I brought home a homemade invitation to a party and showed it to my mother. “I’m not going,” I said. “She’s a new girl named Ruth, and Berniece and Pat aren’t going. She asked the whole class, all 36 of us.” As Momma studied the handmade invitation, she looked strangely sad. Then she announced, “Well, you are going! I’ll pick up a present tomorrow.” I couldn’t believe it. Momma had never made me go to a party!
When Saturday arrived, Momma rushed me out of bed and made me wrap the pretty pink mirror-brush-and-comb set she’d bought. She drove me over in her yellow and white car and then left. Ruth answered the door and guided me to follow her up the steepest, oldest staircase I’d ever seen.
Stepping through the door brought me great relief. The hardwood floors was shining in the sun-filled sitting room. Snow-white doilies (装饰小垫) covered the backs and arms of well-worn furniture. The biggest cake I ever saw sat on one table. It was decorated with nine pink candles, a messily printed Happy Birthday Ruth. Thirty-six cups filled with homemade fudge (软糖) were near the cake—each one with a name on it. “This will be wonderful if everyone gets here.” I thought.
“Where’s your mom?” I asked Ruth. Looking down at the floor, she said, “Well she’s sick.” “Oh. Where’s your dad?” “He’s gone.” Then there was a silence. Some 15 minutes passed… then 10 more. It occurred to me that no one else was coming. How could I get out of here? As I sank into self-pity, I heard muffled (压抑的) sobs. Looking up, I saw tears in Ruth’s eyes. All at once my heart was filled with sympathy for Ruth. There we were two small girls and a cake, 36 candy-filled cups, three dozen party gifts, games to play and prizes to win.
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。
Then I announced to Ruth, “Let’s start our birthday party!”.
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Showing Momma my prizes, I shared my experience at Ruth’s house with her.
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Minor Cold is the 23rd solar term (节气) of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms. For most areas of China, it marks the start of the
During Minor Cold, people always start stocking New Year goods,
Mutton hot pot, chestnuts and baked sweet potato are three
Another important traditional food for Minor Cold is Laba porridge. It is made from more
3 . I was annoyed that my mom had even scheduled the appointment with a doctor for me. As doctors so often do, when he arrived he went straight into the basic small talk about my
But then he
“You don’t know? Well, why don’t you go to college to become a
He looked me straight in the eyes when he
I
I was
| A．career | B．health | C．credit | D．growth |
| A．threw in | B．took in | C．consisted in | D．broke in |
| A．account | B．activity | C．direction | D．movement |
| A．idea | B．evidence | C．reason | D．discovery |
| A．protected | B．explored | C．provided | D．emphasized |
| A．professor | B．doctor | C．lawyer | D．lecturer |
| A．crazy | B．anxious | C．violent | D．greedy |
| A．casually | B．automatically | C．seriously | D．doubtfully |
| A．got away | B．passed out | C．put down | D．rushed off |
| A．continued | B．hesitated | C．intended | D．pretended |
| A．comment | B．conclusion | C．impression | D．burden |
| A．park | B．campus | C．workshop | D．stadium |
| A．frightened | B．annoyed | C．surprised | D．discouraged |
| A．anxiety | B．sympathy | C．guilt | D．confidence |
| A．argument | B．conversation | C．conflict | D．negotiation |
4 . Why does the giant squid (乌贼) have eyes as large as a football? Why do more than 350 species of fish produce their own electricity? Why do dogs become more optimistic after two weeks of plentiful sniffing (嗅)?
The mysteries and miracles of animal senses are revealed in this year's winner of Royal Society Trivedi science book prize. An Immense World by Ed Yong is an exploration of the unique sensory world of other creatures, from tree hoppers to singing frogs, who sense the world in vastly different ways to humans.
Yong has interviewed many kinds of scientists during his writing but sensory biologists are his favourite. “There's a surprising number of sensory biologists who are themselves neuro-atypical—they have something like face blindness or colour blindness,” he says. “Their different than‘normal’ way of experiencing the world themselves might help them better empathize (共情) with other creatures who have those experiences. The core of this book is curiosity and empathy, understanding and valuing animals for their own benefit, and trying to put ourselves in the shoes of creatures who are very different to us.”
Yong's book carries an important message about how our lack of understanding of the sensory worlds of other animals is hugely destructive. Studies have shown that LED lights are particularly damaging to bats and insects. Flowers illuminated (照亮) by bright lights receive 62%fewer visits from insects. Meanwhile, low-frequency noise in oceans has risen 32-fold since the Second World War because of global shipping-damaging whales' ability to communicate.
Unfortunately, reducing noise and light pollution is nowhere near the political agenda. "It's understandable why it's not on the political agenda because it's not a visceral (强烈的) problem like a plastic-ridden beach or chemicals billowing from a smokestack, ”says Yong. “Light and sound don't produce the same kind of horror. Light especially feels like an entirely good thing-we want more light in our lives; light is knowledge, safety, beauty and goodness. So just raising awareness that these are problems that could be tackled is an important first step and one I hope An Immense World moves people further towards taking."
1. What is An Immense World aimed at?| A．Popularizing scientific knowledge. |
| B．Exploring the origin of the universe. |
| C．Revealing the unknown lives of animals. |
| D．Building harmony between man and nature. |
| A．They are pleasant to talk with. | B．They are more knowledgeable. |
| C．They have abnormal behaviour. | D．They identify with the creatures. |
| A．Their seriousness is not so obvious. | B．There is a lack of government funds. |
| C．There is public ignorance about them. | D．They have been brought under control. |
| A．A news report. | B．A biology textbook. | C．A research paper. | D．A book review. |
5 . African grey parrots (鹦鹉) help their peers complete tasks despite no immediate benefit to themselves, researchers have found in the first study to show that birds display such apparently “selfless” behaviour.
Writing in the journal Current Biology, Brucks and colleagues report how they tested African grey parrots in a task that involved the birds passing a token, in the form of a metal ring, through a hole in their section to a neighbouring bird of the same species. This token could then be passed by the second bird to a human, via another hole, who would exchange it for a piece of nut.
The team found African grey parrots helped their neighbours by passing tokens to their neighbour when a human held out their hand, allowing the second bird to drop it through-the hole and receive a tasty treat.
The same behaviour was seen when the roles of the birds were reversed (颠倒). The more tokens a bird had previously given, the more they received in return.
However, the team stress previously the birds did not know that their favour would be rewarded, suggesting it is something of a “selfless” act.
The team say it may be due to African grey parrots gathering in huge flocks at night but splitting into smaller groups during the day to forage (觅食). Brucks said such behaviour is thought to require strong social cognitive (认知) abilities, adding that being helpful might help the birds gain a good reputation with their peers, making it more likely they would team up for foraging and other tasks.
Dr Manon Schweinfurth, an expert in animal behaviour, said evidence of reciprocal (互惠的) behaviour in African grey parrots is quite interesting. “It has been thought that it is so cognitively demanding that only humans can show it. But we now get more and more evidence from other animals that they are able to show reciprocity,” she said.
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The methods of observation. | B．The comparison of the species. |
| C．One feeding behaviour of parrots. | D．One example of Brucks’ experiments. |
| A．there was no human signal | B．there was no neighbor request |
| C．they received no instant reward | D．they got punished for a selfish act |
| A．Possible reasons for the research finding. | B．Potential application of the research result. |
| C．A further explanation of the research method. | D．A reasonable doubt about the research process. |
| A．A scientific discovery about grey parrots. | B．The development of parrots’ selfless spirit. |
| C．A practical experiment on animal behaviour. | D．The protection of parrots’ living environment. |
6 . Welcome to Buckler’s Hard
Fun facts about Buckler’s Hard
A former ship-building village on the River Beaulieu in the New Forest. The setting is lovely, two rows of well-preserved red-brick workers’ cottages-separated by a lawn-lead down to the water’s edge where boats glide past. Attractions include a maritime (航海) museum telling the story of warships built for Nelson’s navy and other moments in seafaring history.
Costumed volunteers are on hand to answer questions and entertain children with, say, a game of coits or explain how families lived in the Shipwright’s Cottage. In summer hop on a boat for a cruise(漫游)up the river(extra charge).
Getting there
Take the M27, exit at junction 2 and follow the tourist signs towards nearby Beaulieu motor museum-from there Buckler’s Hard is signposted. The car park is an extra £6-£10. Train to Brockenhurst then taxi-or hire a bike and cycle the three miles through the New Forest.
Value for money?
Yes. The amount of time you take will likely depend on the weather. On a sunny day you could easily spend an afternoon for a reasonable £6.90 (adult), £4.70 (child 5-16) or £21 (family ticket for four).
Opening hours
10 a.m.-6 p.m. every day, except Christmas Day.
1. What can visitors do in Buckler’s Hard?| A．Volunteer in cruise boats. | B．Explore maritime history. |
| C．Play games with children. | D．Experience the country life. |
| A．£13.80. | B．£18.50. | C．£21. | D．£ 23.20. |
| A．It offers free river cruises. | B．It is conveniently located. |
| C．It charges no parking fees. | D．It opens all the year round. |
Litter is everywhere, doing great harm to the environment and life on our planet. Jeff Kirschner, who wants to build a litter-free world, started a
The story began with his 6-year-old daughter. One day they were going on a hike
Jeff started to take
Hector stood in the front of his classroom as one of the last two competitors in the Class Five Geography Competition. His opponent having missed the last question, it was Hector’s turn. If he answered his question correctly, he would be the champion of Class Five.
“Where did I put that second sheet of questions?” Mr. Adler whispered while searching through a thick pile of papers on his messy desk. Mr. Adler, though a great teacher, had a reputation of being disorganized with a long history of misplacing things. “Oh well, I apologize for the delay.” said Mr. Adler after what seemed like a long time. “Hector, please tell us the capital city of Brazil.” Hearing the question, Hector smiled. Then, there was the answer.
Later that day in the courtyard, many classmates congratulated Hector. Wearing a proud smile, he greeted and thanked them all. Oh, the sweet taste of victory.
As it was getting late, the courtyard became deserted. But Hector still didn’t want to leave. Then he saw Mr. Adler crossing the courtyard and holding a half-open bag full of papers. As he hurried past, an envelope dropped out but Mr. Adler was unaware. He turned a corner and disappeared out of sight. Hector picked it up. On the envelope were the words “School Geography Competition Questions and Answers”. Hector stared wide-eyed at the envelope. Before he even had time to reflect on the consequences, he opened it and read the questions.
As soon as Hector had done it, he knew it was the wrong choice. He’d cheated and whatever he did now, he couldn’t change the fact. “What if Mr. Adler thought I stole this morning’s questions too?” Hector thought. “He’d take away my Class Five victory for sure.” Little did he know that one of the best days in his life would be turned into the worst so quickly. Torn by his conscience(良知), Hector was totally at a loss what to do.
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。
Before he realized it, Hector found himself standing in Mr. Adler’s room.
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The next day the entire school came to watch the School Geography Competition.
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9 . Just like happiness and sadness, anxiety is part of everyone’s lived experience—but it’s not always tolerated as such. “People often spend too much time and effort trying to rid anxiety,” says Dr Joel Minden, a clinical psychologist. “I encourage them to remember that anxiety is a normal emotional response.”
If you try to banish anxiety, all you’re doing is putting it more at the forefront of your mind. But if you accept anxiety as part of life, you can learn to relate to it with self-pity or even with humour. This is a cornerstone of acceptance and commitment therapy(ACT), which has been gaining clinical validation, including by the American Psychological Association. ACT guides people to see their unpleasant emotions as just feelings and to accept that parts of life are hard. Sufferers are encouraged to begin a dialogue with anxious thoughts, examining their causes while also keeping in mind their personal goals and values.
This way of relating to anxiety has been a powerful strategy for John Bateman, the 52-year-old host of the podcast Our Anxiety Stories. When negative thoughts arise, he acknowledges them but doesn’t let them drive his decisions. Over the years, Bateman has noticed that if he submits to his thoughts, they don’t go away but dramatically increase. But if he recognizes them for what they are, just a passing thought and not a fact that needs to be acted on, they gradually go away.
Learning to live with anxiety is an individual process and one that requires trial and error to get just right. While acceptance is the first and most important step to take, some lifestyle changes have been proven to take the edge off, as well. Since tiredness, increased tension and stress leave us much easier to fall into anxiety, a well-balanced diet, sufficient rest and, especially, regular exercise can help us manage it better.
1. What may Dr Joel Minden agree about anxiety?| A．It is often improperly treated. | B．It should be seriously taken. |
| C．It is easily-earned experience. | D．It goes hand in hand with joy. |
| A．Identify. | B．Hide. | C．Rid | D．Overlook. |
| A．To explain a strategy. | B．To describe a phenomenon. |
| C．To introduce a public figure. | D．To present a successful case. |
| A．Concentrating on the process. | B．Making lifestyle adjustments. |
| C．Avoiding exposure to pressure. | D．Learning to get things in place. |
10 . Millions of young people grow up with a deep love of Disney.
Cori Borgstadt, however, has a slightly different
Borgstadt, now 18, has
She is studying economics and film and media studies at Texas Tech University, and has
The love of Disney has always been in Borgstadt’s
Borgstadt
| A．Inspired | B．Selected | C．Financed | D．Transformed |
| A．imagination | B．assumption | C．description | D．ambition |
| A．turning out | B．growing up | C．setting out | D．giving in |
| A．calling | B．attending | C．reporting | D．chairing |
| A．created | B．owned | C．loved | D．missed |
| A．related to | B．adapted from | C．struck by | D．combined with |
| A．studios | B．positions | C．offices | D．shares |
| A．asked | B．bothered | C．informed | D．warned |
| A．support | B．approach | C．replace | D．attract |
| A．dream | B．plan | C．family | D．generation |
| A．consequently | B．regularly | C．instantly | D．specifically |
| A．accepts | B．recalls | C．proves | D．doubts |
| A．character | B．theme | C．membership | D．fairytale |
| A．anxious | B．qualified | C．determined | D．content |
| A．creation | B．presence | C．honesty | D．appreciation |
