for that.
Even though I was not much help to my aunt, I’m glad I spent the week in Aunt Cindy’s shop. Designing cakes takes more than just baking skills. It takes art and painting skills too. Now when I see a really nice cake, I don’t think of eating it first. Instead, I look at it and wonder how many hours it took to make.
1. What does the underlined word “occasions” mean in this passage?| A．events | B．needs | C．months | D．ideas |
| A．Because she practised for hours and became bored. |
| B．Because she could not make the dots good enough for a cake. |
| C．Because Aunt Cindy did not want her to make any more dots. |
| D．Because Aunt Cindy wanted her to help somewhere else. |
| A．Aunt Cindy. | B．Larry. | C．Assistants. | D．The writer. |
| A．She got to practise making coloured dots. | B．She learned the importance of teamwork. |
| C．She got to take a cake out of the freezer. | D．She learned art and painting skills. |
4 . Bullet comments—comments which fly across the screen on certain video platforms—represent a ·modern approach to communication that young people use in cyberspace to express their ideas, emotions and feelings. When looking back, however, they are a good reminder of what was hot or trending in the past year.
On Dec 15,2023, Bilibili, a Chinese video-sharing platform, picked “Ah?” as the Bullet Comment of the Year. In 2023, “Ah?” appeared more than 13.2 million times on Bilibili as a bullet comment, according to Dazhong Daily.
Today, young people in China use “Ah?” to express their surprise and amazement. User Mo Xin filmed himself writing down the ancient Chinese text Hard Is the Road to Shu (《蜀道难》) in one stroke (一笔) and subsequently uploaded the video to Bilibili. This feat (壮举) resulted in the video winning the most “Ah?”bullet comments on the platform.
China’s huge technological advancements have also generated “Ah?” comments from Bilibili users. In August, China made a breakthrough in controllable nuclear fusion (可控核聚变) technology. Its new-generation “artificial sun” Huanliu-3 looks to open new doors in the world of nuclear fusion. Videos announcing this news were inundated (淹没) in “Ah?” comments.
Though simple and easily understandable, “Ah?” provides insights into young people’s interests. Their focus extends beyond mere entertainment, however. They also, use “Ah?” to engage with. commentaries, and scientific discoveries, indicating a deeper, more serious layer of interest. These “Ah?” comments reveal that young people are attentive to the world around them. “Ah?” has become their unique way of responding to contemporary events, using it as a tool to document today’s history.
Every year brings a new bullet comment of the year, but what never changes is how young people want their voices to be heard. Do you still remember which video got you to send an “Ah?” in 2023?
1. What do we know about “Bullet comments” according to the text?| A．They will remind others of your opinions. |
| B．They are an easy way to interact with others. |
| C．They enable us to think about the popular events. |
| D．They are used in young people’s daily communication. |
| A．To prove the function of “Ah?”. | B．To argue for the benefit of “Ah?”. |
| C．To explain the popularity of “Ah?”. | D．To clarify the development of “Ah?”. |
| A．Concrete and modern. | B．Easy and accessible. |
| C．Abstract but popular. | D．Unique but meaningless. |
| A．Huawei made a breakthrough in 5G. |
| B．Southern little potatoes poured in Harbin. |
| C．The Moutai-flavoured coffee came into the market. |
| D．China, Singapore mutual visa-free policies will boost tourism. |
5 . Ideally located in the heart of New York Times Square, Yotel New York, a five-star hotel, has comfortable accommodation in a modern design.
The hotel has convenient transportation with an 18-minute walk from Fifth Avenue and Grand Central Station. John F Kennedy Airport can be reached directly from Times Square Underground Station.
All rooms include cozy beds, 54-inch HD TVs with free Sports and Movie channels, and free Wi-Fi. Each room also has luggage storage, and hanging space for clothing. Yotel New York also offers wheelchair accessible rooms and free accommodation for kids under 13.
American breakfast is served in Yotel New York every morning, including fresh juice, corn flakes, buttered toast and scrambled eggs. A selection of salads, sandwiches and hot dishes are offered throughout the day.
Yotel New York is our guests’ favorite part of New York, according to independent reviews. This area is also great for shopping, with popular brands nearby: Apple, H&M, Zara, Burberry and Channel.
Yotel New York is rated for the best value in America! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other hotels in this city. Come and stay with us!
Prices:
| Room type | Price | Options |
| Twin Room — non-smoking | $125 | Non-refundable Good breakfast $9 |
| Double room — non-smoking | $165 | Non-refundable Good breakfast $9 |
| Queen Room — disability access | $215 | Pay at the hotel Good breakfast included |
1. What probably makes a tourist choose this hotel?
| A．Airport pick-up service. | B．Chinese-style breakfast. |
| C．Good value for guests’ money. | D．A shop with popular brands in the hotel. |
| A．$ 259. | B．$ 339. | C．$ 421. | D．$ 430. |
| A．Advertisement. | B．Lifestyle. | C．Entertainment. | D．Business. |
6 . Our house was across the street from the entrance of a famous hospital in the city. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to
He’s
We
In the years he came to stay
| A．outpatients | B．doctors | C．neighbors | D．visitors |
| A．handsome | B．plain | C．ordinary | D．awful-looking |
| A．even | B．extremely | C．hardly | D．much |
| A．loud | B．pleasant | C．bitter | D．annoying |
| A．begging | B．applying | C．hunting | D．asking |
| A．stared | B．enjoyed | C．admitted | D．hesitated |
| A．saved | B．crowded | C．escaped | D．held |
| A．silently | B．secretly | C．hopelessly | D．regretfully |
| A．in fact | B．in turn | C．in vain | D．in place |
| A．caused | B．accompanied | C．survived | D．forced |
| A．brought | B．picked | C．took | D．put |
| A．treatment | B．puzzle | C．misfortune | D．suffering |
| A．anyway | B．finally | C．overnight | D．slowly |
| A．purpose | B．takeaway | C．food | D．delivery |
| A．happiness | B．gratitude | C．attitude | D．pity |
7 . Two Georgian twins, separated at birth when they were sold to different adoptive families, have been reunited and have TikTok to thank for bringing them back together.
The astonishing story began 10 years ago when one of the twins, Amy Khvitia, sat watching Georgia’s Got Talent in her godmother’s house near the Black Sea. A young girl, who looked exactly like her, climbed up on stage and began to dance in front of the reality show’s judges. Another seven years went by when Ano Sartania, the young girl that had danced on television, was sent a TikTok video of a young woman with blue hair getting her eyebrow pierced. Determined, Ano took to a WhatsApp university group with her plea. asking for help finding the woman with the blue hair. Against all odds, someone in the group knew Amy and the pair was connected through Facebook. Amy and Ano agreed to meet in-person at a local train station.
“It was awkward, it was awesome, it was everything,” Ano told The Sun of that first meeting, adding, “It was weird for me like I was looking in a mirror.” As they grew to know each other more, the two women began to list the similarities they shared and admit to being a bit unsettled by it all. Both were born in the same hospital, but their birth certificates said they were born a couple of weeks apart. Wanting answers, they turned to their families to ask some hard questions and soon had an explanation — both families admitted to adopting the girls as newborns.
It turns out both of their mothers had been unable to have children and were told they could pay to adopt unwanted babies at the hospital. DNA tests ‘eventually confirmed that that Amy and Ano were twins. However, they wanted to know why their biological parents have given them up and if they had been sold for profit. The twins have since been reunited with their birth mother, Aza, who claimed she fell into a coma after delivering her identical daughters and when she woke up hospital staff told her that her babies were dead.
“While Ano and Amy’s story contains a lot of coincidence on their path to reunion, their adoption circumstances aren’t that unique in Georgia — as many as 100,000 Georgian babies have been put up for illegal adoption since the 1950s on the black baby market,” says Georgian journalist Tamuna Museridze, who has been working to reunite families.
1. Which of the following properly describes the twins?| A．Their foster parents paid to adopt them legally. |
| B．Their first in-person meeting was full of mixed feelings. |
| C．It took them a smooth decade to get connected with each other. |
| D．Their biological parents sold them at birth for profit through hospital staff. |
| A．Changed. | B．Shaped. | C．Upset. | D．Unsolved. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Supportive. | C．Unclear. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Black baby market gains popularity in Georgia |
| B．Twin sisters, abandoned by birth mother, reunited |
| C．Twin sisters, sold illegally at birth, reunited thanks to TikTok |
| D．Lots of coincidence brought adopted twin sisters a family reunion |
8 . Humans have sailed the oceans’ surfaces for millennia (千年), but their depths remain effectively uncharted. Only about a quarter of the seafloor has been mapped at high resolution. Maps of most regions display only approximate depths and often miss entire underwater mountains or canyons (峡谷).
So a group of researchers has recruited some deep-diving experts: Elephant Seals and Weddell Seals. Scientists have been placing trackers on these blubbery marine mammals around Antarctica for years, gathering data on ocean temperature and salinity. For a new study, the researchers compared these dives’ location and depth data with some of the less detailed seafloor maps. They spotted places where the seals dove deeper than should have been possible according to the maps-meaning the existing depth estimates were inaccurate.
In eastern Antarctica’s Vincennes Bay, the diving seals helped the scientists find a large, hidden underwater canyon. An Australian research ship called the RSV Nuyina later measured the canyon’s exact depth using sonar, and the researchers have proposed naming their find the Mirounga-Nuyina Canyon — honoring both the ship and the involved Elephant Seals, genus (动植物的属) Mirounga.
But seals can’t map the entire ocean floor. The trackers used in the study could pinpoint a seal’s geographical location only within about 1.5miles. Plus, because the seals don’t always dive to the bottom of the ocean, they can reveal only where the bottom is deeper than in existing maps — not shallower. McMahon notes that scientists could improve on these data by using more precise GPS trackers and analyzing the seals’ diving patterns to determine whether they have reached the seafloor or simply stopped descending.
The current seal-dive data can still be valuable for an important task, says Anna Wåhlin, an oceanographer. The deep ocean around Antarctica is warmer than the frigid waters at the surface, and seafloor canyons can allow that warmer water to flow to the ice along the continent’s coast, Wåhlin explains. To predict how Antarctica’s ice will melt, scientists will need to know where those canyons are and how deep they go.
1. What problem is mentioned at the beginning of the text?| A．Lack of the map. | B．Not enough tools. |
| C．Ineffective charts. | D．Inaccurate measurement. |
| A．By observing the seals. | B．By comparing different data. |
| C．By using advanced equipment. | D．By analyzing the existing maps. |
| A．The canyon. | B．The ship. | C．The seals. | D．The genus. |
| A．The present data is of little use. |
| B．Seal’s swimming pattern influences the data. |
| C．The ocean’s surface around Antarctica is warmer. |
| D．The seal can’t reach deep ocean because of temperature. |
9 . Historically, only local governments worried about a widespread food crisis, but today, the rapidly rising food prices and the resulting food crisis can quickly be a worldwide phenomenon. Over the next 20 years, the fight to feed the world will be a huge challenge facing the global economy.
The first solution lies in the combined effect of money and time.
Another way to solve the crisis is to double food production in developing countries.
While we may not be seeing all the symptoms of food shortage, we must be clear-eyed in our current support of food production. It is obvious that we will face a severe problem, but the problem is solvable.
| A．Since you think it beneficial to the whole world |
| B．What about developing economy to solve the crisis |
| C．If we are to reach our goal and prevent a global food crisis |
| D．How can we relieve the current crisis and avoid future risks |
| E．The goal needs an enormous investment in agriculture from various sources |
| F．Developing a national strategy to reduce food loss and waste is also useful to handle the crisis |
| G．Some countries like India have realized this fact and are giving more financial support to agriculture |
10 . Asli Samanci, a food scientist, was driven by her childhood dream of becoming a scientist, leading her to pursue a career in food science. “It
With this passion, she established a company that
The
Meanwhile, Samanci and her beekeeping partners have witnessed a significant
| A．accomplishes | B．combines | C．processes | D．maintains |
| A．took up | B．brought about | C．held back | D．put off |
| A．purchase | B．delivery | C．quality | D．service |
| A．limited | B．denied | C．revealed | D．backed |
| A．regulation | B．inspiration | C．sample | D．mystery |
| A．explored | B．exported | C．refused | D．permitted |
| A．patient | B．consistent | C．cautious | D．content |
| A．equally | B．violently | C．directly | D．temporarily |
| A．accessible | B．similar | C．responsible | D．essential |
| A．damage | B．rise | C．change | D．loss |
| A．conquering | B．discovering | C．impressing | D．preserving |
| A．scientists | B．beekeepers | C．entrepreneurs | D．consumers |
| A．balance | B．opportunity | C．fault | D．reason |
| A．extraordinary | B．sustainable | C．lively | D．decent |
| A．Altogether | B．Anyhow | C．Moreover | D．Otherwise |
