1 . Frederick Phiri, known as the junk-art king of Zambia, set out on a remarkable journey at the age of 22 when he began earning an international reputation for being able to make complex and elegant sculptures from deserted metal found in his community.

Phiri’s path to artistic recognition was filled with challenges. His childhood was marked by the loss of his father and his mother leaving him behind, making him under the care of his grandfather. While his grandfather provided for his basic education, Phiri faced financial struggles when he entered secondary school, forcing him to take on various jobs to fund his studies. Yet, despite these obstacles, his passion for art remained growing, and he dedicated his free time to drawing and crafting in the classroom.

Upon completing his education, Phiri sought to support himself by creating wire animal sculptures (雕塑品), which he sold to tourists. It was during this period that his exceptional talent caught the attention of Karen Beattie, the director of Project Luangwa, a nonprofit organization committed to education and economic development in central Africa.

Teaming up with local welder (焊接工) Moses Mbewe in 2017, Phiri contributed to the creation of a complex set of doors for Project Luangwa during the rainy season. Impressed by his work, Beattie presented Phiri with a challenge: to create art from abandoned waste metal. Undiscouraged, Phiri embraced the opportunity, transforming forgotten keys, broken bike chains, and old metal bottles into attracting abstract animal sculptures, including elephants, cranes, giraffes, and monkeys.

Today, Phiri’s artistic pursuits continue to flourish as he transforms deserted junk into striking sculptures showcased at the Project Luangwa headquarters. His talent has earned recognition and admiration from the community, fueling his dreams of pursuing formal art education at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka and creating even more magnificent sculptures in the future. Through creativity and determination, Phiri has turned adversity (逆境) into artistic success, leaving a lasting impact on Zambia’s art scene.

1. What is Phiri distinguished for?

A．Serving his community.	B．Collecting works of art.
C．Being the king of Zambia.	D．Turning trash into treasure.

2. What aspect of Phiri’s childhood shaped his early life?

A．His struggle to pay for primary schooling by himself.

B．The loss of his father and abandonment by his mother.

C．His dedication to part-time jobs while attending school.

D．His responsibility to support his grandfather financially.

3. What challenge did Karen Beattie present to Phiri?

A．To create sculptures from wire.

B．To sell his sculptures internationally.

C．To create art from deserted waste metal.

D．To design a complex set of doors for Project Luangwa.

4. What attitude does Phiri exhibit towards his future?

A．Uncertain.

B．Confident.

C．Depressed.

D．Confused.

2 . Socially, few things are more annoying than someone repeatedly checking their phone in the middle of your conversation with them. Soon enough, you’re having unhappy thoughts, thinking of their way like, I’m boring you; you’re more concerned with whoever’s on that phone than me; you don’t care about me. None of that is necessarily true, but this is: “If someone is engaged in a great conversation, they wouldn’t care about their phones,” says Leslie, a psychologist and researcher at NYU.

Do you sometimes wonder: What should I have said to a rude person like this? What if we have to talk to such maddening persons? Experts have advice about how to deal with this.

Whether you say something or not, remember that the cell-addict’s annoying habits aren’t about you. “It’s rude, for sure, but sometimes we mistake the behavior for more than what it is,” says Leslie. “It’s possible that they are facing something tough and merely experiencing nervousness or anxiety,” he adds. It’s also possible that their partner is stuck with a flat tyre (轮胎) or their kid is sick in hospital. The point is that you don’t know.

So before you become angry at the cell-addict’s open rudeness, focus instead on building a better conversation than whatever’s going down on Instagram. You might never be able to achieve this, given the power of today’s social media, so if you’re close enough to a person, Leslie advises you to directly ask them: “What’s on that thing that’s so interesting?” Chances are that they will apologise at once and quickly put the phone away. But if the answer is something real, talk about it. Better yet, you can avoid the situation in advance by saying something like, “I’m really interested in catching up properly, so how about we leave our phones in the car?” If they indeed have that flat tyre or sick kid, at least you won’t have to assume that it’s because your stories are boring.

1. Why do people often check their phones according to Leslie?

A．They are anxious about something.

B．They are enjoying the conversation.

C．They are bored with the conversation.

D．They are interested in what’s on the phone.

2. What could be a reason for the cell-addicts’ annoying habits according to Leslie?

A．They may be nervous or anxious.

B．They are being rude intentionally.

C．They are avoiding the conversation.

D．They are disinterested in social interactions.

3. What is a better way to deal with the rudeness?

A．Talking about something real.

B．Asking the other person directly.

C．Avoiding the situation in advance.

D．Asking the other person for explanation.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．What is a cell-addict.

B．How to deal with a cell-addict.

C．Why people repeatedly check their phones.

D．When to cut in appropriately during a conversation.

3 . I observed one child hugging her beloved toy dog while reading a book to her friend — both she and her dog were actively turning the pages — and with every page turned, she looked down at her dog, lovingly. As a longtime educator of toddlers and a current PhD student studying transitional phenomena and object relations, I have had the pleasure to witness the presence of transitional objects in the kindergarten.

The term transitional object, coined in 195l by D.W. Winnicott, refers to any material to which a child attaches a special value and by means of which the child is able to make the necessary shift from the earliest oral relationship with mother to genuine object-relationships. It is typically something soft, such as a blanket or a soft toy, that is similar to the mother’s warm arms.

It may also be the subject of the child’s fantasies, for example where a teddy bear is spoken to, hugged, punished, etc. It thus becomes a tool for practicing interaction with the external world. Moreover, the transitional object supports the development of the self, as it is used to represent ‘not me’. By looking at the object, the child knows that it is not the object and hence something individual and separate. in this way, it helps the child develop its sense of ‘other’ things.

If the object is denied in any way, attachment difficulties may arise later in life. The object allows for and invites emotional well-being, and without such an object, true feelings may be hidden or dismissed as the child has no other means to cope with and comprehend the world. Worse still, the object is intimately bound up with the identity of the child. Taking away the object is also taking away something of the child itself.

Winnicott noted that transitional objects continue through the course of our lives, as “sacred monuments” which pull us back to “a place and time of great comfort and memory”. The attachment to certain objects like self photographs defines both memorials, and more importantly a state of connection and presence in the world.

1. How does the writer introduce the topic?

A．By sharing feelings.	B．By illustrating a term.
C．By relating an experience.	D．By providing background information.

2. What does the term “transitional objects” refer to according to the passage?

A．Tools used by educators to aid teaching.

B．Items to which a child becomes deeply attached.

C．Toys designed to amuse kids in the kindergarten.

D．Expensive personal possessions gifted by parents.

3. What might happen if a child’s transitional object is denied?

A．Ho might lose his imagination.

B．He may become more independent.

C．He is less likely to share personal feelings.

D．He probably distances himself from his mother.

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To introduce how to develop a sense of ‘other’ things.

B．To do research on the psychological development of kids.

C．To show how to enhance the bond between mother and child.

D．To stress the importance of transitional objects to children.

6 . Sleep-deprived human parents know the value of a quick nap, but it turns out chinstrap penguins have us all beat. When nesting, these Antarctic birds take four-second-long “micro- sleeps”, a strategy that allows parents to keep constant watch over weak eggs and chicks, all while having 11 hours of total sleep a day, according to a new study.

Like other penguins, chinstrap parents take turns guarding the nest. While one bird protects the chicks, the partner finds food at sea. Then the penguins trade places. For two months between egg laying and fledging(羽化) , it’s a series of nonstop demands.

To study how penguins manage to accomplish all this and get the necessary sleep, Lee, a leader researcher, first stuck biologgers, small battery-powered devices, to the backs of 14 nesting penguins of both sexes. This device functions like a smart-watch, measuring physical activity, pulse, and the ocean depths of foraging birds.

Next, the team humanely arrested each of the penguins, attaching the devices temporarily into their skull to measure brain activity. When an animal is awake, the brain constantly buzzes with activity. During sleep, however, brain waves slow down and stretch out. When Lee started reviewing the data, he was surprised to discover the birds, slept in four-second intervals throughout the day and night while looking after their eggs or chicks.

“In both humans and penguins, micro-sleeps occur during times of exhaustion, yet nesting chinstrap penguins seem to have a near-exclusive reliance on it,” Cirelli, another scientist, says. Studying sleep in natural environments is difficult, so “the simple fact that they were able to record data in these conditions is incredible. ”

While the data is convincing, Cirelli notes that the researchers only studied the penguins during nesting periods, making it impossible to tell if the birds micro-sleep when they’re not parenting. The other challenge is understanding how micro-sleep impacts the brains and bodies of the pen-guins. Sleep deprivation in humans causes a range of health problems, and it’s not clear whether penguins experience this, too.

1. When do the birds have micro-sleeps?

A．When they lay eggs.	B．When they hunt for food.
C．When they care for babies.	D．When they exchange places.

2. What is the biologger?

A．A charger.	B．A smart-watch.
C．A sleep monitor	D．A safety alarm.

3. What does Cirelli mean in the last but one paragraph?

A．The micro-sleep study is successful.	B．Chinstrap penguins sleep more than human.
C．The data from the micro-sleep study is simple.	D．Chinstrap penguins rely entirely on micro-sleep.

4. What is probably continued with the text?

A．Effects and occurrence of micro-sleep.	B．Short-term strategies for tired bird parents.
C．Problems caused by lack of sleep in humans.	D．Approaches of chinstrap penguins’ parenting.

7 . A GIF of the Wicked Witch (巫婆) of the West from “The Wizard of Oz” saying “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” played behind Economics Professor Michael Rizzo as students gathered in Wegmans Hall on Oct. 30 to hear him argue against the opinion that the Earth is going through a climate disaster.

“I’m curious to see how many people will misunderstand the point of my talk, which is about addressing the issue of disaster and not at all the issue of whether climate change is happening, or even the mechanics of it,” he said in an interview with the Cambus Times.

The talk included Rizzo stating his biggest fear—that he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know about climate change. The talk, he said, was assembled from everything he’s read, and, to him, things don’t look so bad, but he knows he hasn’t read everything.

First-year Aidan Lieberman, who attended the talk after hearing about it in Rizzo’s Prin- ciples of Economics class, thought the professor tried to fit too much into his time, but he agreed with the points that he could follow, saying “they seemed to make sense.”

“I was only able to follow a few of the points he was making, ” Lieberman said. “My biggest takeaway is that humans will be able to manage the effects of climate change as they become more severe. ”

Rizzo said he wanted students to leave the talk understanding that the rhetoric around climate “disaster” often comes more from how information is reported rather than the science it- self. Addressing issues of climate change, he stressed, requires a careful understanding that takes lots of research to achieve-research that he found students weren’t doing before coming to him with disagreements.

1. Why is the “The Wizard of Oz” saying mentioned?

A．To explain the dog is vital for the witch.

B．To prove students misunderstood the talk.

C．To suggest students made no sense of the talk.

D．To show the earth is facing a climate challenge.

2. What does the underlined word “assembled” probably mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Pieced.

B．Differed.

C．Separated.

D．Reserved.

3. How does Aidan feel about Rizzo’s lecture?

A．Doubtful.

B．Opposed.

C．Positive.

D．Unclear.

4. What does Rizzo suggest doing in the last paragraph?

A．Being creative.	B．Doing more research.
C．Reporting objectively.	D．Focusing on the information.

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。

Mama notices that there has been a rise in bad manners in the family lately, such as Sister taking things from Brother without asking, and Brother pushing Sister without saying “Excuse me”. It then turns into a shoving (推搡) match between the kids, with them calling each other names and making faces. Their table manners are getting worse, as instead of asking to pass items across the table, Brother and Sister stuff their mouths with food and use some of it to engage in a food fight and kick each other from under the table.

Mama tries to coax (用好话劝) the kids, then complains, and finally shouts. She also tries to ask Papa for help, but he is also part of the problem, as when Papa gets angry at the kids, he bangs (猛捶) on the table. Nothing for Mama works, so she decides to take out a big piece of cardboard and writes out her politeness plan. When she is done, Mama calls a family meeting and introduces the plan to Papa and the kids: if they do something rude such as forgetting to say “please” or “thank you”, the punishment is to sweep the floor. Brother and Sister object to the politeness plan, telling Mama that she’s not being fair. Mama, however, reminds the kids that they’re the ones who aren’t being fair to themselves or other people. She then explains what manners are and why they are important until Papa interrupts her.

While Mama is thankful for Papa’s comment, she notes that he breaks one of the rules. She hands him a feather duster and has him dust the room. Brother and Sister note how serious the plan is and both come up with the idea of being super polite to get Mama to call off the politeness plan.

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。

They put their idea into practice.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mama is pleased with the change.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . 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，并将答案填写在答题卡上。

My friend and I went on an exciting trip from Shanghai to Mount Wu gong in Jiangxi Province. The place     1     (know) for its extraordinary beauty, ancient culture, and a special mountain peak—the Golden Peak,     2     stands an old temple.

Mount Wugong is really high—2,000 meters above the sea, making it tough     3     (climb) up. Luckily, there are small shops along the way, so we could get snacks and drinks.

We made it to the top at sunset. It was     4     (incredible) amazing—golden clouds flowing down the mountain,     5     (explain) why it’s called the Golden Peak.We felt like we were thinking the same thoughts as people from ancient China. At night, we     6     (lie) under the stars, feeling the history of the place.

The next morning, I woke up just in time for the most     7     (wonder) sunrise ever —something that will stick in my memory forever. Afterwards, we explored     8     old temple on top of the mountain, which showed us how Chinese people connected nature with spiritual things.

Mount Wugong offered us not only an unforgettable adventure, but also a real insight     9     the depths of Chinese culture, history and the enduring bond between humanity     10     the natural world.

10 . Fifteen years ago, Pilots N Paws was founded by Debi, an animal lover, and Jon, a pilot. Debi wanted to _________ a dog from a shelter and needed to get it from Florida to South Carolina, so Jon helped her make it _________. Most animals were transported on the ground back then, but the two had the idea of transporting the animals via _________. Thus, Pilots N Paws _________. Pilots N Paws is a nonprofit organization that works with pilots all throughout the United States. Since its foundation, more than 200,000 animals have been _________. The Pilots N Paws pilot network has grown to _________ over 6,000 pilots. The organization also _________ Cirrus Aircraft, who supports it financially.

Though Pilots N Paws _________ transports dogs and cats, the organization has actually helped all kinds of animals. Pilots have flown dolphins, a baby bear badly burned in a wildfire, eagles, and snakes.

Pilots N Paws _________ the gap between the pilot and the person wanting to adopt the animal. The __________ is not to make the pilots go significantly out of their way to save an animal, but rather to have them rescue the animal on a flight they would take __________. The customer needing transportation of an animal has to __________ a request on the Pilots N Paws website, and the pilots can view the requests like a forum. Once a pilot __________ one, they coordinate (协调) the __________ of the animal. When filling out a transport request, the requester is asked if they are willing to drive the animal to the airport, making the __________ much smoother for the pilots.

1.

A．examine

B．adopt

C．identify

D．film

2.

A．legal

B．necessary

C．clear

D．possible

3.

A．car

B．boat

C．bus

D．plane

4.

A．caught on

B．came into being

C．broke down

D．held the lead

5.

A．rescued

B．dismissed

C．trained

D．maintained

6.

A．affect

B．include

C．assist

D．appoint

7.

A．trusts

B．defends

C．partners

D．controls

8.

A．typically

B．rarely

C．temporarily

D．secretly

9.

A．bridges

B．mixes

C．widens

D．explores

10.

A．advice

B．assumption

C．objective

D．problem

11.

A．instead

B．otherwise

C．away

D．regardless

12.

A．choose

B．receive

C．place

D．consider

13.

A．accepts

B．describes

C．repeats

D．submits

14.

A．giveaway

B．pickup

C．takeover

D．turnaround

15.

A．communication

B．search

C．process

D．landing