1 . A woman is volunteering in ashelter. It all started because she missed her own _________ .

Sandy was at a loss when her beloved Angus died last year — terribly lonely, yet not quite______for a new dog in her life. ________, she decided to volunteer at the local animal shelter and spend some quality time with furry friends who, like her, were ________ their old buddies (伙伴).

Remembering that her dog had loved being read to, she brought along a ________   there.

It's now been 18 months sinceSandy first began ________ her chair beside the dog house. Shelter workers say it really calms down the dogs, but Sandy says it does more ________ to her than it does to the dogs.

Sandy was ________ that photos of her reading to dogs were spreading on the Internet until the media started calling. Kathleen, a fellow shelter volunteer was so touched by the sight of her     ____ to an old dog that she took a photo and posted it on the Internet. She was so ______ with the dogs — I watched her read to several — and they just loved being ________ by her, "Kathleen said.

Inspired by Sandy's style of _________, the shelter has announced that a reading marathon is being ________ for next September. The plan is to get kids in the neighborhood ______ in reading to the animals, with the added benefit of reading practice for the two-leggers, along with plenty of friendly _______ for the four-leggers.

1.

A．husband

B．kid

C．dog

D．animal

2.

A．ready

B．free

C．sorry

D．grateful

3.

A．However

B．Meanwhile

C．Besides

D．Therefore

4.

A．comforting

B．admiring

C．missing

D．helping

5.

A．toy

B．book

C．camera

D．photo

6.

A．settling into

B．stealing into

C．heading for

D．looking for

7.

A．duty

B．work

C．good

D．wrong

8.

A．uneasy

B．unsure

C．unhappy

D．unaware

9.

A．reading

B．attending

C．waving

D．whispering

10.

A．content

B．patient

C．strict

D．careful

11.

A．interviewed

B．trained

C．petted

D．photographed

12.

A．teaching

B．living

C．thinking

D．volunteering

13.

A．accepted

B．predicted

C．recorded

D．organized

14.

A．involved

B．experienced

C．united

D．relaxed

15.

A．competition

B．company

C．service

D．advice

2 . Sean Sherman, aged 49, has dedicated his career as a _________ to celebrating Native American cuisine. For his efforts, he received the 2023 Julia Child Award, which _________ those who make a difference in how people cook and eat. He is the first Native American to be _________ with the award which comes with a $50,000 grant.

Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, was born and raised in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. When he was a teenager, his family _________ the reservation to Spearfish, South Dakota. He began working in local restaurants and fell in love with cooking.

_________ working as a cook early in his career, Sherman noticed that the food of _________ people was not featured on menus and that native American restaurants were not _________. He dedicated himself to studying his culinary _________, including learning to use clay grills, grow corn, and source local ingredients. He used what he learned to _________ The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous kitchen and to start a(n) __________ organization to teach others about indigenous food for free.

In 2021, Sherman opened Owamni, a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that __________ modern indigenous dishes, such as venison tartare, smoked whitefish, and mushroom stew. The restaurant quickly became __________ and was named Best New Restaurant in the US in 2022 by the James Beard Foundation.

In his __________ statement on receiving the Julia Child Award, Sherman said he is a longtime __________ of Julia Child (1912-2004), a beloved chef for whom the award is __________. “I saw the impact food can have on the world through Julia,” he said. “I’m excited to continue her legacy through my work.”

1.

A．chef

B．actor

C．baker

D．professor

2.

A．announces

B．sends

C．honors

D．teaches

3.

A．adopted

B．recognized

C．evaluated

D．promised

4.

A．moved over

B．moved in

C．moved off

D．moved on

5.

A．While

B．Before

C．After

D．Unless

6.

A．young

B．foreign

C．old

D．native

7.

A．common

B．obvious

C．ordinary

D．normal

8.

A．experience

B．information

C．heritage

D．diversity

9.

A．feel

B．write

C．read

D．hear

10.

A．worldwide

B．nonprofit

C．kind

D．advanced

11.

A．prefers

B．approaches

C．serves

D．deserts

12.

A．considerable

B．prosperous

C．available

D．popular

13.

A．presentation

B．assumption

C．recommendation

D．acceptance

14.

A．admirer

B．friend

C．colleague

D．teacher

15.

A．identified

B．based

C．shaped

D．named

3 . Wildlife Volunteer Programs for Teens

Age: 14-17
Duration: 2 weeks
Wildlife Orphanage Program, Zimbabwe

At one of the most successful wildlife care centers in Zimbabwe, volunteers work with wildlife ranging from monkeys to lions. These animals have been abandoned, injured, or rescued from illegal wildlife traders. Tasks include preparing food, cleaning out yards, and contributing enrichment ideas. Leisure time can be spent visiting Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park.

Age: 13-15
Duration: 4 weeks
Sea Turtle (海龟) Conservation Program, Greece

With this program, teens can help the endangered sea turtle while working alongside experts. Volunteers can expect long walks along the beach watching over sea turtles nesting areas or building fences to protect them from natural enemies. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to explore ancient ruins and sample delicious Greek cuisine.

Age: 17-19
Duration: 3 weeks
Yucatan Peninsula Program, Mexico

With this program, volunteers will learn about the issues facing the marine (海洋的) ecosystem, including pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Teens will gain valuable skills on how to conduct deep sea research and identify fish species. During free time, participants can explore Mayan ruins set in tropical (热带的) jungles.

Age: 16-18
Duration: 2 weeks
Preserving Nature’s Wonders Program, Galapagos

Volunteers joining this program help restore the natural habitat of native wildlife, which is in danger of losing its habitat. This program gives teens an experience of a lifetime where they can swim with sea lions and spot rare wildlife in one of the last untouched places on earth.

1. Where should teens go if they want to look after wounded animals?

A．Zimbabwe.

B．Greece.

C．Mexico.

D．Galapagos.

2. What can volunteers in the Sea Turtle Conservation Program do during their free time?

A．Visit a national park.	B．Enjoy tasty local food.
C．Set foot in an untouched place.	D．Explore ancient ruins in tropical jungles.

3. Which program is suitable for 19-year-olds with a 4-week holiday?

A．The Wildlife Orphanage Program.	B．The Sea Turtle Conservation Program.
C．The Yucatan Peninsula Program.	D．The Preserving Nature’s Wonders Program.

4 . I came across some excellent tips on how to communicate better with others.    1     For that reason, it’s necessary that we all work on communicating as effectively (有效地) as possible. In order to help us communicate more effectively, I’m going to share the following tips.

Pause(停顿)before replying to others.    2     Sometimes just that 2-3 seconds’ break is just what you need to really understand what someone else has said or to come up with the thoughts you really want to pass on.

Be honest.    3     You don’t have to think about what you’re going to say wrong and you don’t have to worry about uncovering a secret. If you remain honest, you’ll have a much easier time communicating with others and others will be a lot more willing to communicate with you.

    4     Communication can be hard at times, which is why it’s so very important to be both patient and open-minded in communication. No matter what the situation is, there is a way to communicate. Sometimes it just takes time. Be patient and keep your mind open for new ways of sharing and understanding.

Ask for feedback（反馈）from others. When it’s all said and done, one of the best ways you can learn to communicate more effectively is to ask for feedback. Take some time to speak to those who you communicate with frequently to find out how you can improve on your communication with them.    5    

A．Be patient and open-minded.

B．Trust and hard work are valuable.

C．When you’re honest, communication becomes a lot easier.

D．I believe communication is key to living a good life.

E．It’s not always easy to ask for feedback, but it’s worth it!

F．You’ll be on the road to creating a better understanding with others.

G．Pause works wonders when it comes to communicating effectively with others.

5 . In my teenage period 1 always had wished to pass a geography exam, remembering all the locations of the countries on a map or avoid embarrassing situations of suddenly forgetting the person’s name standing right in front of you. Luckily for me, now one theory that memory, like other muscles in the body, can be strengthened aroused my curiosity. But instead of practicing with flash cards, there may be an interesting way that we can improve our memory while we sleep.

The researchers hold that sleep is when the brain transfers short-term memories experienced throughout the day into long-term memories. This process is called memory consolidation. They have been working on a DIY version of this task to see if we male volunteers can improve memories through the use of sound in sleep. In the test, every time we see the picture, we can hear the related sound. Then we take a nap and they record our EEG.

They’re interested in one of the four periods of sleep: slow-wave sleep, when scientists believe that memory consolidation can happen. In this deep period of sleep, they do something that we don’t know. When we wake back up and do the task again, we find we do better than before a nap. That is because they played a clue during our sleep, for example, a car — we would remember the position of that car when we woke back up again. But if they didn’t play the clue during the sleep, for example, a guitar, we’d be less likely to remember that guitar when we woke up.

I was a huge skeptic when I first heard that result. But they ran this experiment on two female groups and the results were significant. It’s not that you remember things better; it’s that you forget them less. And the facts and memories we collect throughout the day are easily lost and forgotten.

So if you’re like me and a bit forgetful, perhaps a solution is a pair of headphones and a soft couch.

1. How did the author feel about his memory when young?

A．He felt discouraged.

B．He was moved.

C．He felt inspired.

D．He was proud.

2. How did the researchers strengthen the volunteers’ memory?

A．By playing a clue before they sleep.	B．By playing a clue when they sleep.
C．By showing a picture before they sleep.	D．By drawing a picture when they sleep.

3. What is the author’s attitude to the theory?

A．He is convinced of the experiment results.	B．He throws doubts on it at present.
C．He believed in it from beginning to end.	D．He wanted to prove it in the future.

4. What does the author want to show in the last paragraph?

A．Ways to avoid forgetfulness are funny.	B．Headphones and a soft couch are useful.
C．Many people can’t avoid forgetting in life.	D．The solution to being forgetful is practical.

6 . Four Films Worth Watching This Year

Peter Rabbit 2

In Peter Rabbit 2, the lovable rabbit is back. Bea, Thomas and the rabbit have created a temporary family, but despite his best efforts, Peter can’t seem to shake his mischievous(淘气的) reputation. Adventuring out of the garden, Peter finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated, but when his family risks everything to come looking for him, Peter must figure out what kind of rabbit he wants to be.

Spirit Untamed

It is a story of adventure, family and friendship. Free-spirited Lucky Prescott moves to Miradero. She is unimpressed with the sleepy town until she discovers a unique tie to her late mother who was a fearless horse-riding performer. She quickly forms a bond with a wild horse named Spirit. When a heartless hunter captures Spirit, Lucky sets off on a journey to rescue the horse who has given her an unbreakable connection to her mother.

Profile

Inspired by true events, Profile follows an undercover British journalist on her quest to track and expose a terrorist recruiter(招募者) through social media, while trying not to be changed by her recruiter and become a militant extremist herself. The unconventional thriller , directed by Timur Bekmambetov, plays out entirely on a computer screen in the Screenlife format

Joey & Ella

This film, which makes you laugh all the time, begins as two clumsy jewel thieves lose the mysterious Mazinski Diamond. The jewel is pocketed by a baby circus kangaroo that escapes to a nearby farm and is found by Ella, a lonely teen who names the animal Joey. But the magical jewel causes Joey to grow quickly and gain the power of speech! Soon the thieves, the police, and Joey’s owners are all hunting for the mischievous creature and the alien jewel. If Ella wants to get Joey to safety in time, they had better jump away quickly!

1. Which film mentions an animal as a tie to a girl’s dead mother?

A．Profile.	B．Joey & Ella.
C．Peter Rabbit 2.	D．Spirit Untamed.

2. Who is the director of Profile?

A．Bea.	B．Thomas.
C．Timur Bekmambetov.	D．Lucky Prescott.

3. What kind of film is probably Joey & Ella?

A．A thriller.	B．A comedy.
C．A romance film.	D．A documentary.

7 . 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, shared vegetable plots     1    (find) in the city’s suburban (郊区的) districts in Shanghai as more white-collar workers turn to farming     2    (escape) the pressures of city life.

Yang Hui is one of them. He has rented a 20-square-meter vegetable plot for 1600 yuan per year. The family tends radishes (白萝卜), lettuces and other vegetables they have planted. When they aren’t around during the week,     3    (professional) take over the work.     4     (found) by Chen Yougui     5     October 2022, the shared farm spans about 13.33 hectares (公顷) and comes with shared vegetable plots, barbecue pits and leisure areas. According to Chen, the monitoring system covers     6     entire farmland, allowing members to view their vegetables and fields remotely through their phones.

This farm has about 200 members, some of     7     even raise chickens and ducks running in the fields. Interestingly, each animal comes with its own QR code (二维码). The farm also uses technology to ensure that the chickens and ducks don’t go missing     8     run in someone else’s plot.

Those who wish to     9    (active) participate in the cultivation (种植) of their crops, mainly from the older generations, can opt (选择) for the package to plant by     10    (they). Meanwhile young customers, like Yang, usually choose a package that comes with additional services from the farm to care for their plants whenever needed.

8 . Traveling with family members can not only enhance the parent-child relationship, but also broaden the horizons and share happiness and memories. Take a trip with your family to one of the destinations below!

Yellowstone National Park

Kids will love watching Old Faithful, one of nearly 500 geysers (间歇喷泉) in Yellowstone, erupt, and there’s nothing like a hike for family bonding. Keep an eye out for wild animals, or visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center to guarantee some animal interactions. Hotels are expensive, so consider taking advantage of the park’s well-equipped campsites.

Orlando

Appealing, thrilling and fun, Walt Disney World Resort (度假村) is engineered specifically for families. Orlando also has a handful of other theme parks, including Universal Orlando Resort, where you’ll find The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Discovery Cove, an all-inclusive day resort, where you can swim and dive around the park’s coral reef.

Destin

Big Kahuna’s Water & Adventure Park(open seasonally)features waterslides and a lazy river, while the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is home to animals kids love, including dolphins and penguins. And if you’re looking for an adventure on the water, consider booking a boat tour at Henderson Beach State Park or Crystal Beach Park. Just don’t forget to pack your beach hat.

Anaheim

Anaheim, California has been home to Disneyland Resort since 1955. After catching up with Mickey and friends, visit Anaheim’s Adventure City Amusement Park or Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park—another top amusement park in the U.S. And if you’ re in town during baseball season, you can catch a game at Angel Stadium.

1. What can visitors do in Yellowstone National Park?

A．Check into a discounted hotel.	B．Take photos with film characters.
C．Watch an ancient volcano erupt.	D．Stay at well-equipped campsites.

2. Where can kids play with dolphins?

A．Crystal Beach Park.	B．Henderson Beach State Park.
C．Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park.	D．Big Kahuna’s Water & Adventure Park.

3. What do Orlando and Anaheim have in common?

A．They include lazy rivers.	B．They provide some animal interactions.
C．They have Disney-themed resorts.	D．They host professional baseball games.

9 . Good News for Space Lovers

Do you dream of exploring space someday? You can now begin locally—just buy a ticket to the newly opened Shanghai Astronomy Museum. As the largest of its kind in the world, the museum makes a new space to lead visitors on a true-to-life tour around the universe. That sounds cool, doesn’t it?

Four Ordinary People Flew into Space

A group of four ordinary people (普通人) flew into space in the first space mission (任务) with no professional astronauts. The four remained in space, circling the Earth for three days. Though this was the first “all amateur (业余者)” flight, it’s clear that the members had a lot of knowledge and experience which was helpful. They had also had a quick astronaut training course.

Plane travel used to be very expensive, but now many people may afford it. It opens up space for ordinary tourists.

Robot Wolves Scare Away Bears

A town in Japan is using robot wolves to keep bears away. The robots, known as “Monster Wolves”, look like real wolves, only scarier. They’re meant to scare away unwanted wild animals. Since the town began using the robot wolves, there have been no bears.

1. What can you do in the Shanghai Astronomy Museum?

A．Have a dream of exploring space.

B．Experience a true-to-life space trip.

C．Learn to be an astronaut.

2. It took the four ordinary people          to remain in space and circle the Earth.

A．2 days

B．3 days

C．4 days

3. What do the people in a town of Japan use robot wolves for?

A．To keep the bears away.

B．To make people scared.

C．To keep real wolves away.

4. From the introduction of the second picture we learn that          .

A．they had a lot of experience	B．many people can afford space travel
C．they had no quick astronaut training courses.

5. All the news above has something to do with           .

A．space

B．nature

C．technology

10 . 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。

On October 15, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in the United States on Sunday hosted a ”Discover Beijing Opera“ cultural event at its Public Diplomacy Center in Washington D. C.,     1     (bring)the charm of the traditional Chinese stage art to nearly 100 people from all walks of life.

The event was co-organized by DC’s Beauty of Beijing Opera Lad(DCBBO)and a local     2     (organize)Things to Do DC. Minister Jing Quan of the embassy attended the event.

At the event, the guests     3     (show)the make-up process of a ”guifei”(noble consort)as well as props(道具)and costumes     4     (use)in the Beijing Opera. In addition, the history, performance features, and beauty of the traditional art were also on show.

Through performances such     5     “Battle at the Hu Village”, “Empty City Strategy”, “Monkey King” and “Drunken Beauty”, the audience experienced a great joy of the major types of roles of the Beijing Opera and the     6     (base)skills including singing, reciting, acting, and martial arts.

The audience went on stage     7     (experience)horse riding, male role walking, fighting, playing small gong(锣)—     8     musical instrument in Beijing Opera-and acting with water sleeves.

“This is unique. This is fantastic,” Gregory Bland, CEO of Things to Do DC, told Xinhua. “I’m looking around: everyone’s smiling; everyone’s happy. They’re running up to take     9     (picture); they’re running up to get involved; they’re all asking questions. ”

This cultural event was held successfully,     10     would help promote people-to-people exchanges, he said.