1 . When people think of a typical mineral mine, it’s probably underground. It’s unlikely that the picture of plants and soft greenery would cross their minds. Now, new explorations into phytomining (植物采矿) may change that viewpoint. Instead of traditionally mining metals from rocks, phytomining uses plants as an alternative source for them. Using plants to extract metals can have significant environmental benefits over rock mining.

Phytomining was first studied in 1983, but it hasn’t yet been adopted by the metals industry. In 2004, Indonesian soil scientist Tjoa took her research to Sorowako, a small town in Indonesia with one of the largest nickel (镍) mining areas, to look into plants that continued to live after years of mining. She brought samples back to her lab and found that these super plants were more than just surviving — they were growing.

The plants were absorbing and storing nickel from the soil. Large amounts of metals kill most plants, but these, known as hyper-accumulators (超富集植物), were learning to adapt. If these plants were storing metal, that meant science could find a way to extract the minerals for use and quite frankly, scientists easily did. When the shoots are harvested and burned, the metals are separated from the plant material in the ashes.

Tjoa returned to Sorowako and spent years searching for new hyper-accumulator species. After a plant is considered a possibility, there’s a simple test paper that turns pink when placed against the leaf of a hyper-accumulator plant. Two local Indonesian plants were found but there are many others still to be discovered.

Tjoa’s research caught the attention of Bijasksana, a professor of rock magnetism. Together they designed an experiment to understand magnetic susceptibility (磁化率) when plants accumulate more nickel. Their research led to the discovery of two new species of hyper-accumulators. Besides, this research serves as the basis for the potential that plants can give to the mining industry, offering great advantages to our ecosystem and toward building a more sustainable future.

1. Why did Tjoa go to Sorowako in 2004?

A．To work with the local government.	B．To study the plants surviving mining.
C．To improve the soil of the small town.	D．To research into underground mining.

2. What can be known about hyper-accumulators from the text?

A．They are rich in metals.	B．They are free of minerals.
C．They are very easy to discover.	D．They are too fragile to survive.

3. What was a result of Tjoa and Bijasksana’s experiment?

A．Helping more plants to survive.	B．Testing out the mining industry.
C．Improving the extraction efficiency.	D．Finding more hyper-accumulators.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．New Creative Mining Way Meets Challenges.

B．Plants Can Act as Sources of Many Metals.

C．Scientists Can Extract Minerals from Plants.

D．Phytomining Replaces Traditional Mining.

3 . TikTok has appeared as a major starter of food trends—from mushroom coffee and pancake cereal to cloud bread. But there’s another trend dominating TikTok that’s become bigger than any of these viral recipes. That’s the #whatieatinaday trend, which is nearing 9 billion views. These video food diaries are also popular on Instagram—typically featuring a wellness influencer or celebrity showing their foods they ate that day—often with a full-length yoga clothes mirror selfie.

The basic message these posts send is that if you eat like them, then you can eventually look like them. The posts are promoting the idea of a perfect or ideal day of eating, along with a perfect body size.

“Younger audience, especially girls and young women, accept the message that they must eat like these creators in order to achieve and maintain not only health, but also social attraction,” says Cara Harbstreet. “The biggest harm I see with this trend is that it normalizes disordered or restrictive eating behaviors. This could prevent someone struggling with an eating disorder from seeking and receiving support or treatment.”

Even if the #whatieatinaday posts are displaying a balanced day of eating, the message of “eat like me, and you will look like me” is harmful because people would not necessarily achieve the same body size as the Instagrammer even if they copied their day of eating bite for bite.

Rather than a day’s worth of food, many experts suggest posting a single meal instead. Rachael Hartley said an individual meal or recipe could serve as an idea or inspiration versus a full day of eating to copy.

“I occasionally share #whylate Wednesday posts, with the aim of showing a wide range of foods, including fast food, desserts, convenience foods and other foods that diet culture might dislike, as well as showing how to include nutrition in a gentle way,” she said.

Rachael says diet culture has changed our sense of how much is “normal” to eat at meals or snacks, so it can be helpful to see a full meal that shows a variety of foods.

1. What is paragraph I mainly about?

A．The popularity of TikTok cooking classes.

B．The origin of the #whatieatinaday trend.

C．The Internet hit of posting a whole-day diet.

D．The disagreement of selfies in yoga clothes.

2. Why is #whatieatinaday trend harmful according to Cara Harbstreet?

A．It makes people less attractive.	B．It confuses dieting with healthy eating.
C．It contributes to emotional disorder.	D．It restricts people’s choice to vegetables.

3. Which kind of posting would probably be preferred by experts?

A．A big Sunday supper with various dishes.

B．A single meal with only convenient noodles.

C．Breakfast, lunch and dinner on a Wednesday.

D．A day’s meals with more vegetables than meat.

4. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To compare different eating habits.

B．To inform a standard posting method.

C．To argue against #whatieatinaday posting.

D．To discuss the pros and cons of diet culture.

4 . 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 was turning ten in the summer of 1995. On a warm evening while at dinner table, my mom announced we were taking a trip to Niagara Falls when summer vacation started so that we could celebrate my birthday there.

It all sounded incredibly good until mom said we would be driving to Canada. As was often the case, my dad would do all the driving when my mom managed the directions. But dad often took wrong turns along the way and mom would not stop complaining.

It wasn’t all that I didn’t like the car rides. I looked over at my 6-year-old sister, Marlene. She giggled at me and rolled her eyes. Driving in the car meant I’d share the back seat with my sister, who would never stop making noise unless she was asleep.

“Hey, can we take a plane there instead?” I asked between mouthfuls of hamburger and French fries. Sometimes, when dad had a day off from work, we would drive out to Idlewild Airport to watch the planes take off and land. I always hoped that one day I could get to sit in my own seat on one of those planes. It would be so cool to get high up the beautiful sky.

“Sorry honey, maybe next time.” my mother replied as she and my father exchanged glances. I turned to my sister, hoping she would say she wanted to get on a plane too, but she simply stuck her tongue out at me and giggled again.

Don’t they get it? I was in desperate need of a plane ride, and I needed something cool to talk about with my friends when we got home. “Sitting in the back seat of the car sucks.” I blurted (脱口而出) out.

“Jay!” My mom shouted. “Watch your mouth!”

“OK, sorry, but I really want to go by plane.”

“This conversation is over.” My dad growled. “Finish your eating and go to your room.”

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。

We left two days later on Saturday morning in our car.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I was told to wait until we checked in our bags at the airport.

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5 . Supporting Others

We’re always being told that the secret to happiness lies in helping others. Indeed, it’s natural to want to support those we care about, especially if we are in a position to do so.    1    

When we offer support, it may not always be wanted.     2     In this case, offering support in the manner of “... if l were you, I would ...” can feel like a scolding rather than support. If our support feels conditional, it can feel burdensome.

    3     When someone is trying to manage illness or a house move, just saying “What would help you today?” can be amazingly supportive. Or, suggest what you can do for them: picking up some shopping, taking the dog for a walk. Even if it’s not needed, just knowing you’ ve been thought of can be supportive in itself.

Try to be mindful of offering support that is disabling, rather than enabling. My son, when aged five, wanted to make a cup of tea. I could see how inspiring it was for him to be able to do this. So I filled the kettle and took him through the safety measures. It felt like a huge risk but it worked. His pleasure was immeasurable. The same principle applies when we offer support that increases someone else’s capacity.     4    

Sometimes the only support that’s needed is to listen without judgement.     5     This reassures them that someone cares enough to listen while they ground themselves. When times are tough, remember to keep things stable. Waiting until the storm has passed is all it takes.

Support often works best when it’s a two-way process. It is good to know how to accept help from others as well as offer support to them.

A．Here are the pros and cons of supporting others.

B．Just be there, while someone lets out their feelings.

C．Ask what support is needed and provide a practical one.

D．This can often be a bigger gift than just doing it for them.

E．But we can do more by thinking about the support we offer.

F．Because being judgmental can only make someone annoyed.

G．Sometimes people are trying to manage life in their own way.

6 . I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m rubbish at saying “NO”. For example, last Sunday I was sitting at my desk alone, totally ________ in my own business, when a colleague of mine phoned and asked me to get________in shopping with her. I found myself getting all caught up in her ________and didn't want to ________her. So I said “Sure, why not?” and before the call ________, I found myself agreeing, without giving any thought whether it was worth doing.

We were both window-shoppers and ________a whole day in the street. ________, I hardly have any time to spare because I am very busy.________my normal job, I’ve also got a book to write, a business to________and a family to look after. And then there are my other projects to ________－my voluntary work and a couple of other interesting investments that I want to________.

I’m going to have to be more________and not just agree to everything people ask me to do. In order words, I’m going to have to get________at saying “NO”. Usually I hate saying “NO”, because having to disappoint someone usually________me. Now I realize because I haven’t learned to say “NO”, I’ve been feeling very________.

We had better do what we think is right and what we are________to do. Sometimes it does not seem that bad to refuse others. If I focus on the things I really want to do, I’ll reach a much higher ________and do them quite well. I’ll be enthusiastic and ________and do something that is good for everyone and everyone will be ________. It’ll be a win-win________. What’s not good about that? So sometimes, we have to say “No”.

1.

A．enthusiastic

B．absorbed

C．harmonious

D．disappointed

2.

A．lost

B．composed

C．involved

D．trapped

3.

A．kindness

B．apology

C．courage

D．enthusiasm

4.

A．displease

B．force

C．disturb

D．abuse

5.

A．dialed

B．announced

C．broadcast

D．ended

6.

A．took

B．criticized

C．celebrated

D．wasted

7.

A．Fortunately

B．Actually

C．Extremely

D．Frequently

8.

A．Because of

B．Regardless of

C．Apart from

D．Instead of

9.

A．distribute

B．run

C．design

D．invent

10.

A．consider

B．fetch

C．divide

D．enlarge

11.

A．take in

B．work on

C．turn on

D．make up

12.

A．cold-blooded

B．broken-hearted

C．warm-hearted

D．ill-treated

13.

A．further

B．worse

C．faster

D．better

14.

A．attracts

B．amuses

C．upsets

D．puzzles

15.

A．foolish

B．cheerful

C．merciful

D．blue

16.

A．likely

B．greedy

C．willing

D．guilty

17.

A．concept

B．standard

C．background

D．discount

18.

A．discouraged

B．inspired

C．embarrassed

D．scared

19.

A．merry

B．sad

C．bored

D．troubled

20.

A．situation

B．dilemma

C．condition

D．spirit

7 . Humans have little difficulty recognizing one another. We may not recall a name, but we can usually remember if we’ve seen a face. And we know that no two faces are exactly alike. Even “identical” twins have slightly different faces. Each human face is truly unique, which makes seeing someone’s face a great way to confirm their identity. And now we’ve invented machines that are able to recognize faces, which they are doing daily for numerous purposes at lightning speed.

Governments, banks, employers, border security and police services are increasingly using facial recognition technology. This allows them to quickly confirm an individual’s identity. Systems are becoming so efficient and effective that a wanted criminal can instantly be picked out of a crowd of thousands of people. All that’s required is an image in a database to compare with the images of any number of people in a crowd.

Ordinary people, too, are using facial recognition to unlock their phones, their computers and other devices. Such systems are generally quite secure. According to a cellphone company, for example, there is only one chance in a million that a face other than your own could unlock your phone.

Personal facial recognition protection has several benefits. It is instantaneous (瞬间完成的), and it relieves us of the need to memorize passwords or PINs (Personal Identification Numbers). However, a device will require a password in a rare event where it doesn’t, for whatever reason, recognize the user’s face.

Technology often makes our lives easier in everyday ways. However, sometimes the same technology is used in ways that we might find disturbing. For some people, it is good, but for other people, it might bring bad and uncomfortable feelings. Is there a disadvantage to the rapid spread of facial recognition technology? There are numerous concerns about the use of facial recognition. Primarily, the concern is that it may threaten privacy (隐私). The installation (安装) of more and more cameras in public and private places is now a part of everyday life. Those cameras are being linked with huge image databases. This means people can be observed and recognized wherever they go and whatever they do. Cameras on every lamppost (街灯柱) may make public spaces safer, but keeping citizens who obey the law under constant watch is disturbing to many.

When a person wears a mask or a scarf, which covers his face, facial recognition systems are having some difficulty. A mask covers many of the facial data points used by recognition software to confirm a person’s identity. In response, facial recognition systems are being trained to use less facial data. That could affect how dependable it is as a method of identity detection.

1. Why can we identify people by seeing someone’s face?

A．A human’s face is not often covered.	B．A human’s face is easy to memorize.
C．A human’s face is the only one of its kind.	D．A human’s face can show one’s feelings.

2. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Practical uses of facial recognition technology.

B．Development of facial recognition technology.

C．Different ways to unlock phones and computers.

D．Databases to compare with the images of people.

3. How should people usually deal with a device if it doesn’t recognize the-user’s face?

A．By restarting it.	B．By having it repaired.
C．By recognizing one’s voice.	D．By using a password.

4. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．Most people believe it is illegal to use facial recognition in public.

B．Using less facial data could influence the accuracy of recognition.

C．Wearing a mask doesn’t affect facial recognition at all.

D．The cameras are only linked with personal computers.

8 . 假如你是李华，你校下个月将举办以“体育与健康（Sports and Health）”为主题的校园体育节。请你用英语为本次活动写一则宣传稿，内容包括：
1.活动目的和主题
2.活动内容
3.参加方式
注意：写作词数应为100左右。
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Emma Jones’ three-year-old son, Eric, was sharing a hot dog on the deck overlooking her friend Sarah Roth’s swimming pool. One moment Jones was watching Eric play around with the other children at this _________ of moms and kids last July. The next moment he disappeared without a _________. She turned to her friend Machel Rawlings and asked, “Have you seen Eric?”

Rawlings stood, _________ the pool and suddenly screamed. Eric was found _________ face down in the deep end. What happened next was a _________ textbook response: As Rawlings dived in the pool, grasped the boy, _________ him over and swam him to the end. Meanwhile, their host, Sarah Roth, dialed 911. At the pool’s _________, Rawlings handed Eric up to his mother. His skin was blue and wasn’t breathing.

Rawlings who’d taken a CPR course just four months earlier, immediately began rescue breathing. Hanging up the phone, Roth, a former flight attendant who’d accumulated _________ experience before, _________ CPR from Rawlings. Three long minutes went by with Roth breathing into Eric’s mouth and __________ chest compressions (按压) while Rawlings and Jones __________ his condition. Gradually his color __________, and as the ambulance was arriving on the __________, Rawlings looked at Roth. “He’s breathing,” she said.

The __________ with which the women acted saved Eric’s life. Emma Jones found any words seemed powerless. She said __________, “They did everything right.”

1.

A．encounter

B．gathering

C．union

D．game

2.

A．trace

B．symptom

C．footprint

D．signal

3.

A．found

B．reviewed

C．fixed

D．scanned

4.

A．lying

B．floating

C．sinking

D．diving

5.

A．initial

B．typical

C．creative

D．effective

6.

A．rolled

B．knocked

C．checked

D．ran

7.

A．point

B．edge

C．stage

D．spot

8.

A．accessible

B．abundant

C．apparent

D．significant

9.

A．took up

B．took in

C．took place

D．took over

10.

A．performing

B．working

C．testing

D．stretching

11.

A．maintained

B．adapted

C．monitored

D．tracked

12.

A．faded

B．changed

C．returned

D．revealed

13.

A．pool

B．scene

C．route

D．court

14.

A．courage

B．kindness

C．persistence

D．decisiveness

15.

A．actually

B．fairly

C．finally

D．simply

10 . If job seekers knew companies were using AI to fill open positions, would it stop them from applying for the job? The answer, according to a recent study, is yes — sometimes.

The researchers found that in certain instances, like the screening (筛选) of applications, participants usually accepted some degree of automation. But in other instances, like interviews, automation could stop job seekers from applying for a position.

Companies facing recent labor shortages are increasingly turning to AI as a way to facilitate and speed up the hiring process. AI can be used in tasks such as screening job candidates, checking professional licenses, and interviewing candidates.

The new research suggests that using AI in hiring could be quite opposite. For instance, in one part of the study, participants were shown fictional job postings and then asked if they intended to apply for the position. The researchers found that if the job posting said that AI was used both to screen applicants and to conduct interviews, participants’ intention to apply for the position averaged 2.77 on a six-point scale. If AI was used only for the screening process, participants’ intention to apply averaged 3.73.

In another experiment, the researchers also found that study participants saw pros and cons in the use of AI in interviewing. When told the hiring would be fully automated, some participants expected the whole hiring process to be more consistent (始终如一的) in its judgments. But others tended to believe that they had less voice in the final outcome. Overall, the study results suggest this concern tends to outweigh the appreciation of AI’s lack of bias (偏见) at the interviewing stage.

A mixed approach may be a way to get the best of both worlds. Participants may have been more open to automation earlier in the hiring process because they could see some benefits from using AI — such as less-biased decisions. But during the later stages applicants expect personal interaction, to give them an opportunity to sell themselves and to learn more about the company.

1. Why do companies increasingly turn to AI in hiring?

A．To attract more applicants.	B．To boost hiring process.
C．To pick out top candidates.	D．To solve labor shortages.

2. In which part do participants prefer automation?

A．Screening job candidates.	B．Interviewing candidates.
C．Grading professional licenses.	D．Predicting final outcomes.

3. What does the underlined part refer to in Paragraph 5?

A．Less AI involvement.	B．Lack of consistent judgments.
C．Less-biased decisions.	D．Lack of personal interaction.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Hi-tech is a two-edged sword.

B．AI finds its way to hiring process.

C．Automation may discourage job seekers.

D．A mixed approach should be adopted in hiring.