1 . It is not hard to learn more about a piece of famous painting, but identifying an unknown painting can be tricky. What do you need to do to get its specific information? Here are tips to identify a painting.

·Use the signature or monogram (字母组合图案) to dig online and find the image. Look in the corners of the painting to see if there is a signature or monogram.     1     If it’s harder to read, see if you can break down the letters and read them. This will let you narrow down the search and figure out who the artist is.

·Turn to an image recognition app to identify the painting immediately. If you’re struggling to remember an artist’s name or you want additional information on a particular painting, download an image recognition app designed specifically for art. There are several apps for both Android and iPhone that allow you to snap a photo of a painting to search through museum catalogues, university databases, and art history texts.     2    

·Ask an expert to identify the era, style, or painter of an image.     3     The reason is that an expert like a professor in the field of art will be able to offer insights about the period, style, and give you a better sense for where to look. He may even know who the artist is as soon as he takes a look at it.

·    4     Contemporary painters may paint people or objects from the past, but they can’t time travel. If there’s a train, company logo or some other time-specific component of it, this is a great way to set a baseline (基准) for your search.

In a word, the tips above are helpful.     5     In this way, you will effortlessly identify the unknown painting.

A．This is the easiest way to find a specific painting.

B．Locate its exact location when you appreciate the painting.

C．If the name is easy to read, search the artist’s name up online to find it.

D．Email or visit an art history professor to ask whether he can look at the image.

E．Take advantage of obvious clues in the subject matter to narrow down the date.

F．Thus, you’ll find it easier than you think to find the information you’re looking for.

G．If the professor mainly focuses on newer artists, a contemporary abstract piece is going to be easier to identify.

2 . In a heartwarming rescue operation off the coast of Houston-Galveston, a U.S. CoastGuard team discovered an unexpected passenger during a routine inspection of shipping containers. The team, led by Petty Officer 2nd Class McMahon, were astonished when they heard barking and scratching coming from one of the containers.

As they cautiously opened the container, they were greeted by the sight of a small, furry face — a dog trapped inside the dark space. The dog seemed remarkably calm and happy to be liberated from her limited quarters.

“As soon as we opened it, we could see the little dog’s face poking out,” McMahon said. “She just seemed happy more than anything, to be out of that dark space and in the arms of people that were going to take care of her.”

Further investigation by Coast Guard officials revealed that Connie had been trapped in the container for at least eight days, deprived of food and water. The container, filled with deserted vehicles intended for overseas sales, had likely originated from a junkyard.

“So based on that, they think that the dog most likely was in a junkyard, in a car. And that how she accidentally got put in the container,” Chief Petty Officer Corinne Zilnicki said.

Grateful for being in the right place at the right time, McMahon expressed the urgency of the situation. “It would take at least another week to get to where she was going and two weeks without food or water. I don’t think she would have made it,” he said.

Forever Changed Animal Rescue has taken her in, diligently working to nurse her back to health and prepare her for adoption.

1. What does the underlined word “liberated” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Chained.

B．Released.

C．Protected.

D．Inspected.

2. Where did Connie probably stay before being loaded on a ship?

A．At a deserted parking lot.	B．Off the local coast.
C．In an unusable vehicle.	D．In a limited container.

3. What might happen to Connie in the future?

A．Being sold overseas.	B．Starving to death.
C．Living with a family.	D．Being trapped in a junkyard.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．An Unexpected Passenger	B．A Touching Rescue
C．An Abandoned Dog	D．A Remarkable Team

3 . A new study by Park, the UCLA economist, shows that the relationship between heat and human behavior extends well beyond violence.

Park’s research involved students in New York City sitting for standardized subject-specific high school exams at the temperatures varying from 15℃ to almost 37℃. Then, the research team looked at scores for almost 1 million students and about 4.5 million exams from 1999 to 2011.The analysis of the scores confirmed that students who take the exam on an approximately 32℃ day are 10 percent less likely to pass a given subject than if they had taken that exam on a 24℃ day.

Park and colleagues also looked at how hot temperatures might affect students’ performance across the country. This time, they zoomed in on the PSAT, a standardized exam administered to high schoolers in October that measures college readiness and provides a pathway to scholarships. They evaluated 21 million scores from nearly 10 million students who took the exam at least twice from 1998 to 2012.That way, the researchers could compare how students performed relative to themselves. The team also related exam scores with daily temperature data from around 3, 000weather stations across the country, as well as information about each student’s access to air conditioning. They found students in schools without air conditioning scored lower than would have been expected.

That sort of performance decline doesn’t just happen in academic settings; it extends to the workforce too. Tewari, whole d another team, observed workers from roughly one to nine years, depending on the industry. They discovered when temperatures climbed beyond 35℃, average daily production in the weaving factory dropped by about 2 percent and in the garment sewing factory by as much as 8 percent, compared with days under 30℃.

Based on Tewari’s discovery, the Park’s team scaled up to industries across America. By observing workers in different factories and analyzing national survey data, they found that productivity started dropping when average daily maximum temperatures rose above 20℃.The researchers’ calculations suggest that average annual output will decrease by 2.1 percent if average daily temperatures warm by 1℃ overcurrent conditions; annual gross domestic product, or the value of goods and services produced in a single year, would drop by 3 percent

1. What are the Park’s research findings mainly based on?

A．Data analysis.

B．In-depth interviews.

C．Case study.

D．Literature review.

2. What did Park’s team do when focusing on the PSAT?

A．They evaluated how hard students prepared for the PSAT.

B．They provided a pathway for 10 million students to scholarships.

C．They considered the factor of students’ access to air conditioning.

D．They compared the performances of students across the world.

3. Why does the author mention Tewari’s research?

A．To conduct a comparative experiment.

B．To give more theoretical foundation.

C．To argue against the existing research.

D．To further support the study findings.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The impact of heal on students’ exam scores.

B．The effect of temperature on human behavior.

C．The influence of heat on a declining workforce.

D．The link between heat and industry production.

5 . Julian is a 26-year-old grassroots artist. With a bold and humorous style, his creations have earned more than 6 million ________ on several social media platforms and sold more than 60,000 pieces on the video platform.

However, Julian’s ________ to art was not easy. He was born in a poor village. At the age of 6, Julian began to teach himself to ________ by using waste bricks to practice on walls due to the unaffordability of art supplies. Despite facing ________, including the disability caused by an injury at the age of 11, drawing remained Julian’s passion.

________ the increased popularity of short videos, he could ________ his works online, gradually gaining success. Julian's life also got improved by selling paintings. His dreams, however, are even ________. “My goal is to share my work with more people and I also want to ________ and motivate them with humor,” Julian said. Many of his paintings reflect his journey of ________ obstacles. For Julian, it seems that the inspiration for creation is ________. In his eyes, any scene or word can be a source of inspiration.

Some media called Julian as “the Grassroots Picasso”, but he modestly rejected the ________, saying he is just a “painting hobbyist”.

Julian hopes to engage in more exciting adventures, including organizing exhibitions at home and abroad to encourage more young people to ________ their dreams. “I always believe that it is ________ to learn to persevere. If you love something, then put in more ________. The experiences we have are ________ the foundation for the future, and we will always leave our mark.” Julian said.

1.

A．fans

B．friends

C．teachers

D．authors

2.

A．addiction

B．response

C．introduction

D．path

3.

A．knock

B．draw

C．write

D．build

4.

A．difficulty

B．poorness

C．danger

D．failure

5.

A．Similar to

B．According to

C．Thanks to

D．Close to

6.

A．check

B．practice

C．collect

D．share

7.

A．harder

B．weaker

C．bigger

D．farther

8.

A．interview

B．inspire

C．invite

D．involve

9.

A．overcoming

B．decreasing

C．preventing

D．building

10.

A．timeless

B．helpless

C．endless

D．useless

11.

A．topic

B．favor

C．title

D．faith

12.

A．reflect

B．obtain

C．change

D．pursue

13.

A．urgent

B．essential

C．serious

D．smart

14.

A．wisdom

B．emotion

C．knowledge

D．effort

15.

A．laying

B．preparing

C．serving

D．creating

6 . Thanks to researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University, robot guide dogs that use an artificial intelligence language model may soon be accessible to 17 million people with visual problems in China. The AI guide dog, developed by the university, can assist with tasks like crossing streets, using elevators, and navigating (导航) indoor spaces without being connected to the Internet.

Robot guide dog is an intelligent machine with a physical form. It can interact with the environment in real-time using sensors to execute instructions or make decisions. “Though in recent years there have been some electronic navigation aids, such as electronic navigation helmets, and electronic guide dogs, they cannot engage in conversations with people or fully understand human instructions,” said Sun Zhe, an associate professor at the university.

“They can only carry out tasks according to pre-set programs. They are just cold machines. That’s not enough. The research makes it possible to provide better guidance services for people with visual problems, especially for emotional companionship, ” Sun said.

“People with visual problems face numerous challenges in daily life, including navigation difficulties and safety threats,” Sun said. “Smart guide dogs using the language model can offer them more convenient and safe navigation, effectively improving their quality of life.”

Training a traditional guide dog can cost as much as 200,000 yuan ($ 28,000), and there are fewer than 200 guide dogs in China. Therefore, the research team began developing the smart guide dog based on the AI model, which is much more affordable for people with visual problems. Its findings have been published in the Communications of the Chinese Computer Society.

“The current results prove the possibility of this approach, but there is still some wayto go before it can be put into practical application,” Sun said. “We will put more effort into it and make it available for those in need as soon as possible.”

1. What can the AI guide dog do?

A．Send out all instructions.	B．Navigate without Internet.
C．Improve the AI technology.	D．Imitate human conversations.

2. What does the underlined word “execute” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Change.

B．Guide.

C．Conduct.

D．Explain.

3. Why did Sun Zhe’s team start the research?

A．To analyze AI guide dogs.	B．To use sensors to carry out tasks.
C．To compare different AI guide dogs.	D．To offer better guidance for those in need.

4. Which may be a suitable title for the text?

A．AI Guide Dogs May Offer Visual Aid	B．AI Guide Dogs Will Reduce the Cost
C．AI Guide Dogs May Navigate Indoor Spaces	D．AI Guide Dogs Will Replace Traditional Dogs

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。

When I was young, a car accident left a scar (伤疤) on my face. I was used to people staring at it. I never understood why people judged others by their physical appearance.

Years later, I went to a new school. On the first day, our teacher introduced me to the whole class. “Please welcome the new student Rina. Let's be friendly and help her fit into our school.”

Our teacher then started the lesson, which was about first aid. She asked if anyone knew anything about it. Silence filled the classroom. As a daughter of two doctors, I had leaned CPR (心肺复苏) before. I slowly stood up and started sharing what I could remember. Before I could finish, a girl started saying to herself “What a way to show off! Scar face! ” The teacher heard it and shouted, “Respect! Ruby. ” Ruby stopped, looking at me like I was her enemy.

Ruby and her friends made trouble for me at every chance they got. One day, when I was walking home from school, someone tripped (绊倒) me from behind and I fell. That gave me a bleeding nose. When I got up, I found Ruby laughing wildly with two of her friends. The anger in me was fighting to get out but some how I got it contained, which made Ruby laugh even louder. All of a sudden, the laughing stopped. I saw her standing there breathing painfully.

“Help! Help…” her friends shouted, “She is having an heart attack!”

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。

I stood there with mixed feelings.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Ruby came back from the hospital, she came to me after school.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . 为了增强学生体质，培养运动精神，你校最近举办了运动会。假定你是校报记者，请你写一篇新闻稿，报道本次运动会的盛况，内容包括：
（1）运动会概况（时间、项目等）；
（2）意义和反响。
注意：
（1）写作词数应为80个左右；
（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Stronger Body, Better Future

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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。

In recent years, food has apparently become a new hot spot for Chinese cities to attract tourists. Following Zibo and Harbin, Tianshui,     1     ancient city in Northwest China's Gansu Province, became the     2     (hot) tourists destination of 2024 because of malatang, a local street dish.

Malatang,     3     (literal) meaning “numbing, spicy, and hot” in Chinese, is a common street food that can be found all over China, but its tastes differ depending     4     the region. In Tianshui, malatang features a mix of fresh vegetables and meat     5     (boil) in a hot, spicy chicken soup.

Tianshui went viral when a student     6     (post) a seven-second video in February on her social media. In the video, she suggested     7     (make) Gansu malatang a national dish. The video,     8     quickly received millions of likes online, attracted food lovers to the city     9     (experience) this local dish firsthand. Malatang also helps draw more visits to key     10     (attraction) in Tianshui, such as Maijishan Grottoes and Fuxi Temple.

10 . Who said that you can only use the Internet to socialize with your friends and family? You may actually put your Internet usage to good use by doing something productive.     1     Here are some ways you can learn a new language on the Internet.

Talk to people who live in other countries

Did you know you can also pickup languages if you actually talk-to people who live in the area where the languages are spoken fluently?     2     However, now it is something that you can easily achieve even just by using the Internet on your phone.

    3    

You can listen to English news for language beginners. They tend to simplify it so that you wouldn’t have a problem learning a new language. Another simple way that you can use is to stream a movie that is in another language and just be sure to have your English subtitles (字幕) on.

Use an app on your phone

One of the simplest methods that are also really fun is that you download an app on your phone that can effectively teach you a language. These apps usually allow you to learn more than one language.     4    

Consider joining an online school

Another effective method is that you can join an online school where you can practice listening and speaking.     5     This would avoid your need to travel to a physical school to learn a language.

A．Keep your ears open.

B．Stream online movies.

C．The more you practice, the better you will get.

D．This would have been difficult to do in the past.

E．For example, you can use the Internet to learn a new language.

F．You can also join other online schools to learn more language skills.

G．They make the process fun so that you don’t get bored along the way.