1 . 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。

New research shows that the average cost of raising a child to the age of 18 in China in 2021 was 485,000 yuan for a first child,     1     is far more than     2     in the United States and Japan. The high cost of child-raising is one more     3     (difficult) Chinese policymakers face while     4     (deal) with rapidly decreasing birth rates. Experts warn China’s aging population will put pressure     5     its health and social security systems. A decrease in workers could also     6     (severe) limit growth for the world’s second-largest economy in the coming years.

New policies permit     7     (family) to have as many as three children. But China`s birth rate dropped to 7.52 births per 1,000 people in 2021. That is the     8     (low) since the National Bureau of Statistics` began recording the information in 1949. The high costs of raising a child     9     (cause) officials in China to place restrictions on the private tutoring industry in the last few years. Some areas have been giving couples money for having     10     second or third child.

2 . For most of my adult life, I’ve felt slightly ashamed —not of something I’ve done, but of something I haven’t. Although I’m an independent person who has been to numerous countries, I’ve never gone on an overseas holiday alone. I’ve traveled with my parents, partners, kids and other families. I’ve travelled with my pet and joined tours where I knew no one but came out with lifelong friends.

But for a while, my failure to travel alone felt like a mistake. Solo travel is celebrated. I’ve seen a thousand pieces written by adventurous women who claim to have found themselves by crossing countries alone. Traveling solo makes you capable, they say. It pushes you out of your comfort zone. Every woman should travel alone at least once in her life!

And yet, I’ve never had an urge to do it. For one thing, I need a lot of people contact. A single day without meaningful conversation can leave me feeling depressed. Proper, engaging conversation is difficult when traveling alone. Even if you’re good at chatting with strangers, it isn’t always possible. I don’t want to worry about being alone on my travels. I want support and company during my adventures. I used to see this desire to be with others as some sort of flaw, but now I see it as a valid choice.

Traveling solo builds resilience. But so does life. I am a single parent raising three children while trying to juggle a career. I make endless decisions alone and deal with crises alone. I manage loneliness and fear. I don’t need to travel alone to build resilience. I have resilience in spades, I’m sure travelling overseas would push me further out of comfort zone. But you know what else pushed me out of my comfort zone? Being single in a society that values marriage. Earning a living in a difficult industry. Dating men I’ve met on an app. My life is effortful enough. I don’t need my travels to be effortful too.

Travel is incredibly valuable, no matter what your stage of life. It teaches you how diverse the world is and how to appreciate your culture in relation to another. It stretches your mind and gives you a new viewpoint.

And you don’t need a solo journey to become an independent woman. I assure you that life will get you there in the end.

1. What does the author feel a bit ashamed of?

A．Her lack of independence.	B．Her failure to travel overseas.
C．Not being adventurous enough.	D．Not having travelled on her own abroad

2. Why is solo travel applauded by adventurous women?

A．It is both relaxing and empowering.	B．They can better appreciate different cultures.
C．They get to know themselves better.	D．It forces them to face their deepest fear.

3. What does the author mean by saying “I have resilience in spades” in paragraph 4?

A．She has had enough of resilience.

B．She doesn’t want to travel solo with spades.

C．She doesn’t need solo traveling to build character.

D．She has gone through many difficulties in life to have great resilience.

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

A．Walking out of comfort zone	B．Solo travel is unnecessary
C．Life is travelling solo	D．Being an independent woman

3 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写， 使之构成一个完整的故事。

Michelle was eight years old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Jack, now only an infant(婴儿). He was very sick and they were completely out of money. Only a very costly operation could save Jack the baby now but there was no one to whom they could turn for the money needed. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mom, “Only a miracle can save him now.”

At the words, Michelle went to her bedroom and took out all the coins from her little moneybox. After counting the coins three times, she slipped out the back door and made her way to the drug store six blocks away . . .

She waited for a long time before the pharmacist(药剂师）turned around and asked her. “And what do you want?”

“Well, it's' about my brother,” Michelle answered . “He's really, really sick . . . and 1 want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon?”said the pharmacist. “His name is Jack and he has something very bad growing inside his body and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“We don't sell miracles here, little girl .I'm sorry but I can't help you, ” the pharmacist said. “Listen, I have money to pay for it.” And with these words, Mich poured out all the coins from her pockets. At this time, a well-dressed man behind Michelle stooped down and ask the little girl. “I'm selling the miracle you want. Tell me how much money you have.”

“One dollar and eleven cents, ” Michelle answered in a low voice. “And it's all the money I have, but I can some more if I need to.”

“Well, ” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents— the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. Show me the place where your brothers lives.”

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 :

Holding the man's hand firmly , Michelle took him home.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

When asked why he chose to help the family, the man detailed,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . It comes as no surprise that exercise is good for your health. Positive changes happen to your body before, during, and after a workout.     1    

Build up your body

There are quite a few scientific reasons to do strength training. It makes muscles (肌肉) bigger and bones stronger, thus lowering the risk for certain diseases. Running is an easy but effective way to help build your muscles.     2     But a recent study found that a short run can benefit the legs in the short term. And for now, experts say running has more benefits than risks.

Improve your brainpower

Exercise can help your brain, not just your body. Physical activity helps brain cells (细胞) grow.     3     That’s because physical exercise quickly increases a person's heart rate and carries more blood to the brain, improving the brainpower.

Establish a mind-body connection

Too much stress can lead to inflammation (炎症).    4     But simple mind-body exercises like yoga can not only reduce inflammation but also lower the risk of depression. New research shows they can even change your genes to fight off poor health. Research proves that even just 15 minutes a day of practicing mindfulness seems to do the trick.

    5     National guidelines recommend more than two hours of physical activity each week. But science says people who pack that amount into one or two days get about the same benefits. Either way, get moving is the key!

A．It is the body’s painful response to injury and overuse.

B．Mindful exercises can improve your long-term well-being.

C．Then what is the proper amount of exercise you should take?

D．And moving more appears to lower the chances of memory loss.

E．Recent research shows more detail about the benefits of exercise.

F．Exercise can also help people deal better with anger and feel happier.

G．Some believe the activity can damage the knees or cause other injuries.

5 . Brooke wanted a dollhouse and some sugar cookies. So the 6-year-old asked Alexa to get them. Alexa wasn't her mom or babysitter. It was a voice-activated(声控的) home assistant powered by artificial intelligence(AI). Alexa comes with the Amazon Echo device(回波装置). And it made Brooke's wishes come true. After being reported on TV, Alexa devices in many listeners' homes woke up and tried to order dollhouses!

Alexa isn't the only AI willing to order up treats for you. Apple Homepod has Siri, Google Home has its Assistant, and the upcoming Galaxy Home device will have Bixby. People who own these devices use them mainly for listening to music, checking the weather, and setting timers. According to a report from The Information, people don't often do voice shopping. They do it mainly to order simple things like paper towels. But many experts predict a boom(繁荣) in voice shopping in the near future.

Convenience is the main benefit of voice shopping. You can shout out an order as soon as you think of it, even if you're cooking or driving. Besides, people who are unable to use a keyboard or mouse can shop without assistance.

But voice shopping has its downsides. Unwanted things aren’t the biggest problem. It's usually very easy to cancel an order or return items. The surprising thing is that these assistants are always listening. They have to be able to respond when you want them. So they listen for ''Alexa'' or ''OK Google'' or another command. When they hear it, they start recording the conversation. Some have worried about what happens to these recordings. Should companies be allowed to use them to learn about people's shopping habits? What if someone hacks(非法侵入) the device? What if someone hacks smart TVs to turn them into spies that listen all the time?

1. What is Alexa?

A．A TV reporter.	B．A friend of Brooke.
C．A voice-activated device.	D．A cookie maker.

2. What can you learn from paragraph2?

A．Alexa is the best AI device.

B．People buy various things through voice shopping.

C．People use Bixby mainly for listening to music.

D．Voice shopping may have a bright future.

3. What is the author's attitude towards Alexa devices?

A．Optimistic.	B．Doubtful.
C．Objective.	D．Negative.

4. What's the best title of the text?

A．How did Brooke' wishes come true?	B．The voice-activated home assistant-Alexa
C．How can we start voice shopping?	D．What convenience do Alexa devices bring?