Devon became the man of the house since his father passed away last year, but tonight he was a twelve-year old boy who wanted a puppy for his birthday, and his birthday was tomorrow.
“They say every boy should have a dog of his own, don’t you agree?”
I sighed, knowing what my answer would have to be. “I would love to get you a puppy, but puppies are expensive. They need food and shots and a license. We just can’t afford all that right now, honey.” I lowered my head so he wouldn’t see my tears.
He stood there for a moment. “That’s okay, Mom. I understand,” he whispered. “But some day, when things get better, can we get a puppy?” “Of course, Devon, I promise.” I forced myself to smile.
“When we get a puppy, I am going to name him Rusty.”
“Rusty? That’s a fine name.”
The next morning, I gathered our recyclable bottles and cans which were worth five cents each. We drove to the nearby convenience store and sold them at a nearby store. Then we chose the two most delicious donuts with the money.
Devon grabbed the donut and took a huge bite. On the front sidewalk, he stopped so suddenly that I almost ran into him.
A puppy caught his eye. A young woman was parked just outside the door. Her face was wet with tears. The puppy curled up (蜷缩) in her lap with his nose resting on the driver’s door.
Devon rushed over to the car and giggled (咯咯笑) as he fed the rest of his donut to the puppy and was thanked with a wet puppy lick across the face.
Then I turned to the woman: “What’s wrong?”
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。
The woman dried her face before answering.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Really?” Devon took a deep breath and turned to me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| A．In the kitchen. | B．In the bathroom. | C．In the living room. |
3 . On a cold morning in December, Schewel enters a community garden in Bushwick followed by his two small dogs, Sundrop and Moonbeam. The dogs feel excited with
Armed with his two
At the garden, the dogs
The good news is that there aren’t many rats at all here. Schewel’s strategy proves
| A．recognition | B．anticipation | C．competition | D．satisfaction |
| A．release | B．warn | C．drag | D．raise |
| A．permission | B．survival | C．shortage | D．advantage |
| A．leaders | B．companions | C．soldiers | D．visitors |
| A．compared | B．combined | C．associated | D．accompanied |
| A．reasonable | B．valuable | C．acceptable | D．changeable |
| A．priority | B．theme | C．grade | D．rank |
| A．As | B．Unlike | C．With | D．For |
| A．lifestyle | B．development | C．ecosystem | D．population |
| A．shake | B．leave | C．surround | D．protect |
| A．find | B．hide | C．escape | D．dig |
| A．turns on | B．turns off | C．turns up | D．turns down |
| A．In a way | B．In a flash | C．In a word | D．In a mess |
| A．will | B．risk | C．command | D．heart |
| A．urgent | B．common | C．dramatic | D．effective |
4 . Digging out potato tubers (茎块) is one of the greatest rewards gardens have to offer. Children in particular are surprised at seeing these tubers that almost magically become chips, mash (泥) or baked potatoes.
Happily, potatoes are very easy to grow. Seed tubers are placed in good garden soil, ideally with some compost (堆肥) for every square meter, in a sunny spot, about 10cm deep at 30cm intervals in rows 60-70cm apart.
Seed tubers are offered as earliest and second earliest and maincrop. The second earliest and maincrops can be stored for winter use but earliest are usually consumed in summer.
Seasoned potato growers buy early seed potatoes in February and place them in a cool, reasonably light place and let them sprout (发芽). It takes six weeks for small sprouts to form.
Early potatoes are typically planted from middle March in the South, but are likely to emerge before the first season finishes in May. The shoots are frost-sensitive requiring protection on cod nights with either earth or newspapers.
Second early and maincrop potatoes are planted in middle April—the frost risk will be low, but not absent, by the time they emerge. As the stems (茎) grow, soil should be drawn around them until the leaves meet in the row in early summer. At this stage, the potato field is a series of ridges (脊，垄). The tubers form in the ridge, protected from light that turns them green. Covering with black plastic or a thick layer of compost is also accessible instead of ridging, but plastic is not sustainable and slugs (鼻涕虫) can multiply in compost.
Once the flowers are fully open, it is time to dig plants when the tubers are the size of a hen’s egg. They grow rapidly but gradually lose their juicy new potato flavour, so harvest freely.
1. What’s the writing purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To describe a magic process. |
| B．To recall a childhood memory. |
| C．To raise a potato-related topic. |
| D．To introduce a gardening award. |
| A．The closer the intervals are, the faster they will grow. |
| B．The warmer the weather is, the better they will grow. |
| C．The earlier they are planted, the healthier they will grow. |
| D．The deeper they are planted, the stronger they will grow. |
| A．Frost. | B．Plastic. | C．Ridges. | D．Slugs. |
| A．How to cook potatoes. | B．How to grow potatoes. |
| C．How to harvest potatoes. | D．How to preserve potatoes. |
5 . Every day as the sun rises, Ma Hongyi, a 66-year-old farmer, can be seen patrolling (巡逻) Yuncheng Salt Lake with his dog in Yuncheng city, North China’s Shanxi province.
Ma still remembers the day when he first saw two big pink birds wandering through the water. “I had never seen such pretty birds. They were even taller than me, with long wings,” Ma recalls. He was later informed that birds were flamingos, a rare sight in China, which were listed on the International Union for Protection of Nature’s red list of endangered species in 2013. From that day on, Ma started his second career as a volunteer to prevent human beings from interfering with the wildlife. “The birds are attracted by the good environment,” Ma says. “I will do my best to protect the lake so that birds can come here every year.”
Yuncheng Salt Lake covers an area of 132 square kilometers and used to serve as a salt production base. As the country began attaching greater importance to environmental protection, an ecological (生态的) protection and development center was set up in 2012 to carry out regular ecological protection and restoration (修复) of the lake. “The greatest value of the Salt Lake lies in its ecology, which should be properly restored and protected,” says Chu Xianghao, mayor of the city. The lake area hosts 292 types of wild animals, along with 782 plant varieties, some of which are newly recorded species in the country.
After patrolling the lake as volunteer for over four years, Ma was employed by the local government to help with wildlife protection in 2019. “The lake’s ecology is getting better,” Ma says, adding that he looks forward to the arrival of the flamingos every year. “Some of them are my old friends,” he says.
1. Why does Ma patrol Yuncheng Salt Lake every day?| A．To serve as a keeper of the lake. | B．To observe the rare flamingos closely. |
| C．To admire the scenery around the lake. | D．To come across the flamingos again |
| A．bringing benefits to | B．losing control of |
| C．sharing space with | D．causing problems to |
| A．It is still used as a salt production base | B．The restoration of it will be carried out soon. |
| C．It’s home to 292 types of endangered wildlife | D．The protection of its ecology is of great importance |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Responsible. | C．Generous. | D．Humorous. |
6 . Josiah Launstein, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Josiah can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. “It’s the ocean that makes Rockaway so
On October 29, 2012, that
When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. All around her, people were
“My mom tells me that I can’t
Josiah’s
Josiah also worked with other organizations to bring much-needed
Today, the scars of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is
| A．realistic | B．special | C．rare | D．sharp |
| A．breeze | B．beach | C．landscape | D．ocean |
| A．Fortunately | B．Unusually | C．Apparently | D．Appropriately |
| A．wandering | B．inspecting | C．suffering | D．greeting |
| A．inspired | B．relieved | C．defended | D．depressed |
| A．expose | B．control | C．accept | D．display |
| A．arrangement | B．prediction | C．insight | D．choice |
| A．natives | B．survivors | C．employees | D．officials |
| A．gave out | B．closed down | C．burned down | D．broke out |
| A．replaced | B．generated | C．expanded | D．grabbed |
| A．clothing | B．reputation | C．supplies | D．ingredients |
| A．innovations | B．emotion | C．credit | D．efforts |
| A．deserved | B．impressed | C．stimulated | D．honored |
| A．all of a sudden | B．in the air | C．for good measure | D．to a certain extent |
| A．stronger | B．more suitable | C．more sufficient | D．wiser |
7 . A fisherman in northern Cambodia hooked what researchers say is the world’s largest freshwater fish — a giant stingray (黄貂鱼) that scientists know relatively little about.
The fisherman, 42, caught the 300-kilogram fish, which measured about four meters in length, near a remote island on the Mekong River in the Stung Treng area. A team of scientists from the Wonders of Mekong research project helped tag (给…装标签), measure and weigh the fish before it was released back into the river. The research group believes it was healthy when released and expects it to survive.
The tag—which emits an acoustic (声音的) signal — will allow researchers to track the fish’s movements and they hope, learn more about its species’ behavior in the Mekong.
The catch “highlights how little we know about a lot of these giant freshwater fish,” said Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist at the University of Nevada. “You have a fish that’s now the record holder for the world’s largest freshwater fish, and we know little about it.”
The fisherman, Moul Thun, caught the giant stingray with a hook and line on the evening of June 13, and then contacted researchers the next morning.
Researchers with the Wonders of Mekong were already in northern Cambodia to install underwater receivers as part of a project to track migratory fish in the river.
“It’s a particularly healthy stretch of the river with a lot of deep pools — pools up to 90 meters deep,” said Hogan, who is also the host of National Geographic’s “Monster Fish” television series. “We started focusing on this area as a stretch of river that’s particularly important for biodiversity and fisheries, and as a last refuge (避难所) for these big species.”
For several months, the research group has been in contact with local fishermen, asking them to get in touch if they landed a significant catch. The group has helped with two other large giant freshwater stingray releases in recent months. The fisherman who caught the record fish was paid market price for his catch. “It works because the fish is not a highly prized food fish,” Hogan said.
Hogan said little is known about the giant freshwater stingray. The creature has a mouth about “the size of a banana” with no teeth, but with “gripping pads” used to crush (压碎) prey. “They’re on the bottom finding shrimps, mollusks and small fish. They can suck them up with this banana-shaped mouth and crush them,” he said.
1. What did the scientists use the tag to do?| A．To enable the freshwater fish to survive. |
| B．To record the sound of the freshwater fish. |
| C．To be informed of the freshwater fish’s health. |
| D．To help them know more about the freshwater fish. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Regretful. | C．Indifferent. | D．Proud. |
| A．Their depth can hardly be measured. |
| B．They are too deep to explore in detail. |
| C．There is a special TV show about them. |
| D．They are likely home to big species. |
| A．To discover highly prized food fish. |
| B．To sell their big catch at a lower price. |
| C．To report their unusual catch in time. |
| D．To show respect for the significant catch. |
The Great Wall of China is a symbol of ancient Chinese civilization. It is one of the world’s
The Great Wall,
Through thousands of years and the replacement of the dynasties, many parts of the Great Wall have been damaged
9 . California, Arizona and Nevada announced an agreement on Monday to cut their use of the Colorado River by another 14% in exchange for $1.2 billion grants (拨款) from the US government. The landmark agreement, which lasts through 2026, would avoid compulsory cuts set by the US government to keep the crucial Colorado River basin from collapsing in the face of constant over-consumption and a long drought worsened by climate change.
The 1,450-mile-long Colorado River provides drinking water for 40 million people in seven US states, part of Mexico, and several Native American tribes. It also supplies water for 5.5 million acres of productive farmland.
The Interior Department needs to sign off on the agreement before it takes effect. Camille Touton, leading member of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Reclamation, called the agreement “an important step forward toward our shared goal of creating a sustainable path for the basin that millions of people call home.”
The voluntary cuts are about half of what the US government said were needed last year, but an exceptionally wet winter and unusually plentiful snow pack gave the seven states that use the Colorado River a temporary relief. The two dammed reservoirs (水库) on the river, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have risen 7 feet and 26 feet, respectively, since April, after falling to crisis levels in 2022. Lake Mead is now 30% full and Lake Powell 27%.
Arizona, California and Nevada draw their Colorado River water from Lake Mead while four Upper Basin states—Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—use water directly from the river and its branches. All seven basin states still have to reach a longer-term arrangement for use of the declining Colorado River after 2026. Monday’s agreement is “a great start”, Jack Schmidt, director of the Utah State University’s Center for Colorado River Studies, tells the Los Angeles Times. “It’s about 25% of where we ultimately need to get.”
1. What do you know about the Colorado River?| A．It measures 1,450 kilometres long. | B．It’s an inland river in the USA. |
| C．Arizona is in its Upper Basin. | D．It’s overused by people along it. |
| A．The productive land. | B．The Interior Department. |
| C．The wet winter and much snow. | D．Lake Mead and Lake Powell. |
| A．It was in exchange for $1.2 billion grants. |
| B．The Interior Department would sign off on it. |
| C．All 7 basin states have reached a longer-term agreement based on it. |
| D．It helped to achieve the goal of using the Colorado River sustainably. |
| A．The Colorado River is suffering | B．More efforts are still needed |
| C．An important agreement is reached | D．Climate change is getting worse |
10 . Do the colors that surround you influence how you feel? Can the colors on your walls and on your clothes affect your moods? Some researchers believe the answer is a decisive yes, while others aren’t so sure.
Yet many marketers, interior designers, medical professionals and others swear by an informal field of science known as color psychology. Color psychology is defined as “the study of how the colors we perceive impact our thoughts and feelings.”
Marketers use the science of color to persuade us to buy things. When choosing paint, furniture and wall art, interior designers act on the theory that colors can arouse certain feelings in us. Dentists are often advised to use light blue paint on their office walls to help calm apprehensive patients.
We should keep in mind, though, that only by considering cultural preferences are we able to fully understand the science of color. For instance, in the West, white is for brides and black is for funerals. But in ancient Asia, white was sometimes worn for funerals. In Japan yellow represents courage while in the United States, it represents happiness. Additionally, many variables including gender, age, background and more must be considered before making color assumptions when one is studying the effects of color.
After taking color variable into account it’s safe to consider some mainstream theories about specific colors and their meanings. Here are just a few:
Red symbolizes love, energy, passion and danger. Red is also believed to increase one’s hunger, which might be the reason why McDonald’s and Coca-Cola chose red as their major branding color.
Brown, a color from nature, best represents things that are honest, trustworthy and dependable. It seems a perfect fit as the branding color for the package delivery company UPS.
Blue-in addition to representing peace and calm-also means integrity and competence. It’s no surprise that PayPal and American Express both use blue as their branding color.
Green-another color from nature-represents health, growth and freshness and is the perfect branding color for Starbucks.
Pink symbolizes love, romance, innocence and femininity (女性特质). The popular doll company that makes Barbie uses pink as its major branding color.
If color psychology advocates are correct, then our emotions and decisions are truly influenced by the colors around us. With this knowledge, we can effectively harness (驾驭) color power to create positive school, work and home environments.
1. What does the phrase “swear by” in the second paragraph probably mean?| A．deeply investigate | B．somewhat doubt |
| C．deeply believe | D．still wish |
| A．To remind we should take culture into account when learning the science of color. |
| B．To state that cultural preferences are decisive factors in color psychology. |
| C．To show different cultures have different preferences for different colors. |
| D．To prove white and black represent complete different things in different countries. |
| A．color psychology may help us make correct decisions in life |
| B．color psychology is an uncultivated field in modern science |
| C．color psychology has been recognized throughout the world |
| D．color psychology is influencing our emotions and decisions |
| A．The potential effects of color on our lives. |
| B．The positives and negatives of color psychology. |
| C．The foundation and function of color psychology. |
| D．The relationship between color and man Section |
