1 . My father once told me some advice. “The advice,” he said, “was that if after the first 50 pages of a book you don’t get _________, you’re allowed to cease reading and _________ again later when you feel ready for it.”

A reader, he suggested, needs a little _________ to adapt to a book’s _________ tone, rhythm and voice. But at the same time, this advice gives a person permission to _________ reading. Nobody needs to _________ themselves to finish reading a book they’re not interested in. I _________ like the gentle suggestion to return to a book “when you feel ready for it”. It’s a(n) _________ that reading is a kind of relationship with yourself and that this relationship is not _________.

I like to think my father’s readerly advice can be __________ in life more generally. Give things a fair __________; don’t judge too hurriedly. It’s helped me when confronted with common landscapes, unanticipated __________ and awkward social situations. Resisting the __________ to escape or to complain, has meant I’ve come to __________ the particular charm of a wide variety of places and personalities. Besides, when something doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to quit it, __________ for the time being.

1.

A．tired

B．attracted

C．convinced

D．informed

2.

A．try

B．copy

C．send

D．remember

3.

A．patience

B．imagination

C．strength

D．courage

4.

A．perfect

B．regular

C．obvious

D．particular

5.

A．continue

B．enjoy

C．stop

D．practice

6.

A．permit

B．beg

C．force

D．cheat

7.

A．especially

B．objectively

C．fortunately

D．partly

8.

A．characteristic

B．expression

C．prejudice

D．recognition

9.

A．various

B．unreal

C．priceless

D．unchanging

10.

A．used

B．told

C．assessed

D．hidden

11.

A．idea

B．chance

C．stage

D．competition

12.

A．meetings

B．operations

C．improvements

D．delays

13.

A．attitude

B．urge

C．smile

D．struggle

14.

A．appreciate

B．record

C．rescue

D．care

15.

A．in brief

B．on earth

C．at least

D．in addition

2 . “Many rules of bee society—from collective and individual interactions to raising healthy young bees—are adjusted by temperature, so we take advantage of that for this study,” explains Rafael Barmak, first author of a paper published recently.

“Previous studies on the thermal (heat-related) behavior of honeybees in winter have relied on observing the bees or controlling the outside temperature,” adds Martin Stefanec of the University of Graz. Now, scientists have developed a robotic system that can be built into a honeybee hive (蜂箱), which enables scientists to change the temperature from within the colony (蜂群), copy the thermal behavior of bees there, and study how the winter colony actively adjusts its temperature.

It’s challenging to study bees in winter since they are sensitive to cold, and opening their hives risks harming them. But thanks to the robotic system, scientists were able to study three experimental hives located at the Artificial Life Lab in Austria, while controlling them from a public research university in Switzerland. Inside the device, a central processor organized the sensors, which created a quick picture of the bees’ collective behavior, sent commands to the actuators (制动器) and passed on data to the scientists. That demonstrated the system could be used to study bees without entering the hives or without even cameras.

By gathering data on the bees’ position and creating warmer areas in the hive, scientists could encourage bees to move around in ways they would never normally do in nature during winter when bees tend to gather together to conserve energy. For example, scientists could direct bees colony toward a food source or discourage it from dividing into too small groups, which could threaten its survival.

The scientists were able to prolong the existence of a colony following the death of its queen by distributing heat energy via the actuators. Bees are one of the most important pollinators (传粉者), and their survivability has become a growing environmental and food security concern as pollinators’ global populations have declined.

1. What is the underlying logic behind the robotic system?

A．Bees’ sensitive response to heat.

B．Bees’ preference to live in groups.

C．Temperature adjustment of bee society.

D．Different work assignments of the bee colony.

2. Which is an advantage of the robotic system?

A．It can provide inner heating remotely.

B．It can open the hives automatically.

C．It can absorb outside heat constantly.

D．It can send real-time data through its camera.

3. What may the scientists want to do by making use of the robotic system?

A．To design better hives.	B．To increase bee biodiversity.
C．To enhance bee survivability.	D．To learn how to distribute energy.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．A Robotic Group—a Bee Individual Colony

B．A Robotic System—a Hidden Window to Bees

C．The Thermal Sensor—a Barrier to Cold Climate

D．The Bee Society—the World’s Most Important Insects

3 . On Christmas Eve, two little ducks were found frozen on a pond in Smithville, Ohio. They flapped their wings, fruitlessly struggling to free themselves on the ice until two locals spotted them and helped set the animals free. The two ducks were later named Olaf and Elsa, characters from Disney’s Frozen, and sent to an animal rescue organization.

“Every year in springtime, particularly at Easter, many people buy ducklings on impulse as gifts, often for their kids. People associate baby animals like ducklings, chicks, and bunnies with springtime,” says John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist. “But months later, animal rescuers routinely see a rise in abandoned ducks in local parks and ponds.”

Elsa and Olaf’s tough situation highlights the reason why domestic ducks always show up in local parks and ponds. Assuming they can live, their case is pretty similar to going to Yellowstone National Park and seeing a wolf and such like. “Oh, if this wolf can live well, my dog can do too,” says Adison Smith, president of Wasatch Wanderers Animal Rescue. “Those ducks lack hunting instincts, and many quickly starve to death or fall sick. A majority cannot fly because of small wings. They don’t migrate, so they can’t survive winter. They’re literally sitting ducks for predators (捕食者),” John Di Leonardo adds.

Since the issue is largely due to a lack of awareness, Adison Smith has started a campaign and hung more than 50 signs in a dozen cities to remind parkgoers that getting rid of pet ducks tends to be disastrous to them and can be illegal by the state law, “Our goal is to get the problem at its source,” Adison says. Most people tend to buy ducklings at stores for less than a dollar each, or kids take them home from school hatching projects.

“Though most abandoned ducks live short, miserable lives, Olaf and Elsa are an exception — they’ll spend their remaining days at Lasa Sanctuary in Wooster, Ohio, in a shelter with other ducks, clean hay, and protection against predators,” John Di Leonardo says.

1. Why did Olaf and Elsa appear on a frozen pond on Christmas Eve?

A．They starred in the film Frozen.	B．They practised their hunting skills.
C．They escaped from an animal shelter.	D．They were abandoned by their master.

2. What does John mean by his words in Paragraph 3?

A．Animals share a lot in living habits.	B．Pet ducks are less adaptable in the wild.
C．Yellowstone is a great place for wildlife.	D．Animals can get along well with each other.

3. What is Adison’s campaign aimed at?

A．Increasing the selling prices of ducks.

B．Reminding people to save our resources.

C．Educating people about the animal protection.

D．Appealing for the establishment of new animal laws.

4. What does John Di Leonardo think of the present life of Olaf and Elsa?

A．Dangerous.

B．Easeful.

C．Restricted.

D．Exhausted.

5 . 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。

The Sixth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo     1     (kick) off on September 6, 2023 in China’s Gansu Province. This year’s Expo, the two-day event has attracted over 1,200 guests     2     more than 50 countries, regions and international organizations.

With “Connecting the World: Cultural Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations” as     3     (it) theme, “Dunhuang Forum” aims to explore the core of Silk Road culture and try to build a model of cultural heritage protection     4     a highland for Dunhuang culture studies. Dunhuang culture is a popular     5     (academy) topic. It has a big fan base in China and abroad,     6     (particular) among young people.

At the Expo, cultural performances “Meet Dunhuang” presented fine Silk Road literature and art together,     7     (tell) wonderful stories about the historic Silk Road, and showing     8     richness, brilliance and inclusiveness of Silk Road culture. The Expo participants agreed that Dunhuang culture’s philosophy, spirit, values should     9     (cherish).

The Belt and Road Initiative was put forward.     10     (inspire) by the ancient Silk Road, the development strategy aims to establish a new platform for international cooperation and to facilitate global development.

6 . 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 seventy-one, my granddaughter Crystal’s husband Peter lost his job. Despite his efforts, he struggled to find a new job. He seemed to lose confidence in himself.

When I visited Australia, I aimed to support them through this challenging time, but Crystal wanted me to have some fun. She suggested snorkeling (用通气管潜泳)along the coral reef, convincing me that I would love the experience.

I had swum only in pools where my feet could touch the bottom. Previously in Hawaii, I had tried snorkeling and panicked in the deep water, but this time, I wanted to try again. My dream of exploring the coral reef and the desire to boost Peter’s spirits motivated me.

Crystal patiently taught me snorkeling in a pool. With great efforts, I finally mastered the skills, which excited me and amazed Peter. “We can overcome our challenges,” I smiled. Seeming to know I was encouraging him, Peter smiled back and said, “I guess so, Grandma.”

The big day came when I had to snorkel in the sea. Crystal and Peter both decided to come for security reasons. “You’ll be fine,” Crystal told me. “I’ll stay right by you. Even if you’re in trouble, I can help you out of it.”

On a sunny afternoon, we set off from the shore. When Peter stopped the boat, Crystal and I put on our equipment.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。

My heart raced as I stared at the deep sea water.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Soon, I noticed the coral reef and many beautiful fish.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Mother’s Day is the time to celebrate the great women who raised us.     1     With Mother’s Day nearly upon us, a lot of people are looking for last minute presents—but it’s not too late! Here are four most popular Mother’s Day gifts that will give you some inspiration.

Pick the gift of relaxation. For the mum who is always rushing around, looking after everyone but herself, a day of rest and relaxation at the spa is the perfect gift. Your mum deserves a break, and many spas offer special Mother’s Day packages with relaxing massages and facials.     2     She can use it when she can fit it in her busy schedule.

Say it with flowers. Flowers are a classic Mother’s Day gift for a reason, and an arrangement of her favourite blooms is sure to bring a smile to her face.     3     You can just make your own arrangement with flowers from the supermarket, and wrap them in brown paper for a nice look on your budget.

    4     Why give one gift when you can give her a gift every month? Booking monthly gifts is more popular than ever. From flowers to wines of the month, and even fresh coffee beans from local producers, you can show your appreciation for all she does for the whole year, rather than just one day.

Spend some quality time. It’s lovely to get presents, but what your mum probably wants more than everything is to spend some quality time with you. Treat her to a day out with an activity she’ll love, whether she’s into wine tasting or an elegant afternoon tea.     5    

A．Keep the gifts coming.

B．Show your gratitude with gifts.

C．Book her in for a day, or buy her a gift card.

D．Try to make something with her name or birthstone on it.

E．However, it can be difficult to find a gift to show your appreciation.

F．Or spend the day at home, letting her put her feet up while you cook.

G．You don’t have to spend hundreds on expensive bouquets in the flower shops.