1 . Tropical nations have never won a medal at the Winter Olympics. But this has not stopped more and more countries from striving to break this fate. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, some of these countries are “coming for gold”. Let’s check them out.

From Arabian Dunes to Ice Slopes

Fayik Abdi, 24, was Saudi Arabia’s only representative at the Winter Olympics and competed in alpine skiing. The Winter Olympics, which opened in the Chinese capital on February 4, was the first participation in Saudi Arabia’s history. In this part of Saudi Arabia, snow falling from the sky is a rarity, enough to make news all over the world.

So, how did Abdi get here? His Olympic dream had an unusual start. Abdi initially responded to an ad, like more than 100 other applicants. It was handed out by the newly established Saudi Arabian Winter Sports Federation, looking for potential candidates to join the Olympic team. Abdi learned to ski at the age of four, and when he was in college in the United States, he took to the slopes whenever he had time. And his journey, as a trend representative of more and more “snowless” countries participating in the Winter Olympics, is a perfect fit. When the first Winter Olympics were held in 1924, only 14 European countries and the United States and Canada participated. By the last Winter Olympics hosted by Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018, a record 92 countries had participated.

Jamaica Snow Team

When it comes to a “layout country participating in the Winter Olympics”, you often think of Jamaica, a Caribbean island country, mainly because Hollywood had a movie Cool Runnings in 1993. The film is based on the Jamaican four-person snow team at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics in Canada. The film not only entertained audiences all over the world, but also inspired other “snowless countries” to try it out.

Although Jamaica had participated in the two-person snowmobile event in several Winter Olympics since then, the Beijing Winter Olympics was the first time the country had participated in the men’s four-person snowmobile event since the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.

In Beijing, the Caribbean island nation also had a men’s duo sled team, while Jazmine Fenlator-Victoria competed in the women’s sled.

1. What does the underlined word “rarity” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Something common.	B．Something rare.
C．Something expensive.	D．Something important.

2. Which of the following statement is true?

A．Abdi learned to ski when he was six.

B．Only fourteen countries took part in the first Winter Olympics.

C．More and more countries participate in the Winter Olympics.

D．The movie Cool Runnings is based on the Jamaican four-person snow team at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics Winter Olympics.

3. Where is the passage probably taken from?

A．A science fiction.	B．A novel.
C．A travel guide.	D．A sport magazine.

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Snowless tropical nations want to fight for gold.

B．Jamaica Snow Team competed in Winter Olympics in Beijing.

C．Different Winter Olympics in history.

D．Beijing Winter Olympics.

2 . 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。

A total of 29 provincial regions have started or made plans to reform the national college entrance exam or gaokao,     1     (offer) more options to students taking the critical test, the Ministry of Education said on September 15.

Wang Hui, director of the ministry’s Department of College Students Affairs, said 14 provincial regions have already implemented(实施) gaokao reforms. Seven regions will     2     (official) implement them in 2024, while eight others will do so in 2025.

Before the reforms, high school students     3     (divide) into liberal arts(文科) and sciences categories, in     4     the former needed to answer questions related to politics, history and geography in the gaokao while     5     latter concentrated on physics, chemistry and biology. Now, students can choose any three of these six subjects     6     (test) on.

High school and university officials said they think the changes encourage students to learn more about the different subjects and     7     education officials have made progress in testing students based on their abilities.

To ensure fairness in the national college entrance exam, the ministry has cancelled the bonus-point system(加分政策) considerably for students     8     exceptional ability in the sciences and sports.

Athletes, winners of academic Olympiads, including in math, physics, chemistry and biology, winners of science     9     (competition), provincial model students and students who     10     (undertake) exceptional moral deeds, are no longer being granted extra points in the gaokao.

3 . In your family you may find it difficult to form new eating and exercising habits for yourself without changing their habits at the same time.

Your family may prefer high-sugar and high-fat foods. But they don’t realise the fact that those foods have negative influence on the heart and blood pressure. So you should first let the whole family know the importance of changing bad eating habits. It is evident that low-sugar and low-fat foods contribute to good health.

In order to get the entire family’s support for changing eating habits, you should try to put your new lifestyle into your family’s routines. Perhaps your parents or other family members don’t want to abandon their favourite dishes. But you can advise your family to adjust their favourite recipes by gradually reducing fat and sugar. It may be an effective start to change their eating habits.

Your family may prefer watching TV in spare time. To deal with it, you should persuade everyone to move away from the television little by little. For example, you can begin by taking a walk with them, then move on to more activities like jogging or swimming.

1. Changing bad eating habits is important for the entire family because_______.

A．their preferences for foods should be the same

B．low-sugar and low-fat foods are good for their health

C．high-sugar and high-fat foods are not delicious

D．it contributes to achieving your long-term goals

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

A．To change.

B．To challenge.

C．To invent.

D．To make.

3. We can learn from the last paragraph that_________.

A．watching TV with your family is a good habit

B．your family members’ living habits may have a negative effect on you

C．if you want to change exercising habits, you should live away from other family members

D．you are advised to get all your family members involved in physical exercise

4. What is the author’s attitude to changing a family’s eating and exercising habits?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Neutral.(中立的)

D．Indifferent.(漠不关心的)

4 . 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 2014, 40.8 percent of the people in the village of Bianjiang in Guizhou Province     1     (be) struggling with poverty. The village,     2     (surround) by deep mountains, was 80 kilometers from Yanhe County. It took villagers four hours     3     (make) a round trip to buy daily     4     (necessary) outside the village, given that no roads were     5     (access) except for a narrow pass along the cliff’s edge.

As poverty alleviation (扶贫) proceeds and the road system in the village improves, industries such as fish, chicken farming and growing mums have been developed. Now, a family of five can earn an average of 10,000 yuan ($1,435) a year through employment and industry bonuses. China     6     (rebuild) 108,000 schools since 2013 to improve compulsory education in poverty-stricken areas. Over 98 percent of villages have access to optical fiber communications and 4G technology.

Through the alleviation project, China, home to nearly one     7     (five) of the world’s population, has     8     (complete) got rid of extreme poverty,     9     (make) an important contribution     10     the cause of global poverty alleviation.

5 . 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。

One year ago, China rolled out the “double reduction” policy to ease the burden of excessive core-subjects homework and off-campus tutoring faced by middle and primary school students. The policy not only allows children more time to rest and play, but also allows them to obtain the nutrition     1    (need) for their all-around moral, intellectual and physical development.

Positive changes     2    (take) place. Compared with a year ago, students now have more independent, diversified     3    (choose) of extracurricular activities to explore, and can develop their interests and abilities,    4     opens up new horizons for them.                 

To Yue Xinyu,    5     third-grader in central China’s Wuhan City, a notable change is that her primary school classes now finish     6    (early) in the afternoon than before. “After class, we can opt for     7    (vary) interest-oriented classes and workshops,” the eight-year-old student said.

Football, basketball, opera classes and clay workshops, are available     8     lower graders, while senior primary students have more alternatives, including     9    (program) and dance.

A dance lover herself, Yue is eager to join the school’s club     10     she becomes old enough. She now takes off-campus Latin dance lessons in her spare time. Gliding on the dance floor makes her feel relaxed and confident, she said.

6 . Andrew White brings his four-legged friends Oliver and Amore to his neighborhood Petco pet stores in San Diego for a little takeout. He has brought the pair to a kibble refill station (宠物食品补给站) that allows owners to use their own containers (容器).

“It’s more affordable for everyone,” he said.

Like the price of many things these days, the price of owning a pet has been increasing. A report on petfoodindustry.com finds the cost of feeding household animals was up about 6% in March over last year. The overall pet category saw a 7.5% increase compared to March of 2021. The American Pet Products Association says a record $123.6 billion was spent in the US last year on pets. A survey shows 70% of American families now include a pet of some Kind.

In Kansas City, the KC Pet Project is seeing animals surrendered because of their owners’ money problems. “It is sad to see a number of pets coming in through our doors,” said KC Pet Project Chief Communications Officer Tori Fugate. “People are calling us every week saying, ‘I don’t want to leave my animal, but I can’t find a place to live with it.’”

One big cost is vet (兽医) care. The KC Pet Project gave out more than $96,000 last year to help owners with medical bills. Recent findings from Consumers’ Checkbook show costs differed widely from vet to vet in seven Cities they listed. So they say f pet owners want to save money, do some checking first. “If you know that your pets are going to need certain treatment, you can call around and get prices, and then decide what to do next,” said Consumers Checkbook Executive Editor Kevin Brasler.

In Florida, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay has increased its animal pantries (食品储藏室), so people can get free food for their dogs and cats.

“I believe things will get better,” said Sherry Silk, CEO of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.“It’s got to get better because the animals really need us.”

1. What do the numbers in paragraph 3 mainly show?

A．Keeping pets is still popular in the US.

B．The costs for pets are rising in the US.

C．Most Americans have difficulty keeping pets.

D．Many Americans are careful about having pets.

2. What does the underlined word “surrendered” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Hunted for.

B．Looked over.

C．Given up.

D．Handed out.

3. What can pet owners do to treat their pets according to Kevin?

A．Ask for medical prices first.	B．Choose a big local pet hospital.
C．Call the KC Pet Project for help.	D．Get different vets to examine them.

4. What is Sherry’s attitude to pets’ future?

A．Uncertain.

B．Worried.

C．Hopeful.

D．Doubtful.

7 . Friendship is something that everyone needs. Success is nothing without friends. You share life, happiness and sadness. A friend is someone you can depend on in a time of need and that can trust you with every secret he or she has.

So what happens when a friendship of eight years is broken over something out of their control? Does that mean it was never a true friendship to begin with?

My friend and I met in high school and have known each other for nearly eight years. What happened recently broke our lifelong friendship.

This makes me think about what friendship really means. I always thought my friend and I could get through any argument, fight, or the sadness of life. We promised each other we'd always be friends, through thick and thin. We even joked about how we would sit in a circle and laugh at some jokes when we had grandchildren. We always laughed at every little thing.

But then her grandfather passed away (去世) and suddenly our friendship was nothing. It happened so suddenly that I never found out about it until I discovered a note she had written on the Internet. I was sad and hurt that she would post (发帖子) what I told her for other people to see. I understand that she was sad and wanted to vent (发泄) her sadness, but I wish she'd kept everything between us.

I don't understand why she broke our friendship, and I don't think I ever will. I think friendship means we'll always forgive each other for our mistakes. I hope that finally I'll find that true friend who will always be there for me, and I there for her.

1. In Paragraph 1, the author mainly talks about _______

A．how to make friends	B．the importance of success
C．what to share with friends	D．the importance of friendship

2. The underlined words “through thick and thin” in Paragraph 4 may mean _______

A．whatever it is	B．whatever happened
C．Sometimes	D．everywhere

3. What broke the author's friendship with her friend?

A．The internet.	B．The death of her friend’s grandfather.
C．Something unhappy between them.	D．Their jokes.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．A true friendship.	B．An unsuccessful friend.
C．The author's idea of friendship.	D．Sharing success with friends.

8 . VR is like something simply wear a headset and open your eyes in a completely different world, without having to leave the one you’re in. It’s great for gamers and fun for thrill-seekers, but honestly I think VR’s real potential lies in travel.

From holiday inspiration to making a booking, the future of travel ties firmly online. But I’ve spotted a trend: We don’t simply base our bookings on great deals any more. While at Expedia—an online traveling company, I’ve noticed that more and more holidaymakers want to guarantee they’ll be getting an authentic (真实的) experience: local produce, authentic dig sand adventures they’ll never forget.

Picture the scene: I can wear a headset and stand on top of Iceland’s Gulfoss waterfall, or, perhaps, Peru’s Machu Picchu. I could even find myself wandering the busy streets of an Asian city, where the tourist industry may or may not have taken away some of the local charm. VR has the potential to attract potential travelers with style and substance, offering true-to-life expectations and matching wearers to their ideal experience.

If you’ re sick of spending hours searching the Internet for your dream hotel, then don’t worry. Booking bot, an app, does all the hard work. I begin a message to Expedia with a friendly ”Hi“, input where I’d like to go, when and for how long, and in seconds, I’ll be shown the best deals. There’s little annoyance and I could be making a cup of tea in the time it takes to chat.

With the unavoidable airport check-in experience complicated, making it easy will be key in the future. Some experts are even going so far as to predict the fall of human interaction-front desk staff replaced by holograms (全息图), waiting staff exchanged for robots and smartphone apps.

I haven’t only seen VR making waves: AR is coming to the front as a holiday must-have, too. Travel is changing, and the future may not be as far away as we’d first thought.

1. Who does the author think will enjoy the real potential of VR?

A．Travelers.	B．Moviegoers.
C．Game players.	D．Novel readers.

2. What trend has the author found about holidaymakers?

A．They do a lot of Internet search.

B．They guarantee their traveling online.

C．They base their booking on great deals.

D．They use VR to get an authentic experience.

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．Smartphone apps make humans interact effectively.

B．Robots are used for travelers to check in at the airport.

C．Travelers can use the Internet to get travel information.

D．Booking bot and other apps promise a new age of convenience.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A novel.	B．A guide book.
C．A science magazine.	D．A government report

9 . 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。

Katie was exceptionally small. We were in the fifth grade, but she was as short as a third grader. Although her body was small, Katie was big at heart. She had a sharp mind, too. Sometimes she got her share of teasing, but Katie knew how to handle it. All the kids who knew Katie liked her a lot.

Katie loved helping others in the class, so whenever someone was stuck on the computer he always called her for help and advice. Katie loved jokes and she always had a joke that would cheer someone up whenever he was down. She was truly the most kind and generous friend anyone could ask for.

But the other day she was in big trouble. She was such a sweet kid; a third-grade teacher always dreamed of having a classroom filled with students like Katie. She was never ever a discipline problem. I just couldn't imagine why she had made her parents so angry.

It seemed that Katie had been running up sizable charges in the lunchroom. Her parents explained that Katie brought a great homemade lunch each day, and there was no reason for her to buy school lunch. They assumed a sit-down with Katie would solve the problem, but failed. So they asked me to help them get to the bottom of this situation.

So the next day, I asked Katie to my office. “Why are you charging lunches, Katie? What happens to your homemade lunch?” I asked. “I lose it,” she responded. I leaned back in my chair and said, “I don't believe you, Katie.” She didn't care. “Is someone stealing your lunch, Katie?” I took a new track. “No. I just lose it,” she said. Well, there was nothing else I could do.

注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:

The problem was still unsolved the next week until I noticed a boy in the school canteen.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2:

Katie asked me not to tell her parents.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . I believe that people should take pride in what they do，even if it is ________ by the public sometimes. I have been a professional skateboarder for 24 years. However, the activity was tagged(给……贴标签) with many ________ labels — some people said it was a waste of time and a dangerous activity.

When I was about 17, my high school “career” teacher often ________ me in front of the entire class. Even during those dark days，I never ________ riding my skateboard and gave up ________. There were many, many times when I was ________ because I couldn’t land a maneuver(熟练的动作). But still enjoyed a lot from it.

Skateboarding has gained mainstream ________ in recent years. Many young people become interested in it. ________ I have many job titles, the one I am most ________ of is “Professional Skateboarder”. It's the only one I write on surveys and information forms.

My parents never once questioned the ________ behind my passion, even when I had to   ________ gas money or skip meals sometimes. I hope to pass on the same lesson to my children someday ________ the thing you love and stick to it. My oldest son is enthusiastic about skating and he's ________ gifted, winning awards in lots of skating shows. But now he cares less about honors: he just skates for ________ and that's good enough for me.

You might not make it to the top, but if you are doing what you love, there is much more ________ there.

1.

A．unexpected

B．unreported

C．misunderstood

D．unnoticed

2.

A．normal

B．sweet

C．friendly

D．unpleasant

3.

A．encouraged

B．criticized

C．threatened

D．praised

4.

A．risked

B．considered

C．stopped

D．continued

5.

A．complaining

B．explaining

C．fighting

D．progressing

6.

A．puzzled

B．upset

C．calm

D．brave

7.

A．independence

B．improvement

C．recognition

D．protection

8.

A．Although

B．If

C．Unless

D．Since

9.

A．afraid

B．aware

C．sure

D．proud

10.

A．responsibility

B．experience

C．value

D．performance

11.

A．waste

B．spend

C．receive

D．borrow

12.

A．Accept

B．Imagine

C．Show

D．Find

13.

A．poorly

B．really

C．partly

D．hardly

14.

A．fun

B．fame

C．money

D．health

15.

A．competition

B．challenge

C．happiness

D．inspiration