1 . Ruby was a police dog with the Rhode Island State Police, but she didn’t always work with them. Ruby was once a handful who was in and out of the sheller. She was returned five times by different families. She was considered unadoptable because of her high energy and she was just unmanageable

The shelter workers thought her energy may be put to work. They reached the state police, who wanted to give Ruby a second chance and decided to try her out as a rescue dog. O’Neil was picked to be her handler (驯犬员) .

“We have something in common. When I was younger, I couldn’t focus and I wasn’t good at school. But no one really ever gave up on me,” O’Neil said. “I think that’s why we were bound to be together.” A normal dog could be trained in months. For Ruby, it took a year and a half, but O’Neil didn’t want to give up on her. Finally, she was a certified police dog. Six years later, she became even more than that -a hero.

“We got a call stating there was a missing boy, and we just went out and started searching. After eight hours, Ruby ran down a hill. I looked over the hill and saw the injured boy,” ONeil recalled.

O’Neil went to tell the mother that the boy was found alive and told her a police dog helped save her son. Then they realised a surprising connection: the boy’s mum once worked at an animal shelter. “There was a dog that I heard became a state trooper (兵) a few years ago. The dog was named Ruby. She was the sweetest thing,” she told him.

“Are you kidding?” O’Neil said. “That dog that you helped for all those times to get adopted just saved your son’s life.”

1. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “handful” in paragraph 1?

A．Popular dog.

B．Good helper.

C．Troublemaker

D．Intelligent dog

2. What was Ruby before she became a trooper?

A．A shelter dog.

B．A rescue dog.

C．A guard dog.

D．A pet dog.

3. What was the main factor that made Ruby a successful rescue dog?

A．ONeil’s guidance.	B．Ruby’s high energy
C．Ruby’s determination.	D．ONeil’s perseverance

4. What was the connection between Ruby and the boy’s mother?

A．The mother once helped Ruby in the shelter.	B．The mother was Ruby’s former handler
C．Ruby was once adopted by the mother.	D．Ruby saved the mother before.

2 .

Panda Ya Ya returns home

Ya Ya the giant panda has just arrived in Shanghai, east China on Thursday after 20 years of stay at the Memphis Zoo in the U.S. The flight was around 15.5 hours. Both Chinese and American vets are with Ya Ya.

Ya Ya was born at Beijing Zoo on August 3, 2000. She arrived at Memphis Zoo in April, 2003. Ya Ya has become a bridge of friendship between Chinese and foreign people. She will spend a month in Shanghai before returning to her birthplace, Beijing Zoo.

We do hope all pandas that are in foreign countries can be healthy and happy.

Did you know…?

Baby pandas are born pink and measure about 15cm-that’s about the size of a pencil

Giant pandas spend up to 12 hours a day eating bamboo.

Pandas live for about 20 years in the wild, but in the zoos they can live for up to 35 years.

1. Ya Ya was born in _______.

A．Beijing

B．Chengdu

C．Shanghai `

D．Guangzhou

2. What color are new-born pandas?

A．Black and white.

B．Pink.

C．Yellow.

D．Gray.

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Ya Ya spend up to 10 hours a day eating bamboo.	B．Shanghai Zoo is Ya Ya’s final home.
C．Ya Ya had a short flight coming back home.	D．Ya Ya helps foreigners know more about China.

4. This passage is _______.

A．a piece of news

B．an ad

C．a diary

D．a letter

3 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

    1     the night of July 28, 1976, one of the greatest earthquakes in the twentieth century hit Tangshan, Hebei. Strange things were happening, but people thought little of the       2     (warn). Then, at 3:42 a. m., the earth shook

Nearly a       3     (three) of China felt it. In less than one minute Tangshan was in ruins and more than 400,000 people were killed or injured. In the afternoon came another quake. Even more building     4     (fall) down. People began to wonder if the disaster would end.

4 . What does the woman’s cat do when it sees mice?

A．It stays still.

B．It acts friendly towards them.

C．It tries to catch them.

5 . Why did the woman’s plants die according to the man?

A．From not enough water.

B．From not enough sun.

C．From not enough plant food.

6 . What concerns the man about the oil company?

A．It causes water pollution.

B．It makes locals lose their jobs.

C．It results in a fight on social media.

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。

2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar and it is the first time that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)    1     (include) the term “Chinese dragon” in its dictionary. The Chinese dragon has two definitions in the OED, with the first one about its physical image and the second one on its figurative and allusive (典故的) nature.

Emperors in ancient dynasties were dressed in a Dragon Robe, a traditional silk-woven costume with dragon designs,     2     (symbolize) imperial power and authority. Jade Seals (玉玺), often     3     (carve) with dragons, also symbolize the authority of the emperor.

Contrary     4     the Western dragon, the image of the Chinese dragon, despite undergoing constant changes, has represented various’ positive     5     (quality) including prosperity, authority, strength and good fortune.

In ancient Chinese belief, dragons     6     (associate) with the control of the weather, particularly rain. The dragon’s ability to bring rain was seen as crucial for agriculture, which made it     7     positive symbol for the fertility of the land.

With the rising China Chic trend and the country’s booming cultural creative industry, the Chinese dragon in folktale is now     8     (common) seen in creative products such as tear-off calendars, dolls, dragon-themed jewelry as well as the “dragon blind boxes”     9     appeal to young consumers.

Whether it is through the hands of a national-level intangible (非物质) cultural heritage inheritor     10     the hands of a Generation Z “blind box” designer, the Chinese dragon carries forward the Chinese cultural spirit.

8 .

A．The harm done by single-use plastics.

B．The topic for the woman’s composition.

C．Environmental issues.

D．Some recent hot news.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman say about dogs in general?

A．They are messy.

B．They are annoying.

C．They are hard to take care of.

2. Why doesn't the woman agree to have Lion?

A．It is unhealthy.

B．It is too large.

C．It is very noisy.

3. Where will the speakers probably get the dog?

A．From a pet store.

B．From a rescue shelter.

C．From a friend's house.

4. What does the woman ask the boy to show her first in the end?

A．That he can clean up after the dog.

B．That he can take the dog for walks.

C．That he can be responsible for the chores around house.

10 . 假如有一批澳大利亚中学生在京旅游，住在北京饭店，请用英语为他们拟一个参观颐和园（the Summer Palace）的口头通知，内容要点如下：
(1) 参观时间： 五月四日，星期三
(2) 颐和园简介： 它是中国最大的保存最完好的皇家园林，风景优美，甚是迷人，有山有水，有皇家建筑和画廊。
(3) 活动安排：上午自由参观，中午在快餐馆吃午饭，下午5:30返回宾馆。
(4) 集合时间：星期三早上6:10，汽车6:30出发，行驶45分钟到达。
(5) 集合地点：宾馆大门口。
要求：只能用5个句子表达全部内容。

Announcement

Boys and girls,

May I have your attention?

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That’s all. Thank you!