1 . When I was little, my mom put her love into making traditional Chinese soups for me. I’m talking Ching bo leung (清凉补), with a lot of herbal(中草药的) ingredients that give the soup a _______ taste.

As a kid, I never _______ drinking them because the taste made me sick. But my mom would try her best to _______ me to drink her soup.

First, she would state all the health benefits that the soup has.

“How can this strange water improve my _______?” I’d roll my eyes.

Then, she’d tell me it tasted _______ this time because she added chicken to make it taste more restaurant-style.

Lastly, she’d bribe (贿赂) me with a piece of candy.

And somehow that would _______. I’d take a deep breath and drink it without stopping. After I finished, my mom would _______ eating the Chinese soup ingredients (Tang Zha in Chinese).

I _______ why she did this. I could just _______ the soup but how could she eat the soup ingredients?

She’d always say, “I ________ eating them.”

When I was young, I ________ believed her.

But as I got older, I ________ she was only saying this because she wanted the best for her daughter.

Recently, I recalled (回忆起) this ________ while feeding my daughter a mango (芒果). I cut the mango into two halves and then ________ the seed (果核).

My daughter was ________ and asked me why I ate the seed.

I told her, “Because I love eating them.”

1.

A．good

B．real

C．strange

D．natural

2.

A．enjoyed

B．minded

C．regretted

D．stopped

3.

A．teach

B．promise

C．allow

D．encourage

4.

A．skill

B．grade

C．health

D．situation

5.

A．common

B．different

C．cheap

D．cold

6.

A．disappear

B．work

C．happen

D．increase

7.

A．advise

B．forget

C．begin

D．avoid

8.

A．wondered

B．understood

C．realized

D．explained

9.

A．buy

B．prepare

C．stand

D．find

10.

A．keep

B．love

C．imagine

D．consider

11.

A．honestly

B．hardly

C．secretly

D．eagerly

12.

A．doubted

B．hoped

C．agreed

D．knew

13.

A．dream

B．plan

C．memory

D．show

14.

A．threw

B．cut

C．planted

D．ate

15.

A．angry

B．surprised

C．excited

D．ready

2 . Despite being homeless himself, a man named Steve has dedicated himself to taking care of stray (走失的) dogs. He has adopted 15 dogs in the past 15 years and _________ their daily needs.

This year, Steve believed that a change of scene might help him get back on his feet, so he decided to move to Indiana. He had a distance of 2,000 miles to _________, with nothing but a bike and only $6 in his pocket, but he never considered leaving his _________ dogs behind. So he put the dogs in a shopping cart and _________ it to the bike.

On his way, Steve _________ Alicia, who works at the West Animal Shelter (WAS). _________, she stopped to figure out the entire story. “Having been homeless since 2009, he could _________ them,” she said. Deeply _________ by Steve’s love for dogs, Alicia set up a GoFundMe page for him and _________ his story. Then, many volunteers arrived to help out. They __________ photos on Facebook, raised money and kept searching for ways to get them to Indiana. __________, they met a kind woman who offered them a __________.

They finally made it to their __________. A generous donor gave them a truck to live in, so for the first time in nearly 15 years, they have a __________ over their heads. Today, over $30,000 has been raised and he will continue to help strays.

“It is extraordinary, and his story tells one good __________ leads to another.” Alicia said.

1.

A．tended to

B．relied on

C．taken up

D．made out

2.

A．record

B．cover

C．skip

D．drive

3.

A．intelligent

B．abandoned

C．starving

D．beloved

4.

A．attached

B．compared

C．applied

D．accustomed

5.

A．appreciated

B．inspired

C．interrupted

D．encountered

6.

A．Annoyed

B．Curious

C．Frightened

D．Desperate

7.

A．look into

B．pick up

C．take over

D．relate to

8.

A．alarmed

B．touched

C．amused

D．confused

9.

A．continued

B．believed

C．heard

D．spread

10.

A．edited

B．selected

C．posted

D．took

11.

A．Fortunately

B．Hardly

C．Deliberately

D．Unusually

12.

A．dinner

B．lift

C．shelter

D．loan

13.

A．homeland

B．station

C．destination

D．village

14.

A．roof

B．hat

C．light

D．crown

15.

A．decision

B．trick

C．deed

D．impression

3 . Shane Grammer’s artwork can be found in cities in Mexico, South Korea, Dubai and beyond.In the past years, it’s the murals (壁画) he painted on damaged walls throughout the town of Paradise, California that have gained attention and touched viewers.

In 2018, the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California’s history, swept through Paradise, flattening entire communities, killing scores of people, and displacing tens of thousands. Grammer,whose hometown was just 15 miles from Paradise, was living with his family and working in the Los Angeles area when he saw accounts of the destruction on his friends’ social media pages. A single mother he knew shared a photo of ash and rubble where her home once stood. A childhood friend’s post showed her burned-down house. After he saw a photo of a friend Shane Edwards’ home, which had been reduced to a brick wall with only a chimney standing, he was driven to paint it.

With Edward’s permission, Grammer then used spray paint to transform Edwards’ burnt chimney into a strikingly black-and-white portrait of a woman, a piece he called “Beauty Among the Ashes.” Once the image was posted on Instagram, the victims of the fire, especially, could not contain themselves. “You bring beauty and hope.” one posted. Over three months, the 47-year-old created a series of more than a dozen spray-painted murals on the remains of buildings and vehicles rendered useless by the flames. The images included a victim of the fire, a young girl who survived but lost her house, and a series of religious characters.

As a street artist, Grammer has committed his life to creating more art installations (装置艺术) all over the world that connect people through tragic life events. He has started a foundation called the Art Through Hope Foundation where he intends to bring peace through his art to those affected by tragedy. “I want to do something powerful and make art that emotionally influences people,” said Grammer in an interview with KRCR. “I think any artist would consider that as their ultimate goal. And to me, that is the biggest miracle I feel like.”

1. What has led to Grammer’s rise to fame?

A．The Art Through Hope Foundation.	B．The post of a burnt-down house.
C．His paintings on the ruins in Paradise.	D．His art installations all over the world.

2. Why did Grammor paint murals after the Camp Fire?

A．To record the wildfire.	B．To bring hope to the victims.
C．To add beauty to the ashes.	D．To remember his friend's home.

3. What docs the underlined word “that” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Creating touching art.	B．Working miracles in art.
C．Bringing peace through art.	D．Doing something powerful.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．From Ashes to Art: Street Artist’s Murals of Hope

B．From Paradise to Worldwide: Street Artist’s Journey

C．From Tragedy to Hope: the Story of Shane Grammer

D．From Mural to Miracle: Shane Grammer’s Art Mission

4 . During the first weeks of his retirement from the fire service, Max had felt lost. And that’s when Polly, a library manager, helped him sign up as a ________ , for Robot Club in the library.

Max hadn’t volunteered before and he didn’t know anything about ________ . He opened the packs containing the robots, nervously staring at the mess of parts. A dozen primary-age children gathered around the table, ________ eagerly. Almost double the number of adults crowded around them, watching.

Glancing around the library at the many parents and carers accompanying the robot builders, Max knew he had to face this ________ .

“Okay, team,” he started ________ , adopting the tone he’d used to brief his unit during his firefighting days. “We’re going to build these robots one step at a time.”

The children nodded, their hands busy with screws and plastic limbs. Max wandered from table to table, ________ words of encouragement, and slowly but surely, piecing together the instructions in his mind.

An hour passed, and the room was filled with the sound of chatter and clinking parts. As the final minutes of Robot Club ticked away, Max stood back and ________ the room. Robots of all shapes and sizes stood on the tables. The children were excited, ________ their creations to anyone who would look.

As they began to leave, many children stopped to thank Max. Each “thank you” and “see you next week” chipped away at the sense of ________ he had felt since retiring. He hadn’t put out a fire today, but perhaps he had lighted something far more important — a new ________ for himself.

1.

A．volunteer

B．writer

C．builder

D．fireman

2.

A．books

B．programs

C．children

D．robots

3.

A．searching

B．waiting

C．reading

D．arguing

4.

A．competition

B．consequence

C．challenge

D．conflict

5.

A．calmly

B．coldly

C．casually

D．weakly

6.

A．processing

B．offering

C．exchanging

D．understanding

7.

A．surveyed

B．cleaned

C．decorated

D．left

8.

A．bringing up

B．calling on

C．showing off

D．giving away

9.

A．freedom

B．relief

C．loss

D．guilt

10.

A．version

B．belief

C．approach

D．purpose

5 . When I was a small child, my grandparents would take me to blackberry_________. It was usually late August when the blackberries were fully _________. Grandpa would _________ us in his old truck. Being seven or eight at the time, I always enjoyed the trip as we bounced along to our _________.

My grandparents always chose the same _________. Wild blackberry _________ stretched along the roadside as far as the eye could see in both directions. Several hours of picking berries followed.

Nana _________ me not to eat any until they had all been washed but turned a knowing blind eye while _________ some anyway. I also helped myself to the occasional unripe red berry as I had a particular _________ for anything bitter. The fully immature green berries were too much even for my taste and were just __________.

When at last we were finished, the bright scenery had __________ long shadows and the afternoon had become evening. Grandad __________ a bag half full of berries back to the truck. Juice __________ slowly onto the ground. Nana would later make blackberry pies and fill several jars with jam. When I reached the truck, my __________ hurt from too much fruit and my hands were __________ dark purple. I always enjoyed those days.

1.

A．processing

B．canning

C．picking

D．preserving

2.

A．developed

B．ripe

C．fresh

D．prepared

3.

A．drive

B．fetch

C．move

D．transform

4.

A．journey

B．adventure

C．destination

D．purpose

5.

A．path

B．direction

C．route

D．spot

6.

A．bushes

B．branches

C．forests

D．leaves

7.

A．instructed

B．warned

C．encouraged

D．begged

8.

A．collected

B．gathered

C．picked

D．ate

9.

A．talent

B．taste

C．admiration

D．hunger

10.

A．tasteless

B．unbeatable

C．unpleasant

D．delicious

11.

A．took on

B．burst on

C．made up

D．turned to

12.

A．carried

B．filled

C．delivered

D．passed

13.

A．poured

B．bled

C．pressed

D．tipped

14.

A．throat

B．head

C．stomach

D．bones

15.

A．colored

B．washed

C．dried

D．coated

6 . Martin, Tom and Paul were brothers. They were very different, but they were consistent (一致的) about two things. They couldn't succeed in business. And they never _________ about anything. Martin was a hardworking farmer, growing organic vegetables and raising chickens. But he was _________ and forgot to pay his bills. Paul owned a textile factory that produced clothes. He was organized, but he was greedy and took too much clothing. His closet was _________ with his own products. Tom was once a sergeant in the army. He ran a martial arts school, but his attitude on discipline was too strong. He had almost no _________ .

One day, they received a _________ saying that their father had died. They were heirs to his old farm. They planned to sell it as soon as possible, so they went to see it even though there was a terrible storm. The house didn't look great, but there was a lot of land. There was so much, in fact, that they could hardly see its _________ .

_________ , the storm got worse. The sheer force of the wind almost knocked them _________ . Martin said, "Look, it's a typhoon!" Paul said, "No, it's a cyclone." Tom said, "No, it's a tornado!" They argued _________ Paul began to wail and said, "Whatever it is, it's coming __________ at us! We're doomed!" The three brothers scrambled inside the old house. Martin said, "If we survive, we must stop fighting. This farm could be great if we __________ it up. With my hard work, Paul's organization and Tom's __________, we could run a great business together!" The storm finally ended. And luckily, it didn't __________ the farm.

"Just think," Martin said, "it took the chaos of a typhoon to bring us together" Paul replied," You mean a cyclone brought us together." Tom said "Didn't I tell you both that it was a tornado?" The brothers never agreed on what kind of __________ it was, but by combining their __________ , they started a successful farm.

1.

A．agreed

B．argued

C．talked

D．figured

2.

A．disabled

B．distracted

C．disorganized

D．disordered

3.

A．decorated

B．equipped

C．fitted

D．filled

4.

A．soldiers

B．students

C．visitors

D．teachers

5.

A．telegraph

B．telescope

C．television

D．teleplay

6.

A．outline

B．branch

C．boundary

D．distance

7.

A．Suddenly

B．Eventually

C．Obviously

D．Occasionally

8.

A．off

B．up

C．at

D．over

9.

A．unless

B．until

C．when

D．since

10.

A．right

B．left

C．before

D．after

11.

A．picked

B．got

C．set

D．fixed

12.

A．greed

B．discipline

C．strength

D．attitude

13.

A．evacuate

B．affect

C．destroy

D．strike

14.

A．disaster

B．storm

C．wind

D．type

15.

A．skills

B．ideas

C．performance

D．reference

7 . Italy’s oldest man Tripoli Giannini, who credited “light meals and no stress” for his longevity, has died at the age of 111, on New Year’s Eve. He was the second oldest man in Europe, after André Ludwig, a Frenchman 75 days older.

His son, Romano, wrote on Facebook: “He believed he was immortal …instead, at 9.30 am, December 31, 2023, my father Tripoli Giannini died. He was 111 years and 133 days old — a record! He joins his wife, Tosca, my mother, who has waited for him for over 40 years.”

There are a record number of centenarians (百岁老人) in Italy. According to the national statistics agency, there were 22,000 people aged over 100 in 2023. The vast majority are women.

His life is like a living history textbook. Giannini, who belonged to the Italian army infantry corps, was born in Cecina in 1912. He not only witnessed the changes of the two world wars, but also experienced the election of about ten popes (教皇). The more admirable thing is that he has successfully withstood the multiple pandemic s from Spanish flu in his childhood to COVID-19 in his later years, demonstrating his unyielding energy. He is not only known for his longevity, but also a sports enthusiast.

During celebrations, he said the secrets to his longevity were light meals — always accompanied by wine — no stress, being a non-smoker and treating each day as a gift.

The Italian island of Sardinia has been identified as one of five regions in the world that have high concentrations of centenarians, while the Italian city with the most people over the age of 100 is Genoa in Liguria. The Mediterranean diet has long been considered to be the main ingredient for longevity among Italians. The country’s ageing population is a challenge for the government, especially as it coincides with a reducing birthrate, placing pressure on the pension and healthcare systems.

1. How old might Tripoli Giannini be when he lost his wife?

A．In his 50s.

B．In his 60s.

C．In his 80s.

D．In his 90s.

2. Which of the following aspects contributed to Tripoli’s longevity?

A．Wine drinking and smoking.	B．Light diets and no pressure.
C．Wine drinking and his wife.	D．Light diets and healthcare.

3. What can we infer about Tripoli Giannini from the text?

A．He might get involved in politics.

B．He might be optimistic towards life.

C．He might be the oldest in both Italy and Europe.

D．He might have suffered from many illnesses in his long life.

4. What is the purpose of writing this text?

A．To advertise the diet of Italy.	B．To promote the anti-smoking campaign.
C．To highlight the ageing situation in Italy.	D．To publicize Italy’s oldest man’s death.

8 . This year, the Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum, went to Annie Ray, the performing arts department chair and orchestra director at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. She attended the awards ceremony in Los Angeles and brought home both a $10,000 prize and matching grant （资助） for her school’s music program.

Ray created the Crescendo Orchestra for students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as a parent orchestra that teaches nearly 200 caregivers a year to play the same instrument as their children. She got the idea mostly from the Annandale community, which she says represents over 60 countries, including many refugees and immigrants. “There’re many cultures that might typically clash, but they come together in this very beautiful harmony,” Ray explained. “And that’s really uniquely expressed in the orchestra classroom, where we’re just all music-ing together.”

Ray says the Crescendo Orchestra is focused on teaching students how to play an instrument, through one-on-one instruction tailored to their needs. The orchestra is about much more than just making music, however. “I really push my students to be brave and go outside of their comfort zone. We have to learn how to work together with others,” she says.

Ray, who comes from a family of musicians and has played the harp （竖琴） since the age of five, knows firsthand the impact that a great teacher can make on their students. “Why I am where I am is because a teacher changed my life and made me want to be a music educator,” she says.

Ray says her warm reception on the awards ceremony is especially meaningful because not many people understand what exactly music educators do in the classroom or how much their work matters. She says that lack of understanding is one of the biggest challenges facing the profession in general. Moreover, she says her school desperately needs new instruments, and adds that she’ll use some of her grant money to buy more.

1. What mainly inspired Ray to create the Crescendo Orchestra?

A．The effect of some caregivers.	B．The diversity of a community.
C．The harmony of the disabled.	D．The rich culture of her school.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Who are influenced by music.	B．How the Crescendo Orchestra develops.
C．What students can learn.	D．Why students need special instruction.

3. How was Ray influenced by her teacher?

A．She funded some students.	B．She fought against her family.
C．She began learning the harp.	D．She chose to be a music educator.

4. What can be learned from what Ray says in the last paragraph?

A．Music education needs to be appreciated.	B．She badly wants donations for instruments.
C．The administration offers no support.	D．She is often challenged by musicians.

9 . 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。

Vivid in my memory remains the scene when my dad gathered our family in the living room. After nearly eleven months of unemployment, we could sense what this meant. Even though my dad usually had a way with words, he skirted around saying what we knew was coming. Finally, he uttered the decisive words, “I accepted a new job.”And in turn, I had to accept my fate.

I blurted out the obvious question, “Where?” Before my father could finish saying “Austin, Texas,” I had burst into tears, practically inconsolable (伤心欲绝的). I would have to completely start over, which was less than ideal for a sophomore in high school. My crying continued well into the night. After that I was done. Not another tear fell.

Following that December night, I became numb, withdrawing into myself in an attempt to make leaving seem painless. While my dad commuted back and forth between California and Texas, I was allowed to finish out the school year.

This transition left me with six months to manage my relationships with those who cared about me. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness knowing that soon I would bid farewell to the familiar faces and cherished memories that defined my high school years. As a result, I felt detached (不带感情的), as if living a double life while hiding my departure from my friends and acquaintances. Consumed by self-pity, I began questioning the purpose of engaging in the world around me, knowing that my time there was limited.

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 sank into depression until one day my parents walked into my room.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From that day on, I decided to face the next six months positively.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . After spending his career as a chef and working as the Vice President of Food and Beverage at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan, Michael McFarlen saw how much food would get thrown away from the Casino’s restaurant every day.

Unfortunately, throwing away perfectly good food is extremely common within the restaurant industry. Yet it was always something that bothered McFarlen about his work. Actions point, McFarlen decided to get involved with the South Central Food Bank of Michigan Inc. to help give back to those in need. He then became the president on the board and came up with a plan to open a restaurant in the community that would also help support a food bank on the property.

In April of 2016, the FireKeepers Casino Hotel and its owners, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, bought Fire Station No. 4, a historic firehouse near down town Battle Creek that had been closed for years and was set to be demolished. However, the group bought it before that happened and started to give the historic building a new life.

Renovations on the property lasted about a year. Then on April 19, 2017, the restaurant, which they named The Fire Hub, opened to the public for the first time. At the same time, the food bank, which they named the Kendall Street Food bank, opened its door in the back of the building.

“Anytime you open a new restaurant, you just have to figure a way through that first year,” George said. However, the first year of operation was beyond their expectations. Not only did the restaurant attract customers because of its popularity and sustainability, but the food bank helped more people in the first year than they ever imagined would need its services.

In total, about 375 to 400 households get help from the food bank every single month. “We’re able to cater to people who are working, but still need a little help during the month,” McFarlen told Second Wave media. To better fit the need of the majority of people using their services, the food bank was designed to look like a small market.

1. What bothered McFarlen as a chef?

A．A lack of cooks.

B．Waste of good food.

C．Involvement in food banks.

D．Shortage of food in some areas.

2. What might the underlined word “demolished” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Built up.

B．Torn down.

C．Broken up.

D．Knocked off.

3. How did The Fire Hub go with its business?

A．It worked out well.

B．It had branches set up.

C．It stuck to good quality.

D．It didn’t last for a year.

4. What can best describe McFarlen?

A．Patient and careful.

B．Loving and devoted.

C．Enthusiastic and diligent.

D．Cautious and understanding.