1 . Billions of insects are moving together over the sky like a black cloud. It’s a swarm of locusts. Many insects move in huge swarms. They form swarms for different reasons. Some move together to look for food or to find new homes. Sometimes insects swarm for protection. These enormous swarms can destroy food crops and harm other living things.

When something disturbs a red fire ants’ nest, out they will come. Not just one or two, but thousands of them. The fire ants swarm all over their victim. Their stings burn like fire. Each ant in the swarm can sting over and over again. The fire ants hold onto their victim with their mouth parts. Then they inject their prey with poison. Most small animals cannot survive the stings from a swarm of fire ants.

When army ants are on the move, anything in their path is prey. Even snakes can’t escape a swarm of these stinging ants. Army ants move together to look for food. They can’t see their prey, but they use smells and sounds to find their way. If they come to a river, they make a bridge with their bodies. They cling together with their legs. Then the rest of the ants can cross the bridge. There is not much that can stop these fierce and cruel ants from chasing their prey.

Insects are not the only animals that swarm. There are many others that do. Most are not harmful to people. Being close to a huge swarm of animals can be scary and dangerous. Some scientists have studied animal swarms. They have found that many swarms follow simple rules. They work together to solve problems. When they work together they are a very strong team.

1. What does the underlined word “swarm” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．To force a liquid into something.	B．To hold onto something tightly.
C．To move together in a large group.	D．To watch over something.

2. What can we learn about fire ants from the text?

A．Their stings contain a kind of poison and are deadly to most small animals.

B．They can destroy food crops and are harmful to other living things.

C．When they move together, they are called “a swarm of locusts”.

D．They move in swarms to make new nests in different places.

3. Which of the following can be the proper feature of army ants according to the text?

A．Blind and smelly.	B．Angry and violent.
C．Scary and dangerous.	D．Strong and fast.

4. What is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Moving Nests	B．Stinging Fire Ants
C．A Moving Army	D．Swarms of Animals

2 . 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。

Have you ever wondered how people type Chinese characters? The answer lies in the wonderfully useful phonetic system     1     (call) pinyin. It's the most commonly used system for spelling out the Chinese sounds, and it uses the letters in the Latin alphabet that you are already familiar       2     .

Pinyin is     3     extremely useful tool and should be the foundation of your Chinese learning. Besides, it's not just for Chinese learners like yourself.     4     (actual), all native Chinese speakers know pinyin,     5     is the first thing Chinese children learn at school before learning characters. So even if you don't know Chinese characters, you can type in pinyin and make     6     (you)understood.

Every single sound that exists in Chinese can     7     (display) easily in a pinyin chart. Once you master these 409 sounds along with the tones, you'll have practically mastered the pronunciation of every single word in the Chinese language. We've also created a series of video     8     (lesson)with practice tools that enable you to record yourself and listen back to it to     9     (sure) that your pronunciation matches the examples. Combined with our Tone Pairs practice tool, you now have everything you need     10     (master)pinyin, tones, and Chinese pronunciation.

3 . I got a volunteer job to teach computer skills in a library after many failures in applications and interviews. It’s an ideal opportunity to try something new and break away from the feeling of _______ .

Pretty soon after I entered the main library, I was _______ to work. There were too many learners and not enough teachers.

I was led to Jenna, who had been out of work for seven months. She was _______ back tears of frustration while trying to attach her CV(简历) to an e-mail. When we had finally sent out three _______ , she sat back. Ray, an _______ gentleman, did not know how to open and watch the video of his grandson _______ in an e-mail. A few quick clicks of the mouse and Ray was _______ playing and replaying the video.

When I left the library I had a new sense of purpose and a different way of _______ . Later that evening, I thought a lot about the persons I _______ today. But what I thought about most was how ________ we all were—just people ________ together in taking those first steps to make a ________ to our lives. That day, through ________ , I had realized the fact that to struggle ________ through life’s challenges is a lonely process, but to make that journey with others can make facing even the hardest challenges ________ .

1.

A．comfort

B．awkwardness

C．depression

D．guilt

2.

A．assigned

B．invited

C．chosen

D．forced

3.

A．bringing

B．calling

C．putting

D．fighting

4.

A．signals

B．offers

C．applications

D．messages

5.

A．elderly

B．awesome

C．ambitious

D．honest

6.

A．abandoned

B．replaced

C．attached

D．translated

7.

A．curiously

B．joyfully

C．willingly

D．gratefully

8.

A．relaxing

B．thinking

C．working

D．entertaining

9.

A．served

B．described

C．visited

D．recommended

10.

A．unhappy

B．similar

C．difficult

D．unfortunate

11.

A．prayed

B．taught

C．traveled

D．joined

12.

A．difference

B．promise

C．commitment

D．contribution

13.

A．efforts

B．goals

C．changing

D．volunteering

14.

A．aloud

B．along

C．alone

D．again

15.

A．reasonable

B．important

C．surprising

D．rewarding

4 . Over the decades, computers have affected our lives to an astonishing degree. When the first modern computer was conceptualized and built in the 20th century, it was so large that it took up a whole room. Over time, the technology shrank. First, computers became small enough to sit on a desk and be brought into the home. Then, they were made lightweight and portable, giving us the laptop. Today, most people have something even smaller: a smartphone that can fit into a pocket.

Though that's as compact as most people are used to, computers and technology are getting even tinier! One of the tiniest forms of technology available today is the microbot. A microbot is a very tiny robot -a machine programmable by a computer—that is built to perform specific tasks. You might tend to refer to this as just a small robot, but the size and dimensions of microbots are actually quite precise. A microbot is less than one millimeter in width, approximately the size of the tip of a pencil. In comparison, a small robot, which can be up to 100 centimeters in width, would be absolutely large. If you think that microbots are as small as you can get, think again. Nanobots smaller than one micrometer exist, but these are so small that they aren't visible to the naked eye(肉眼).

Since microbots are so small, they are potentially very cheap. Scientists and engineers working to develop these microbots believe that they could be used to explore environments or areas that are too small or dangerous for people.

Because the computing power of one single microbot isn't that large, microbots could be moved and used in large groups. At the moment, the biggest barrier to the development of these tiny machines is figuring out how to power a robot that can only contain an extremely small battery.

1. What does the underlined word “shrank” in Paragraph I probably mean?

A．got more Automatic.	B．became smaller.
C．got wiser.	D．became larger.

2. What can we know about microbots?

A．They can be used to do risky tasks.	B．They are relatively expensive.
C．They can't be seen by the human eyes.	D．They aren't as precise as expected.

3. What is the key to the future development of the tiny robots?

A．Its function.	B．Its material.
C．Its battery power.	D．Its maintenance cost.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．How Small the Technology Can Get	B．How Robots Change Our Future Lives
C．Why Human Beings Prefer Tiny Technology	D．Why Microbots Are Widely Used Worldwide

5 . The road trip is an iconic (标志性的) American family vacation experience. Here are some road trips you can enjoy.

College Tours

If you are mapping out a college tour road trip with your teen, pick a region like the Boston area. There you can visit a mix of options that are large and small, public and private, and a mix of easy-to-get-into and reach-for-the-stars schools. Make the most of your visits by researching hotel stays that give you a taste of campus culture.

Road to Hana

To do this trip right you'll need 10 to 12 hours. The Hana Highway runs along a winding road dotted with 59 (mostly one-way) bridges and there are often a lot of crowds. But patience is rewarded with a large number of Mother Nature's finest offerings. Remember to stop at the roadside stands selling fresh fruit and banana bread.

Mount Washington Auto Road

Little kids get a kick out of the simple pleasures of leaf-looking, making a fall road trip through New Englanda perfect choice for this age. Add a little extra fun for the grown-ups by planning a side trip for this scenic drive in New Hampshire. Less than eight miles long, the road climbs 4, 600 feet above sea level along narrow mountain roads.

Pacific Coast Highway

This one is for you, tired parents. This stretch of Highway I running up and down the California coastline is an incredibly popular road trip for its breathtaking scenery —just the thing to relax your tired selves while your little ones sleep lightly in the back seat. From late October through February, you can also take your kids to the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, where more than 10, 000 of the butterflies migrate (迁徙) each year.

1. What can a family do on a college tour?

A．Visit the area with many colleges.	B．Stay in the student dormitories.
C．Taste delicious food on campus.	D．Explore the college with a guide.

2. What may happen if a family takes a Road to Hana trip?

A．Be caught in a traffic jam.	B．Take a long time to prepare.
C．Finish the trip in two days.	D．Sell their home-made snacks.

3. What do Mount Washington Auto Road and Pacific Coast Highway have in common?

A．People can enjoy butterflies along the way.

B．People can appreciate beautiful sea scenery.

C．They are suitable for parents with little kids.

D．They are perfect choices for trips in summer.

6 . Xinjiang has long been known as a place of music and dancing.

No matter which ethnic group is living in Xinjiang, music and dancing are an inseparable part of our lives. From festive holidays to ________ and parties, music, singing and dancing are must-haves, with people of all genders and ages taking part in them. Even young children in Xinjiang, upon ________ music, start moving their hands and stepping on the beat. It is often the case that people say, “Everyone in Xinjiang knows how to dance.” Dancing shows our ________ for life.

When it comes to folk dancing in Xinjiang, the first thing people will ________ is “neck moving”, or more ________, the “head slide”. To do this, you move your cheek to each side.

The moment when I ________ people’s love for the ethnic dances of Xinjiang came during the COVID-19 ________ in 2020. I launched an open course on Douyin. Every day I live-streamed (直播) for an hour. In the 12-day period, more than a million people ________ my course.

Every day I would assign my viewers ________, asking them to shoot a short video and interact with me on the platform. I was flooded with ________ . I could see people of all ages and ethnic groups, even overseas Chinese showing their passion for Xinjiang dances. Many of them even ________ Xinjiang-style clothes and did their hair. I was quite ________ by my students during that period.

Short video and live-streams do not only ________ tourism and sell products, they also serve an important role in ________ a communication channel with the majority of netizens.

I believe so many people would like to connect with me on the Internet because they see me as a down-to-earth, relatable and real director of the ________ and tourist bureau (局).

1.

A．weddings

B．lectures

C．meetings

D．teams

2.

A．directing

B．conducting

C．composing

D．hearing

3.

A．hobby

B．satisfaction

C．passion

D．friendship

4.

A．meet with

B．care for

C．think about

D．find out

5.

A．professionally

B．obviously

C．rapidly

D．frequently

6.

A．recognized

B．felt

C．understood

D．described

7.

A．outbreak

B．attendance

C．appearance

D．control

8.

A．required

B．took

C．answered

D．replied

9.

A．plans

B．designs

C．homework

D．creativity

10.

A．emails

B．letters

C．performances

D．videos

11.

A．made

B．wore

C．bought

D．changed

12.

A．inspired

B．surprised

C．crazy

D．admired

13.

A．compete

B．hire

C．improve

D．promote

14.

A．fixing

B．repairing

C．establishing

D．digging

15.

A．historical

B．cultural

C．natural

D．public

7 . 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。

I begged my mom to let me make cookies by myself. Even though I had never attempted baking before, I was nine years old and my friend Emmie had been baking cupcakes by herself for a year. I was determined to prove that I could make it.

My brother, Caleb, laughed at the idea of me cooking alone, calling it a disaster. Having a big brother can be annoying. Despite his laughing, my mom agreed to let me try. She reminded me to take my time and be careful because I’d had some messy spills before I was nine.

I raced to the kitchen and went to work. I cracked eggs and put a cold stick of butter into the bowl. I turned on the mixer at medium speed—and whoa. Whoa. Whoa! What a disaster! I had to wipe butter off my face, then off the table and floor.

Caleb made fun of me again, calling me a mess. I chased him away with a spoon and turned back to the mixing bowl. I started again with softer butter. Referring to the recipe, I poured everything needed into the bowl and mixed it. After that, I put round batter (面糊) onto the cookie sheet and put it into the oven (烤箱). Within a minute, a fantastic smell filled the kitchen—the smell of cookie success!

I was going to prove that I was responsible. No more eye-rolling from my brother. No more “You’re too young” from my parents. I was grown up and in control.

I stared into the oven, and my heart sank. The neat, little balls had melted (融化) and overflowed to the edges of the cookie sheet. I pulled the pan out just as Caleb wandered back into the kitchen.

“What in the world?” He started to laugh. “Cookie soup?”

“You just be quiet,” I whispered, trying not to cry. “Just leave me alone.”

“How’s it going in there?” Dad called from the living room.

Caleb raised his eyebrows and bit his lip. I responded that everything was fine, pouring the melted batter into the bowl quickly.

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。
Paragraph 1: I picked up the directions, wondering what had gone wrong．
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: I brought a plate of cookies into the living room for my parents．
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . 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。

Eli looked up at the sky. It was bright blue, his favorite color. As he lay on his back, the soft green grass brushed against his arms and legs. The cool wind kept him at the perfect temperature, and the weather was just right for playing outside. Every summer vacation, he and his family drove to the small city of Ithaca to visit his mother’s family.

Just as Eli was starting to fall asleep in the backyard, his stomach growled (饥肠辘辘). “Time for dinner” he thought. So he stood up and began to walk back to the house. Suddenly he noticed something move out of the corner of his eye. It was near the woods in the back yard. Then he heard some rustling (沙沙地响). So he went to check what it was. When he got closer, the object stopped moving. He walked over quietly until he could see something lying in the grass — it was a baby deer!

Even though Eli was standing very close to the animal, he found it strange that the baby deer didn’t try running away. Eli rushed into the house and told his mother what he had found. “Well, we should check if the deer is injured. If not, we shouldn’t do anything because its mother will come back and take care of it,” she told Eli. So the two of them walked to the baby animal. Eli’s mother walked very slowly and finally got close enough to the deer.

Eli watched his mother frow n as she examined the baby deer. She walked back to Eli. “I think its back le g is injured,” she said. “But we’ll wait for a few hours and see if the deer’s mother comes back for it. If we do anything now, we might scare it and hurt it more.” Eli wanted to help the baby, but he knew his mother was right. They went back into the house and had lunch. They both kept checking the clock.

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。

As the sky was getting dark, the little deer was still lying there.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twenty minutes later, a big rescue truck drove into their driveway.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Research indicates that Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese exercise that combines slow, gentle movements with deep breathing and relaxation, may provide long-term relief from Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications (并发症) and better quality of life than those who didn’t, the researchers say.

Parkinson’s is a progressive brain disease characterized by slowness of movement, tremors (颤抖), and stiff and inflexible muscles. It is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, with the number of those affected projected to reach nearly 5 million by 2030 in China alone. In the UK 2 people are diagnosed with the disease every hour. So far, there has been no cure for Parkinson’s.

Previously published research suggests that Tai Chi eases Parkinson’s symptoms in the short term, but whether this improvement can be maintained over the long term isn’t known.

The new study, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, monitored the health of hundreds of Parkinson’s patients for up to five years. One group of 147 people practised regular Tai Chi while another group of 187 did not.

The researchers found that the disease progressed more slowly in the Tai Chi group on measurements of symptoms, movement and balance. This group also saw fewer falls, less back pain and dizziness, with memory and concentration problems also lower than in the other group. At the same time, sleep and quality of life continuously improved.

However, this is an observational study, which can’t establish cause and effect. And the researchers acknowledge that the number of study participants was relatively small.

Prof Alastair Noyce, professor in neurology at Queen Mary University of London, called it “an important study” but said there were limitations in its design, and more trials were needed.

Prof K Ray Chaudhuri, professor of movement disorders and neurology at King’s College London, said, “It is too early to claim any neuroprotection based on this study, although the positive effects on aspects of motor and non-motor functions are impressive.”

1. What do we know about Parkinson’s?

A．It’s severe but curable now.	B．It may lead to a low-quality life.
C．It’s more common in China than in the UK.	D．It’s the fastest-growing disease in the world.

2. What is the new study different from the previous one?

A．It covers more aspects of the disease.

B．It collects data from more study participants.

C．It focuses on the long-term effect of Tai Chi on Parkinson’s.

D．It first proves the positive effect Tai Chi has on Parkinson’s.

3. What can be inferred from paragraphs 5 and 6?

A．The results of the study are not clear.

B．The researchers are unaware of the problems of the study.

C．The methods that the researchers use in the study are inappropriate.

D．The study gives hope to Parkinson’s patients though with its limitations.

4. What is Prof K Ray Chaudhuri’s attitude towards the conclusion of the new study?

A．Disapproving.

B．Supportive.

C．Indifferent.

D．Objective.

10 . An Indiana man ordered a Sausage McMuffin at his local McDonald’s and got much more than he expected.

On January 6, TikTok user Josiah Vargas, aka @ dookiedoeboy, shared a video detailing his trip to a McDonald’s drive-through in Elkhart, Indiana that resulted in him receiving much more than he ordered. In the video, which has attracted over 2.3 million views, Vargas is shocked by what he finds in his to-go bag instead of breakfast: thousands of dollars.

“Why? There’s a couple thousand dollars here,” Vargas says, holding up a baggie full of $20bills. “Like, why would they do this? Why would they give this to me?”

Vargas took to TikTok to share his shocking discovery, knowing that he could easily take the money and leave the McDonald’s workers in quite a bind. But, ultimately, he says he knows what he needs to do.

“Now I have to return it because I’m a good person, I guess,” Vargas says, putting the money back in the bag. “How interesting!”

After he walks into the store, he gives the bag to a worker at the register. The worker realizes he’s returning the cash they had been looking for. Amid all the relieved reactions from staff that can be heard from McDonald’s staff, one employee asks if they could give him a hug — which he accepts.

Back in the car, Vargas reflects on his good deed. “They were just all hugging me and thanking me,” he says. “When I was driving away, they called me back in. They gave me $200as well as free McDonald’s for a month.”

The TikTok ends with Vargas sharing what he believes to be the moral of the story. “Do good, people. Returned $5,000, got $200 and free McDonald’s for a month,” he says. “Good trade value and maybe a viral TikTok.”

1. Why was January 6 a special day for Josiah Vargas?

A．His video views ranked top in TikTok.	B．His bag was taken by others by mistake.
C．He was given a lot of money unexpectedly.	D．He was awarded a big prize by McDonald’s.

2. What does the underlined phrase “in quite a bind” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．In serious trouble.	B．At great ease.
C．With extreme caution.	D．Under strict control.

3. What words can be used to describe Josiah Vargas?

A．Responsible and generous.	B．Considerate and honest.
C．Confident and humorous.	D．Curious and lucky.

4. What message does the text try to convey?

A．Every man has his price.	B．Money is not everything.
C．Details determine success.	D．One good turn deserves another.