1 . High school seniors missed out on so much in 2023—no proms, no traditional graduation ceremonies. But that has not stopped some of them trying to solve the world’s biggest challenges. And Lillian Kay Petersen from Los Alamos, New Mexico, is among them.
Petersen invented a simple tool for predicting harvests early in the growing season, which could facilitate food allocation(分配) planning and offer useful resources to those working to tackle global food insecurity. She first tested her tool, which analyzed daily satellite imagery using accepted measures of vegetation health, on known domestic crop data. She then carried out experiments for countries in Africa and successfully predicted harvests with high accuracy against reported production.
Petersen won first place and the $250,000 top award in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023, one of the oldest and most reputable science and math competitions for high school seniors in the US.
In 2014, Petersen’s family adopted her three younger brothers and sisters, all of whom suffered from malnutrition due to food insecurity in their childhood. Their struggles against the lifelong effects left a deep impression on her. After reading about a disastrous drought in Ethiopia between 2018 and 2019, she put her computer science knowledge to use. “I wanted to find a way to help aid organizations monitor crop condition as droughts evolve, to help them respond to food crises with a better time, and to help children so that they don’t face malnutrition and lifelong consequences,” she said.
While in high school, she began monitoring droughts in Africa using satellite imagery. Later, she published her first paper on the subject in a peer-reviewed journal. She has also met with the International Food Policy Research Institute to discuss the global pandemic and its effects on crop production in Africa.
1. What benefit could Petersen’s invention bring?| A．It could ensure food security. | B．It could boost crop production. |
| C．It could collect crop data accurately. | D．It could make food distribution planning easier. |
| A．What inspired Petersen to invent the tool. |
| B．Why food crises in Africa were so serious. |
| C．When Petersen began to monitor crop condition. |
| D．Why Petersen’s brothers and sisters were adopted. |
| A．Innovative and far-sighted. | B．Generous and committed. |
| C．Competent and risk-taking. | D．Intelligent and competitive. |
| A．To draw public attention to food insecurity. |
| B．To emphasize challenges Africans encounter. |
| C．To appeal to young people to handle global issues. |
| D．To share the benefits of conducting scientific research. |
2 . Visit National Museum of China
The NMC in Beijing is a world-class museum that displays five thousand years of splendid Chinese civilization.
Getting Here
No.16 East Chang’an Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006
Bus Route:
You can take the No.1, No.2, No.52, No.82, No.120 buses, or Sightseeing Line 2, Tourist Bus Line 1 and Line 2 and get off at Tian’anmen East Station.
Metro:
You can take Metro Line 1, get off at Tian’anmen East Station, and exit the station through Exit C or D.
Admission
The NMC opens to the public from Tuesday to Sunday and closes on Monday (except for public holidays). Its opening hours are from 9:00 to 17:30 (last admission at 16:30).
According to the regulations on conducting regular epidemic prevention, all visitors must make online appointments (with different time interval available). Please make your appointments 1-7 days in advance and plan your visit properly.
We welcome visitors to make online appointments through our official website or official WeChat platform.
Official Website: https://ticket.chnmuseum.cn/yuyue/index
Official WeChat Platform: Please scan the QR code below, scroll down and click “Visits”, and access the “Reservation” page.
Inquiries: 010-65116400 (9:00-16:30) 
Notice to Visitors
Valid ID documents are required to enter the museum during the opening hours. Visitors must go through security check. Restricted items or animals such as dogs and cats are prohibited. Applications must be filed for organizing activities in the museum such as lectures, surveys and video recordings, and the activities can be organized only upon approval.
For more information, click here http://en.chnumuseum.cn.
1. Where is this text probably taken from?| A．A newspaper. | B．A text book. |
| C．An official website. | D．An academic article. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Pass the security check. | B．Organize any kind of activity. |
| C．Enter the museum at noon. | D．Explore the museum with pets. |
1. Why does Monica choose Tai Chi instead of yoga?
| A．It enjoys popularity. | B．It requires less tension. | C．It reflects Chinese culture. |
| A．Maintaining balance. | B．Strengthening muscles. | C．Preventing diseases. |
1. What did David suggest changing at first?
| A．The working plan. | B．The movie theatre. | C．The time arrangement. |
| A．Comedy. | B．Science fiction. | C．Romance. |
| A．At 6:00. | B．At 6:30. | C．At 8:00. |
5 . In early 2018, I was training for the London Marathon—the first and only marathon I would ever run in my life. I had treated myself to an expensive fitness watch that tracked my time, pace and splits.
At the end of my final training run—an exhausting 21 miles (34km) —I threw myself down on the floor the moment I got home, only to see my watch had failed me. Twenty-one miles briefly flashed on the screen before it went blank and disappeared for ever. I screamed in pain. That tragic image of me crying on my living room floor pretty much sums up my relationship with exercise tracking technology.
It can be a total joy to watch your data change on running apps as you get stronger and faster. I once got a kick out of it, but at some point it became a stick I used to punish myself. I would watch my pace, compare it with other people’s or criticize myself for not doing it 30 seconds faster. I never really recognized exercise tracking as a problem. It seemed to me that tracking was the route to self-improvement, and the point was to improve, wasn’t it? The point was to be better.
In the past year, the concept of “being better” has taken on a different meaning. My mental health dropped, and things that were once easy such as brushing my teeth became unimaginably difficult. Being better stopped meaning getting faster or stronger. It meant taking care of myself and feeling some joy in a day. Once I started getting better, I reflected on what in my life made me happy and what did not. So, I stopped tracking my runs and simply deleted years’ worth of data that was once very important to me and now meant nothing.
What has become very clear to me since I quit tracking my runs is that I genuinely love doing them. I run around my local park with a silly little smile on my face. I love it so much. But I do not love running quickly. I do not like races. I do not want to be pushed to be faster. Things I notice about my runs now include: how my legs feel and how my mind feels afterwards-clear and focused. I notice dogs, the smell of the wild plants along the canal and the sunshine (OK, wind and rain) on my face.
I am better. Or sometimes I am worse. But either way I’m slowly plodding along, and that’s good enough.
1. The author cried after the final training run because she ________.| A．had to stop working out | B．became physically worn out |
| C．lost the data on the watch | D．felt a sharp pain in the legs |
| A．a fun hobby for enjoyment | B．a strong need for recognition |
| C．a method of escaping punishment | D．a way of being a better runner |
| A．Getting pleasure out of winning races. | B．Being more focused on her life goal. |
| C．Freeing herself from demanding tasks. | D．Improving her overall well-being. |
| A．Adjustment brings happiness. | B．Passion is the key to success. |
| C．Sports contribute to happiness. | D．Success equals self-improvement. |
6 . When you think of a new place for growing food, you might think of Mars. But one Italian family believes one possible place is right here on the Earth: the ocean.
Nemo’s Garden is the world’s first underwater system of land plants. Located off the coast of Noli, Italy, it consists of several greenhouses called biospheres, each of which is attached to the seafloor. “The aim of it is to change agriculture, and add a possibility for growing produce in the ocean,” says co-founder Luca Gamberini.
His father Sergio Gamberini came up with the idea by combining his two passions — diving and gardening. In 2012, the project began with planting basil (罗勒) underwater. Now Nemo’s Garden is growing strong.
“Our limited number of resources can not promise sustainable (可持续的) development,” Luca says, “and we believe that underwater gives us some advantages over traditional agriculture.”
Floating six to ten meters underwater, plants in Nemo’s Garden are separated from any outside pathogens (病原体). Also, the temperature of the ocean water is an ideal environment for plant life. Besides, Nemo’s Garden uses a technique that uses water-based nutrients (养分) instead of soil. “Also, there is little interaction with the underwater environment and related ecosystems, which means no harm is caused to sea creatures,” adds Luca.
Everything is monitored on land through cameras and sensors, and settings can be adjusted. When it’s time to harvest, a diver will cut the vegetation, place it in bags and float them to the surface.
The team at Nemo’s Garden has plans for even bigger biospheres in the future, as well as other locations. Luca believes the future of Nemo’s Garden will be mostly along the coastlines where communities could benefit from the added space it offers.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The greenhouse. | B．The seafloor. | C．Underwater system. | D．Nemo’s Garden. |
| A．To combine his two hobbies. | B．To feed the growing population. |
| C．To seek sustainable farming. | D．To develop healthy ways of life. |
| A．The advantages of Nemo’s Garden. | B．The construction of Nemo’s Garden. |
| C．The structure of Nemo’s Garden. | D．The techniques used in Nemo’s Garden. |
| A．A research paper. | B．A science magazine. | C．A journal entry. | D．A science fiction. |
7 . Escape to a New Life— Everyone’s Dream?
A TV series in Wales has become a heated issue by becoming the number one choice for teenagers to watch.
The main character is a young farmer and the series is about country life, making the popularity of the series all the more surprising. The series is calm and relaxing and really the opposite to city life. Escape to a New Life describes the Welsh countryside as a beautiful and peaceful place and its people as very caring and happy.
The series director believes that this is what young people want today. She says the success of the series is because teenagers want a happier and healthier life away from the pressures of deadlines and exams. She figures this series offers a form of escape from their fast and stressful lives.
Despite this, many parents and teachers are worried about the effect this is having on young people. Parents report that their children are just watching this series and neglecting everything else, using Escape to a New Life as an excuse for not completing homework, or refusing to revise for exams, citing a need for a happier and less stressful life.
One father, Paul McGregor, said his daughter Charlotte had changed a lot. He said, “She used to be in the school athletics team and loved the javelin, but now she only wants to watch the TV series and has been dropped from the team. She no longer completes her homework saying it doesn’t matter as she just wants to ‘escape to a new life’”.
Paediatrician, Dr. Elisa Carhart who specialises in child mental health, says that TV can influence young people’s decisions in life, but believes that if a young person reacts as strongly as Charlotte, it’s likely there are other reasons for the change in her behaviour.
1. What is the TV series Escape to a New Life mainly about?| A．How people escape from city life. | B．How a Welsh farmer lives his life. |
| C．How teenagers balance work with life. | D．How the young live a relaxing life. |
| A．Paying no attention to. | B．Making the most of. |
| C．Feeling at home with. | D．Complaining about. |
| A．Unfavorable. | B．Supportive. | C．Unclear. | D．Forgiving. |
| A．One should not jump in with both feet. |
| B．One man’s meat is another man’s poison. |
| C．We’d better be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud. |
| D．We should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. |
I spotted my neighbor, Monica, working in her garden one day when I returned home from school. It was sunny, and the smell of cut grass made me feel refreshed. I popped my head over the fence, and Monica and I got talking.
“I’ve seen you’re very good at using a lawn mower(割草机) and gardening tools,” Monica said. “There’s a hedge(树篱) growing over the pathway near here. It’s so overgrown that it becomes a head ache for the passers-by. I was planning to cut it back myself. Would you like to help out?”
I loved the idea of helping Monica and our community. We agreed to cut the hedge the following Sunday. My brother Ivan, aged 10, also came along to help us. We wheeled Monica’s garbage can down to the hedge, which the community council was responsible for. All three of us cut it with shears (大剪刀) until a trouble-free pathway came in sight. Mr. Brown, a wheelchair user, was grateful that he didn’t have to make a detour(绕行) any more to pass the hedge. Encouraged by his words, I suggested doing more for our community, to make it a better place.
When we first started, we just made the best of the equipment we already had in my parents’ garage. But as time went on, donations came in from the local community. Our garage got filled up quickly with brushes, gardening tools, and even donated power tools like leaf blowers. With everything ready, our first project was to beautiful park near our houses, which looked a bit run-down. Ivan was in charge of painting the fence around, Monica cleared the lawn with a leaf blower, and I was responsible for repairing the benches where our neighbors usually sat at their leisure. After two weeks’ hard work, we felt stunned when stepping back and appreciating the clean and brand new small park. My heart swelled with pride because our efforts paid off.
注意：1.续写词数应为 150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I posted photos of our hard work on our local Facebook Group.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With more neighbors joining in, we headed for the flower bed near the community center.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . Their father passed away, their mother is laid off, and the family has no heat in their house as the winter sets in. This is just one of the
Sometimes the solution is
“There have been other needs that have come forward, like medical costs for students,” said Michael Happ, the program’s director. “So there’s a real
| A．shocking | B．pleasant | C．strange | D．unique |
| A．led to | B．come across | C．worked out | D．made up |
| A．fun | B．real | C．risky | D．simple |
| A．medicine | B．tools | C．food | D．houses |
| A．miss | B．track | C．deliver | D．prefer |
| A．concentrating on | B．going through | C．wondering at | D．finding out |
| A．deal | B．lesson | C．game | D．loss |
| A．Refused | B．Burned | C．Founded | D．Ignored |
| A．digital | B．unusual | C．informal | D．various |
| A．grown | B．hidden | C．shown | D．ended |
| A．buy | B．report | C．increase | D．describe |
| A．chance | B．hunger | C．pity | D．excuse |
| A．replaced | B．questioned | C．disliked | D．recognized |
| A．respect | B．money | C．humour | D．water |
| A．in need | B．in patience | C．in peace | D．in control |
My dad, John, was a basketball fan. He played in college and even coached a local youth team for a few years. His love for the game was unbelievable, and some of my earliest memories are of us playing basketball in the nearby court. I’ve even seen old photos of him in his college days, a proud smile on his face as he held a basketball. But when it came to my own involvement in basketball, he was surprisingly positive that I should focus only on study. “Basketball won’t pay the bills,” he’d often say, a statement that always struck me as ironic (讽刺的) given how much he loved the sport.
I loved basketball too, and I was pretty good at it. My school coach, Coach Miller, saw potential in me and encouraged me to join the school team. He said I had a natural talent that could take me far if I trained hard. But my dad was against it. He believed that sports would distract me from my studies, and with the final exam around the corner, he didn’t want to take any chances. “Your future is in the classroom, not on the court,” he would insist, dashing my dreams of following in his athletic footsteps.
This tension between us reached a peak when my head teacher, Mrs. Williams, announced a school basketball tournament (联赛). It was a big deal; students from the whole city would come to watch. My friends were excited, and even some teachers were talking about it. However, I knew I couldn’t participate without my dad’s approval. It felt like an invisible chain holding me back, a conflict between my passion and his expectations.
Then something unexpected happened. Mrs. Williams called my dad for a meeting. I was nervous but also hopeful. Mrs. Williams was not just an educator; she was also a parent and understood the balance between academics and extracurricular activities. She had seen students succeed in both, and I hoped she could convince my dad.
After the meeting, my dad seemed to be in deep thought. He didn’t speak immediately, taking his time as if weighing his words carefully. Finally, he broke the silence, “Mrs. Williams made some good points about teamwork and discipline. Maybe it’s time to rethink my stance (立场) on you playing basketball.”
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。
I was thrilled but also cautious. “So, can I play in the tournament?” I asked.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As I scanned the audience, I spotted my dad.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
