2 . 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。

In a small village called Brightville, there lived three friends: Kimberley, John and Alicia. They were all students at Brightville High School. Kimberley was a hardworking and determined girl; John was a curious and creative boy; and Alicia was a kind and helpful girl. They shared a common dream of achieving their goals through education.

On a sunny day, the three friends gathered at their favorite spot near the village river. They often met there to discuss their dreams and motivate each other. Kimberley always emphasized (强调) the importance of studying and setting goals. John loved exploring new things and finding creative ways to learn. Alicia, with her caring nature, always supported and encouraged her friends.

One day, they came across an old abandoned library in the heart of Brightville. The library was filled with dust-covered books. Kimberley saw this as an opportunity for their dreams to come true. She suggested turning the library into a learning center for the village.

The three friends spent months cleaning, organizing and renewing the library. They reached out to the villagers, and soon, volunteers joined them to set up the learning center. They created a friendly and welcome environment where students could come to study, read books, and seek help.

Word about the learning center spread throughout the village. Students from all ages and backgrounds started attending. Kimberley, John and Alicia devoted their after-school hours to tutoring (指导) the students. They understood that education was not just about memorizing facts but also about nurturing curiosity and passion for learning.

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。

As days turned into months, they saw the effect of their hard work.

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The success of the learning center in Brightville caught the attention of the local government.

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3 . Smart and highly sensitive (灵敏的), a new soft sensor developed by UBC (University of British Columbia) and Honda researchers opens the door to a wide range of applications in robotics and prosthetics (假肢).

When applied to the surface of prosthetic or robotic arms, the sensor skin provides touch sensitivity and flexibility, making it possible for difficult tasks to be completed by machines, such as picking up a piece of soft fruit. The sensor is also soft to the touch, like human skin, which helps make human interactions safer and more lifelike.

“Our sensor uses weak electric fields to sense objects, even at a distance, much as touchscreens do. But unlike touchscreens, this sensor is soft and can detect (检测) forces into and along its surface,” explained Dr. John Madden, senior study author and a professor of electrical and computer engineering who leads the Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory at UBC.

The UBC team developed the technology in cooperation with Frontier Robotics, Honda’s research institute. Honda has been innovating in humanoid robotics since the 1980s, and developed the well-known ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) robot. It has also developed devices to assist walking and the emerging Honda Avatar Robot.

“Dr. Madden’s lab has significant expertise in flexible sensors and we’re happy to cooperate with this team in developing touch sensors that can be applied to robots.” said Mr. Ishizaki Ryusuke, one of the study’s lead authors and chief engineer at Frontier Robotics.

Dr. Madden said. “Human skin has a hundred times more sensing point s on a fingertip than our technology does, making it easier to light a match or sew. As sensors continue to develop to be more skin-like, and can also detect temperature and even damage, there is a need for robots to be smarter about which sensors to pay attention to and how to respond. Developments in sensors and artificial intelligence will need to go hand in hand.”

1. What do we know about the new sensor?

A．Its surface feels soft.	B．It is far from sensitive.
C．Its interaction with humans seems unsafe.	D．It is unable to pick up a piece of fruit.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us about the new sensor?

A．Its types.	B．Its structures.
C．Its advantages.	D．Its directions for use.

3. What is Mr. Ishizaki Ryusuke’s attitude toward the UBC team?

A．Doubtful.	B．Positive.
C．Unconcerned.	D．Unclear.

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．Human skin is easily hurt.	B．A fingertip has few sensing points.
C．Sensors can light matches easily.	D．Robots need further improvement.

4 . Sending a thumbs-up can be seen as passive aggressive(冒犯的), according to Gen Z (those born between 1995 and 2009) who say they feel attacked whenever it is used. Whether the chat is informal, between friends or at work the symbol appears to have a very different, ‘rude’ meaning for the younger generation.

A 24-year-old on Reddit summed up the Gen Z argument, saying it is best ‘never used in any situation’ as it is ‘hurtful’. “No one of my age in the office does it, but the Gen X (those born between 1966 and 1980) people always do it. Take me a bit to adjust and get it out of my head that it means they’re mad-at me,” he added. Other young people agreed it is bad form, especially at work where it can make the team appear unfriendly and not easygoing.

“My last workplace had a WhatsApp chat for our team to send information to each other on, and most of the people on there just replied with a thumbs up. I don’t know why but it seemed a little bit hostile to me,” one woman said. One Reddit user also said the thumbs up actually means that “I’ve read your message and have nothing to add and I hope and pray...all the people in this group chat have nothing to say on it too.”

Older workers appear confused by the reaction, saying they use the thumbs up in work-related chats to show “I agree” or “I understood and will follow.”

Part of the issue is that young people tend to use the thumbs-up in jokes. Barry Kennedy, 24, he said he only used it to communicate with older people like his parents or older colleagues. A survey of 2, 000 people conducted by Perspectus Global showed that a majority of people between the ages of 16 and 29 believe that you are “officially old” if you use thumbs-up or heart emoji.

1. Which of the following point is not the Gen Z’s understanding of the emoji thumbs-up?

A．Being rude.	B．Being agreeable.
C．Being hurtful.	D．Being unfriendly.

2. What does the underlined word “hostile” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Unfriendly and aggressive.	B．Tough and difficult.
C．Unwanted and unacceptable.	D．Strange and unusual.

3. Why can’t older workers understand the young’s reaction to the thumbs-up emoji?

A．Because of their poor communications kill.

B．Because of their being old with worse memory.

C．Because of their less communicating with the young.

D．Because of their different understanding of the emoji.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．The Thumbs-up Emoji: Rejected by the younger generation

B．The Thumbs-up Emoji: Highly Welcomed by Old People

C．The Thumbs-up Emoji: A Sign of Generation Gap

D．The Thumbs-up Emoji: A Sign of Being Aggressive

9 . It was 1994, and a new mother took her sick baby to the doctor. After being tested, the child was diagnosed (诊断) with CF (包囊纤维化), a serious disease. The girl would be lucky to survive into her twenties. The woman and her husband did not know what to do.

She turned to two friends — football star Boomer Esiason and his wife Cheryl, who knew a lot about CF since they had a son with it. They’d been trying to raise money for the CF Foundation (基金会), and they were heading their own foundation then. The woman called the Esiasons right away and they shared with her everything they knew about the illness.

She was changed, and put her whole heart into understanding CF. She learned how to use the treatments that would best give her daughter hope. She learned about other challenges about CF. Though 30,000 Americans suffer from the illness, the number was too small to motivate(激励) drug companies to do research. The CF market could not get enough investment (投资) for the government to make up the millions needed to develop new drugs.

So she gave up her job and jumped into the CF business full time. She now takes part in events organized by the CF Foundation, and gives speeches wherever she can. The money she raises goes to the CF Foundation, letting it employ scientists to study the disease. Her name is Angela Kinney. Thanks to the many people just like her, the average lifespan (寿命) of a child born with CF has jumped to 36.5 years.

1. From the passage we can learn that Cheryl was ________.

A．a doctor studying CF	B．a member of the CF Foundation
C．a person with CF	D．a football star

2. What did the Esiasons do to help Angela Kinney?

A．They told her what they knew about CF.	B．They offered her a job.
C．They offered her money.	D．They taught her how to comfort the child.

3. Why wasn’t there enough research on CF?

A．The government was unwilling to invest in it.

B．There were no researchers studying it.

C．Drug companies found it hard to do research.

D．The number of CF patients was too small.

4. Which of the following best describes Angela Kinney?

A．Clever and changeable.	B．Responsible and honest.
C．Brave and warm-hearted.	D．Helpful and open-minded.