1 . 改革开放（reform and opening-up）以来，中国发生了巨大变化，在许多方面都取得了成功。请你以此为话题，用英语写一篇短文，向你校英文报投稿，内容包括：
1.概括变化：
2.你的感受；
3.你的期待。
注意：
1.词数100 左右：
2.题目已为你写好。
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2 . You won’t need to spend lots of money keeping your cats happy. These DIY cat toys are guaranteed to be satisfying. Here are some good ideas for common household items that can easily be turned into fun toys. You can visit our web page to find out the details.
Egg cartons (硬纸盒)
These can quickly be changed into a food puzzle for your furry friends. Simply put in some of your cats’ favourite biscuits and treats, and then close up the cartons. Place them on the floor and watch as your cats smell out the food and figure out how to get all the tasty snacks.
Cardboard boxes
We all know just how much cats love boxes. Your cats will naturally jump right in and claim the boxes for themselves, but you can take the boxes to the next level. Just add in an old towel or a blanket, and your cats will have a cosy place for sleep.
Old socks
Put those old socks to good use and keep your cats entertained for hours. Fill your socks halfway with balled-up paper or other material, and add in a little jingle bell for extra excitement. Then tie off the end with a string, and your cats’ new favourite toy is complete.
Plastic water bottles
Another creative idea for DIY cat toys is using empty plastic water bottles. Simply remove the cap and the label, and wash the bottles thoroughly. Fill it with a small amount of snacks, and let your cats bat it around to get the snacks. The noise and movement of the bottle will engage your cats’ natural hunting instincts and provide entertainment.
1. Why are these household items used?| A．To save space. | B．To reduce waste. |
| C．To entertain cats. | D．To protect cats. |
| A．Cats’ beds. | B．Cats’ playhouses. |
| C．Cats’ food containers. | D．Cats’ water bowls. |
| A．Egg cartons and cardboard boxes. | B．Cardboard boxes and old socks. |
| C．Old socks and plastic water bottles. | D．Plastic water bottles and egg cartons. |
3 . You may hear the awful saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, which speaks to a common belief about older adulthood that it’s a time when we’ve become so set in our ways that we’re not likely to change.
Psychologists used to follow the same line of thinking: After young adulthood, people tend to become stabler as people age. However, more recent studies suggest that something unexpected happens to many people as they reach and pass their 60s: Their personality starts changing again. People’s personality can change in response to their circumstances, adapting to a changing life. These developments clarify personality is not a permanent state but an adaptive way of being.
We can’t say with certainty what factors are driving these shifts, but a few theories exist. One possibility is that personality is shaped by specific life events that tend to happen in older age: retirement, empty nesting or widowhood (丧偶). But such milestones aren’t very reliable sources of change. They affect some people deeply, but have no impact on others. Any one event could mean many different things, depending on its context. Jenny Wagner, a psychologist at the University of Hamburg, in Germany, gave an example. Losing a partner could be a great loss, but for some it could be a bit of a relief at the same time-say, for someone who’s been caring for their ill partner for years.
Granted, old-age personality changes don’t always result from a sense of helplessness or an endlessly shrinking life. Research has shown that when people get older, they commonly recalibrate their goals; though they might be doing less, they tend to prioritize what they find meaningful and really appreciate it. That may involve adjusting to what they can’t control, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re reacting to a bad life—just a different one.
At the same time, not all of the changes coming with old age are unavoidable. And if old adults had more support from their communities and society, perhaps they’d be better able to command their circumstances—rather than having to make up for factors slipping out of their grasp.
1. Why is the saying in paragraph 1 mentioned?| A．To lead in the topic. | B．To explain a reason. |
| C．To show an attitude. | D．To offer a suggestion. |
| A．They can’t be avoided or prevented. | B．They will happen to most old people. |
| C．They may vary from person to person. | D．They put elders in a terrible situation. |
| A．establish | B．adjust | C．pursue | D．reach |
| A．Give old people help and care. | B．Help communities and society. |
| C．Teach old people to adapt to such changes. | D．Study more about the change of circumstances. |
4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman plan to work as this summer?| A．A nurse. | B．A volunteer. | C．A doctor. |
| A．The children under 5. | B．The adults over 30. | C．The elderly over 55. |
| A．None has much time to rest. |
| B．Everyone has to arrive early. |
| C．Everyone has to be always polite. |
| A．Light clothes. | B．Comfortable shoes. | C．Loose trousers. |
5 . Which of your children is your favorite? Your response is probably “none of them.” What kind of parent would choose one child as his or her favorite? The truth might be surprising to you.
Years of research supports what many have suspected-most parents have a favorite child. Studies have explored reasons from birth order to gender (性别) and shared interests. Yet even with years of research that supports this idea, most parents tend to deny the fact that they have a favorite child. Even if there is no obvious parental favorite among siblings (兄弟姐妹), studies have shown that children often feel preferential treatment of their sibling by their parents. Favoritism often results in family conflicts and feelings of sadness among family members whether parents’ favoritism is real or only felt. Thus both the kids and their parents tend to be plagued by the favoritism.
The question isn’t whether or not you have a favorite child, since it’s pretty clear that many parents do. Typically, favoritism has little to do with loving one child more. It is more about how your personality resonates (产生共鸣) with one child’s personality more than the others’. Essentially, it’s a question of “like”. Still, why is it so hard for us to admit that one of our children might be our favorite? Some parents might worry about harming their children emotionally or psychologically. Some parents confuse liking one child’s personality with the love they show to each child. However, when recognizing that you might hold preferential feelings towards one child you are taking an important step towards creating a better relationship with all of your children.
Instead of denying the fact, you can reflect on how you relate to each of your children. Examining your feelings towards each of your children can provide a greater insight into your own personality and how you function in relationships -- and in fact, how you consider your children might reflect more about your thoughts and feelings of yourself than them. Increased awareness about your inner world can help you build and keep healthier relationships with your children.
1. How do most parents respond to the result of the research?| A．They’re quite concerned about it. | B．They’re unwilling to admit it. |
| C．They’re sensitive to it. | D．They’re regretful about it. |
| A．Encouraged. | B．Troubled. | C．Separated. | D．Confused. |
| A．Because the child is worth more love. |
| B．Because the child has a good personality. |
| C．Because the child has more in common with them. |
| D．Because the child knows how to please them |
| A．Is it OK to have a favorite child? |
| B．What kind of kids do parents prefer? |
| C．How can parents get along well with children? |
| D．Why do parents treat their kids differently? |
1. Which name isn’t Anglo Saxon in origin?
| A．Edgar. | B．Oswald. | C．Robert. |
| A．German. | B．French. | C．Greek. |
| A．Twin. | B．Home ruler. | C．Friend of horses. |
1. Why didn’t the woman open the present when she received it?
| A．She didn’t like it. |
| B．She thought that it would be impolite. |
| C．Her host family told her not to do that. |
| A．She is a little shy. |
| B．She has been in America for years. |
| C．She knows very little about American customs. |
| A．Send her host family a thank-you letter. |
| B．Send her host family a present. |
| C．Give back the present to her host family. |
8 . Delivery workers will finally be able to charge their electric bicycles — and themselves — at new stations created out of repurposed news stands in New York City, Senator (参议员) Chuck Schumer announced on Monday.
The repurposed news stands, the first of their kind in the nation, will feature charging stations safe for e-bike batteries, bike parking, and a place for delivery workers to rest or ride out bad weather.
“You’ve been riding this bike a long time. You need a break. Maybe you’ve got to make a phone call. Maybe you have to take care of your personal needs, any of these things,” Schumer said. “They’re constantly out on the street, no place to rest, no shelter to protect them — imagine it’s pouring rain, or even snow and you still got to do this,” he said. “And so we’re going to take underutilized (未利用的) public space on our streets like this news stand right behind us. Very simple.”
And the stations, which will be designed by Manuel Mansylla, will not contain bathrooms — which were once a flashpoint (焦点) for delivery workers who were banned from using the restrooms at some of the very restaurants from which they were delivering food.
But thanks to new city laws that went into effect at the start of this year, including requiring restaurants to allow delivery workers to use their restrooms, that’s thankfully not the main concern anymore, said Gustavo Ajche, a delivery worker. “The bathroom is different. There’s no problem with that any more what we need here is more parking spaces,” he said.
Not everyone loves the idea of news stands being repurposed for e-bike charging stations. “After car chargers on the sidewalk, this is another facility of the city taking pedestrian (行人) space to create charging stations,” said Christine Berthet of CHEKPEDS, the pedestrian advocacy group that has long called for the creation of more public space for pedestrians.
1. What service can delivery workers expect from the repurposed news stands?| A．Charging their phones. | B．Selling them e-bike batteries. |
| C．Repairing their bikes. | D．Offering them shelter. |
| A．They are underutilized. | B．They are necessary. |
| C．They are simple to construct. | D．They are gaining popularity. |
| A．They get more parking spaces. | B．They can use car chargers on the sidewalk. |
| C．They can use restaurant bathrooms. | D．They get extra pay for working in bad weather. |
| A．Critical. | B．Unclear. | C．Tolerant. | D．Favorable. |
9 . “Everyone should have the chance to play” is the idea behind All Terrain (地形) Georgia, a program that offers free all-terrain wheelchairs at Georgia’s parks to those with physical disabilities. Being in the woods, fishing, or having a picnic at one of Georgia’s state parks can help those people feel normal again. This is a cooperation program between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Aimee Copeland Foundation.
All-terrain wheelchairs look like an advanced version of everyday wheelchairs.They have a tank-like appearance, and their wheels are bigger. And bigger engines make them have more power to cross terrain quickly. Most importantly, these chairs are specially designed to make them reliably cross terrain that’s rough, wet, sandy or snowy. Therefore, they can give people who might not be able to cross more difficult types of terrain the ability to start a trip.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11.1% of U.S. adults have serious difficulty walking or climbing steps. And yet, the most wheelchair-friendly national park in the country, South Dakota’s Badlands National Park, has only 3 roads out of 17 suitable for wheelchairs. Besides, traditional wheelchairs can be risky, uncomfortable, and difficult to use in the park, not to mention the fact that the price of some all-terrain wheelchairs can be between $13,000 and nearly $30,000.
Now, as long as you complete a form and meet the requirements, you can book an all-terrain wheelchair and use it for free at one of the cooperative state parks in Georgia. Do remember you need to have an adult around you during the trip. The adult must undergo a training program, carry a fully charged phone and be physically capable of seeking help, if necessary, by returning quickly to the place where the chair was checked out.
Last year, a number of all-terrain wheelchairs were put into service at 11 state parks and historic sites through All Terrain Georgia. Looking ahead, Melanie Dunn, the assistant director of the Aimee Copeland Foundation, said, “The foundation will soon have the ability to move the chairs to many other parks. Everyone deserves the chance to get close to nature and we can help them do it.”
1. What may users value most about all-terrain wheelchairs?| A．Their ability to run on challenging terrain safely. |
| B．The convenience of avoiding heavy traffic. |
| C．The creative idea behind them. |
| D．Their cool appearance. |
| A．To praise the park’s user-friendly design. |
| B．To recommend the national park to the public. |
| C．To show the shortage of wheelchair-friendly public services |
| D．To call on the government to build more special roads. |
| A．It allows free visits to most national parks. |
| B．It is aimed at a risk-free user experience. |
| C．It sets difficult training tasks for users. |
| D．It works better for adult users. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Worried. | C．Curious | D．Positive. |
10 . Fountains of lava erupted from the Sundhnúkur volcanic system in southwest Iceland on January 14th, 2024. Lava flows welled up from a new gap, attacking the suburbs of Grindavík with at least three houses in their path burnt down. Nearby, construction vehicles that had been working for weeks to build large earthen dams in an attempt to divert(使转向)the lava’s flow had to pull back.
Lava is subject to gravity like other fluids, so it will flow down along a path of steepest descent(斜坡). With the temperature of its molten rock often well above 1,000 degrees Celsius, not much can stand in its way. Humans have tried many ways to stop lava in the past, from attempting to freeze it in place by cooling it with sea water, to using explosive s to cut off its supply. However, no attempt was successful.
Most recent efforts have focused instead on building dams in an attempt to divert the lava’s flow toward a different path of steepest descent, into a different “lavashed,” where lava would naturally flow. Results have been mixed, but diversion can be successful if the lava flow can be clearly diverted into a distinct area where lava would naturally flow — without threatening a different community in the process. Many attempts to divert lava have failed, however. Barriers built in Italy to stop Mt. Etna’s lava flows in 1992 slowed the flow, but the lava eventually over topped each one.
Diverting lava in Grindavík is difficult, in part because the land around Grindavík is relatively flat, making it harder to identify a clear alternative path of steepest descent for redirecting the lava. Icelandic officials reported on January 15th that most of the lava from the main fissure had flowed along the outside the barrier, however a new gap had also opened inside the perimeter(外围), sending lava into a neighborhood. Unfortunately, that implies that Grindavík remains at risk.
1. What do we know about the lava erupting from the Sundhnúkur volcanic system?| A．It severely affected the downtown area of Grindavík. |
| B．It forced the construction of large earthen dams to suspend. |
| C．It was successfully redirected by the earthen barriers. |
| D．It completely buried a residential area. |
| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Two. |
| A．the lava has destroyed many buildings |
| B．there is no suitable dam to divert the lava |
| C．the land around Grindavík is relatively flat |
| D．the lava has already entered a populated area |
| A．How earthen barrier functions. |
| B．What can be done to prevent lava. |
| C．Why volcanic lava is so hard to stop. |
| D．What lava has brought about in Iceland. |
