2 . Kelby Nelson had always looked up to his dad Mr Nelson, a hardworking man who had always put his family first. As his dad’s birthday _______ , Kelby wanted to do something special to show his _______ for all that his father had done for him. After much thought and consideration, Kelby decided to give his dad a gift that would truly make his day more special.

Kelby knew that his dad had a deep _______ for photography but had never pursued it as more than a hobby. _______ by this, Kelby decided to give his dad a once in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase his work in a local art gallery.

Kelby _______ contacted the owner of a popular gallery in town and explained his _______. Impressed by the heartfelt gesture, the owner agreed to host an exhibition featuring Kelby’s dad’s photographs. Kelby then spent weeks meticulously(精心地) _______ the best photos from his dad’s collection, ensuring a diverse and attractive showcase.

On the day of his dad’s birthday, Kelby blindfolded(蒙住) him and led him to the gallery. As they entered, Kelby _______ the blindfold, revealing a gallery filled with amazing prints of his dad’s photographs. His dad stood there, _______ , his eyes moist with emotion.

The gallery opening ________ a surprise party, with friends, family, and fellow photography enthusiasts gathered to ________ Mr Nelson’s talent. The local media caught wind of the event and sent reporters to cover the exhibition, further expanding Kelby’s dad’s ________ .

Overwhelmed(淹没)by the love and ________ surrounding him, Kelby’s dad thanked his son, not just for the ________ gift, but for encouraging him to pursue his passion and giving him the ________ to share his art with the world.

1.

A．approved

B．continued

C．approached

D．updated

2.

A．registration

B．appreciation

C．responsibility

D．preference

3.

A．passion

B．regret

C．guilt

D．worry

4.

A．Confused

B．Inspired

C．Impressed

D．Challenged

5.

A．moderately

B．narrowly

C．secretly

D．desperately

6.

A．hobby

B．ambition

C．result

D．plan

7.

A．stealing

B．selecting

C．telling

D．separating

8.

A．removed

B．covered

C．observed

D．reduced

9.

A．careless

B．selfless

C．speechless

D．helpless

10.

A．gave way to

B．turned into

C．referred to

D．broke into

11.

A．defend

B．define

C．confirm

D．celebrate

12.

A．recognition

B．achievement

C．position

D．transition

13.

A．soul

B．crowd

C．support

D．wonder

14.

A．ordinary

B．incredible

C．familiar

D．virtual

15.

A．talent

B．ability

C．relief

D．confidence

3 . 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。

“Look!” I said to my husband, Roger, pointing to the branches. “The doves (鸽子) have built a nest.

On a chilly April day, we watched with horror as a hawk dived down and took one of the doves. By the next morning the other parent was gone too. Roger climbed up a ladder to take a look into the nest. Was it possible the hawk had spared the young? Yes, there sat a newly hatched baby dove! We brought him inside and set up the nesting box with the heat lamps we had used for raising chickens. Then we rushed to the pet shop to buy the formula (配方奶) which needed to look like the mother’s milk. But even with our care and prayers, we knew that the dove’s chances were slim. We were especially worried that our little bird, whom we’d named Hawkeye, hardly cooed (咕咕地叫) at all. That had to be a bad sign.

But to our surprise, Hawkeye not only survived but also thrived. Within a month, he was able to stand on the edge of a bowl and eat out of a baby spoon. And before we knew it, he was eating the seeds we gave him. Having the opportunity to nurture this new life brought me a greater measure of peace with each passing day.

As Hawkeye grew, we noticed that unlike all the other doves in our yard, he had a double breast with a line dividing it. When I did some research on the doves, I found out that females don’t often coo.

“We got it all wrong,” I told Roger. “Hawkeye is a girl!”

We realized that we’d have to teach her to fly. First, we urged her to fly from a finger to the bottom rung (梯子的横档) of a six-foot ladder, and in no time she was moving quickly to the top. She lit out (逃走，溜掉) for the kitchen whenever she heard the click of the spoon on her bowl. By mid-June she’d gained full confidence in her wings.

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。

Paragraph 1: At that time, we knew it was time to set our Hawkeye free.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: But one May morning, Hawkeye and the other dove landed on the rooftop.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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。

The 2023 Chinese Bridge Calligraphy and Painting Contest lasted for six months,     1     (attract) 1, 084 contestants from 86 countries     2     a total of 1, 146 calligraphy and painting works.

According to experts, the award winning calligraphy works this year mirrored many Chinese classic elements with more     3     (expressive) and creativity, compared to the winners of last year's contest,

“I feel honored to be the judge again and also     4     (delight) to find that the entries for this year have been such a breakthrough. From their progress, you can     5     (definite) see the authors must have spent a lot of time and energy learning traditional Chinese culture, ” commented one of the judges.

At the closing ceremony, Zhang Bo, professor from Beijing Language and Culture University, gave high praise of the achievement of overseas Chinese teaching,     6     played a significant role in cultural exchanges. He said the quality of the entries resulted from the contestants' years of study, as well as     7     guidance and assistance of overseas Chinese teaching behind them.

The experts suggested watching the videos about the contestants on the website. “Through these videos, we can see their daily practice and creation process,     8     we can also feel their understanding and love for Chinese culture from their introductions. The creative process of calligraphy and painting     9     (have) a visual appreciation similar to dance. It is our hope that these videos     10     (share) on social media will encourage more people to develop a love for Chinese culture.”

6 . The British coastline has a wild beauty in the colder months but still offers incredible wildlife, views and fresh air. Our guide looks at the best beaches to visit in the UK in the winter months.

Cuckmere Haven, East Sussex

If you’re visiting Brighton or Eastbourne, a winter walk along Cuckmere Haven beach and through Seven Sisters Country Park is a must. Here, brisk sea breezes refresh your mind and amazing beach and ocean provide the perfect setting for an open-air yoga session.

Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire

Robin Hood’s Bay is a hidden bit of history, with its raw cliffs, red-roofed cottages and unusual architecture. The beach itself is one of the UK’s best spots for fossil-hunting. Perfect to visit in the winter, you can enjoy a walk along the cliffs or beach to take in the historical village.

Embleton Bay, Northumberland

A beautiful long stretch of beach overlooked by the impressive ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, Embleton Bay is a perfect winter beach. On a clear cold morning the ruins can be seen perfectly from the beach and beach itself backs onto dunes (沙丘), famous for flowers, grasses and birds.

Charmouth, Dorset

There are few family pleasures as simple or as satisfying as finding fossils on the beach. It’s an outdoor experience perfect for children of all ages. There’s no better place to indulge a passion for fossils than the Jurassic coastline of Dorset and Devon. Now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s made up of 95 miles and 185 million years of prehistoric life.

1. Which beach best suits people who pursue a mind and body practice?

A．Cuckmere Haven.	B．Robin Hood’s Bay.
C．Embleton Bay.	D．Charmouth.

2. What do the Robin Hood’s Bay and Charmouth have in common?

A．They have beautiful cliffs.	B．They have historical villages.
C．They are good fossil-hunting spots.	D．They are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A biography.	B．A travel brochure.
C．An academic article.	D．An exhibition guide.

7 . Imagine getting ready for bed, brushing your teeth, setting your alarm and then putting a device on your head that allows you to control your dreams. It might sound like something unfeasible, but it’s the real-life promise of a new futuristic-looking headband called Halo, at present in development by US tech company Prophetic.

Expected to be released in 2025, Halo aims to allow you to have more lucid dreams (清醒梦). In some cases, you might also exercise a degree of control over what happens in these dreams, perhaps in ways that benefit your waking life, such as solving work problems, practicing guitar and more.

Earlier research has shown lucid dreams could be used for real-life benefits. For example, one study carried out by researchers at the University of Bern, Switzerland showed that participants who practised casting coins into a cup in their lucid dreams showed superior performance the next day.

The team behind Halo are using technologies like EEG (脑电图) to collect vast amounts of brain data from volunteers experiencing lucid dreams. The idea is to build a detailed map of what’s happening in the brain during different types of lucid dreams. This information will be key for the second main area of investigation, which involves using TUS (delivered via the headband) to control brain activity. TUS, a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, can change brain function by using high-frequency sound.

“It’s seemingly true that the sound stimulation could contribute to the high-frequency brain activity that’s associated with lucidity,” says Professor Mark Blagrove, a sleep scientist based at Swansea University. “Sound stimulation has been used to cause low-frequency slow waves in slow wave sleep, so the method suggested is believable.”

However, TUS is a relatively new approach to brain stimulation and it’s not entirely clear what the long-term results of stimulating your brain with high-frequency sounds might be. Moreover, some sleep scientists believe dreams have basic functions, including processing emotional experiences. By using a device to change the nature of your dreams, maybe you risk interrupting the usual purpose of your dreams.

1. What does the underlined word “unfeasible” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Impossible.

B．Significant.

C．Logical.

D．Meaningless.

2. Why is the study by the University of Bern mentioned?

A．To suggest a way to dream a dream.	B．To provide a theory for developing Halo.
C．To prove the benefits of lucid dreams.	D．To indicate the meaning of being awake.

3. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．The way in which EEG works.	B．The reason for designing Halo.
C．The changes brought by Halo.	D．The methods used by the team.

4. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．Hal o has got widespread recognition.	B．There may be some side effects about Halo.
C．Dreaming doesn’t have any functions.	D．Lucid dreams cause emotional experiences.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What was the writing subject about last year?

A．A bedroom.

B．A place.

C．Food.

2. Who can take part in the writing competition?

A．Teenagers.

B．Middle-aged people.

C．Old people.

3. What will the winners get?

A．500 dollars.

B．Free tickets to a zoo.

C．The club’s magazines.

4. What is the deadline for the entry?

A．The 4th next month.

B．The 14th next month.

C．The 25th next month.