When my mom announced that my dad had fixed the old car in his garage, I felt excited—I had wheels! I called my friend Steph and made plans to have dinner at her house the next day.
The following morning, I woke up early and put on a black skirt and jacket. “Aren’t you dressed too lightly?” Mom asked. “There’s a snowstorm coming.” “I’ll be inside,” I replied as I headed out.
As I began the forty-minute drive, I was in high spirits. However, halfway there it started to snow like mad. Cars slowed. The sound of a siren announced the approach of an ambulance and I pulled aside to let it pass. As I inched back into my lane, the traffic light ahead turned red. I stopped.
When the light turned green, I pressed on the gas, but the old car died. I tried to start it. One click, then nothing. Before I could do anything else, two young men raced over from the nearby sidewalk. I rolled down my window a little.
“Give us a second,” one of them said, “We’ll help you out of here.” Soon, they began pushing the car. With their guidance, I steered into a parking spot in front of a grocery store. “You’ll be fine now,” they said, and before I could even thank them, they walked into the grocery store.
The snow was falling faster now. I called Steph on my cellphone to cancel our plan. Next, I called my parents to come and get me. Now all I had to do was wait, but I was very hungry and cold. I sighed, regretting not taking my mom’s advice.
Just as I sat waiting in the car, I noticed a man walking towards me. It was one of the men who had just helped me. I rolled down the window at once.
注意:
1. 续写词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
After a brief greeting, he told me this was his parents’ store.
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2 . The Most Beautiful Train Stations in the World
Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building
The wide-open entrance square on the Marunouchi side of Tokyo’s main train station would look more at home in Amsterdam or Paris. Kingo Tatsuno’s classical European design took over six years to complete, finally opening in 1914. The statin has received several facelifts since the Second World War, most recently in 2012. It’s one of the biggest and busiest train stations in the world.
Beijing West Railway Station
The idea of building this station in the capital of China was put forward as early as 1959 but didn’t come to reality until 1996. It was the largest station in Asia at the time, although Shanghai’s Hongqiao Station has since surpassed it. The station itself has a unique architectural (建筑的) style, with the main body of the building having quite a functional Russian look, but the rooftop is decorated with three amazing Chinese pagodas.
Duoliang Station, Taiwan
This is the smallest station on this lit by a distance. In fact we’re not really choosing Duoliang for architectural reasons. This station is all about location, location, location. Surrounded by hi top greenery on one side and amazing Pacific Ocean scenery on the other, it’s one of the most scenic spots in all of Taiwan. This isn’t even a working station anymore, but the platforms have been adapted into viewing spots, extremely popular with local train spotters.
Stazione Milano Centrale in Milan
Milan’s central train station looks pretty much exactly as you’d imagine it. There are a mix of styles at play here, from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, but the entire building is filled with a classic sense of Roman monumentality. The outer look is guarded by two statues, while its insides are equally impressive, as grand stonewalls curve (弯曲) into the station’s glass ceilings.
1. What do Tokyo Station and Beijing West Railway Station have in common?A.Both have European features. |
B.Both were built in the early 1990s. |
C.Both have been rebuilt several times. |
D.Both are the largest domestic stations. |
A.Its distance. | B.Its small size. |
C.Its surrounding scenery. | D.Its architectural style. |
A.Roman buildings | B.Its various styles. |
C.Statues on the walls | D.The curving ceilings. |
3 . The last attempt of Ken Campbell to run could date back to high school. When his wife, Susan, injured her foot, she needed support to rejoin her running group, so Campbell went along to keep her company in the recovery.” We were just walking at the beginning,” he says, “I was heavy, and weighed over 90kg.” But as the weeks and months passed, the weight fell away, Susan recovered and Campbell’s abilities grew. At the age of 63, he ran 50km, and at 70, he completed a 100km ultramarathon.
So how does someone with no experience of running become an ultradistance runner in his 60s and 70s? Susan had run marathons before her injury, but for Campbell, the turning point came when Susan’s Fleet Feet running group started training near their home.
Campbell went out to visit Susan’s group, and “the paths were a terrible mess. It had been raining, and I was slipping, sliding and falling. But I thought, well, I like this a lot.” What he liked above all was the feeling of “being wrapped by the path, being hugged by the closeness of the plants and the nearness of the river”.
Running the 100km ultramarathon took Campbell 16 hours. When Campbell crossed the finish line, Susan handed hima100km sticker to display on the back of his truck. “It is a public statement that you are part of this community,” he says. “Wherever we park, I see a line of vehicles with their various stickers and I feel that we area community.”
Campbell suffered from arthritis before he started running, and was “waiting for knee replacement”, but for now, he no longer needs an operation. It can put an end to the running—but the “sense of wellbeing and achievement will carry me on forever”, he says, “If I can’t run, I will walk.”
1. What is Paragraph 1 mainly about?A.What led to Campbell’s weight loss. |
B.What made Campbell start running. |
C.Why Campbell attempted to run marathon. |
D.What Campbell did for Susan’s recovery. |
A.Susan’s starting training. | B.Falling down when training. |
C.Feeling free in nature. | D.His visit to Susan’s group. |
A.A sense of belonging. | B.Encouragement from his wife. |
C.A sense of achievement. | D.Display of his happiness. |
A.Well begun is half done. | B.It is never too late to begin. |
C.Failure is the mother of success. | D.Actions speak louder than words. |
4 . “Look, Mum, he paints like me!” Eight-year-old Alexandra Nechita had just discovered Pablo Picasso’s artwork for the first time. The art world
Even at age two, Alexandra spent nearly all her time on her coloring books.
When Alexandra was four, her parents began to notice the figures she
Alexandra’s classmates would sometimes
Within a year, Alexandra had several other exhibitions. By then, she had
Today Alexandra
A.improved | B.agreed | C.waited | D.broke |
A.friendly | B.talented | C.worried | D.honest |
A.Afraid | B.Sure | C.Proud | D.Ashamed |
A.promised | B.proved | C.reported | D.hoped |
A.called | B.drove | C.brought | D.sent |
A.drew | B.counted | C.explained | D.met |
A.stopped | B.started | C.suggested | D.avoided |
A.learn from | B.seek for | C.point at | D.laugh at |
A.conference | B.system | C.party | D.exhibition |
A.completed | B.used | C.copied | D.lost |
A.role | B.taste | C.selection | D.attention |
A.directly | B.suddenly | C.still | D.seldom |
A.style | B.time | C.energy | D.money |
A.on holiday | B.in power | C.on duty | D.in need |
A.campus | B.confidence | C.love | D.injury |
5 . There are many ways in which a person’s body language can give you information about whether they are lying or not.
One of the biggest signs that a person is telling lies is that he avoids eye contact during conversation. He may also touch his face often, covering his mouth with his hand very often. Touching the nose is also said to be a sign of taking others’ attention to cover up lies. A person who is not telling the truth may be trying to make you focus on his actions rather than his words.
When a liar (说谎者) tells lies, his physical expression is often very stiff (僵硬的). If he is smiling as he speaks, only the mouth will move. A real smile naturally causes movement of the mouth, eyes, forehead, cheeks, and jaw.
The liar’s hand, leg and arm movements are toward his own body. He takes up little space. The person’s body language is closed off. Liars do not look relaxed, even though they may be trying to give the impression that they are.
When explaining something, a liar usually feels uncomfortable with pauses (停顿) or silences. The person may speak gently or in disordered words. A very skillful liar is able to speak directly and with confidence. In fact, some salespeople are best at this skill.
If you doubt someone is lying, change the topic of conversation suddenly. The liar will willingly change topics with you and become more relaxed. A person who is telling the truth will generally become confused by this sudden change. Another sign of someone telling a lie is yawning (哈欠) — the person may try and look as relaxed as possible, and yawing and stretching are ways of achieving this.
1. Why do liars often cover their mouths?A.To show their own skill. | B.To avoid the mouth’s stiffness. |
C.To smile because they feel shy. | D.To change the listener’s attention. |
A.They speak softly. | B.They say “by the way”. |
C.They speak confidently. | D.They are anxious while lying. |
A.Uncomfortable. | B.Relaxing seemingly. | C.Worrying. | D.Exciting. |
A.By giving explanation. | B.By listing numbers. |
C.By using others’ words. | D.By showing results of research. |
6 . All we know about the abandoned (被抛弃的) newborn cat that made news for its genetic rareness comes from a web. A user named Vodkaholy posted a handful of photos of the tiny cat with a few background details.
No one knows how the newborn cat ended up in a rubbish bag, but it is very common for heartless people to abandon cats they choose not to care for. Luckily, Vodkaholy’s aunt heard the tiny mews that the cat was letting out. It appears she was the one who rescued the baby, who was only a week old. Not only had the cat been immediately abandoned after it was born, but it was injured and had developed a serious illness. Just a few days old, it had a broken leg and a badly injured paw (爪). Sadly, after the cat’s rescuer took it to the vet (兽医), they found out that the paw couldn’t be saved.
No doubt it was a shock to find such a sad cat abandoned in the rubbish bag, but the vet had another big surprise for the woman. It was a male calico cat (花斑猫)! The vet said it was really scarce for calico cats to be male. However, it won’t be a dad to any more calico cats. It was born with some kind of illness, but the vet said it’s normal for male calico cats. “Except for that, it is a normal happy cat, healthy as a horse,” Vodkaholy said.
Vodkaholy’s aunt is keeping the cat. It grows healthy and happy even if it only has 3 paws. And it is not the first cat this sweet aunt has brought home.
1. What can we infer about the abandoned cat?A.It had three paws at birth. | B.It was abandoned by a naughty boy. |
C.It was in bad condition when it was found. | D.It called loudly when Vodkaholy passed by. |
A.She is warm-hearted and caring. | B.She is smart but impatient. |
C.She is hard-working but rude. | D.She is kind and curious. |
A.Graceful. | B.Challenging. | C.Frightening. | D.Unusual. |
A.A Funny Story of a Kind Aunt | B.A Young Cat Lost Its Way Home |
C.A Kind Lady Saved a Cat in a Dustbin | D.A Kind Lady Asking for Help on the Internet |
Long long ago, there was a little prince who was used to having everything he wanted. He was so badly behaved that he wouldn’t let anybody have a new toy if he didn’t have it first. If any child in the land wanted a new toy, they had to buy two and give one to him. Therefore, the little prince had no friends except for his toys.
One day a magic toymaker, who invented the most wonderful toys, came to the land. The little prince liked his toys so much that he invited him to spend an entire year in the palace, promising him great wealth if he made him a new toy every day. The toymaker set just one condition: “My toys are very special and need an owner who will play with them” he said. “Will you be able to devote a little time to each one every day?” “Of course, I will” the little prince replied impatiently.
From then on, every morning the little prince received a new toy. Every day the toymaker delivered a toy better than the previous ones. The little prince appeared very happy.
But the toy collection kept growing and, after a few weeks there were simply too many toys to play with all of them every day. So, one day the little prince put a few toys to one side, hoping that the toymaker wouldn’t notice. However, when it was night time and he was ready to go to bed. The toys that had been put away lined up in front of him and, one by one, demanded their daily playtime. The little prince couldn’t get to sleep until well past midnight because he had to play with every single toy.
Next day, tired after all his efforts, the prince slept very late. In the little time left of the day, he had to get to know a new toy and then play with all the others too. Once again, he finished very late and was so tired he could hardly stop yawning (打哈欠).
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。
Every day was a little bit worse than the one before, with the same amount of time but one extra toy to play with.
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The children saw the prince, wondering whether the prince would force them to hand over their toys just like before.
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8 . The International Federation of Pickleball, with 60 member countries and counties, is working to make sure pickleball will be part of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“Pickleball comes from tennis, badminton and table tennis,” says Hope Tolley, managing director of USA Pickleball.
Unlike tennis, you can score only when it’s your turn to serve. What you should do is keep the ball in the air, and if your opponent(called the receiver)fails to return the ball over the net, you get the point.
People who are really into the sport can join tournaments at various levels. The first World Pickleball Games will be held next summer in Austin, Texas.
A.Here’s how the game is played. |
B.So be sure to hit with enough force. |
C.Make sure you can’t stand in wrong position. |
D.Playing pickleball can’t have any negative impact on players. |
E.It’s played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly lowered tennis net. |
F.If you haven’t played it yourself, you’ve probably at least heard of pickleball. |
G.By 2030, pickleball is expected to have as many as 40 million players worldwide. |
9 . Speaking two languages deeply affects the brain and changes how the nervous system reacts to sound, and researches have shown that learning a foreign language can strengthen brain power, but a new study suggests that the effects go further to those who begin in middle childhood.
It indicates that people who began learning a foreign language at 10 and were always exposed to the language, meaning they heard and used it in daily life, had improvements in the structure of the brain’s white matter compared with people who grew up speaking only one language and did not learn a foreign language.
These “higher levels of structural integrity(完整性)” were in areas responsible for language learning and semantic(语义的)processing, which occurs when the meaning of a word is encoded and related to similar words with similar meaning.
The new findings, published in the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, studied brain scans from 200 subjects(实验者), all around the age of 30, who lived in Britain for at least 13 months. They all started learning English as a foreign language at the age of 10.
Their imaging scans were compared with people of similar age who spoke only English. The study was led by Christos of the University of Kent School of Psychology in Britain.
“Everyday dealing with more than one language benefits specific language-related brain structures by preserving their integrity, and therefore it protects them against deterioration in older age,” the study found.
1. Who may have stronger brain power according to the text?A.A person who learns English as a foreign language. |
B.A person who speaks English as a mother language. |
C.A person who can speak English well at an early age. |
D.A person who hears and uses English in everyday life. |
A.The 200 subjects lived in Britain to learn English. |
B.The 200 subjects studied English at the age of 30. |
C.The structure of their brains’ white matter improved. |
D.The structure of their brains’ white matter disappeared. |
A.Evolving. | B.Reaction. | C.Worsening. | D.Formation. |
A.Speaking two languages affects the brain seriously. |
B.Speaking two languages changes how the brain works. |
C.Learning a foreign language can affect people’s childhood. |
D.Learning a foreign language at 10 strengthens brain power. |
In the Palace Museum, visitors put themselves in an architectural complex full of characteristics of Chinese culture. To improve
With a research team, the Palace Museum has been finding
And digital technologies