1. Who is the speaker aimed at?
A.Those who feel depressed. |
B.Those who need some rest. |
C.Those who are music lovers. |
A.Talk to Tessa. | B.Play some music. | C.Hang out with friends. |
A.She's a hostess. | B.She's a musician. | C.She's a psychology teacher. |
1. Why does Phyllis call Evan Peters?
A.To send an invitation. |
B.To offer some information. |
C.To confirm a booking. |
A.Buy the ticket another day. |
B.Plan the trip in advance. |
C.Contact the airline immediately. |
3 . Donnie Wiseman was worn out after work. But his son was
Inside viewing windows was the show’s star attraction, a huge alligator (短吻鳄). It swam around the pool before
For the sake of
Outside the enclosure, some
Apart from minor wounds, Wiseman was more
A.dependent | B.keen | C.demanding | D.strict |
A.sent | B.directed | C.invited | D.accompanied |
A.resting | B.ducking | C.shaking | D.nodding |
A.scary | B.hungry | C.clumsy | D.foxy |
A.amusement | B.trust | C.safety | D.respect |
A.trap | B.attempt | C.contract | D.practice |
A.Abnormally | B.Undoubtedly | C.Greedily | D.Deliberately |
A.signaled | B.dragged | C.cheated | D.guided |
A.wondered | B.checked | C.pictured | D.recalled |
A.strange | B.casual | C.wrong | D.constant |
A.scheduled | B.instructed | C.illustrated | D.modeled |
A.remote | B.short | C.dead | D.still |
A.bite | B.attachment | C.burden | D.attention |
A.distributed | B.appreciated | C.seized | D.missed |
A.confident | B.depressed | C.regretful | D.fearful |
A Little Boy
A little boy selling magazines for school walked up to a house that people rarely visited. The house was very old and shabby and the owner hardly ever came out. When he did come out, he would not say hello to his neighbors or passers-by but simply just glared at them.
The boy knocked on the door and waited, sweating from fear of the old man. The boy’s parents told him to stay away from the house, and a lot of other neighborhood children were told the same thing from their parents.
Dusk found the boy lingering on and hesitating what to do. As he was ready to walk away, the door slowly opened. “What do you want?” the old man said impatiently. The little boy was very afraid but he had a quota (定额) to meet for school with selling the magazines. So he got up the courage and said, “Uh, Sir, I am selling these magazines and, uh, I was wondering if you would like to buy one from me.”
The old man just stared at the boy without a word. The boy could see inside the old man’s house and saw that he had dog figurines (小雕像) on the fireplace mantle. “Do you collect dogs?” The little boy asked. “Yes, I have many collections in my house. They are my family here and they are all I have.” The boy then felt sorry for the man, as it seemed that he was a very lonely soul.
“Well, I do have a magazine here for collectors. It is perfect for you. I also have one about dogs since you like dogs so much.” The old man was ready to close the door on the boy and said, “No, boy. I don’t need any magazines of any kind, now goodbye.”
The little boy was sad that he was not going to make his quota with the sale. He was also sad for the old man being so alone in the house that he owned. The boy went home and then had an idea. He had a little dog figurine that he got some years ago from an aunt. The figurine did not mean nearly as much to him since he had a real live dog and a large family.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
The little boy headed back down to the old man’s house.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________From that day on something changed inside the old man.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Top Theme Parks and Amusement Parks in Australia
Magic Mountain Merimbula
Located in the town of Merimbula, this small theme park is situated on the Sapphire Coast. There are multiple attractions in this place including Kiddie Splash Pool, Magic Carpet Slide and the Diamond Pyth on Roller Coaster. You can buy souvenirs from the gift shops for friends and family back home.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm
Price: $90 per person
The Big Banana Fun Park
The Big Banana Fun Park is located in the city of Coffs Harbour and it boasts a large walk-through banana. Guests can go roller skating at the ice-skating rink, enjoy water slides and play golf.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm
Price: $25 per adult (age 13-99); $15 per child (age 1-12)
Wet Wild Gold Coast
Owned and operated by the Village Roadshow Theme Parks, this park features 17 water slides, 4 pools, and 2 children’s areas. If you are traveling during the winter season, there is nothing to worry as the pools and slides are heated according to your convenience.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm
Price: $24 per person
Big Splash Waterpark
Featuring nine slides, a 50-meter (164 feet) pool, and kiddie pools, this park is a perfect spot to chill when the sun is out. Being one of the oldest theme parks in Australia, it boasts the famous Jammo Pool.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm
Price: $150 per adult (age 13-99); 40% discount per child (age 1-12)
Enjoy with your kids at one of the theme parks in Australia.
1. What can visitors do in The Big Banana Fun Park?A.Ride on a roller coaster. | B.Play golf. |
C.Buy gifts. | D.Taste big bananas. |
A.$60. | B.$90. | C.$120. | D.$180. |
A.Parents. | B.Children. | C.Guides. | D.Swimmers. |
6 . Four Inventions That Changed the World
The course of human evolution has been filled with inventions. The following inventions changed the world in one way or another.
Match
Many of us wonder what life was like before matches. We can thank a British pharmacist and his dirty mixing stick. In 1820s, John Walker noticed a dried lump on the end of a stick while he was stirring a mix of chemicals. When he tried to scrape (刮掉) it off, flames appeared. The initial matches were made of cardboard but soon the matches came in a box equipped with a piece of sandpaper for striking.
Penicillin
Penicillin was discovered in 1928 when a young bacteriologist, Alexander Fleming, was tidying up his lab. After having been on vacation, he returned to work to find that a dish of Staphylococcus bacteria had been left uncovered, and he noticed that mould (霉菌) on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. His further research found that it could kill other bacteria.
Microwave Oven
Of all the sci-fi kitchen appliances, the microwave oven really relieves the load on housewives. It was discovered in the 1940s. When Percy Spencer, an engineer, was working on a magnetron (磁控管), he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket had started to melt due to the microwaves. Spencer found that indeed, when food was placed in the box with the microwave energy, it cooked quickly.
Plastic
The first plastic was invented in 1907 by Leo Hendrik Baekeland. His initial quest was to invent a ready replacement for shellac (虫胶), an expensive product got from lac beetles. Baekeland combined formaldehyde (甲醛) with a waste product of coal, and heated the mixture. Rather than a shellac-like material, he created a substance that didn’t melt under heat and stress.
1. Who invented matches?A.John Walker. | B.Alexander Fleming. |
C.Percy Spencer. | D.Leo Hendrik Baekeland. |
A.A shellac-like material. | B.A product from lac beetles. |
C.A replacement for shellac. | D.A waste product of coal. |
A.They were the results of joint efforts. | B.They were the accidental discoveries. |
C.They were the fruits of years of research. | D.They were unaccepted when coming out. |
7 . The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their work on mRNA vaccines (疫苗), a crucial tool in holding back the spread of COVID-19.
Karikó,68, is from Hungary. In the 1970s, she began studying a new area of research: messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA is a special molecule (分子) which carries instructions that tell cells what proteins to make. Proteins are one of the building blocks of life. They’re involved in almost every process in living things, from fighting diseases to building muscles to helping our bodies work. Karikó was excited about the idea that mRNA could be used to help the body fight many different diseases.
In 1985, Karikó moved to America to continue her research. In 1989, she joined the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in Philadelphia as a scientist. But as time went on, the initial excitement surrounding mRNA research started to disappear, and other scientists thought it was too financially risky to fund. Karikó had trouble getting money for her research. She even got a pay cut from the school. What’s worse, at this time, she suffered from cancer. But she stuck at it.
Karikó got to know another UPenn scientist, Drew Weissman in the late 1990s while photocopying research papers. He was hoping to find a way to create a vaccine for a disease known as HIV. The two began talking and soon decided to work together.
One of the biggest problems in using mRNA as a medicine was that the human body saw mRNA as an enemy and fought it off. Together, they came up with an approach to treating mRNA.In 2005, they published their key discovery: mRNA could be changed and delivered effectively into the body to activate (激活) the body’s protective immune system. Thanks to their work, companies were able to develop mRNA vaccines far more quickly than ever before, which have saved millions of lives around the world.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about regarding mRNA?A.Its reflections on health. | B.Its main components. |
C.Its threats to proteins. | D.Its research values. |
A.He met Karikó by accident. | B.He applied mRNA to HIV. |
C.He invited Karikó to UPenn. | D.He helped discover mRNA. |
A.Their idea on how to recognize COVID-19 fast. |
B.Their method of testing the mRNA vaccines’ effect. |
C.Their way to make the human body accept mRNA. |
D.Their experiment of activating the immune system. |
A.We should pursue excellence in our careers. |
B.Creativity results from challenging authority. |
C.Scientists’ work follows technological trends. |
D.Success comes from a lasting desire to explore. |
8 . A year ago I paid no attention to English idioms,
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to
“Certainly, everyone back home will
I said, “Didn’t you say ‘You don’t say’?”
Hearing this, the Englishman
Then I knew I had made a fool of
A.though | B.when | C.if | D.as |
A.walk | B.talk | C.play | D.go |
A.proper | B.strange | C.safe | D.polite |
A.On | B.In | C.All | D.By |
A.gone | B.visited | C.seen | D.been |
A.look at | B.think of | C.send for | D.laugh at |
A.interesting | B.interest | C.interests | D.interested |
A.Really | B.Good | C.You don’t say | D.You are right |
A.be | B.help | C.think | D.do |
A.laughed | B.cried | C.moved | D.came |
A.explain | B.shout | C.prove | D.say |
A.experience | B.explanation | C.expression | D.example |
A.for | B.at | C.to | D.in |
A.me | B.myself | C.him | D.somebody |
A.helpful | B.popular | C.careful | D.satisfied |
9 . We have recently heard some interesting ways that 5G technology might change our lives in the future. 5G promises Internet speeds between 50 to 100 times faster than 4G systems. Such improvements are sure to be popular with 5G users worldwide. While it is set to start only in just a few areas of the United States this year, much of the rest of the world is not expected to receive this service until 2023.
One project in Britain, though, is already testing this super-fast technology, but not on humans. Instead, the experimental subjects are an unlikely group of Internet users— cows. The system connects the animals to 5G in an effort to automate (使自动化) the milking process.
The project was developed by American technology company Cisco Systems. Testing areas were set up at farms in three rural areas of England. The cows are equipped with 5G-connected devices that link up to a robotic milking system. The system uses sensors (传感器) and machine learning to fully automate the process.
System designers say technology takes over after a cow feels ready to be milked and walks toward an automatic gate. The device is designed to recognize each cow. It then positions equipment to the right body position for milking. During the process, machines offer food for the cow as a reward.
One of the test areas is in the town of Shepton Mallet in southwest England. There, about 50 of the farm’s 180 cows are fitted with 5G smart collars and ear sensors. Project officials say the devices do not harm the cows and the sensors help farmers immediately find problems or health concerns.
Duncan Forbes, the project leader, told Reuters that so far, he thinks the project shows the farm’s cow operations can be greatly improved with 5G technology.
Forbes added that the experiment provides strong evidence that 5G technology can be widely used in the future “not just on farms, but in rural communities right across the country”.
1. What do we know about 5G technology from the first two paragraphs?A.It has changed our lives. | B.It has more users than 4G. |
C.It has not been widely used. | D.It has been used on cows in the US. |
A.The introduction of 5G devices. | B.The milking process with 5G technology. |
C.The purpose of system designers. | D.The way machines provide cows with food |
A.To recognize every cow. | B.To judge their position. |
C.To reduce the harm from devices. | D.To find their health problems |
A.Hopeful. | B.Doubtful. | C.Worried. | D.Uncaring |
10 . In 1970s, a psychologist named J. P. Guilford conducted a famous study of creativity known as the nine-dot puzzle (九点谜题). He challenged research subjects to connect all nine dots using just four straight lines without lifting their pencils from the page. All the participants limited the possible solutions to those within the imaginary square. Only 20 percent managed to break out of the confinement (束缚) and continue their lines in the white space surrounding the dots.
The fact that 80 percent of the participants were effectively blinded by the boundaries of the square led Guilford to jump to the sweeping conclusion that creativity requires you to go outside the box. The idea went viral. Overnight, it seemed that creativity experts everywhere were teaching managers how to think outside the box. The concept enjoyed such strong popularity that no one bothered to check the facts. No one, that is, before two different research teams-Clarke Burnham with Kenneth Davis, and Joseph Alba with Robert Weisberg-ran another experiment.
Both teams followed the same way of dividing participants into two groups. The first group was given the same instructions as the participants in Guilford’s experiment. The second group was told that the solution required the lines to be drawn outside the imaginary box. Guess what? Only 25 percent solved the puzzle. In statistical terms, this 5 percent improvement is insignificant as this could be called sampling error.
Let’s look a little more closely at the surprising result. Solving this problem requires people to literally think outside the box. Yet participants’ performance was not improved even when they were given specific instructions to do so. That is, direct and clear instructions to think outside the box did not help. That this advice is useless should effectively have killed off the much widely spread — and therefore, much more dangerous — metaphor (比喻) that out-of-the-box thinking boosts creativity. After all, with one simple yet brilliant experiment, researchers had proven that the conceptual link between thinking outside the box and creativity was a misunderstanding.
1. What did the nine-dot puzzle study focus on?A.Visual perception. |
B.Thinking patterns. |
C.Practical experience. |
D.Theoretical knowledge. |
A.To test the catchy concept. |
B.To contradict the initial idea. |
C.To collect supporting evidence |
D.To identify the underlying logic. |
A.Groundless. | B.Inspiring. | C.Fruitless. | D.Revealing. |
A.Puzzle Solving: A Key To Creativity |
B.Thinking Outside the Box: A Misguided Idea |
C.Nine-Dot Puzzle: A Magic Test |
D.Creative Thinking: We Fell For The Trap |