1 . Directions:   Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. emerge          B. absorbing            C. subject          D. defining          E. movement F. originally       G. course            H. universally        I. happens        J. constant       K. corresponds

How Long Is a Second?

The length of a second depends on how you’re measuring it. There are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute — so surely a second is 1/86400, of a day, right? Well, it turns out that     1     time isn’t that simple.

“The second was     2     based on the length of the day,” Peter Whibberley, a senior scientist at the National Physical Laboratory in the U.K., told Live Science. “People observed the sun passing overhead and started measuring its     3     using sundials (日晷). However, sundials have a few disadvantages. Aside from the obvious problem of not being able to read a sundial when the sun isn’t visible, relying on Earth’s daily turning is surprisingly inaccurate. “The turning is not precisely     4    ,” Whibberley said. “The Earth speeds up and slows down over time.” So how can we precisely measure time if using the length of a day is so unreliable?

In the 16^th century, people turned to technological solutions to this problem, and the first recognizable mechanical clocks began to     5    . The earliest mechanical clocks, which were designed to click at a specific frequency, averaged over the     6     of a year.

By around 1940, quartz crystal clocks (石英钟) had become the new gold standard. However, problems arose, and this was where atomic clocks came in. “Atoms exist only in particular energy states and can only change from one state to another by     7     or giving out a fixed amount of energy,” Whibberley explained. “That energy     8     to a precise frequency, so you can use that frequency as a reference for time keeping.” The astronomical second continued to vary. Every few years, scientists must add a second to allow Earth’s slowing turning to keep up with atomic time.

In fact, scientists are discussing whether it’s time to redefine the second again. But while several important questions still need to be answered before this     9    , it’s clear that the strictly correct definition of a second is     10     to change.

2 . Directions:   After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct.   For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Number of Steps a Day It Takes to Cut Risk of Early Death

New research suggests exactly how many steps you need to take each day to reduce the risk of heart disease and early death. If you     1     (fail) in your pursuit of walking 10,000 steps a day — researchers have some good news for you.

They found walking up to 10,000 steps a day reduces these risks. The lowest risk of early death was     2     people who took 9,000 to 10,500 steps a day. When it came to avoiding heart attack, people     3     (manage) around 9,700 steps a day had the lowest risks.

Experts have previously found people who spend a lot of time sitting while awake are more likely     4     (suffer) an early death and develop heart disease. It has been unclear     5     walking can balance out the effects of sitting down for most of the day — until now.

A study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analysed data from 72,174 people     6     (age) around 61 from UK. Participants wore a device for seven days to measure their exercise levels. After a seven-year follow-up, 1,633 deaths and 6,190 cardiovascular (心脏血管的) events, such as heart attack, were recorded. The results showed any amount of daily steps above 2,200 a day were linked to lower death and heart disease —    7     the rest of the day was spent being inactive.

Julie Ward, a senior nurse in the U.K., said, “We encourage people to stay active for     8     heart and circulatory health by doing 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. “This can be any activity     9     fits into your lifestyle, such as taking regular walking breaks away from your computer screen, going to the gym, enjoying exercise classes, or even getting off the bus one stop     10     (early) to get more steps in.”

3 .

A．It is faster to go to Miami by train.

B．It is not always cheaper to go by bus.

C．It is worth the money to take a train to Miami.

D．It is more comfortable and convenient to take a bus.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．They try to discover the full picture of life in the universe.

B．They start to emerge due to environmental problems.

C．They focus only on rare or endangered species.

D．They are interested in the gray sidewalk.

2.

A．As an academic subject that few are interested in.

B．As an enjoyable lifestyle choice for young people.

C．As a profitable career pursued by university students.

D．As a growing environmental movement across society.

3.

A．Visit more natural history museums.

B．Make changes towards a greener lifestyle.

C．Pursue a career as a professional.

D．Contribute to understanding the life puzzle.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．It showed up in a knowledge fair.	B．It was designed by a group of students.
C．It was made of recycled materials.	D．It could work without the power source.

2.

A．Speak and introduce itself.	B．Move around in a large area.
C．Detect and avoid obstacles.	D．Respond to voice commands.

3.

A．He is the host of the knowledge fair.	B．He earns a lot of money as the prize.
C．He uses electronics kit to build Larry.	D．He understands the workings of robots.

6 . Growing up in the 80s as a child with lots of siblings, I played in the street until dark or until we were called for dinner. We had an amazing community of neighbours. However, one elderly neighbour hated us. Every time the football went into her garden, she would confiscate it – and then pop the ball. When she collected over 20 deflated footballs, she would take them down to the police station and complain. To her, at least, free and active children were a pest and a disgrace.

Actually, at that time, nothing but one stopped us playing: the shattering of a window and the scream of a parent coming outside to tell us off. On reflection, I was probably part of the last generation of children to play outside regularly. Now in London, the estate I live in is covered with historic signs saying: “No ball games”.

The signs function as a play ban for children. Even during the summer, there are only a couple of rebels who dare to play football on the street. They get my nod and a kick of the ball back when it comes in my direction.

The problem is, many people don’t know that these signs are not enforceable by law: they are simply a request from local housing associations.

Of course, if people are kicking the ball against someone’s house or out on the streets making noise late at night, it would be considered criminal damage and antisocial behaviour – and quite right. But most of the time the signs are just preventing children from playing.

The London Sport charity has recommended that these signs are removed. I agree - let’s burn them all. But I do think it is simplistic to imagine banning the signs will combat a national obesity epidemic.

The Active Lives Survey shows that just 47% of children in England are getting the recommended 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity a day. Removing “No ball games” signs doesn’t mean that the other 53% of children will feel motivated to venture outside and play.

The Active Lives Survey also suggests that boys are more likely to be active than girls. Perhaps boys are still given more activity opportunities. The Lionesses(英格兰女足)win at the Euros football tournament highlighted the lack of opportunities for girls in football and inequitable sports curriculums in schools.

Children and young people of black, Asian and other minority ethnicities are least likely to be active. Perhaps because racism in sport is alive and kicking?

In addition, access to sport and physical activity is a social justice issue that depends on location and financial circumstances. For a child from an economically disadvantaged background, who lives in a high-rise flat with little green space around, the costs and practicalities of participating in sport are prohibitive. For example, a weekend tennis court costs anywhere between £10 and £27, without travel or equipment.

So, while we can burn all the “No ball games” signs in the country, the real barrier to combating low activity levels in children is social inequality. What really needs to happen to get our children moving?

1. What does the underlined word “confiscate” in Paragraph 1 mean in the context?

A．Collect something as a hobby	B．Take something away as a punishment
C．Destroy something due to being annoyed	D．Remove and make something disappear

2. Why does the author believe that removing “No ball games” signs may not effectively combat low activity levels in children?

A．Because children prefer indoor activities.

B．Because boys are more active than girls.

C．Because access to physical activity is influenced by social inequality.

D．Because of the lack of interest in sports among children.

3. What conclusion does the author draw regarding the relationship between “No ball games” signs and low activity levels in children?

A．Removing the signs will directly address the issue of low activity levels.

B．Social inequality is the primary barrier to increasing children’s activity levels.

C．Boys are more likely to play sports than girls due to cultural biases.

D．Racism in sports is a significant factor in preventing children from being active.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The author reminisces about their childhood and the changes in outdoor play.

B．The ineffectiveness of “No ball games” signs in encouraging physical activity among children.

C．The impact of social inequality on children’s access to physical activity.

D．The author’s support for removing “No ball games” signs but recognition of deeper issues.

7 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible. 

The Evolution of Robotics: A Journey from Imagination to Reality

The development of robots represents a fascinating journey from mere imagination to practical reality. Over the years, advancements in technology and engineering have pushed the evolution of robots, transforming them from simple mechanical devices to complicated machines capable of copying human behavior and performing complex tasks.

The history of robotics dates back centuries, with early concepts of mechanical beings found in ancient stories and legends. However, it was not until the 20th century that significant progress was made in the field of robotics. The appearance of industrial robots in the mid-20th century revolutionized manufacturing processes, leading to increased efficiency and productivity in factories around the world.

One of the most significant milestones in the development of robots was the invention of the programmable robot arm by George Devol and Joseph Engelberger in the 1950s. This innovation paved the way for the widespread adoption of robots in industrial settings, where they could perform repetitive tasks with correctness and accuracy.

Another milestone was the introduction of the first autonomous mobile robot, Shakey, developed by researchers at Stanford Research Institute in the 1960s. Shakey demonstrated the potential of robots to navigate and interact with their environment autonomously, laying the foundation for future advancements in robotics.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of robotics. AI-powered robots are capable of learning from their experiences, making decisions, and adapting to new situations. This has enabled the creation of social robots, such as Pepper and Sophia, which can interact with humans in meaningful ways.

In recent years, there have been significant advancements in robotics, particularly in areas such as medical robotics, autonomous vehicles, and humanoid robots. Medical robots, for example, are being used for minimally invasive surgeries, precision medication delivery, and patient care. Autonomous vehicles are revolutionizing transportation, with companies like Tesla and Waymo developing self-driving cars. Meanwhile, humanoid robots like Boston Dynamics’ Atlas are pushing the boundaries of what robots can achieve, with capabilities such as dynamic movement and dexterity.

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8 . 听下面一段材料，回答以下小题。1.

A．The invention of the Intelligent Rail Transit (IRT) in China.

B．The development of public transportation systems in urban areas.

C．The innovative transportation solution to traffic congestion.

D．The benefits of electric-powered vehicles in reducing pollution.

2.

A．Lower pollution.	B．Higher passenger capacity.
C．5G communications system.	D．Automated driving system.

3.

A．Identifying virtual track routes.	B．Prioritizing passage at traffic lights.
C．Controlling movement with sensors.	D．Ensuring safety through machine vision.

9 .

A．Humor and love stories

B．Thrilling and suspense

C．Creative fantasy and futuristic visions

D．Documentaries for learning about real-world events

10 . 听下面一段材料，回答以下小题。1.

A．The history of Chinese New Year celebrations.

B．The debate over banning fireworks during Chinese New Year.

C．The environmental impact of fireworks.

D．The cultural significance of the Spring Festival.

2.

A．Over 80 percent of people support fireworks.

B．Most people believe fireworks bans are necessary.

C．There are few objections to fireworks bans.

D．The majority of people prefer quiet celebrations during the festival.

3.

A．Limited enforcement resources.

B．Public resistance leading to unrest.

C．Economic concerns from manufacturers.

D．Environmental activism pressures lawmakers.