1 . In the heart of the Cyclades, Mykonos has long been an attraction for visitors. The beaches on the island’s southwest coast are among the Mediterranean’s best wild-party scenes, but head east and travelers will find something quite different. Here, the crowds slowly fade away, revealing what originally made the island famous: its beauty with rocky coastline and sandy bays.

Fokos Bay

Park your vehicle in the dirt lot and climb over the low dunes (沙丘) to find perfect little Fokos Bay, where deep, sheltered waters offer delightful swimming for all ages. Once you’ve worked up a bit of an appetite, head on over to the famous Greek cafe overlooking the sand for a lazy seafood lunch.

Mersini Beach

Head west around the headland to the next beach along — the Mersini Beach, which is usually the least-crowded on Mykonos. Bring your own sun mat and even an umbrella as this beach is completely wild and raw.

Agrari Beach

If getting your own wheels isn’t an option, Agrari is only a 15-minute walk east of the more famous Elia Beach and on the south coast beach ferry(渡轮) route. It’s one of the closest uncrowded beaches to Hora, Mykonos’ main town, and home to a restaurant that provides sunbeds and drinks and snacks.

Kalafati Beach

In the far southeast, about seven miles from Mykonos town, the Kalafati Beach is beloved for its steady winds that blow the sails of windsurfers and kite surfers. Rent boards and get lessons right at the beach at Windsurfing Mykonos.

1. What can be done in Fokos Bay?

A．Get surfing lessons.	B．Take car rides on dirt tracks.
C．Rent sun mats and umbrellas.	D．Sample the delights of seafood.

2. What feature does Mersini Beach have?

A．It’s service-free.	B．It’s heavily populated.
C．It’s on a coast beach ferry route.	D．It’s within easy reach of Hora.

3. Which beach is perfect for wind sports?

A．Fokos Bay.	B．Mersini Beach.
C．Agrari Beach.	D．Kalafati Beach.

2 . Social welfare programs, including quality early education, earned-income tax credit and health care, can change children’s lives. More importantly, recent studies show the benefits from these programs strongly influence the next generation, lifting them out of poverty.

The long-term impact of prekindergarten is well established and widely known. 50 years ago, 123 three-and four-year-old African Americans from low-income families in Ypsilanti, Michigan took part in an experiment. About half attended a pioneering early education program called Perry Preschool, while the control group did not. Researchers have been able to track the lives of most of these children ever since. The kids who went to Perry Preschool did better in school, made more money, and were healthier than the control group.

The benefits of Perry Preschool didn’t just stop with those children. A study published last summer by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman and his colleagues takes the implications of Perry a giant step further. This research shows that the children of the Perry preschoolers are also better off because of their parents’ experience.

As the Perry preschoolers grew up, they became better educated and developed greater socio - emotional skills than the control group. They became better parents. Their children grew up in harmonious two-parent families that made, on average, about $ 10,000 more a year. It was enough to lift many of them out of poverty. This healthy upbringing has had a long-lasting effect on the children of the Perry preschoolers. Compared to the children of the control group, they were much less likely to have dropped out, and more likely to have graduated from high school.

Here’s another example. A Norwegian study demonstrated the decades-long impact on babies who, during their first year, benefited from their mothers’ having had the opportunity to sign up for free mother and child health care centers. In the following years, these youngsters grew taller and stayed in school longer than those whose mothers did not receive the same support. At 40, they are in better health.

1. What do we know about Perry Preschool?

A．It provided early quality education.	B．It divided the kids into two groups.
C．It received kids from all backgrounds.	D．It continued to track half of the kids’lives.

2. What does the underlined word“implications”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Truths.	B．Assumptions.
C．Effects.	D．Suggestions.

3. What did the Perry Preschool experiment find?

A．Perry preschoolers received less education.

B．It had no impact on the participants’ children.

C．Early education could bring economic benefits.

D．The children of the control group became healthier.

4. What does the author want to convey through the text?

A．Early quality education matters most.

B．Social welfare can break the cycle of poverty.

C．Wealth can be passed down through generations.

D．Parents are important in shaping future generation.

3 . I opened the door: the morning dishes weren’t in the sink, and the floor had been cleaned. The pile of junk mail on the counter disappeared, replaced by a single ________. Then I replayed the casual ________ I had made that morning: “You never helped out around the house...”

I picked up the letter, ________ his apology and gratitude for everything I did. But when I read the first line, I felt incredibly ________ myself.

“I’m tired of being ________ of not helping around the house. Yesterday, I washed the windows. I also picked up your car from school and took it for an oil change. Did you ________?”

I glanced through our ________ windows. My car? I did know he took it to the garage so I didn’t have to waste a precious Saturday morning on vehicle ________.

The letter continued in the same________ — a little anger, a lot of hurt. I deserved every word since I wasn’t________ unaware of his household contributions, but instead of giving him ________ for the tasks he did, I complained about the tasks he ________ to do.

I ________ a pen and notebook but my hand paused above a blank page. Careless, ________ words had rolled out so easily from my mouth, but these new words must be deliberate and meaningful, worthy of ________. I wrote, “I’m sorry.”

1.

A．flower

B．envelope

C．paper

D．book

2.

A．comment

B．update

C．decision

D．assessment

3.

A．issuing

B．anticipating

C．accepting

D．publishing

4.

A．scared of

B．amazed at

C．ashamed of

D．concerned about

5.

A．suspected

B．cured

C．informed

D．accused

6.

A．notice

B．quit

C．agree

D．mind

7.

A．fancy

B．spotless

C．soiled

D．frosted

8.

A．emissions

B．repairs

C．maintenance

D．registration

9.

A．tone

B．breath

C．situation

D．sense

10.

A．temporarily

B．seemingly

C．painfully

D．completely

11.

A．credit

B．envy

C．comfort

D．sympathy

12.

A．intended

B．promised

C．failed

D．attempted

13.

A．put down

B．reached for

C．took apart

D．picked out

14.

A．similar

B．plain

C．priceless

D．hurtful

15.

A．admiration

B．encouragement

C．forgiveness

D．mention

4 . At an antiques store near their home, Michael, 11, and his brother Mauro, 9, encountered a link to a real national hero accidentally.

While searching through military memorabilia (纪念品), the boys had unearthed a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and a Good Conduct Medal bearing the name Charles J. George. The shop’s owner said the medals were worth hundreds of dollars, but he agreed to let the boys have them for free on one condition: that they return the awards to the soldier’s family.

The brothers found a Charles George online in the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor database, but the listing didn’t show a middle name or an initial. After searching military records at the library and online with no luck. Michael and Mauro found a YouTube video of a memorial service for George conducted in his hometown, Cherokee, by a local service officer Warren Dupree. The boys e-mailed Dupree, who responded with details about the heroic act that carned George the medals. During a war, George died after throwing himself on a bomb to save two fellow soldiers.

As for the middle initial J, the brothers learned that Cherokee don’t take middle names — Charles George had adopted his father’s name, Jacob, as a middle name just in case he would need it to join the army. The mystery was solved.

Dupree invited the brothers to Cherokee to present the medals to George’s family a few months later. “It felt so good to give the medals back,” says Michael, who wants to write a children’s book about the hunt for Charles J. George. “It was an honor,” adds his brother.

1. What can be inferred about the shop owner?

A．He cared about his credit.	B．He wanted to donate the medals.
C．He admired national heroes.	D．He tried to test the young visitors.

2. What ultimately contributed to the return of the medals?

A．Military records.	B．A YouTube video.
C．Online database.	D．The fellow soldiers.

3. Which of the following best describes the brothers?

A．Creative and generous.	B．Ambitious and talented.
C．Determined and trustworthy.	D．Intelligent and knowledgeable.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The value of the medals.	B．The influence of a hero.
C．The journey of treasure hunt.	D．The discovery of a hidden past.

5 . 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。

Imagine a vehicle that can pick you up outside your home, drive to the nearest railway line, and change itself into a train. It may sound like a story from “Thomas the Tank Engine,”     1     that’s exactly what Japan’s DMV Road-Rail buses have been doing since they    2     (launch) on Christmas Day 2021.

With a capacity of 23, the DMV is a diesel-powered (柴油驱动的) bus fitted with a set of retractable (可缩进的) rail wheels    3    can be put in place in about 15 seconds. Lighter than a traditional train, the DMV also consumes less fuel and is    4     (cheap) to maintain.

    5     (advertise) as “the world’s first operational dual-mode vehicle,” it is actually the latest in a long series of similar experiments    6     (improve) rural rail services. As far back as the 1930s, similar vehicles    7    the DMV were tested in England and West Germany.

Tokushima government hopes that the DMV buses    8       (become) a tourist draw in their own right. It also believes that the vehicles could also be useful for reaching isolated communities in the event of natural    9     (disaster) such as earthquakes, which can leave sections of roads or railway lines    10     (usable).

6 . There’s no doubt that loneliness hurts. Functional MRIs show that the area of the brain triggered by social rejection is the same area that’s triggered by physical pain. To understand why loneliness hurts, let’s take a closer look at friendship through the eyes of two heavyweight philosophers.

In one corner we have Aristotle, who wrote that without friends, there’s no reason to live. The Greek great believed that friendships are based on the virtues of the friend.     1     But the problem with Aristotle’s theory is that if you lose some virtues, you should also expect to lose some friends. And that’s not how friendships work — at least not the good ones.     2    

So as a sharp counterpunch to Aristotle, let’s turn to the renowned Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant, who said that all people have value regardless of their virtues. Since we view our true friends with this kind of unconditional love and respect, we can assume they view us the same way.     3     Being away from our friends takes away these life-affirming interactions. Worse, having no friends means our value, or dignity, isn’t being appreciated.

    4     This may seem obvious, but there’s a catch. Your connection has to be oriented (以……为方向) toward the other person — not in what they can do for you and your loneliness. So say hi to a neighbor, hold the door for someone, or volunteer at the soup kitchen.     5     However, they’ll help you feel more connected to the world. And the more of these small steps you take toward connection, the farther away from loneliness you’ll get.

A．This may sound fine at first.

B．They last through thick and thin.

C．This tells us why loneliness hurts.

D．These acts may not make you a lifelong friend.

E．The more friends you have, the happier you’ll be.

F．We feel like we’re not accepted by the people around us.

G．Thus, the cure for loneliness can be found in other people.

7 . Almost no one knows the world of competitive climbing like Janja Garnbret, an Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion. Having risen to the top of the sport, the Slovenian now is using her platform to raise awareness of the “cultural trap” in climbing. She says it is contributing to a widespread issue with eating disorders.

The problem is from an outdated idea that weighing less means you climb faster. Such a mindset has created an environment where young athletes start skipping or cutting down on meals, she says, sometimes to disastrous effect. Despite not having issues with eating disorders herself, she is more than aware of friends and fellow competitors who have damaged their bodies in the pursuit of a thinner figure.

“I have to recognize that weight does have some role to play in the sport. I also want to win, but I’m a strong believer that you can do climbing, or any sport, in a healthy way. Luckily I didn’t fall into this trap.” She says.

“I was trying hard to help them get out of it, but it didn’t work. It was really hard for me to see them destroying themselves, mentally and physically.” It was experiences such as this that inspired Gambret to post a message on the social platform in July 2023 about eating disorders. The post sparked a huge response throughout the climbing community and attracted support from the likes of US rock climber Sasha DiGiulian.

In her message, Garnbret spoke about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) — a syndrome (综合征) that occurs when someone of any gender has overtrained and/or undereaten for a long period in an attempt to improve their athletic performance, often without knowing the dangers of failing to compensate (补偿) for the energy they consume in training, racing and their daily lives. Left untreated, medical experts say REDs can damage an athlete’s bone health, immune system, and psychological health, as well as his athletic performance.

1. What does the “cultural trap” in the text refer to?

A．The defeat of eating disorders.	B．The pursuit of a thinner figure.
C．The idea of keeping daily meals.	D．The mindset of climbing to the top.

2. Why did Garnbret decide to post the message on the social platform?

A．She used to fall into the cultural trap.	B．Her efforts to help dieters were in vain.
C．Her achievements deserved to be shared.	D．She wanted to receive support from DiGiulian.

3. What may lead to REDs according to the text?

A．Severe mental problems.	B．The habit of overeating.
C．Over-exercise for a long time.	D．The poor athletic performance.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Road to a World Champion	B．Rising to Fame on Social Media
C．The Challenge of Climbing with REDs	D．Warning against Cultural Trap in Climbing

8 . 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 husband, Robert Stone and I were enjoying a peaceful afternoon together in Barbados — our vacation destination. It was sunny and warm, and we decided it was the perfect time to go for an ocean dip.

When we were floating around, I said, “What a nice holiday! Let’s swim out, not that far but enough to be out of our depth.” But we hadn’t considered just how strong the current was on that particular day. Although we had visited Barbados several times, we didn’t realize the specific area we floated to was known for its strong current.

Noticing that we were floating in the direction of the neighboring beach, I decided to swim toward the beach we came from, against the current. I soon realized that my husband was falling behind and was suddenly too far away to even hear me. I attempted to swim to the shore to get help but struggled to push past the current. I just couldn’t get anywhere and began to scream out for a lifeguard. But no one came after a few minutes.

Just then I saw two teenage girls boogie-boarding near the shore. “Help! Help!” I screamed. Hearing my cries for help, the girls swam toward me and helped pull me onto the boogie board. One girl told me to hold on tight and tied the boogie board tether (拴绳) to her wrist. The other girl was by her side for support. They managed to swim to the shore and brought me to safety.

Grateful but still scared, I repeated that my husband was stuck farther out in the ocean. I asked for a lifeguard. The girls told me there wasn’t a lifeguard around, and they would go get him. “You can’t do that!” I told them, “Strong current!” The girls reassured me that they were in Barbados as part of a swimming camp and insisted that they were both experienced in the water.

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

Before I could say anything further, they swam off with the boogie board.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Relief washed over me as the girls and Robert reached the shore.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . 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 74-year-old art historian Mimi Gates has     1     (enthusiastic) participated in the conservation of the Dunhuang relies for years. When speaking about     2     topic, she goes from the cultural and historical background of the caves to the vivid details of certain paintings there.

Looking back, Gates says     3     changed her life was the decision to visit Asia when she was young. She found herself     4     (attract) to Asian culture, and decided to start with China as her primary interest. She paid her first visit     5     Dunhuang in 1995 and “had a brief glimpse of the     6     (great) of Dunhuang”. The Dunhuang grottoes are a 1,600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site     7     (comprise) about 500 caves and a large collection of Buddhist art. She was invited to return in 2009     8     (present) a paper at a conference there. Spending a few days there, Gates visited the caves whenever she had free time.

When Fan Jinshi, the then-head of the Dunhuang Research Academy,     9     (visit) the US to raise funds for the protection of the site, Gates suggested setting up a foundation     10     accepted Fan’s offer to help organize and chair the foundation, for it was such a spectacular site and so important to humanity in her mind.

10 . On nothing but a “wooden board and four wheels”, a group of women are speeding down windy mountain roads. For most people, this could sound _________. But for Anna Pixner, downhill skateboarding at speed brings a _________ feeling: freedom.

Austrian Pixner got _________ in this sport six years ago. When she started competing, she would _________ in crowds of hundreds of men. Journalists point out that she is a(n)_________ in this male-dominated sport, but Pixner has tired of such _________. “There’s not that much of a difference except that we _________ started a bit later. There is no media about it... if you never saw a woman doing that, it’s harder to get the _________ to do that.”

That is about to _________: Pixner’s journey is captured in a new film “Woolf Women,” which __________ her 5,700-kilometer journey with four other young women across Europe in 2019. One of the central __________ of the film is mental health. Pixner says she finds skating helpful to all kinds of mental issues. “For myself, I __________ it too. I used to be extremely anxious and skateboarding absolutely __________ me.”

Though skateboarding was once a sport on the __________ of society, it is now becoming more mainstream, and in 2021 became an Olympic event. Pixner hopes that downhill skateboarding will soon __________ its appeal to more youngsters.

1.

A．terrifying

B．exciting

C．surprising

D．amusing

2.

A．mixed

B．different

C．normal

D．strange

3.

A．dismissed

B．punished

C．disturbed

D．involved

4.

A．stand out

B．turn up

C．give in

D．look on

5.

A．trouble

B．example

C．exception

D．danger

6.

A．reasons

B．comments

C．behaviors

D．memories

7.

A．absolutely

B．incredibly

C．unfortunately

D．dramatically

8.

A．money

B．excuse

C．energy

D．idea

9.

A．change

B．start

C．continue

D．worsen

10.

A．monitors

B．inspires

C．designs

D．documents

11.

A．themes

B．styles

C．copies

D．rules

12.

A．discovered

B．avoided

C．experienced

D．imagined

13.

A．entertained

B．cured

C．controlled

D．exhausted

14.

A．top

B．front

C．edge

D．basis

15.

A．limit

B．reduce

C．ensure

D．expand