At a neighbor’s pool the summer after sixth grade, Charley yelled those famous last words, “Hey, watch this!” As he dove into the pool, I froze. It wasn’t the deep end!
Charley was hurt bad when he hit the concrete bottom of the swimming pool. The paramedic said he might have broken his back and could lose the use of his legs. His life would change forever. I didn’t see Charley for over a month after he was carried away in the screaming ambulance.
When I went to visit Charley in the hospital, his “Hey, dude, how’s it going?” was greeted by a grunt.
Looking small and pale, Charley growled,
“I can’t walk—how do you think I feel? I wish I was dead!”
“Bro, you’ll get well! You’re tough.”
“No, the doc said I won’t.”
“Aw, man. That suck!” And the conversation died right there.
I didn’t go back after that. I just didn’t know what to say. When Charley got out of the hospital, I went over to his house a few times and played video games, but it just wasn’t the same. Not only was my friend’s body damaged, so was his spirit. I wanted to help and be a good friend but didn’t know how now.
Charley came back to middle school in the fall, but he had a tough time all year. I pushed his wheelchair to help him get to class on time. But Charley had to find someone else if I was at ball practice. Or he could just be late. I wanted to help my friend to make it all better but knew I couldn’t.
One day Charley dropped his cell phone. As he tried to lean down and pick it up, he tumbled out of his wheelchair. I helped him get back into his chair. Though Charley wasn’t hurt, he was so embarrassed that he didn’t talk to anyone the rest of the day. Charley become sadder and sadder, and I spent less and less time with him as the year passed. Since then, I didn’t see much of Charley because I didn’t have time for video games.
However, I was shocked right before eighth grade started to see Charley sailing down the sidewalk with a big black dog by his wheelchair.
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:
At the sight of this I ran over to my friend Charley and wanted to talk about the dog.
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When school started again, I felt much more comfortable with Charley accompanied by the big black service dog.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What is the urgent update about?
| A．Changes on train tracks. |
| B．Late arrival of trains. |
| C．Train maintenance. |
| A．Railway engineers. | B．Station managers. | C．Safety officers |
| A．That tickets are sold out quickly. |
| B．That trains break down on the way. |
| C．That many passengers miss their trains. |
| A．Be aware of bad phone signals. |
| B．Buy food before boarding the train. |
| C．Set online payment methods in advance. |
3 . There are well-documented mental health benefits to pet ownership, as much research has shown. Indeed, we know there are some physical benefits as well, as dog owners tend to have more active lifestyles. Yet when it comes to conditions like allergies (过敏), we tend to think of pet ownership as exacerbating, not alleviating them.
Hence, a recent study published in the journal PLOS One might come as a surprise. The study, published Wednesday, found that children raised with cats and dogs early in life had a 13 to 16 % lower risk of developing all food allergies than those who did not own pets.
The researchers engaged in a detailed survey, studying 65,000 children. They found that children who were exposed to dogs either during fetal (胎儿) development, or up to the age of 3 years old were less likely to have nut, milk and egg allergies.
This wasn’t true for other pets that weren’t cats and dogs. Indeed, the same research found that children exposed to hamsters during this same period had an increased risk of nut allergies. Yet children who were exposed to cats during their early years were likewise less likely to develop specific allergies — namely, allergies to wheat, soybean and egg.
While the study is not the final word on the issue — the researchers note “further studies using oral food challenges are required to more accurately assess the incident of food allergies” — it reinforces preexisting research on the seemingly funny ways that cats influence human development.
In addition to adding to the growing body of scientific literature about pets and human health, the PLOS One also reinforces earlier research about the role of the environment in developing allergies. The research repeatedly found that exposure to farmyard dirt, dust and the various fine hairs that fly off animals helps children in their breathing system development.
1. What does the underlined word “exaccrbating” in paragraph 1 best mean?| A．Worsening. | B．Damaging. |
| C．Improving. | D．Benefiting. |
| A．Kids over 3 will have more food allergies. |
| B．Hamsters cause the most allergies to children. |
| C．All pet ownership will not reduce food allergies. |
| D．Cat owners are less likely to be allergic than dog owners. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Objective. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Benefits brought by raising animals |
| B．Pet ownership making kids healthier |
| C．Researches on different food allergies |
| D．Dogs and cats reducing kids’ allergies |
1. Which date was Van Gogh born on?
| A．March 30. | B．March 20. | C．March 13. |
| A．He began to learn French. |
| B．He decided to be an artist. |
| C．He started to work. |
| A．France. | B．Germany. | C．Britain. |
| A．He made paintings for Van Gogh. |
| B．He sold Van Gogh’s paintings to others. |
| C．He bought Van Gogh’s works from others. |
Darkness had already blanketed the city as Mr. Chen, an engineer, arrived home exhausted from his demanding job. He couldn’t help but notice the absence of his son Lei, who was still out for his evening study sessions. The intense pressure of Lei’s senior high school studies and Mr. Chen’s busy work schedule had gradually eaten away at their precious time together, turning their once-frequent badminton games into mere memories of the past.
On those better weekends, Mr. Chen and Lei would eagerly head to the nearby court, rackets in hand, bathing in the joy of the game and each other’s company. But as life got busier, their heartfelt conversations were reduced to hurried greetings and silent nods.
That particular evening, Mrs. Chen observed Mr. Chen’s unusual early return. With a warm smile, she handed him a steaming cup of tea, gently bringing up a topic close to her heart. “I’ve noticed you and Lei haven’t played badminton in a while. I miss the sound of your laughter and chatter,” she expressed softly, her voice filled with nostalgia.
Mr. Chen’s eyes momentarily lost their tiredness as he thought of the cheerful times spent on the badminton court with Lei. Those moments weren’t just about the sport; they were about the bond they shared, a bond that now seemed to be slipping away. “You’re absolutely right,” he agreed. “We need to bring those moments back and reconnect with Lei.”
Determined, Mr. Chen crafted a plan to carve out two hours per weekend for family bonding, starting with reestablishing their weekly badminton games. Mr. Chen also decided to have more open conversations with Lei, discussing ways to handle academic pressures and the importance of maintaining a health y balance in life. As he awaited Lei’s return that night, Mr. Chen pictured their upcoming game, not just as a physical activity, but as a stepping stone to rebuild their relationship, a chance to laugh, talk, and simply be together.
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。
When Lei finally arrived, Mr. Chen greeted him with a hopeful smile.
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That weekend, they played on the court as planned.
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6 . Does a happy person live longer? Many studies have convinced us that happiness brings good health, which has resulted in an increasing demand for speakers and products encouraging positive thinking. However, being happy does not promise that one is going to be healthy. There are other factors that influence one’s health and long life such as a person’s genes or even a person’s socio-economic condition.
Some research even suggests that positive thinking can be dangerous. Positive thinking, when taken to the extreme, can cause a person to be separated from reality. For example, a person who thinks that staying happy and positive can help him recover from an illness like cancer but later fails to recover from it, may blame himself for not being happy. In this case, positive thinking may potentially make the victim disregard other factors. Sometimes the pursuit of happiness is even associated with serious mental health problems such as depression.
All types of happiness are not good for us either. For example, pride, a pleasant feeling, can sometimes rob us of the ability to empathize with others or understand another’s viewpoint. This anti-social behavior can cause people around us to turn away from us, and this could, in turn, make us feel lonely and do harm to our mental and even physical health.
Moreover, unpleasant feelings can be beneficial to a person’s well-being. Researchers believe that unpleasant feelings can help us make sense of our challenges and experiences in a way that supports psychological well-being. For example, if I have behaved badly towards my good friend, the feelings of guilt and sadness might motivate me to apologize and ask for forgiveness. The rebuilding of a broken relationship can be a lift to one’s mental well-being.
In trying to experience happiness, we should remember that seeking for happiness as an end in itself can be self-defeating, and does not necessarily lead to better health. After all, one will surely experience setbacks and conflicts in life. Instead, learning to cope with negative emotions with a realistic positive attitude is key to a person’s good health.
1. What’s the writer’s opinion in this passage?| A．Negative thinking can be dangerous. |
| B．Staying happy can bring good health. |
| C．Unpleasant feelings cannot be beneficial. |
| D．Happiness cannot ensure one’s good health. |
| A．When we use it with a realistic attitude to solve problems. |
| B．When we focus on it as an only determinant of happy life. |
| C．When we think it one of the necessary factor for good health. |
| D．When we realize it may rob us of the ability to understand others. |
| A．They rebuild a broken relationship. |
| B．They lead to self-reflection and personal growth. |
| C．They help keep the problems and challenges away. |
| D．They prevent long-term negative effects on mental health. |
| A．An ultimate goal. | B．An individual plan. |
| C．A final decision. | D．A great start. |
When my daughter. Rachel was 6 years old, we went to the local shelter, looking for a perfect cat. We liked all the cats we saw there, but we especially loved one that was black with a small white tip to her tail, like a bright star in the night sky. We brought her home and called her Starry.
Starry was lovely. At night when we watched TV, she would come into Rachel’s lap and comfortably stay there. Starry always got her face close to Rachel’s, ending her love with a gentle touch on Rachel’s nose. Sometimes I felt so jealous (忌妒的) of their love. Although I was the one who tank care of the cat, feeding and cleaning it, Starry was clearly Rachel’s cat. Finally, I came to love watching their close relationship
My little girl grew up and went to senior high school. Starry and Rachel were still close, though Rachel spent less and less time at home. starry spent most of her day sitting on the sideboard in the dining room, looking out of the window into the backyard. I loved seeing her as I passed by her, for her shiny black coat almost sparkled (闪烁) in the sunlight and the white tip of her tail looked bright against the shining black of her body.
One Sunday morning, early in November, Starry got out of, the room before we could stop her. When Rachel came home from school, she went into the room with a worried expression. “Where’s Starry?” she asked. When we told her we didn’t know, she led us outside with her. There was a black cat lying on the street.
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。
It was Starry.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Days without Starry went by, but one Christmas recalled us of Starry.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Walk faster!” Brandon shouted annoyingly to his camping partner, Tim. Tim struggled to keep pace with Brandon, who was metres in front of him. The scout (童子军) teacher, Mr. Tan, had paired both of them up together for that week’s camp adventure. Tim was excited to have an experienced camper while his partner, Brandon, on the other hand, felt that Tim was just a newbie who knew nothing.
Brandon was indeed an excellent scout who took to the various skills taught like a duck to water. However, in class, his attitude was beyond terrible. He was rude to his teachers and seldom handed in his homework on time. During his co-curricular (辅助课程) activity, the Scouts, his work was much better. However, his attitude remained the same. Brandon always treated his fellow scouts as if they were good-for-nothings. Thinking that he was better than the others, he always acted rudely in front of them. Tim, who just joined the Scouts, received the same treatment.
“Hey, Brandon! Please wait for me!” Tim begged. Rolling his eyes, Brandon stood on the rock with his arms folded, laughing at the attempts of his partner to cross the rock below him. Brandon soon realized that Tim wasn’t going to make it alone. With all his might, Brandon pulled Tim up and continued on his tracks. Tim felt a sense of gratitude towards Brandon’s action. Quickening his footsteps, he caught up with Brandon and both of them headed for the campsite that Mr. Tan had assigned to each group.
The sky grew darker and nighttime came closer. The path ahead of them grew unclear. Suddenly, Brandon slipped on a rock and fell down into some deep undergrowth (灌木丛) of the forest after managing a loud cry. Hearing that, Tim turned around only to realize that Brandon was deep in the undergrowth. Brandon landed with a huge impact that led to an intense pain in his kneecap. He realized that he had broken his knee.
注意:
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
“Are you alright?” Tim asked in concern, looking carefully over the edge of the hillside.
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Pulling together, it was not long before an injured and relieved Brandon appeared at the top of the hillside.
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9 . Lay eggs and make noises — that’s it? Anyone involved in chicken farming knows that the animals are capable of much more. Researchers have found evidence that roosters (公鸡) could recognize themselves in a mirror. Whether this is successful, however, depends on the experimental contexts.
Whether animals can recognize themselves and thus have self-awareness is one of the central questions in behavioral research. The mark test, a classic test for self-recognition came to the scientists. In the test, if an animal stands in front of a mirror and begins to explore the colored mark placed on its body, this is considered proof that it recognizes its reflection as itself.
“However, our goal was to conduct the mirror test in an environment that is better adapted to the ecologically relevant behavior of the roosters,” says Sonja, a researcher from the University of Bonn. She came up with the idea of using a natural behavior of roosters for the experiment.
Initially, the researchers set up a test area and placed a net to separate two compartments (隔间), through which the roosters could see each other. Then a picture of a fox was placed onto the ceiling of one compartment. Faced with the predator, the roosters let out 77 alarm calls in the presence of a partner, but only 17 when they were alone. The result shows that most roosters, faced with a fox, do alarm partners, which is the perfect illustration of the animals’ self-awareness. The next step was to place a mirror between the two compartments instead of the net. In all, only 25 alarm calls were let out. “The result indicates that the roosters don’t mistake their reflection for a partner, and possibly recognize themselves in their mirror image,” says Sonja.
For comparison, the team also performed the classic mark test. Here, the roosters didn’t recognize themselves in the mirror. The research team sees clear evidence that the classic mirror-mark test produces more reliable results when the behavior of the particular species is included in an ecologically relevant context. “In the classic situation, a rooster may not show self-recognition,” says Sonja. “But when a fox threatens him, it becomes clear that his reflection is not another rooster, but himself.” Further research on animals’ self-awareness is needed so as to better understand animal rights and animal welfare.
1. What is the purpose of the mark test?| A．To explain why animals show certain behavior. |
| B．To discover what behavioral research focuses on. |
| C．To tell whether animals can identify their mirror image. |
| D．To reveal how animals get used to the natural environment. |
| A．Enemy. | B．Partner. | C．Researcher. | D．Reflection. |
| A．To present the experiment result. | B．To change the experimental condition. |
| C．To replace the experiment subject. | D．To simplify the experimental process. |
| A．Animal behavior draws researchers’ attention. |
| B．Animal welfare deserves more human efforts. |
| C．Roosters’ self-recognition works in classic mark tests. |
| D．Roosters’ self-awareness improves in threatening contexts. |
Excitement and danger always coexist. Even Rogers had just taken a turn on his mountain bike in April 2020 when he was stopped short by the sight of a woman sitting on the side of the trail. She was cute and had long brown hair and big expressive eyes. What he didn’t know then was that she was also in pain.
Sydney Linden, 28, bad been jogging down Adobe Jack Trail in Sedona, Arizona, when she jumped over a rock and her leg overextended on the landing. The pain was instant. Her right leg collapsed and she hit the dirt hard. Linden tried to stand but collapsed. She wasn’t sure if she had tom her ACL (韧带), broken her leg, or something else. All she knew was that the pain was a 15out of 10.
Linden dragged herself to the shade, “like an animal preparing to die,” she says. She’d called a friend, but after 30 minutes, her friend was lost. That’s when she saw the mountain biker.
Rogers was trying to play it cool. “I didn’t want to be strange,” he says, “so I was just going to casually ride by — at a slower speed.” But Rogers, 33, an active-duty airman, sensed her sufferings and asked if be could help. Linden explained her dilemma. That’s when he noticed the swelling under her leggings. She needed a hospital — now.
Leaning on Rogers, Linden tried to hop along, but the pain was burning. She’d never make it to the trailhead (登山扣) this way. Rogers had another idea. Ho abandoned his bike on the side of the trail and, after a brief discussion, lifted her over his shoulder. Then they began their way over the rocky area and bushes. Although it was spring, the Arizona sun beat down wildly.
Misfortune never came alone.
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Linden was eager to thank Rogers, but he left without any information.
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