1 . You’re never too old to fulfill your dreams or even break records. A 104-year-old Chicagoan named Dorothy Heffner is an _________. She has just become the _________ person to skydive. After _________ the ground following her tandem (双人) jump alongside an instructor, she proudly said, “Age is just a _________.”

Hoffner took to the skies of Northern Illinois with the help of Skydive Chicago, _________ her way to the town of Ottawa for the jump. For all the _________, this wasn’t her first time to jump out of the plane. Hoffner’s first skydive _________ a few years ago, when she was 100. Although back then the _________ helped push them out together, this time she _________ leading the tandem jump from 13,500 feet up in the air.

A video showed Hoffner determinedly __________ towards the plane before being helped on board. Sitting among her fellow skydivers, she was all __________ as she awaited for her time to leap out. Once the back door opened, the woman __________ jumped out of the plane head first. After completing a forward roll in the sky, the woman hung on to the harness (安全带) as she enjoyed her moment in free fall. After a few __________, the instructor opened the parachute (降落伞), getting ready for a __________ drop to the ground.

Hoffner was happy with having __________ this, describing the jump as an incredible experience.

1.

A．operator

B．angel

C．example

D．exception

2.

A．oldest

B．bravest

C．cleverest

D．strongest

3.

A．covering

B．leaving

C．breaking

D．touching

4.

A．sign

B．number

C．barrier

D．limit

5.

A．making

B．feeling

C．fighting

D．pushing

6.

A．nervousness

B．excitement

C．courage

D．stress

7.

A．took charge

B．set off

C．took place

D．paid off

8.

A．pilot

B．manager

C．guide

D．instructor

9.

A．insisted on

B．gave up

C．put off

D．set about

10.

A．running

B．advancing

C．driving

D．jumping

11.

A．tears

B．cars

C．smiles

D．thumbs

12.

A．anxiously

B．confidently

C．hurriedly

D．crazily

13.

A．hours

B．days

C．weeks

D．minutes

14.

A．temporary

B．challenging

C．slow

D．dramatic

15.

A．invented

B．achieved

C．arranged

D．known

3 . Preet Chandi, an Asian woman, returned from a trek (徒步旅行) across Greenland last year. She hopes to _________ an unsupported trek across Antaretica to the south pole by herself. The 700-mile journey will take about 45 days. She will face the _________ cold of -50℃ while dragging a sled (拖拽雪橇) weighing 95kg after she _________.

Preet Chandi _________ it is a tough journey but she feels well prepared after years of _________. In recent weeks she has been _________ tyres around the streets near her home. She has received a number of curious questions from _________. “If you come from a community that has no sense of _________ at all, it can be really hard,” she said, adding that a number of people thought she was to _________ for Southall, in west London, not to the south pole. “It’s just beyond their ____________.”

In the south pole, one may ____________ nothing in front for days except snow. It is quite a mental ____________. Thus, her partner has left messages inside her tent, while friends have ____________ voice notes for her to listen to on the journey.

When she returns, she plans to put aside some money to ____________ more women to try outdoor adventures. She is pleased to see change in what has ____________ been a male-dominated (主导) area. What an inspiring woman!

1.

A．apply

B．design

C．complete

D．introduce

2.

A．refreshing

B．extreme

C．bearable

D．slight

3.

A．falls down

B．checks out

C．sets off

D．turns up

4.

A．admits

B．doubts

C．hopes

D．prays

5.

A．working

B．adjustment

C．struggle

D．training

6.

A．buying

B．dragging

C．painting

D．collecting

7.

A．passers-by

B．explorers

C．visitors

D．cyclists

8.

A．activities

B．adventures

C．competitions

D．sports

9.

A．push

B．run

C．head

D．look

10.

A．control

B．ability

C．reach

D．knowledge

11.

A．make

B．taste

C．see

D．smell

12.

A．challenge

B．trouble

C．dilemma

D．success

13.

A．played

B．recorded

C．presented

D．taken

14.

A．remind

B．persuade

C．command

D．fund

15.

A．seldom

B．morally

C．legally

D．typically

5 . John, 69, wanted to retire from running his small-town grocery store: However, he didn’t want to leave his local community without a grocery store to shop at. He was facing a(n) _______ .

John’s parents opened the store in 1940，and John _______ it over in 1985. When the store first opened, it was one of four grocery stores in town. Now, it’s the last one _______. Since there was no one in his family who could continue running it, John _______ selling it and put the store on the _______ three years ago. Although he got some attention, no _______ came in. _______ he pulled the store off the market, as he worried that whoever bought the building might not continue the grocery store, which would make life harder for people in the community — especially those without _______ to a vehicle.

Then last summer, Elizabeth, who grew up in a nearby town, _______ John with an idea. She offered to raise money to buy the store, with the goal of ________ it into a sustainable social enterprise. Thus, Elizabeth turned to local residents and they ________ . Local residents, as well as people with ________ to the town，donated.

In a matter-of months, the community ________ half a million dollars, which was enough for them to purchase the property and ________ the store.

Johnm for his part is ________ that his family’s legacy (遗产) will live on, and the residents will still have a local place to shop for fresh food.

1.

A．welfare

B．opportunity

C．warning

D．dilemma

2.

A．handed

B．took

C．turned

D．looked

3.

A．changing

B．standing

C．selecting

D．developing

4.

A．considered

B．opposed

C．missed

D．avoided

5.

A．list

B．spot

C．line

D．market

6.

A．calls

B．comprehensions

C．offers

D．observations

7.

A．Impatiently

B．Eventually

C．Annually

D．Constantly

8.

A．addiction

B．absence

C．adaptation

D．access

9.

A．defended

B．blessed

C．approached

D．equipped

10.

A．dividing

B．downgrading

C．transforming

D．restoring

11.

A．stepped up

B．tore up

C．sped up

D．spoke up

12.

A．disrespect

B．commitment

C．ties

D．contributions

13.

A．earned

B．borrowed

C．saved

D．collected

14.

A．remove

B．recruit

C．renew

D．resist

15.

A．excited

B．frightened

C．annoyed

D．disappointed

6 . Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing promise in earthquake prediction, challenging the long-held belief that it is impossible. Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, have developed an AI algorithm(算法) that correctly predicted 70% of earthquakes a week in advance during a trial in China and provided accurate strength calculations for the predicted earthquakes.

The research team believes their method succeeded because they stuck with a relatively simple machine learning approach. The AI was provided with a set of statistical features based on the team’s knowledge of earthquake physics, and then instructed to train itself using a five-year database of earthquake recordings. Once trained, the AI provided its prediction by listening for signs of incoming earthquakes within the background rumblings(隆隆声) in the Earth.

This work is clearly a milestone in research for AI-driven earthquake prediction. “You don’t see earthquakes coming,” explains Alexandros Savvaidis, a senior research scientist who leads the Texas Seismological Network Program (TexNet). “It’s a matter of milliseconds, and the only thing you can control is how prepared you are. Even with the 70% accuracy, that’s a huge result and could help minimize economic and human losses and has the potential to remarkably improve earthquake preparation worldwide.”

While it is unknown whether the same approach will work at other locations, the researchers are confident that their AI algorithm could produce more accurate predictions if used in areas with reliable earthquake tracking networks. The next step is to test artificial intelligence in Texas, since UT’s Bureau TexNet hastions and over six years worth of continuous records, making it an ideal location 300 earthquake sta for these purposes.

Eventually, the authors hope to combine the system with physics-based models. This strategy could prove especially important where data is poor or lacking. “That may be a long way off, but many advances such as this one, taken together, are what moves science forward,” concludes Scott Tinker, the bureau’s director.

1. How does the AI forecast earthquakes?

A．By identifying data from the satellites.

B．By analyzing background sounds in the Earth.

C．By modeling data based on earthquake recordings.

D．By monitoring changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.

2. What does Alexandros Savvaidis intend to show in paragraph 3?

A．The ways to reduce losses in earthquakes.

B．The importance of preparing for earthquakes.

C．The significance of developing the AI prediction.

D．The limitation of AI algorithms in earthquake prediction.

3. What does the follow-up research focus on?

A．Conducting tests in different locations.

B．Applying the AI approach to other fields.

C．Building more earthquake stations in Texas.

D．Enlarging the database to train the calculation accuracy.

4. Which words can best describe the earthquake-predicting technology?

A．Stable but outdated.

B．Effective but costly.

C．Potential and economical.

D．Pioneering and promising.

8 . 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。

The only life that Jeffrey had ever known was on the streets. He has been homeless since his parents fell ill and passed away.

As much as he tried, Jeffrey couldn’t find a permanent job when he grew up. He only had a few clothes, blankets and shoes. With no family or friends, he relied on his local shelter and soup kitchen. He would often ask the workers at a local burger (汉堡包) place for their leftovers to survive.

Jeffrey knew many people in the area and would help new tenants (房客) move into their apartments for a bit of money. He desperately wanted to find a job, but he knew he didn’t look the part (穿着与工作相宜). One day, as Jeffrey was looking through the garbage can outside the burger shop for food, he noticed a black object near the surface.

He picked it up and realized it was a wallet. Maybe one of the cooks dropped it, he thought. However, when he looked inside, he could recognize the I. D. picture. The wallet belonged to Alan, an old man who stayed a few blocks away.

Alan’s cards and cash were still inside the wallet, meaning he’d lost it by mistake. There was also a check for $3,000 inside the wallet. “This is life-changing money. I could get some fresh clothes, maybe rent a small studio apartment and finally get a job,” Jeffrey said to himself.

Jeffrey sat down with the wallet in his hands and decided to think about it first. He remembered asking Alan for money a few weeks before. Alan didn’t give him money because he would have an operation soon. Jeffrey knew he couldn’t live with the guilt of knowing a man would suffer if he took the money for himself. Even though he initially felt that the check may have been a gift, he quickly realized that it was more of a test.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Jeffrey walked a few blocks to Alan’s office.

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A few weeks later, Jeffrey was outside the burger joint eating some leftover fries.

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9 . 假定你是李华，你市文化中心将于5月1日在美术馆举办一场中国水墨画（Chinese ink wash painting）画展，请你代表市文化中心写一则通知，内容包括：
1. 展览时间、地点；
2. 展览内容；
3. 注意事项。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

An announcement

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The City Cultural Center