1 . Standing on the shore of a lake, I can’t help but feel surprised at the thousands of small rocks that surround my boots. They were all created from _________ surfaces, their edges softening over time. I wonder, “Can we learn from a pile of rocks?”

Even the tallest mountains have _________; none are as tall as they were 1,000 years ago. And much like a rock, I’ve found my _________ has softened and my desire to better understand others has expanded with each trip around the sun.

_________, I was also a sharp rock covered in pointy edges. Today, after decades of the waters of life coursing over me, my edges are softer and I’m more _________. I’m less likely to judge and more interested in learning how we can _________ together.

But I’m not a _________. I’m a human filled with all the drama built into my DNA.

Two years ago, while traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I watched a restaurant owner ask several young men to _________ for not wearing masks. Not _________ and not rude. On the door read a sign, “Please wear a mask before entering our restaurant. We don’t like it either, but let’s all do what we can to __________ this together.”

The group of young men wanted to __________ about the note. I sat at the restaurant watching, understanding both sides. I’ve been one of them before, using my youthful edges to chip away at (削弱) the world. What I lost, __________, was the ability to grow from __________ by looking through the eyes of others. In learning to be more __________, I’ve also found more happiness and success.

You can fit more rounded rocks in a jar than those with sharp edges. The former look for ways to __________ and make room for others, while the latter never give an __________ to accommodate others.

__________, like the waters rolling against once sharp stones, changes us by washing away our resistance to __________ the world from someone else’s point of view.

I placed a __________ stone into my jacket pocket. Mother Nature is holding a __________ again.

1.

A．fragile

B．shiny

C．smooth

D．hard

2.

A．piled up

B．worn down

C．risen up

D．broken down

3.

A．will

B．voice

C．attitude

D．heart

4.

A．Still

B．Often

C．Here

D．Once

5.

A．understanding

B．confident

C．patient

D．competitive

6.

A．contribute

B．exist

C．work

D．develop

7.

A．fool

B．soul

C．rock

D．judge

8.

A．explain

B．leave

C．apologize

D．pay

9.

A．contradictory

B．confusing

C．forceful

D．discouraging

10.

A．get through

B．stick to

C．deal with

D．fight against

11.

A．think

B．care

C．talk

D．argue

12.

A．even

B．however

C．anyway

D．also

13.

A．hardships

B．struggle

C．experiences

D．failure

14.

A．open

B．cautious

C．ambitious

D．independent

15.

A．ignore

B．accept

C．adjust

D．change

16.

A．excuse

B．agreement

C．entrance

D．inch

17.

A．Nature

B．Tolerance

C．Tide

D．Time

18.

A．reforming

B．seeing

C．exploring

D．travelling

19.

A．sharp

B．rounded

C．valuable

D．rolling

20.

A．class

B．belief

C．meeting

D．discussion

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。

Each morning, 68-year-old amateur cyclist Cui Yue starts his ride along the Tanglai Canal in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,     1    (enjoy) the picturesque natural seeneries.    2    (Cycle) along the canal allows him to experience the city’s improving ecology.

The over-2,000-year-old canal that Cui frequents     3    (build) during the Han Dynasty (202 BC — AD 220). It aimed at bringing the Yellow River water to present-day Ningxia     4     helping turn the region with tracts (大片土地) of deserts into arable land. Through the ages, it is still functioning as an ecological corridor and is the largest     5    (natural) flowing trunk canal in the Yellow River irrigation area.

Along the canal’s 75-km section running through urban Yinchuan, several parks have been built with walking and cycling     6    (route), contributing to the city’s expanding green space     7    (map) out for public leisure.

Thanks to     8    (technology) innovations, water-saving measures, and environmental protection, the water volume in Tanglai Canal has increased about fivefold     9     1 billion cubic meters in the past few years, irrigating farmland for 185 days a year. “Tanglai Canal is a great ancient water conservancy project in Ningxia,     10     still benefits local people more than 2,000 years later,” said Cui. “The ancient canal will inject more vitality into the agricultural and ecological development of cities along it.”

3 . The Silk Road is arguably the most famous long-distance trade route of the ancient world. This passage connected Europe in the West with China in the East, and allowed the exchange of goods, technology, and ideas between the two civilizations. Although merchants could make huge profits travelling the road, it was not without risk.

The main Silk Road started in Chang’an (known today as Xi’an), the early Han capital. Travelers commencing their journey from this city could take a northern route that would take them across China’s northwestern provinces. After this, they would face the Gobi Desert, arguably the greatest danger of the Silk Road.

The Gobi Desert, the largest desert in Asia, consists mainly of rocky, hard earth. This feature made it easier for traders to travel across, compared to sandy deserts like the neighboring Taklamakan Desert. Like other deserts, the Gobi Desert is dry and hot, and therefore the biggest challenge travelers faced was obtaining enough water for themselves as well as for their camels.

So, rest stops were created along the route, allowing travelers to rest, eat and drink. These places also promoted the exchange of goods, and even ideas, amongst the travelers who stopped there. Usually, the rest stops were placed within a day’s journey of each other. In this way, travelers could avoid spending too much time in the desert, which would make them targets for robbers, another danger of the Silk Road.

Once through the Gobi Desert, travelers would continue their journey into Iran, Turkey, and finally Europe. While this part of the journey may have been less dangerous, it is not entirely without its perils (风险).

1. The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to _________.

A．making huge profits	B．traveling the Silk Road
C．exchanging goods and ideas	D．connecting different civilizations

2. Why was the Gobi Desert easier to cross than other deserts?

A．The desert’s surface was easier to walk on.

B．Camels for transportation were easier to find.

C．It was smaller and could be crossed in less time.

D．There were more natural water sources available.

3. What can we guess about the rest stops in the Gobi Desert?

A．Travelers were offered free accommodation.

B．They were located around the edges of the desert.

C．They were shared by travelers from different countries.

D．Exchanging goods and ideas there was entirely without risk.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The origins of the Silk Road.

B．The benefits of the Silk Road.

C．The difficulties faced by Silk Road travelers.

D．The cultural exchanges among Silk Road travelers.

6 . Scientists have discovered an underwater coral tower near the Great Barrier Reef(大堡礁) that’s taller than New York’s Empire State Building. It’s the tallest underwater structure discovered in over 120 years.

The researchers who discovered the reef were on a year-long trip aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research ship Falkor, where they were working to map the sea floor around Australia.

The scientists used a special underwater robot called SuBastian to help them explore and develop 3D maps. In late October, as part of their exploration, the team came across the tower. It’s known as a “detached reef”, since its structure isn’t attached to the Great Barrier Reef, but rises on its own from the sea floor.

At the bottom, the tower is nearly a mile wide. But from there, it becomes much more narrow, rising 1,640 feet and stopping just 130 feet below the surface of the ocean. The lower is one o£ eight similar towers near Northern Australia’s Cape York Peninsula. The other seven towers were discovered in the 1880’s.

“It’s a big reef not to have known about,” said Tom Bridge, “What it highlights is how little we know about the ocean, even the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is bigger than many European countries and that only a small part of it is made of the shallow water reefs it’s famous for.”

Overall, the Great Barrier Reef is struggling. Recent studies have shown that about half of its corals have died in the last 25 years, in part because of rising ocean temperatures due to the climate crisis. Over the last year, the Falkor’s scientific team has discovered 30 new kinds of sea creatures. In March, they discovered what they believe is the longest sea creature ever recorded. The animal is called a “siphonophore” and it’s 150 feet long.

1. What did researchers do by Falkor around Australia?

A．Seek for coral lowers.	B．Make a map of sea floor.
C．Research unknown species.	D．Film the Great Barrier Reef.

2. What do we know about SuBastian?

A．It’s the most advanced underwater robot.

B．It contributes to the discovery of the tower.

C．It is suitable to detect building structures.

D．It reports important discoveries under water.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The shape of the tower.	B．The history of the tower.
C．The position of the tower.	D．The information of the tower.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．Europe used to ignore the Great Barrier Reef.

B．Climate crisis is ruining the Great Barrier Reef.

C．Tom Bridge has been researching the Great Barrier Reef.

D．More research should be done on the Great Barrier Reef.

7 . 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。

Taking a trip is a fine way    1     (honor)one’s youthful years and draw a perfect end to campus life. Located in Longnan city in Gansu province, Guan’egou    2     (offer) graduating students a new experience and memory.    3    (call)Guan’egou Scenic Area, it is a national 4 A-level scenic spot. There is core tourist area. It includes Guanzhugou, Emangou, Mulonggou and Leigu mountain,    4    form a U-shaped tour route system.

Guan’e Grand Waterfall is the most    5     (wonder) waterfall in Guanzhu Valley, comparable to the well-known Lushan Waterfall. It    6    (complete)looks like falling from the sky, with water that’s cold and sweet. There are 13 lakes in Guan’egou of different    7     (size) and shapes. Their surfaces are deep blue and reflect the peaks. The lake surfaces change color from time to time    8     (depend) on season and weather.

The 200-meter Emangou 9-D glass bridge spans(跨越) the challenging space    9    two mountains. It’s 120 meters above the ground and it challenges your senses. The water park features various outdoor sports, including a jungle crossing    10    rock climbing. These projects combine adventure, sport and entertainment to challenge teamwork and individual courage.

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处适当的内容(l个单词 )或括号内单词的正确形式 。

Dujiangyan is the oldest man-made water system in the world, and a wonder in the development of Chinese science. Built over 2,200 years ago in    1    is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China, this amazing engineering achievement is still used today to irrigate over 6000 square kilometers of farmland and provide water for 50 cities in the province.

In ancient times, the region in which Dujiangyan now stands suffered from regular floods     2    (cause) by overflow from the Minjiang River. To help the victims of the flooding, Li Bing, the region governor, together with his son, decided to find a    3    (solve).

Li designed a series of channels built at different levels along Mount Yulei    4    would take away floodwater while    5    (leave) the river flowing naturally.    6    (Well) still, the extra water could be directed to the dry Chengdu Plain, making it suitable for farming.

After eight years of work, the 20-meter-wide canals had been carved through the mountain.

Once the system was finished, no more floods     7     (occur) and the people were able to live peacefully and    8    (happy).Today, Dujiangyan is admired by scientists from around the world because of one feature. Unlike modern dams where the water    9    (block) with a huge wall, Dujiangyan still lets water flow through the Minjiang River naturally, enabling ecosystems and fish population to exist       10     harmony.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的单词或括号中单词的正确形式。

An island off the coast of Cape Cod is open to the public for the first time in 300 years. Sipson island    1    (own) privately since 1711, when it was sold to White settlers. Now, the new Sipson Island Trust,with the help of a local non-profit, hopes to renew and care for the island,    2     (use) the Native American values to see land    3    a gift for all to use.

It is really important for us to be able to communicate the     4     (important) of its history,and teach the values of those that lived on the island before 1711. President Blough told CNN.

The 24-acre island, which opens on Saturday ,    5    (locate) just off the coast of Cape Cod in    6    area known as Pleasant Bay,     7    is of critical environmental concern. When it was for sale,there were a number of conservation organizations who wanted to find a way to raise the money to protect it,preserve it,and make it    8     (access)to the public, Blough said.

Now it is    9     (full)open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to access the island from the eastern shore,     10    only shallow boats under 22 feet can land due to the sensitive ecosystem in the water.

10 . There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little bit of whisky(威士忌) at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1873, she wrote in her diary, “I never saw a lovelier spot,”

Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grasses and mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange light, the rivers, teeming with fish, can turn into streams of gold. As you settle down with just a fishing pole and a basket on the bank of River Orchy, near the Inverlochy Castle, any frustration(烦恼) will float away as gently as the circling water. It’s just you and purple, pink, white flowers, seeking a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing, learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime’s fun. For many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art.

Scotland offers interesting place where you can rest after a long day’s fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland, the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland’s mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of all British mountains, and reaching its 1,342-metre top is a challenge. But it’s not just what goes up matters; what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high, on the mountain’s north face, lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes from the Gaelic(盖尔特) language “usqueb” or “water of life”; And it is the single most important ingredient(原料) in Scotland’s best-known drink: whisky.

1. How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?

A．By making comparisons.

B．By following time order.

C．By analyzing causes.

D．By giving descriptions.

2. What is Ben Nevis specially noted for?

A．The challenge up to its top.

B．The water from the mountain.

C．The beauty of its surroundings.

D．The Inverlochy Castle Hotel.

3. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists.

B．To describe the pleasures of life in Scotland.

C．To show the attractions of Scotland to readers.

D．To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland.

4. What does the story of Queen Victoria show?

A．The Queen is rich in tour experience.

B．The year of 1873 is special for the Queen.

C．Tasting whisky is better than going fishing.

D．The castle’s a good place to go in Scotland.