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。

Kelly is a nurse. Her kidney (肾脏) proved to be a perfect match for her cousin, Dana, who is a teacher. Her kidney had worsened to the point where she required a transplant (移植). As Kelly told Dana, “I’m in good health and I almost never get sick or ill. It seems that I can be a donor for you.” Dana was wild with joy.

Later on a Thursday afternoon, after spending the first of two days undergoing tests to confirm her kidney was a match for Dana, Kelly got a call from a Cleveland Clinic caregiver. They were canceling the second day of her tests. A CT scan revealed the presence of a tumor (肿瘤) on Kelly’s right kidney.

Kelly was shocked about the discovery and concerned she might no longer be a donor available for Dana. That meant that Kelly had to have an operation to remove the tumor, unable to donate her kidney. Meanwhile Dana had to wait for some other donors for a matchable kidney, which was really hard to find. Dana was thrown back to desperation.

The cousins were at a loss. But their doctors wouldn’t give up. They tried every possible means to find a solution that could satisfy both sides, treating Kelly’s illness and offering Dana transplanting. But the bad news was that there had been few such reported cases.

Determined to solve this difficult problem, Dr. Wee, director of the Kidney Transplant Program, held meetings with a team of specialists to discuss over details of the case and best steps to move forward. They worked day and night to search for related information and make analysis. Seeing the devotion of the experts, Kelly and Dana felt the flame of hope returning to their hearts.

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。

After many meetings, the medical team felt confident to treat the two patients at the same time.

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The cousins recovered from their surgeries.

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2 . Jon Fosse was born on September 29, 1959, Haugesund, Norway. He is an author of novels, plays, poems, children’s books, and essays.     1     He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2023 “for his innovative plays and prose (散文) which give voice to the unsayable.”

Fosse grew up on a rural farm near Strandebarm, Norway. He started writing at age 12 or 13, first composing song lyrics (歌词).     2     Then he started to create poems. In 1979 Fosse graduated from high school and moved to Bergen, where he began working for the newspaper Gula Tidend, Throughout the 1980s he studied at the University of Bergen, receiving an M. A. in comparative literature in 1987.

During the 1980s, Fosse published his first novels, namely Red, Black in 1983 and Stringed Guitar in 1985. Both works feature the simple style of prose.     3     By this time, he had become an instructor at the Academy of Writing in Hordaland.

    4     And he initially refused to write plays when asked. He gave in in 1992, however, when he needed money. He started writing the dialogue for Someone Is Going to Come in 1996 and found it to be surprisingly easy. Many plays quickly followed. It was, however, French director Claude Régy’s 1999 staging of Someone Is Going to Come in Paris that led to Fosse’s breakthrough in Europe.

Following that success, Fosse focused primarily on writing plays. At the turn of the 21st century, productions of his plays included A Summer’s Day and I Am the Wind. The former one is about a woman who anticipates the return of her husband from a trip out on his boat.     5    

A．He later joined a band.

B．Fosse became world famous.

C．Fosse never planned to become a dramatist.

D．He also works as an instructor and a translator.

E．He also released his first collection of poems in 1986.

F．He had to earn money by writing novels after marriage.

G．The latter focuses on two men experiencing an existential crisis in a fishing boat.

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。

Beneath an orange tent along East 32nd Street Saturday morning, warmly dressed locals     1     (deliver) pies, filled with everything from nuts to apples and cheese, to be judged in the first-ever Great Waverly Pie Contest. After thorough evaluations based on taste,     2     (present) , and number of ingredients (原料) , a sweet pie by Matt Maxion and a savory (香草的) pie by Garrick Houston took top     3     (honor) .

“My mother’s family is from the Louisiana-Texas border, so I grew up eating jambalaya (什锦饭) ,” explained Houston. Drawing inspiration from his mother’s jambalaya recipe, Garrick Houston made his pie that contained ingredients like sausage, olive oil, and bell peppers     4     (source) from local farmers’ markets. “I    5     (live) in Maryland for four years when I was young. So I wanted to combine my past,     6     is my filling, with my present home,” Houston said.

    7     (similar), Maxion, who moved to Baltimore from California about a year ago, got inspiration for his prize-winning creation—with ingredients including the Southeast Asian plant pandan—from his Filipino hometown. With     8     help from local farmers and VMart Pilipino Store in Nottingham, he credited his successful pie     9     lots of planning and a willingness to lean into the process.

The organizer Martha Lucius was excited     10     (see) the new neighborhood competition come to life, saying, “It’s been great to see all of the excitement.”

4 . Where to Find the Perfect Christmas Tree Around Baltimore This Year

A handful of the area’s best choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms are only a quick road trip away.

A SNOWBALL’S CHANCE TREE FARM

This choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm of 16 acres has been run by a couple since 2005. Open for one weekend only, Dec. 3-4, this year, the new location in Woodstock will offer eight and nine-inch pre-cut Fraser Firs or cut-your-own White Pines & Blue Spruces.

10231 Harvest Fields Drive, Woodstock

DAVIDSON CHRISTMAS TREE FARM

Although it’s been active for more than two centuries, this family-owned Upperco Farm didn’t start to plant Christmas tree seedlings until the late 1960s. The fields are open seven days per week from Nov. 18 to Dec. 17. Wander through its 60-plus acres for eight tree varieties, such as the silver-blue Concolor Fir.

1101 Emory Church Rd., Upperco

FROSTEE TREE FARM

The appropriately named Helen and George Winter began planting and selling trees at their Perry Hall farm in 1974. The two have since passed away, but the farm, now operated by Paul Stiffler, has 15 acres of ready-to-cut trees ranging from Scotch Pine to White Pine, Douglas Pine, and Norway Spruce. The farm re-opens on the last weekend of November, after Thanksgiving.

8926 Cowenton Ave., Perry Hall

GAVER FARM

Owner Michael Gaver was just 17 when he established this Mt. Airy farm in 1978. Today, it holds 70 acres of cut-your-own trees, with varieties such as the Colorado Blue Spruce and the whisper-soft White Pine. Christmas tree shopping starts on Nov. 24. What distinguishes this farm from others is that you can step into the family farm’s cafe for apple cider doughnuts, beef sandwiches, and hot cocoa before you leave.

5501 Detrick Rd., Mt. Airy

1. Which farm has the shortest history of Christmas tree cutting?

A．A SNOWBALL’S CHANCE TREE FARM.

B．DAVIDSON CHRISTMAS TREE FARM.

C．FROSTEE TREE FARM.

D．GAVER FARM.

2. Where is the farm run by Paul Stiffler?

A．10231 Harvest Fields Drive, Woodstock.

B．1101 Emory Church Rd., Upperco.

C．8926 Cowenton Ave., Perry Hall.

D．5501 Detrick Rd., Mt. Airy.

3. What is unique about the largest one of the four farms?

A．It offers drinks and foods.	B．It includes White Pine.
C．It is owned by a family.	D．It is active for about 200 years.

5 . Ten million Americans are considering freelancing (从事自由职业), according to Upwork’s Great Resignation survey. Among those planning to quit their jobs, 52% are giving freelancing serious consideration. What’s more, many are choosing freelancing over full-time work; it’s no longer just a fallback or a side job.

One of the key benefits of freelancing is that you get to choose your own workload. Unrealistic expectations at work and the lack of boundaries have seen many a full-time worker burn out. However, freelancers have much more control over their workloads. This is not to say that freelancers don’t burn out. They manage their workload better and prioritize other aspects of their life. They don’t usually get to choose their boss or their teammates at a traditional job. They get to choose who they work with. Unlike full-time workers, freelancers have greater freedom to do the work they enjoy — and say no to the work they don’t. This results in greater job satisfaction.

Of course, there are disadvantages of pursuing freelancing. Employees in many countries receive benefits that are part of their employment contracts. When you’re a freelancer, you work for yourself so you let go of these benefits. Your workload may be inconsistent. Sometimes when it rains, it pours and you may have multiple projects on your plate. At other times, you may not have much work. This fluctuation in cash flow can feel like a huge negative for new freelancers. As a business owner, your business’s success or failure is entirely dependent on you, which can feel overwhelming. You will also have to learn to become your own best advocate, promoting your products to find new projects and clients and expand your business.

Of course, to freelance or not to freelance depends on yourself. Anyway, businesses are increasingly adding skills. Independent professionals are powering the rebuild. Therefore, more businesses are open to remote work, hiring talent irrespective of their distance from a corporate office. This changing attitude has increased the number of opportunities for freelancers to find high-paying and meaningful work.

1. What contributes to a freelancer’s greater job satisfaction?

A．Making self-selection of job types.

B．Being free from taking responsibility.

C．Enjoying welfare provided by government.

D．Developing harmonious interpersonal relationships.

2. What does the underlined word “fluctuation” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Development.

B．Unsteadiness.

C．Inefficiency.

D．Exchange.

3. What will a freelancer have to do to develop his business?

A．Market himself.	B．Consult professionals.
C．Depend on clients.	D．Improve employment contracts.

4. What does the author think of the future of freelancing?

A．Challenging.

B．Unpredictable.

C．Promising.

D．Changeless.

6 . Money doesn’t grow on trees, as the saying goes, and learning how to spend money wisely is a valuable lesson we should all learn when we are young. In China, a growing number of young individuals are embracing this _________ and finding that being frugal (节俭的) can be both rewarding and _________ .

Young individuals in China are actively engaging with _________ responsibility by sharing their budget-friendly strategies and smart shopping advice across various digital platforms. Known as “koukouzu” or the “Frugal Tribe,” they _________ against impulsive (冲动的) spending on luxury brands or frequent _________ of trendy bubble tea. They would rather save up for good quality clothes that will last a long time, instead of some cheaply made fast-fashion _________ . To resist the temptation of impulse buying, some have chosen to _________ applications like Taobao and Mei-tuan from their devices. These frugal _________ have also banded together to form online communities, with one Douban group boasting a membership of 600,000, where members _________ ideas and support each other in their journey towards financial freedom.

Saving cash through the purchase of used goods is a strategy adopted by many who __________ that second hand does not always mean second rate. __________, I once bought a pair of __________ worn Crockett Jones shoes, a British brand with a regular price tag of $1,200, for a mere $100. What a __________ ! Moreover, choosing secondhand items supports environmental conservation by giving new life to objects that would otherwise __________ in landfills, reducing waste and promoting reuse.

Frugality, __________ in Chinese culture since Confucius, is a virtue. Yet, the joy of bargain hunting adds a modern twist to this ancient wisdom.

1.

A．version

B．restriction

C．principle

D．presentation

2.

A．available

B．enjoyable

C．demanding

D．incredible

3.

A．invisible

B．valuable

C．friendly

D．financial

4.

A．advocate

B．intend

C．indicate

D．pretend

5.

A．visits

B．creations

C．purchases

D．celebrations

6.

A．items

B．shoes

C．pants

D．hats

7.

A．download

B．remove

C．advertise

D．update

8.

A．assistants

B．operators

C．pessimists

D．enthusiasts

9.

A．exchange

B．perform

C．polish

D．presume

10.

A．mean

B．forbid

C．resume

D．recognize

11.

A．Above all

B．For instance

C．In turn

D．On average

12.

A．barely

B．badly

C．deadly

D．totally

13.

A．day

B．bargain

C．pity

D．shame

14.

A．make up

B．turn up

C．bring up

D．end up

15.

A．rooted

B．originated

C．lived

D．spotted

7 . Which film does Mike prefer?

A．The science fiction film.

B．The historical film.

C．The horror film.

8 . Although Sir Isaac Newton did not employ his reflecting telescope to uncover novel astronomical phenomena, he did use it to completely transform how we view the world we live in and the universe as a whole.

Reflecting telescopes use mirrors to bend light and enlarge images, distinguishing them from refractors (折射望远镜) that rely on lenses. Their simplicity in construction and ability to achieve much greater sizes than refractors have led to a transformation in our astronomical knowledge and our comprehension of the universe.

As light passes through glass, various colors or bands are refracted at varying angles, leading to chromatic aberration (色差) and consequently, distorted images when viewed through a lens. In the time of Newton, the technology for producing glass and lenses was still very primitive, and the challenges associated with chromatic aberration had not been adequately addressed. Today we can make lenses that have almost no chromatic aberration but we can’t make them very large. As the size of a lens increases significantly, it becomes extremely heavy, causing its own weight to distort the lens and consequently ruin the image quality.

Newton’s telescope solved these problems. A mirror doesn’t allow light to pass. It simply bounces all the light off the surface. This means there’s no chromatic aberration. Plus, because we only need to bounce light off the surface, we can support the entire mirror on a base, reducing its weight. This allows us to build much larger mirrors without any distortion.

While Galileo is credited with the discovery of moons around Jupiter and Halley with predicting the comet’s orbit, what Newton did do was tie in mathematics, astronomy and our comprehension of the universe through the use of his telescope and his universal gravitation theory.

The original telescope constructed by Newton is preserved and maintained by the Royal Society of London. It is showcased in London and occasionally embarks on international tours as an element of exhibitions.

1. What do we know about Newton’s reflecting telescope?

A．It has a complex structure.

B．It relies on mirrors instead of lenses.

C．It can make the image smaller than a refractor.

D．It helped Newton uncover novel astronomical phenomena.

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

A．Confused.

B．Twisted.

C．Evident.

D．Vivid.

3. What problems did Newton’s telescope manage to solve?

A．Issues with image quality.	B．Restrictions on the size.
C．Challenges of lens making.	D．Limits of light passing angles.

4. What is the author’s purpose of mentioning Galileo and Halley?

A．To state a fact.	B．To raise a point.
C．To explain a concept.	D．To make a comparison.

9 . Have you ever left the house without a jacket on a warm day, only to regret overestimating your freezing weather tolerance? Instead of dashing back home for your coat, there may come time in the near future when you simply use an app to control your clothing’s level of insulation (隔热).

Created by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). FibeRobo is cheap, programmable, shape-changing smart fiber reliant on a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE). Among the uses, clothing filed with the new LCE fiber could adjust the structure to become more insulated in colder temperatures, and vice versa for warmer weather. With an additional ability to combine with electrically conductive threads, a wearer could directly control their FibeRobo clothing or medical wearables like compression clothing via wireless inputs from a controller or smart phone.

As detailed in a recent institute profile, LCEs are composed of molecules (分子) possessing liquid-like properties that can also arrange into periodic crystal formations once cool. Importantly, the team’s new LCE can be flexible between its phases at safe, comfortable temperature levels — an industry first.

The result is a fiber capable of contracting when exposed to heat, and self-reversing as temperatures drop without any external sensors or interwoven components. What’s more, FibeRobo is flexible and strong enough to use within traditional manufacturing methods like embroidery, weaving looms, and knitting machines.

“At the end of the day, you don’t want a top-class fiber.” Jack Forman, an MIT graduate student and paper lead author, said in a statement. “You want a fiber that, when you are working with it, falls into the gathering of materials — one that you can work with just like any other fiber material, but then it has a lot of exciting new capabilities.”

While many current smart textile (纺织品) projects are trying to reinvent how a person can interact with their clothing, these clothing enterprises perhaps may one day expand the number of clothes in your closet. Meanwhile, this newest version may actually downsize your wardrobe.

1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 1?

A．Offer some examples to prove.

B．Lead the readers to the topic.

C．Provide background information

D．Summarize the main idea of the text.

2. What is special about the LCE?

A．It is shape-changing.

B．It contains liquid.

C．It is wearable.

D．It is cheap.

3. What is the author’s attitude to the clothing with FibeRobo?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Doubtful

C．Opposed.

D．Hopeful.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．FibeRobo: a Smart Fiber

B．LCEs: Unique Molecules

C．A Creative Application

D．A New-Style Enterprise

10 . 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。

KEVIN De Bruyne has admitted he might have to rethink his future at Manchester City if they fail in their appeal against a two-year ban from the Champions League.

“The club have told us they will appeal against the ban on European football and that they’re almost 100 per cent sure they are right,” De Bruyne     1     (tell) Belgian paper Het Laatste Nieuws.

“I’m just waiting. I trust my team. Once the decision     2     (make), I will review everything. Two years would be long, in the case of one year I might see. It remains a challenge to be the best and I need that, too.     3     is coming is coming.”

Though City would be petrified of     4     (lose) De Bruyne due to a lack of European football, he did have better news for the club.

The Belgian,     5     leads the Premier League’s assists table this season and is a contender for PFA Player of the Year, says his future is not linked to that of manager Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola is expected to leave when his current City deal     6     (end) next year but De Bruyne does not see that as a reason to move on himself.

“I’m not going to let my decision depend on what Pep is doing,’ he added. ‘Of course I have already worked with other trainers and when Pep leaves, I have to continue     7     (work) with someone else. But I haven’t really paid much attention to that for the time being. There are more important things at the moment.”

    8     (recognize) for his passing, dribbling, tackling and shooting ability, De Bruyne’s playing style has frequently led to the media, coaches, and colleagues ranking him among the best players in the world, and he has often been described as a “complete” footballer. He is now the “best” of Man city which makes the football club rely on one single De Bruyne. This is obvious     9     Man City lost the two Premier League matches which De Bruyne didn’t participate in, scoring none, and it     10     (be) De Bruyne himself contributing a whole lot to save Man City from being slashed by Real Madrid.