When I looked closely at the face of my 23-year-old son, Brian, in the doorway, we were saying goodbye. In a few hours he would be flying to France. It was a transitional (过渡的) time in Brian’s life, a passage from college into the adult world. I wanted to leave him some words that would have some meaning, some significance beyond the moment. But nothing came from my lips.
No sound broke the stillness of my beachside home. I stood frozen and quiet, looking into the searching eyes of my son, which I knew was not the first time I had let such a moment pass.
When Brian was five, I took him to the school bus stop on his first day of kindergarten. I felt the tension in his hand holding mine as the bus turned the corner. I saw color flush (发红) his cheeks as the bus pulled up. He looked at me—as he did now. “What is it going to be like, Dad? Can I do it? Will I be OK?” Then he walked up the bus steps and disappeared inside. The bus drove away, and I said nothing.
A decade later, a similar scene played itself out. I drove him to college in Virginia. As I started to make the trip home, I tried to think of something to say to give him courage and confidence as he started this new phase of life. I left, only mumbling (咕哝) “Hope you feel better, Brian.”
I once told Brian about my great regret that I didn’t take a year off to travel. Brian thought about this. After graduation, he worked as a waiter, a bike messenger and a painter. Now he had enough money for Paris. The night before he left, I tossed and turned (辗转难眠) in bed. I was trying to figure out something to say. Nothing came. Maybe it wasn’t necessary to say anything.
How many times have we all let such moments pass? What does it matter over the course of a lifetime if a father never tells a son what he really thinks of him?
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。
But as I stood before Brian, I knew that it does matter.
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Hearing this, Brian came toward me and threw his arms around me.
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2 . Although I love watching Olympic diving, I’ve never understood why athletes hurry off to the showers and then proceed to relax in a hot tub (热水浴池) after each dive. They’re already wet. They’re only in the pool for a handful of seconds, so it’s not like they need to get cleaned up. And doesn’t taking a shower serve the same purpose as sitting in a hot tub?
Actually, that’s what Olympic divers usually do between dives as they know very well about the importance of warm-ups and cool-downs. So, what’s the actual reason?
As it turns out, showers and hot tubs are used pretty interchangeably by the swimming pool. However, there is a need for both. First, let’s start with why divers need to take a shower between dives. It has to do with body temperature and keeping their muscles relaxed. As you can imagine, practicing dives in the pool, then having to keep your body warm in a shower, and then jumping off a 10-meter platform and into cold water couldn’t be comfortable for anyone. Going back and forth between these warm and cool temperatures can cause a diver’s muscles to tense or cramp up (痉挛), which can lead to injuries to the muscles. Showers allow an Olympic diver to recover and prevent that.
In that way, showers and hot tubs serve the same purpose. A hot tub is generally used if you have a bit more time between dives and have already stretched. The shower walls on the pool deck can typically provide enough space for more divers at the same time, and they’re especially helpful for athletes who need to stretch or who only have a few minutes between dives. Just like Olympic swimmers depend on thick clothes to keep their muscles warm, Olympic divers rely on these methods to stay loose. If you ask me, it’s not a bad way to pass the time!
1. What does the underlined word “proceed” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Prefer. | B．Continue. | C．Tend. | D．Stop. |
| A．To fully clean their body. | B．To rest and wait for the results. |
| C．To avoid possible muscle injuries. | D．To stop themselves from catching a cold. |
| A．Hot tubs are as important as showers for divers. |
| B．Olympic swimmers need to stay warm using hot tubs. |
| C．Hot tubs are often used by divers having little time between divers. |
| D．The shower walls are designed for divers who have already stretched. |
| A．To provide some diving advice for us. |
| B．To compare cold showers with the hot bath. |
| C．To explain the difference between warm-ups and cool-downs. |
| D．To tell us why divers take a shower and sit in a hot tub after diving. |
3 . Professionals use the word “amateur” as a disapproving term for those who lack formal training and qualifications. I think such prejudice is a mistake. One day that amateur might just create a new industry.
Typical amateurs are free to invent as they please, try new ideas, fail, and get up and do it all again—but better. As Marshall McLuhan, the media theorist, said: “Amateurs can afford to lose.” They are self-improvers, chasing a dream rather than a laborious, life-long career within a group. Amateurs can do it part-time, for charity or for fun.
Thanks to the Internet, we can all be competent amateurs at almost everything. Now everyone can DIY and experiment—from blogging to film-making to online advice shops. The mysteries, terms and exclusiveness of the self-satisfied old crafts are revealed online for all to see. Besides, the world is vastly more complex now, but that means even the most respected professional needs expert help. The end of the age of authority means we no longer hold elites (精英) such as judges and bankers in such awe. For centuries the club-like professional bodies have taken society in their control, a form of freemasonry (互助协会) for the well-educated and connected.
Charles Leadbeater has written persuasively about the importance of serious amateurs, or “professional amateurs”, who have helped introduce innovations to the mainstream. These passionate amateurs cooperate to give disruptive ideas (颠覆性的观点) possibility. Their constructive ideas contribute to the improvement of mountain bikes. Social enterprises are dominated by enthusiastic amateurs whose priority is to improve the world rather than bill clients. Among the greatest cooperative achievements of the Internet Age have been Wikipedia and Linux. It is surprising there haven’t been more crowded-sourced successes. Perhaps business projects have been too chaotic and lacked the leadership necessary for any complicated project to come to fruition.
Nevertheless, I show my admirations for the armies of gifted amateurs. I don’t deny the importance of education, but I place greater emphasis on results and originality, which are the highlights of amateurism.
1. The advantages of amateurs are listed below except ______.| A．they enjoy more freedom in creation. | B．they can afford the cost of failure. |
| C．they are the fruit of the Internet Age. | D．they have a wide range of choices. |
| A．The influence of professionals are being challenged. |
| B．Public opinion is influenced by the small group of elites. |
| C．Only the competent amateurs can make crafts revealed. |
| D．Human society has been governed by well-educated groups. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By explaining causes. | D．By giving examples. |
| A．The Evolution of Amateurism | B．A New Industrial Revolution |
| C．A Salute to the Amateur | D．The End of Authority Age |
4 . When you think of the new place for growing food, you might think of Mars. But one Italian family believes one possible place is right here on the Earth: the ocean.
Nemo’s Garden is the world’s first underwater cultivation system of terrestrial (陆地的) plants. Located off the coast of Noli, Italy, it consists of several greenhouses called biospheres (生物圈), attached to the seafloor. “The mission of it is to change agriculture, to give it an added possibility for growing produce in the ocean,” says co-founder Luca Gamberini.
His father Sergio Gamberini came up with the idea by combining his two passions—diving and gardening. In 2012, the project began with planting basil in a balloon underwater. Now Nemo’s Garden is growing strong.
With the global population expected to reach roughly 10 billion by 2050, the UN estimates food production will need to increase up to 60% to feed the population.
“We have a limited amount of resources, and our current way of harvesting those resources is unsustainable,” Luca says, “and we believe that underwater gives us some advantages over traditional agriculture.
Floating six to ten meters underwater, plants in Nemo’s Garden are separated from any outside pathogens (病菌) and pests. Also, the relatively steady temperature of the ocean water is an ideal environment for plant life. Besides, Nemo’s Garden uses hydroponics—a technique that uses water-based nutrients instead of soil. Sunlight does reach the plants, but growing lights are used when needed. “Also, there is little interaction with the marine environment and related ecosystems, which means no harm is caused to marine life,” adds Luca.
Everything is monitored on land through cameras and sensors, and settings can be adjusted remotely. When it’s time to harvest, a diver will cut the vegetation, place Different studies have been conducted on Nemo’s Garden. A 2020 study concluded that basil from the garden had a higher essential oil concentration and contained more antioxidants (抗氧化剂).
The team at Nemo’s Garden has plans for even bigger biospheres in the future, as well as other locations. Luca believes the future of Nemo’s Garden will be mostly along the coastlines where communities could benefit from the added space it offers.
1. What does the underlined word ”it“ in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The biosphere. | B．The seafloor. | C．Agriculture. | D．Nemo’s Garden. |
| A．To estimate the current situation of food production. |
| B．To address the expansion of global population. |
| C．To add some background information on the project. |
| D．To point out some problems in traditional agriculture. |
| A．Cost-effective. | B．Energy-saving. |
| C．Multi-functional. | D．Eco-friendly. |
| A．Its plants are low in nutritious value. |
| B．Its biospheres are not large enough. |
| C．Its biospheres completely rely on antioxidants. |
| D．Its plants are too weak to fight pathogens. |
5 . Ever wondered why your partner is up with the lark (百灵鸟) while you are happily sleeping till noon? It could be thanks to Neanderthal genes, according to a new study.
Scientists comparing ancient DNA with the genetics of modern humans discovered a “striking trend”, said John Capra, an epidemiologist (流行病学家) at the University of California in San Francisco. The researchers found that the Neanderthal genes that remain affect the body clock —increasing tendency to be a morning person.
Neanderthals lived at higher latitudes (纬度) than our ancestors who migrated from Africa — further away from the equator, with the days longer in summer and shorter in winter. “The gene that makes people early risers likely enables more rapid alignment (协调一致) of the circadian clock (生物钟) with changing seasonal light patterns,” Dr Capra said, “when Neanderthals were able to make the most of daylight hours to hunt.”
Scientists have previously explored how the circadian rhythms of insects, plants, and fish have developed depending on latitude. But that hasn’t been well studied in humans. There searchers wanted to see whether there was a genetic reason for differences in circadian rhythms between Neanderthals and modern people, and found 16 variants (变异体) associated with greater “morningness”. They suspected that as Neanderthals and the ancestors of modern humans mated, people today could have followed Neanderthal “circadian variants”.
To test this, scientists analyse the genetics of several hundred thousand people from the UK Biobank and found many of the variants that affect sleep preference. “Most noticeably, they found that these variants increase morningness,” the researchers said. This is consistent with what has been found in other animals that have adapted to living at a high latitude, as Neanderthals did.
1. Why does the author mention “your partner is up with the lark” in paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the following context. |
| B．To compare two morning life styles. |
| C．To praise those who get up early. |
| D．To express gratitude to Neanderthals. |
| A．The capability of hunting animals. | B．The genes from African ancestors. |
| C．The environment at higher latitudes. | D．The daylight hours around their habitats. |
| A．Morningness in human is unlike that in plants. |
| B．Insects’ circadian rhythms are impacted by latitude. |
| C．Scientists have previously studied the genes of animals. |
| D．The genes of Neanderthals is the only reason for morningness. |
| A．By analyzing statistics of the subjects. |
| B．By observing people’s sleeping habits. |
| C．By interviewing participants in the experiment. |
| D．By comparing sleep preference among human and animals. |
6 . The hand-drawn posters kept catching Aviram Cohen’s eye as he walked around his neighborhood in Queens, N.Y. They were colorful advertisements with a distinct style. Cohen, who builds exhibitions in museums and galleries, was eager to uncover who was behind the posters. It wasn’t easy.
“I found them by going from restaurant to restaurant until there was someone that had their phone number,” Cohen, 42, said, adding that he was hoping to ask them to create a sign for his wife’s yoga and Pilates studio in Jackson Heights.
When the artists, Carlos and Miguel Cevallos, met him at his wife’s studio that day in 2018, Cohen was shocked to see two brothers in their 80s, who for decades have spent their days in their shared Manhattan apartment making advertising posters by hand. They had long been relying on word of mouth to attract new clients. Then Cohen suggested they get on social media to preserve their work. “It should be documented so it doesn’t disappear,” Cohen said. Cohen offered to create an Instagram account for the brothers. They were on board with the idea.
The brothers, along with their older brother, Victor, opened a sign shop in Bogota in 1966. Victor taught his younger brothers all he knew about art. After Victor moved to New York in 1969, his brothers eventually followed him. Carlos came first in 1974 and produced posters with Victor in a small art studio in Times Square, and later in Queens. In 2005, Miguel moved to New York. After Victor’s death in 2012, Miguel and Carlos carried on their brother’s legacy(遗产)by continuing to make custom posters. Miguel outlines the letters and images, and Carlos is the colorist.
Recently, the brothers have received requests from potential clients across the United States, as well as internationally. The two have no plans to part with their pens and paintbrushes anytime soon. They intend to make art indefinitely.
1. Why did Cohen try to find the poster designers?| A．To reach out hands for them. |
| B．To order a sign for his wife’s studio. |
| C．To collect posters for his exhibitions. |
| D．To learn the technique of making posters. |
| A．He advertised them with posters. |
| B．He made a documentary for them. |
| C．He introduced social media to them. |
| D．He housed them in a downtown apartment. |
| A．To show the two brothers’ artistic origins. |
| B．To present the two brothers’ distinct art styles. |
| C．To explain why the two brothers’ business is on the rise. |
| D．To illustrate how the two brothers went through their tough years. |
| A．Carry on with their art. |
| B．Promote their art globally. |
| C．Pursue their separate interests in art. |
| D．Attempt to use new tools to do their art. |
7 . Krista Sheneman was diagnosed with diabetes (糖尿病) around five years ago. Since then, health has become a(n)
Throughout this
To
After a great effort, she
| A．potential | B．enormous | C．natural | D．simple |
| A．imagined | B．decided | C．realized | D．guessed |
| A．proud | B．ashamed | C．tired | D．aware |
| A．limited | B．attracted | C．committed | D．challenged |
| A．approved of | B．learned from | C．got used to | D．set out on |
| A．lecture | B．recovery | C．operation | D．journey |
| A．warnings | B．comments | C．preferences | D．requests |
| A．summarize | B．suspect | C．check | D．follow |
| A．different | B．right | C．pure | D．.real |
| A．raise | B．reach | C．turn | D．examine |
| A．train | B．perform | C．track | D．stop |
| A．take in | B．care about | C．put down | D．get over |
| A．accidentally | B．completely | C．immediately | D．ultimately |
| A．served | B．accepted | C．inspired | D．connected |
| A．condition | B．technique | C．scene | D．conflict |
8 . Malaysia is a popular travel destination. Here are some best places to visit in Malaysia 2024.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the largest city in Malaysia. Things to do in Kuala Lumpur include a trip to the world famous Petronas Towers, taking a trip to the ancient Hindu temple at the Batu Caves, sampling some of the most amazing street food, visiting markets and much more.
Getting to Kuala Lumpur: Kuala Lumpur has two major airports — KLIA and KLIA2. It is also well connected to the rest of Malaysia by bus and train.
Langkawi
Langkawi is actually an archipelago (群岛) but the main island offers a range of different locations to visit and stay. Pantai Cenang is one of the most popular beach destinations and home to Underwater World.
Getting to Langkawi: The best way to get to Langkawi is to fly.
Penang
There’s a multicultural mix of influences and plenty of beaches, interesting architecture and affordable resort style accommodation. It’s also one of the best places in Malaysia to eat, offering some of the best cheap food.
Penang is home to important and culturally significant temples like Lok Si Temple, as well as the historic George Town.
Getting to Penang: You can get to Penang by train, bus or plane.
Bukit Merah
Located just outside of Taiping, the town is surrounded by a lake. The town is home to another sustainable attraction, the EcoPark — an enclosure home to many native and rare animals.
Getting to Bukit Merah: The best way to get there is to drive from Taiping. There are also buses. It’s also possible to day trip here from Penang.
1. What can you do in Kuala Lumpur?| A．Tour the EcoPark. |
| B．Visit Petronas Towers. |
| C．Enjoy Underwater World. |
| D．Experience life in George Town. |
| A．By car. | B．By plane. | C．By train. | D．By bus. |
| A．In Penang. | B．In Langkawi. |
| C．In Bukit Merah. | D．In Kuala Lumpur. |
9 . You witness a man uses abusive (辱骂的) language towards his mother in a grocery store. Or you hear someone saying something mean to your friend at a party. Both are
However, the latest research shows that most people feel willing to help when they can. When they do not help, it is because they
Distraction is a good start. Take the case of the man abusing his mother in the grocery store, don’t give the man a face-to-face blame, instead an active bystander can
As another
Lastly, you can videotape the behavior with your cellphone. This documenting can be a
| A．circumstances | B．positions | C．surroundings | D．locations |
| A．Hopefully | B．Thankfully | C．Undoubtedly | D．Unfortunately |
| A．knocked | B．faced | C．suffered | D．blocked |
| A．at risk | B．in anger | C．at a loss | D．in a hurry |
| A．all | B．either | C．both | D．neither |
| A．talent | B．gift | C．ability | D．habit |
| A．adopting | B．adapting | C．replacing | D．rebuilding |
| A．artificial | B．beneficial | C．impossible | D．improper |
| A．firmly | B．indirectly | C．severely | D．confidently |
| A．topic | B．conversation | C．atmosphere | D．worry |
| A．cause | B．option | C．reality | D．effect |
| A．blame | B．fund | C．inform | D．post |
| A．help | B．confirm | C．escape | D．delay |
| A．tip | B．trick | C．cheat | D．warning |
| A．careful | B．nervous | C．scared | D．worried |
10 . “This is the next revolution in flying,” says Mark Henning, European managing director of AutoFlight, a Chinese firm. Mr Henning is not alone in betting that electric vertical (垂直的) take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have a bright future. The idea is that, being simpler, cheaper, greener and quieter than traditional helicopters (直升机), eVTOLs will be well suited to operate short-range passenger services across large urban areas, such as flying people between airports and city centres.
Now, Mr Henning is setting up an operation at Augsburg Airport in Germany to further the development of Prosperity I, the company’s air taxi. Prosperity I can seat three passengers and a pilot. It is a hybrid between a helicopter and a fixed-wing plane. It takes off and lands vertically, using multiple rotors (旋翼), but these are switched off when it is in full flight. At that point a “pusher” propeller (螺旋桨) at the back takes over, to provide forward drive, and thus lift via the wings. This arrangement makes better use of the aircraft’s battery, giving Prosperity I a range of some 250 km.
A model will be test-flown in Germany in order to obtain what is known as a type certificate from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This signifies the airworthiness of a new aircraft. Although AutoFlight is also seeking certification in China, the company thinks the addition of European approval will help speed the machine’s entry into service in other markets, too. It hopes to complete the approval process by 2025.
There is uncertainty about how the rules will differ from place to place. Nonetheless, enough regulatory progress has been made. In America, Joby Aviation hopes next year to become the first to obtain a type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In Europe, Volocopter, a German firm, hopes to provide air-taxi services for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
It is not only new firms which are getting into the business. Airbus is developing ideas for eVTOLs. So is Boeing. With so much effort and money going into this new form of air travel, some of these birds will surely be flying soon.
1. Which of the following can replace the underline word “hybrid” in Paragraph 2?| A．Symbol. | B．Mixture. | C．Concept. | D．Application. |
| A．It has no wings or rotors. |
| B．It can hold three people at most. |
| C．It is energy-efficient during its flight. |
| D．It has a top speed of 250 km per hour on land. |
| A．Obtain a type certificate from the FAA. |
| B．Have it tested across the sky of America. |
| C．Tailor a set of rules as soon as possible. |
| D．Get it approved by European authorities. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Concerned. | C．Uncertain. | D．Tolerant. |
