1 . Grace Hemingway gifted her son, Earnest, a copy of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem Hiawatha on his sixth birthday. While it’s hard to say how much her choice of gift influenced Earnest Hemingway at the time, he grew up to become one of the most famous writers in history.

Books can make for charming gifts. Giving a book as a gift to someone is much more than a simple exchange of goods.

When giving books, think about your recipients’ (接受者) favorite. It is worth the time to try and find a rare copy, like first editions or signed copies. They’ll be delighted by the effort. Are your friends stuck in a dullness and in need of some motivation? You can gift them a book that offers inspiration. Also, not mainstream yet useful guides related to their career are helpful.

A book when received as a gift has meaning to the recipient by itself if you’ve put some thought into it. An inscription (题词) adds to the appeal of your gift by making it more individualized. Without an inscription, although still meaningful, the book is just a book indistinguishable from hundreds of thousands of copies out there. A case for not penning down an inscription is that it makes it easier for them to pass it on to someone else if they don’t like the book.

Wondering if you should give your recipient a hardcover or a paperback? There is no universal preference among readers. Some like the paperbacks because of the convenience, easy to carry around and travel with. But many people, including me, prefer hardcovers because they’re more traditional and last much longer. A study designed to find a relation between the weight of wine bottles and their prices found that in most cases the weight of a wine bottle related positively with the price. The weight helped consumers perceive the wine as better.

In a word, books can make for memorable gifts. A good book gifted thoughtfully will create a pleasant memory.

1. Why is Earnest Hemingway mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To share a book.	B．To present a fact.
C．To introduce the topic.	D．To make a comparison.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．Who the gift should be given.	B．How a book should be presented.
C．Where a proper book can be found.	D．What kinds of books can be chosen as gifts.

3. Why is an inscription advised to be included in a gifted book?

A．To make the book more personal.

B．To record the giver’s reading experience.

C．To make the content of the book more appealing.

D．To allow the book to be more pleasing to the eye.

4. What does the author want to convey when it comes to the study about wine bottles?

A．Good wine is all in heavier bottles.

B．The weight of a book determines its price.

C．A hardcover book is often valued more as a gift.

D．The price of wine depends on the quality of its bottle.

3 . 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。

Human beings are social and need others around to keep them sane (神志正常的) and     1     (produce). Over the years scientists     2     (conduct) studies into lives of pet owners and repeatedly come     3     the conclusion that they have better health than non-pet owners.

In a recent scientific study conducted at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center,     4     was found that man’s best friend, the dog, may actually lead to improved mental health as children     5     have pet dogs reduce the chance of them     6     (develop) schizophrenia (精神分裂症) as an adult. Companionship and emotional health have always been associated with having a dog as a pet, and this research takes it one step     7     (far).

Children who     8     (expose) to pets at a young age develop better immunity and the research is trying to prove that this helps them later in life to avoid developing     9     (ill) such as schizophrenia or bipolar (双向型障碍的) disorder. Now you know the best gift for your child is     10     fur baby!

5 . For anyone who has exercised for some purposes, you probably have experienced disappointment and even a sense of lack of fulfillment.     1     Below are just some of the many reasons why you should exercise every day.

    2    

One of the biggest reasons is that it helps in weight loss. Exercising every day helps you burn a lot of calories. It also helps in toning (调整) your body and giving it a better appearance.

Regular exercise gives you better sleep quality

Sleep is very important because it enables your minds to rest for a while and this helps you reenergize. However, while you may be able to sleep, the quality of sleep you get might not always be the best.     3     It helps you increase your body’s physical activity so that you fall asleep faster and even more soundly.

Regular exercise increases your endurance

Exercising regularly will make it easier for you to work harder for a longer period without feeling fatigued. Whenever you’re under physically stressful circumstances, it’s only natural for your bodies to get tired because there is a shortage in the amount of oxygen that fuels your muscles.     4    

Exercising every day increases your brain function

When you exercise daily, you are able to boost the power of your brain and your memory.       5     The best part is that for you to achieve this, you don’t have to do tough exercises out there. You can just do moderate or light ones and achieve the same.

A．Regular exercise helps you lose weight.

B．Exercising every day can help with this.

C．This lessens your chances of falling into depression.

D．Some people look at it as hard work because it gets you all tired.

E．Exercise, therefore, enables your muscles to get the fuel they need.

F．Reminding yourself of its benefits, however, will help you stay motivated.

G．It boosts your ability to recall more things or events as it makes your neurons healthier.

6 . Researchers from Sweden and the United Kingdom teamed up to find out the answer to a question practically every person has thought at one time or another: What is the best smell out there?

The cooperative study between Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and the University of Oxford found that people share similar preferences when it comes to smell, regardless of cultural background. And according to the results, vanilla (香草) is the most pleasing smell around.

Artin Arshamian, one of the study’s authors, said humans may have similar olfactory (嗅觉的) preferences because they helped early humans survive. Simply put, humans likely enjoy many of the same smells, more often than not, because of a deep-rooted sense that an item is safe to eat.

“We wanted to examine if people around the world have the same smell perception (感知) and like the same types of odor, or whether this is something that is culturally learned,” Arshamian said.

In fact, researchers had expected culture played a significantly larger role in the results. The experiment requested 225 participants from nine non-Western diverse cultures, including individuals from communities with little contact with the Western world, to participate in the study. Surprisingly, scientists found that a participant’s culture only accounted for 6% of the difference in the findings.

A less shocking revelation was that personal preference came into consideration 54% of the time. This explains why, as referenced in the study’s results, a dish such as fermented herring (发酵鲱鱼) may be appetizing to some yet interpreted as the most terrible smell in the world to others.

“Now we know that there’s a universal odor perception that is driven by molecular structure and that explains why we like or dislike a certain smell,” Arshamian said. “The next step is to study why this is so by linking this knowledge to what happens in the brain when we smell a particular odor.”

1. What might affect early humans’ smells preferences most?

A．The desire to live.	B．The cultural background.
C．The smell of vanilla.	D．The love for delicious food.

2. Why were 225 non-Western participants invited in the study?

A．To introduce the importance of smells.

B．To test researchers’ prediction for the study.

C．To do experiment in a wider geographical regions.

D．To prove culture is not concerned with smell perception.

3. Why is vanilla the most pleasant smell for people according to Artin Arshamian?

A．Because of its popularity.	B．Because of human instinct.
C．Because of its widespread use.	D．Because of the molecular structure.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．Vanilla is a pleasant smell to girls.	B．Humans have a deep cultural root.
C．The study will be further carried out.	D．Eatable items decide smell preference.

7 . Defeating Daniil Medvedev in New York on Sunday, Djokovic, one of the greatest tennis player, bagging 24 Grand Slam (大满贯) singles titles, equalized the record held by Australian Margaret Court, the same number of singles titles in the all-time count.

With the victory, Djokovic became the oldest US Open men’s singles champion in the Open Era. In total, he has 10 Australian Opens, seven Wimbledons, four US Opens and three Roland Garros titles, making him the only man to win all four majors at least three times. “When I realized that, I started to dream new dreams and set new goals. I never imagined that I would be here talking about 24 Slams,” he said afterwards.

Djokovic reached all finals in the Grand Slams in 2023, and the only loss was at Wimbledon, when Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, 20, brought home the champion after an intense battle lasting four hours and 43 minutes.

Djokovic, at 36, shows few signs of losing physical edge. He stays healthy, keeps exceptional skills and always desires to win more. Capturing his first Grand Slam in 2008, Djokovic bagged half of his 24 major titles after he turned 30.

“One of the biggest lessons I have learned probably mentally throughout my career is that even if you find a formula (方案) that works, it’s not a guarantee, and actually most likely it’s not going to work the next year, so I keep reinventing myself and always trying to find better ways to win,” said Djokovic.

For Djokovic, who always gets tough when the going gets tough, 24 is just a number that he can go beyond. “I’ll continue to prioritize Grand Slams as my most important tournaments and where I want to play the best tennis. That will stay the same in the next season, or I don’t know how many more seasons I have in my legs,” he added, “So, let’s see.”

1. What does the underlined word “equalized” in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．Set.

B．Broke.

C．Levelled.

D．Approached.

2. What can we know about Djokovic according to the passage?

A．He won 12 Grand Slams in his thirties.

B．He won all the finals in the Grand Slams in 2023.

C．He attached the same importance to all the matches.

D．He is the oldest men’s singles champion in the open era.

3. What seems the “secret” of Djokovic’s great achievement?

A．Losing physical edge.	B．Attending more Grand Slams.
C．Following a good formula.	D．Finding flexible and proper strategies.

4. Which of the following can best describe Djokovic?

A．Confident and emotional.	B．Ambitious and devoted.
C．Aggressive and stubborn.	D．Enthusiastic and generous.

8 . Top 4 must-see ancient villages in Beijing

Beijing is a world-famous historical and cultural city with a history of more than 3, 000 years. The rich and profound ancient village culture found in and around the city remains an important part of the capital’s history and culture. Below we recommend 4 must-see ancient villages in the Beijing area as the 2024 May Day holiday approaches.

Lingshui village

Located in the northwest of Mentougou district, Lingshui village was formed in the Liao and Jin dynasties. The ancient dwellings in Lingshui village are a model of rural residential buildings during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) in northerm China, and their original appearance is well preserved. Tourists can explore over 120 folk houses, alongside many cultural relics in the village.

Shuiyu village

Shuiyu village is in Fangshan district. The village was built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. With 600 houses and more than 100 sets of courtyard houses from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the original cultural ecology of the village has been well maintained. Facing both north and south, the village is laid out in a circular shape, forming a unique architectural style.

Sangyu village

Sangyu village lies in the north of Mentougou district, Beijing, next to Lingshui village. Prior to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) , Sangyu village was called Sanyu or “encountering” in English, named for the three water channels that meet in the village. Dense mulberry tree forests surround the entire village, and when they bear fruit, purple mulberries light up the village valley.

Malan village

Malan village, which means “horse stable” in English, had a history of keeping horses that dates back to the Ming dynasty. The ancient buildings in Malan village are made of stone and mud. When building and repairing houses in the village, people try their best to maintain their original appearance. There is also an exhibition hall, a row of old houses, as well as 12 gate bridges in the the village.

1. Which village is designed round according to the text?

A．Lingshui village.	B．Shuiyu village.
C．Sangyu village.	D．Malan village.

2. What does Lingshui village and Malan village have in common?

A．They are models of rural buildings.

B．The houses are made of stones and mud.

C．Their original appearance are well maintained.

D．They were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

3. From which column of a newspaper can this passage probably be taken?

A．Nature.

B．Agriculture.

C．Geography.

D．Tourism.

9 . 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。

Kim’s family moved frequently from one place to another due to his father’s profession. Kim had to start a new school every few years. Therefore, Kim’s school life was terrible. He didn’t have any best friends.

One day, Kim went to his classmate Rocky’s home. As soon as they entered the house, Rocky’s pet jumped on Rocky and started licking his face. Rocky said, “My doggy loves me very much. Animals can’t speak, but they have feelings, too.” His words were so touchy that Kim thought about keeping a pet.

Kim talked with his mother. She was afraid of dogs. She said that if Kim kept a dog at home, then it would be entirely his responsibility. The real task for Kim was his father. They were pure vegetarian. His father knew that animal needs meat for growth, which he never bought in the market. Therefore, he said a clear no to Kim’s demand.

One day, Kim saw a puppy in the park, who was in pain because of an injured ear. The puppy was weeping. Kim couldn’t stop himself and took it home. He took good care of it and decided to keep it permanently at home. When his father saw the dog, he scolded Kim, the little pup sitting in the corner and listening to them. Since Kim requested him a lot, finally, he agreed unwillingly.

Kim named that cute puppy Dooner. He trained Dooner and took care of his food, water, and cleanliness. Dooner and Kim became good friends. Everyone loved Dooner except Kim’s father. Every time his father got home, Dooner would hide somewhere in the house.

Then the day came when the results of the examination were declared. Kim failed in one subject, which made Kim’s father disappointed. He scolded Kim and even blamed Dooner for Kim’s failure.

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。

Dooner hid himself in the corner, listening to everything.

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Although Dooner had left the house for several days, he decided to pick up Kim’s father’s wallet on the ground of the market and returned it.

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