1 . For nearly two decades, a thin, sun-burnt postal worker could frequently be seen carrying packages along a dangerous mountain trail in the Taihang Mountains.
The 10-kilometer-long route, which is between 20 centimeters and 1 meter wide, is known as the “cat road” by locals, meaning that it is so dangerous that only cats could walk on it. Whereas, Zhao Yuefang, a postal worker in Ewu township in Huguan county, Shanxi province, had to walk the route every day to deliver mail.
Every day at the crack of dawn, he would start his journey along the “cat road”. From picking up the day’s post to delivering it to villagers and returning along the same route, it took Zhao four days. During rainy and snowy seasons, the mountain road, part of which hugs the cliffs, would become slippery and dangerous. One day in the winter of 2003, the “cat road” was covered in thick snow and he slipped off the trail. Fortunately, he was able to stop his sharp descent by grabbing a tree branch and slowly managed to climb to safety.
By 2012, Zhao had walked more than 300,000 km and delivered over 800,000 pieces of mail. Born and raised in the deep mountains, Zhao truly understands the significance of mail deliveries to villagers. “They depend on the mail to keep in touch with the outside world,” he said. “Their sheer joy written on their face while receiving any post struck me,” he added.
In 2012, a 67-km-long tourist highway was built and gone were those days when Zhao risked his life to walk on the “cat road”. But Zhao was even busier than before. “The number of packages I handle daily now exceeds the number I used to deal with in the past,” said Zhao, adding that villagers are turning to online shopping and ordering more and more goods by post.
1. Why is the mountain trail referred to as “cat road”?| A．It’s shaped like a cat. | B．It’s intended for cats. |
| C．It is too narrow and risky. | D．It rains cats and dogs there. |
| A．Fall. | B．Pain. |
| C．Turn. | D．Landing. |
| A．Persistent and dedicated. | B．Diligent and ambitious. |
| C．Considerate and confident. | D．Courageous and generous. |
| A．The villagers’ respect for him. |
| B．His being born and raised there. |
| C．Today’s huge number of the packages. |
| D．The value of the deliveries to the locals. |
The Peasants (II)
At noon they hoe up weeds;
Their sweat drips on the soil.
Who knows the rice that feeds
Is the fruit of hard toil!
Food is a necessity for survival. But do you know how much work goes into producing it? The poem The Peasants (II),
The first two lines describe a common scene
Simple as the poem is in its language, it is profound in the theme, reminding people
Next time you want to throw away food, please think twice.
3 . The cuisine that marks Christmas is as diverse as the people feasting on it. Here’s a look at how the locals celebrate Christmas through cuisine in their countries, which will give you a glimpse of the celebrations.
England
The real festivities start on Christmas morning with champagne and smoked salmon. After the King’s or Queen’s annual Christmas speech, it’s time for the main meal, typically including a turkey or roast beef accompanied by various side dishes.
France
The French celebrate their Christmas Eve with a lavish meal, with seafood served first. The main course usually consists of a rooster that’s renowned for its tenderness. Fine red wine from Burgundy can’t be missed of course.
Italy
Similar to France, Italians celebrate Christmas on the eve. The locals typically attend midnight Mass and then indulge in a lavish meal before heading to church. For the main course, northern Italians often have stuffed turkey, while those in seaside areas may feast on a large baked sea bass accompanied by roasted potatoes and vegetables.
Greece
After attending an early morning holy communion in church on Christmas, Greeks go home for an all-day eating gathering. Families gather around the fireplace, feasting on a special wheat bread only made at Christmas. Later, the main course may include roast chicken stuffed with chestnuts.
1. What activity distinguishes England in Christmas celebration?| A．The seafood-themed dinner. | B．The yearly Royal address. |
| C．The religious ceremony. | D．The main course featuring turkey. |
| A．France and Italy. | B．England and France. |
| C．England and Greece. | D．Italy and Greece. |
| A．Religion and culture. | B．Diet and health. |
| C．Festival and tradition. | D．Sports and fitness. |
I clearly remember the day I walked into class with a big change — my very first pair of eye glasses and I was the first to wear glasses in my primary school. I was filled with excitement, eager to show them off to my friends. I had chosen pink framed glasses, thinking they would look fantastic on me.
I had never worn glasses before, so selecting them felt like a fun shopping experience. I got to pick the shape I liked and even chose a pretty pink and purple colour combination.
The reason behind getting the glasses was my poor eyesight. I couldn’t copy words and proper grammar from the blackboard because I sat at the back of the class, and everything was too vague for me to see. My friend would read aloud every phrase to me so that I could write them down, like a parrot.
Wearing those glasses was like stepping into a 3D cinematic world. I could see everything as clearly and each tiny detail felt like a delightful surprise.
However, on the day I wore my glasses to school, everyone’s reaction to my transformation was beyond my expectation. All the boys laughed and even teased me. Some kind-hearted girls forced a smile and told me that my glasses looked good on me, but I knew they didn’t. They all lied.
Though I needed those glasses more than I wanted them, yet I started to dislike my new glasses in the following week. A month passed, my classmates still weren’t used to seeing me in glasses and I took them off during the lunch break or when the classes were dismissed. However, little did I know that my decision to wear them would change the lives of many of my friends.
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。
One Monday, one of my friends looked at me with curiosity.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A week later, I was shocked to see the same friend return to school with a pair of glasses.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . On a hot afternoon Rhiannon was driving her old van down the highway. As she
A medical student witnessed the accident and came to her
Luckily, Rhiannon was saved. Not for the bandage, she would not have
Rhiannon also had a message for the other
| A．rolled down | B．broke off | C．turned down | D．switched off |
| A．stick | B．grab | C．touch | D．possess |
| A．handle | B．engine | C．window | D．wheel |
| A．Consequently | B．Automatically | C．Frequently | D．Slowly |
| A．awake | B．astonished | C．unconscious | D．crazy |
| A．vision | B．action | C．rescue | D．mind |
| A．bandaging | B．curing | C．pressing | D．uncovering |
| A．Without delay | B．Out of sympathy | C．For certainty | D．In despair |
| A．tidying | B．removing | C．collecting | D．checking |
| A．suffered | B．struggled | C．stayed | D．survived |
| A．searched | B．browsed | C．received | D．posted |
| A．guidance | B．gesture | C．expression | D．encouragement |
| A．tireless | B．faultless | C．nameless | D．speechless |
| A．apology | B．application | C．invitation | D．appreciation |
| A．peers | B．strangers | C．relatives | D．fellows |
6 . Would a person born blind, who has learned to distinguish objects by touch, be able to recognize them purely by sight if he regained the ability to see? The question, known as Molyneux’s problem, is about whether the human mind has a built-in concept of shapes that is so inborn that a blind person could immediately recognize an object with restored vision. Alternatively, the concepts of shapes are not inborn but have to be learned by exploring an object through sight, touch and other senses.
After their attempt to test it in blind children failed, Lars Chittka of Queen Mary University of London and his team carried out another experiment on bumblebees. To test whether bumblebees can form an internal representation of objects, they first trained the insects to distinguish globes from cubes using a sugar reward. The bees were first trained in the light, where they could see but not touch the objects. Then they were tested in the dark, where they could touch but not see the items. The researchers found that the insects spent more time in contact with the shape they had been trained to associate with the sugar reward, even though they had to rely on touch rather than sight to distinguish the objects.
The researchers also did the opposite test with untrained bumblebees, first teaching them with rewards in the dark and then testing them in the light. Again, the bees were able to recognize the shape associated with the sugar reward, though they had to rely on sight rather than touch in the test. In short, bees have solved Molyneux’s problem because the fact suggests that they can picture object features and access them through sight or touch.
However, some experts express their warning s against the result. Jonathan Birch, a philosopher of science, cautions that the bees may have had prior experience associating visual and tactile (触觉) information about straight edges and curved surfaces in their nests.
1. What is Molyneux’s problem about?| A．Whether mankind’s sense of touch outweighs sight. |
| B．Whether mankind’s idea of shape is inborn or learned. |
| C．Whether blind people can identify the shape of an item. |
| D．Whether the blind can regain their sense of touch after recovery. |
| A．By experimentation on blind children. |
| B．By conducting controlled experiments. |
| C．By rewarding bumblebees with sugar. |
| D．By observing bumblebees in their nests. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Dismissive. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．Scientists Found Senses Matter |
| B．Visual-Tactile Puzzle Has Been Solved |
| C．Experiments Will Help the Blind Regain Sight |
| D．Bumblebees May Help Solve Molyneux’s Problem |
As Good As You
When Jenna’s taekwondo (跆拳道) instructor, Ms. Baroni, introduced Marti, Jenna’s best friend, to everyone, Jenna, was so excited that Marti would be taking lessons with her.
Class started with warm-up exercises, and then Ms. Baroni divided everyone into color-belt groups. Seeing Marti become red in face and play with the edge of her shirt, Ms. Baroni told the friends to work together, even though Jenna was a yellow belt and a level above Marti, making Marti less nervous on her first day. It suited Jenna fine. She couldn’t wait to demonstrate some basic kicks to Marti. Marti copied her kick as high as Jenna’s shoulder. “Great job, Marti!” said Ms. Baroni, who had walked up behind them. She then spent the next five minutes working with Marti, teaching her how to straighten her leg and snap her foot out to make the legs form a square. Jenna collapsed against the wall and watched Marti copy everything Ms. Baroni did.
The more Marti did, the more praise she earned from Ms. Baroni, and so the more half heartedly Jenna practiced. What if Marti became better than her? What if Marti became Ms. Baroni’s favorite student? “Watch your form!” Who is Ms. Baroni scolding? Jenna wondered. She turned and saw Ms. Baroni looking directly at her. Nothing could have been worse. “Jenna, your side kick could be better than that”, said Ms. Baroni with a slight frown, “You’ve memorized your form perfectly, but your moves are sloppy (马虎的). Make the legs fully extended, point the toes downward, and try again.”
At the end of the class, Jenna grabbed her bag and hurried outside to find her mom. She had planned to wait and say good-bye to Marti, but now she wanted to be alone. For the next several weeks, Marti continued to impress their teacher with her skills. And as Marti turned into a star student, Jenna became less and less excited about taekwondo.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右
One day, Marti excitedly told Jenna that Ms. Baroni wanted her to be tested for a new belt. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
When Marti finished her form, Jenna thought it looked perfect. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
内容包括：1. 活动安排；2. 活动意义。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：英文名著English classics
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9 . Stephen Glenn is a famous scientist who has made many important medical breakthroughs. He once was interviewed by a reporter asking him why he was able to be more
He responded that it all came from a(n)
When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of
He did. After a few minutes, his mother said, “You know, Robert, whenever you make a mess like this, you have to clean it up and
His mother then said, “Here is a failed experiment in how to
This
| A．creative | B．popular | C．modest | D．diligent |
| A．adventure | B．accident | C．experience | D．conflict |
| A．lost | B．took | C．kept | D．had |
| A．messes | B．contents | C．bottle | D．waste |
| A．speaking highly of | B．making fun of | C．staring at | D．shouting at |
| A．test | B．work | C．damage | D．favour |
| A．restore | B．recover | C．improve | D．tidy |
| A．shattered | B．spoiled | C．squeezed | D．spilled |
| A．bravely | B．cautiously | C．safely | D．technically |
| A．clean | B．tiny | C．steady | D．strong |
| A．grasped | B．pulled | C．scratched | D．raised |
| A．emptying | B．hitting | C．shaking | D．dropping |
| A．honest | B．hardworking | C．distinguished | D．devoted |
| A．lessons | B．mistakes | C．experiments | D．studies |
| A．Unless | B．Once | C．Only if | D．Even if |
10 . How to learn a new language as an adult
Learning a new language can be a tough challenge at any age. However, it seems to be exceptionally difficult to get the hang of a foreign tongue as we age.
It’s about connection.
It’s important to remember that learning a language is not really about learning a language.
Watching TV shows in another language is an excellent way to get used to hearing a foreign tongue spoken in real-time.
Patience is key.
While you are learning, be patient with yourself. Learn to love your progress and celebrate your successes. Did you know the word “piano” means “piano”, “slow” and “quiet” in Italian? Adding a single new word to your vocabulary can be so beautiful and rewarding.
| A．Make it fun. |
| B．Listen to it spoken frequently. |
| C．Anything entertaining that exposes you to the language is great. |
| D．What you’ re actually learning is to communicate in a new way with others |
| E．It is contradictory to the popular belief: an adult can acquire a new language easily. |
| F．Drive slow so that you will be rewarded the amazing view along the hard road to fluency. |
| G．This is because human brains become less proficient in processing new information about language learning. |
