1 . First-time writers may find it easier to get a short story published in a magazine or in an anthology of short stories than to get a novel accepted. Yet, even though it sounds easier to write a short story, a new writer can easily write a bad short story.     1    

Read other short stories to study how the author has plotted her story. Take notice of the story genre, the theme and how conflict is plotted in a short story. Prepare background information for your short story by making notes on characters, theme and your storyline.

Create a plot chart to help plot your short story. Draw a horizontal line on a sheet of paper and mark significant events along the line which occur in your story.    2     Detail the rising action by listing all significant events which occur as a result of the problem in the story to a moment of climax. Focus on a single plot and don’t be tempted to incorporate subplots as a short story does not allow the length to develop them.

Hook in the reader with an intriguing opening and introduce the conflict early. Introduce your main character immediately and don’t spend too long setting the scene, as brevity is the key to short story writing.     3    Write about a problem he has to overcome.

Adhere to a single theme which helps to drive the plot of the short story forward. Focus on moments of conflict and how the protagonist deals with each problem. Don’t forget to incorporate suspense into your plot to keep the reader interested.    4     Never reveal any de tail in your story too soon, as you don’t want to give your ending away. Create suspense to be able to initiate surprises in your plot and to avoid predictable storytelling.

    5     Remember that by the end of your short story, your protagonist needs to haveundergone some kind of change.

A．A plot is the soul of the story.

B．It takes practice to write a story.

C．Write about a specific time in a person’s life.

D．Record what happened in your life all the time.

E．Hold information back until it is the right moment to reveal it.

F．Conclude your story in a positive or negative way.

G．Describe briefly how the story opens at the beginning.

2 . It’s been 20 years since a cookbook changed my life. Before reading every page in Nigella Lawson’s Feast, I didn’t give much thought lo what I ate. Cooking was a boring task I wasn’t particularly good at. Moreover, fear of calories and not being able to fit into my jeans left little room for enjoying things like “chocolate cake”. Nigella, the author of Nigella Lawson’s Feast transformed my relationship with food, changing it from a source of panic to one of limitless pleasure. Leafing through the pages of Feast, I began to think of the women who shaped my cooking. They not only influenced me strongly with their words, recipes and passion for the art of eating, but they also left their mark on the culinary (烹饪的) world.

Take Eugénie Brazier, for example, who grew up with barely enough to eat yet with plenty of determination to achieve great things. After years of hard work on farms and later as a humble cook, she used the little savings she had to open La Mère Brazier, a restaurant that would attract the likes of celebrities. A second location followed, and in 1933, she became the first chef ever to hold six Michelin stars simultaneously (同时地). Known as the mother of modern French cooking, Brazier’s simple yet elegant food changed the way Britain ate.

What Brazier did for the UK, the passionate Julia Child did for America. At a time when TV dinners and tinned foods were gaining popularity, she inspired home cooks to try elegant recipes, teaching them about the use of quality ingredients in an approachable way.

While Julia Child tempted us with her recipes, it was the American author Fisher who enlightened us with her fine cooking prose (散文). In her brilliant essays, she praised the pleasures of the table and explored connections between food and culture. One of my favorite books is Love in a Dish, a charming collection of culinary experiences that transport you to French villages and even describe how the love of food can potentially save a marriage!

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By giving examples.	B．By raising a question.
C．By describing his experience.	D．By offering facts.

2. Which words can best describe Brazier?

A．Friendly and determined.	B．Considerate and brave.
C．Generous and intelligent.	D．Ambitious and successful.

3. What do Fisher’s works focus on?

A．The ingredients of food.	B．The story behind food.
C．The significance of food.	D．The origin of food.

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To motivate readers to cook at home.	B．To market high-quality cooking books.
C．To honor some exceptional women cooks.	D．To share his passion for cooking.

3 . 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。

The term “Erbin”, a, nickname of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, known for its ice and snow festival,     1     (gain) popularity across China recently. Many tourism officials are using techniques to promote cultural tourism,     2       (leave) netizens screaming in amusement. Shifting from online hype (炒作) to offline engagement, tourism authorities in other provinces also compete     3     tourists.

The essence of this “fancy rat-race” lies in     4     fact that various regional cultural tourism initiatives     5     (target) at the Spring Festival tourist boom, using hype to attract tourists and boost the local economies. But to attract more tourists,     6     seems unwise is to rely merely on publicity and luxury strategies. Cities and tourist spots should focus on three factors to attract more tourists.

First, they need to build better roads to scenic spots and tourist service platforms,     7     set proper traffic signs. Second, they should provide related supporting services to enhance     8     (tourist) experience. For that, the tourist spots and cities need to     9     (far) develop tourist attractions and supporting facilities. It is also important     10     (tell) convincing local cultural stories.

Tourism authorities should, therefore, focus on promoting local cuisine, natural resources and personalities.

4 . 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。

Ben is in     1     total mess now. They lost a football match and he thought the team members     2     (let) down by one member, the point guard. But his best friend shared his     3     (disappoint) with others. Ben was embarrassed and ashamed.

Now Ben is turning     4     Agony Aunt for help. Agony Aunt shares an old saying: “Loose lips sink ships.” She asks Ben     5     (apologize) to his teammate first     6     to talk to his friend because friendship is one of the     7     (great) things in the world. And most     8     (important), Ben should think about his own behaviour.     9     (fill) with anger, we tend to speak out our opinions quickly without thinking clearly.

Agony Aunt suggests Ben raise his     10     (concern) with his teach coach if he feels the teammate isn’t pulling his weight.

5 . “Our temperature’s not what people think it is,” said Julie Parsonnet, MD, professor of medicine and of health research and policy in Stanford. “or our common sense that our normal temperature is 37 ℃ or 98.6 F, is wrong.”

That standard of 37℃was made famous by German doctor Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich in a book in 1868. Modern studies, however, have called that number into question, suggesting that it’s too high.

In a latest study published in eLife, Parsonnet and her colleagues explore body temperature trends and conclude that temperature changes since the time of Wunderlich reflect a true historical pattern, rather than measurement errors or biases (偏见). The researchers propose that the decrease in body temperature is the result of changes in our environment over the past 200 years, which have in turn driven physiological changes. 

The researchers analyzed temperatures from three officially-recorded datasets covering different historical periods, using the 677,423 temperature measurements from these datasets to develop a linear model (线性模型) containing the temperatures over time. They determined that the body temperature of men born in the early to mid-1990s is on average 1.06 F lower than that of men born in the early 1800s. Similarly, they determined that the body temperature of women born in the early to mid-1990s is on average 0.58 F lower than that of women born in the 1890s. These calculations match a decrease in body temperature of 0.05 F every 10 years.

The decrease in average body temperature in the US could be explained by a reduction in the amount of energy being used. The authors believe this trend may be due to a population-wide decrease in inflammation (炎症): “Inflammation produces all sorts of proteins and cytokines that speed up your metabolism (新陈代谢) and raise your temperature,” Parsonnet said. Public health has improved sharply in the past 200 years due to advances in medical treatments, more convenient environment, greater availability of food and improved living standards. The authors also argue that comfortable lives at constant surrounding temperature contribute to a lower metabolic rate. Homes in the 19th century had irregular heating and no cooling; today, central heating and air conditioning are commonplace. A more constant environment removes a need to expend energy to keep a constant body temperature.

1. What does the underlined phrase “call ... into question” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Find evidence for something.	B．Show support for something.
C．Regard something as nothing.	D．Express doubt about something.

2. Compared to her body temperature at birth, how could it change when a woman was 55?

A．0.58 F lower.

B．0.53 F lower.

C．0.28 F lower.

D．0.25 F lower.

3. What is the main idea of the last paragraph of the text?

A．Introduction of the latest findings of a Standford professor.

B．Appeal to the public to care about the temperature changes.

C．Possible reasons for the changes of average body temperature.

D．Explanation of a rather difficult academic term in plain English.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．37 ℃, Still Normal Body Temperature?

B．The same Body Temperature between Men and Women?

C．The Effects Environment Has on Body Temperature

D．Inflammation: Key Factor to Decrease of Body Temperature

6 . How to Grow Taller

As we all know, your height is mostly determined by your genetics. Once your growth plates (生长板) are joined together, you will stop growing taller, which usually happens between 14 and 20.     1     Of course, there are many ways you can find on the Internet to help, such as, good nutrition, a healthy lifestyle and exercise. But today, we’re just going to focus on nutrition.

Add more protein into your diet.

Protein helps your body build healthy body mass, like muscles.     2     Not only eat protein at every meal, but also include it in your snacks. For instance, you might eat yogurt at breakfast, tuna fish for lunch, chicken at dinner, and string cheese as a snack.

Eat an egg every day if you’re not allergic to them.

Kindergarten teachers have observed something typical and interesting. Young children who eat a whole egg daily may grow taller than kids who don’t. And this has been proved clinically. Eggs contain protein and vitamins that support healthy growth and they’re also quite affordable. Eat an egg for one meal every day to potentially help you get taller. But here is a tip for you.     3    

Take calcium and vitamin supplements.

    4     However, your daily meals can’t supply enough for your growth. Supplements may help you grow taller by meeting your nutritional needs. Calcium and vitamins A and D are especially important because they support strong bones. Talk to your doctor to find out if supplements are right for you. Keep in mind that vitamins won’t make you grow taller than your genetics allow.

    5    

Dairy contains protein, calcium, and vitamins to nourish your body. While milk is a great choice, yogurt and cheese are also great sources of dairy. Include 1 serving of your favorite dairy product into your daily diet.

A．Keep a balanced diet.

B．This can help you be your tallest.

C．Consume a serving of dairy each day.

D．Please ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to do so.

E．Minerals and nutrients play a key role in growing higher.

F．Luckily, taking good care of your body may still help you grow taller.

G．You might increase your height by about 1.3 to 5.1 cm by stretching out your spine daily.

7 . Four unique European music traditions that are protected by UNESCO

Inuit drum dancing, Greenland

In 2021, UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) recognised Greenland’s Inuit drum dancing and singing as an intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) of humanity. The drum dance typical of the tradition can be performed by one dancer alone or accompanied by a group of people singing songs about love, humour and hunting.

Uilleann piping, Ireland

Uilleann piping was included in the UNESCO’s list in 2017. It involves playing Irish music on a particular type of bagpipe (风笛) known as the “uilleann”. It is a highly developed and complex instrument, with some functions that cannot be found elsewhere. It often accompanies music played at weddings and parties, and it’s been passed on through several generations of Irish musicians.

Kaustinen folk music, Finland

In 2019, UNESCO added to its list Finland’s Kaustinen folk music, a tradition where the violin, with or without accompanying instruments, is played by ear. The style is characterised by rhythms or accents that make it easy to dance to. The 250-year-old tradition is played during wedding parties, public concerts and at music festivals in the small village of Kaustinen.

Fado, Portugal

Fado music, which originated in Portugal in the early 19th century, is now a symbol of Portuguese culture and tradition. It combines poetry and music to create a sometimes sorrowful, and always passionate melody, usually performed by a solo singer accompanied by guitars. It was included in the UNESCO’s list in2011.

1. What is a feature of the uilleann?

A．It is easy to play.	B．It is played by ear.
C．It is highly developed.	D．Its functions are common.

2. Which of the following was added to the UNESCO’s list earliest?

A．Fado.

B．Uilleann piping.

C．Inuit drum dancing.

D．Kaustinen folk music.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．An instrument ad.	B．A culture website.
C．A history textbook.	D．A music festival poster.

8 . 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。

Once celebrated as “the sport of kings”, polo (马球), a unique sport with ancient roots,     1     (play) on horseback with a ball. Its exact origins remain uncertain,     2     one early version of this sport emerged in ancient Persia (modern Iran) around the 6th century BC.

Different cultures developed similar games and, over time, polo evolved     3     the sport we know today. It also has a deep historical connection with ancient China, as     4     (show) through the discovery of numerous artifacts, including murals (壁画), stone carvings, mirrors and paintings.

During the 1930s, the modern version of the sport enjoyed a period of     5     (popular) , with polo grounds established in cities with foreign populations like Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Qingdao.

Polo’s noble and warrior-like characteristics have won it many     6     (passion) players, and among them is Jackie Wang. She and her family     7     (spend) the past three years researching and writing Polo in China, a book that documents the lengthy history of the sport in China.

Published by the Cultural Relics Press, the book gives a detailed introduction to polo in China, with photos of artifacts and events, and an engaging storyline     8     brings the sport to life.

As     9     combination of historical reference and artistic representation, the book serves both as an academic work and a general interest publication,     10     (contribute) to the study of polo in China while sharing the sport’s charm through its design and presentation.

9 . The growth mindset is the belief that intellectual abilities can be developed and are not fixed, which have received a great deal of attention in schools and among researchers.

According to a study, a teacher’s growth mindset acts as a “support” that can draw out a student's growth mindset at the very beginning and make it maintainable and actionable in the classroom. These teachers may convey how, in their classes, mistakes are learning opportunities, not signs of low ability, and back up this view with assignments and evaluations that reward continual improvement. This could encourage a student to continue acting on their growth mindset.

The study analyzed data from the National Study of Learning Mindset, which was an intervention experiment conducted with a sample of ninth-grade students’ math grades. The present focus on math grades is motivated by the fact that students tend to find math challenging and anxiety inducing, and therefore, a growth mindset might help students face those challenges productively.

In the study, researchers show that the positive effect of a short growth-mindset intervention on ninth-grade students’ math grades was concentrated among students whose teachers themselves had growth mindset. They also found that baseline students — serve as a benchmark (基准点) for comparing and evaluating the progress of other students — who reported more fixed mindset in classrooms showed a significantly positive effect on math grades.

Successfully teaching a growth mindset to students lifted math grades overall, but this was not enough for all students to reap the benefits of a growth-mindset intervention. Supportive classroom contexts also mattered.Students who were in classrooms with teachers who approved of more of a fixed mindset did not show gains in their math grades over ninth grade, whereas the same kind of students in classrooms with more growth-mind set teachers showed meaningful gains.

In general, they view the testing and understanding of the causal effect of teacher mindset as the next step for mindset science. Such research will be challenging to carry out, however.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．How a student's growth-mindset is inspired.

B．Why a teacher's growth mindset is important.

C．How mistakes turn into learning opportunities.

D．Why a student continues acting on growth mindset.

2. What can we learn from the study on ninth-grade students?

A．Students were unable to overcome maths challenge.

B．The positive effect was concentrated on all students.

C．The sample size of the experiment was insufficient.

D．Students at baseline were influenced considerably.

3. In the growth-mindset intervention, the teachers' mindset_______.

A．has an influence on the effectiveness

B．is determined by supportive classroom

C．always brings meaningful gains to students

D．plays a decisive role in students' significant gains

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Academic Performance: The Influence of Students’ Mindset

B．Students’ Learning Motivation: The Impact of Teachers’ Mindset

C．Encouraging a Growth Mindset: The Role of Teachers

D．Fixed and Growth Mindset: Their Relationship and Impact

10 . My first dependant was a duck called Mr. Kite. As a cream-faced four-year-old, it was my job at the nursery to turn the eggs in the incubator (恒温箱) every day: one side “O”, the other side “X”.

We lived in a small, inner-city house with a long, thin garden in east Oxford at the time. As a gentle-hearted vet's (兽医的) daughter, my mum couldn't resist adopting these ducks. I named them Buttercup, Mr. Kite and Drakey. We made them a pond. The bottom was a mosaic (马赛克) made from all the bits of plate and cup that had been broken during family rows. Within 30 seconds,the pond was so full of duck droppings that we never saw the mosaic again.

One of the most magical moments during my caring for ducks was the night it snowed. Mum, over whelmed by pity and grandmotherly concern, insisted that Mr. Kite and her friends — yes, Mr. Kite was female — be spared another freezing night in the wooden house my dad had built for them at the end of the garden; we caught them, flapping and shouting, and brought them in to sleep in the kitchen.Have you ever seen three ducks go wild in a tiny kitchen? It was one of the best moments of my childhood. It smelled like the underside of hell's socks by the time they had left.

I used to spend my summers lazing in a swimming pool with Mr. Kite and the others. Eventually, though, our neighbour complained that they were being woken at 4:45 a.m.. So, the feathered three went to live with an old couple in the country. Fair enough — you don't move to the city to have the dawn torn apart by quacking   — although it must have made a change from student parties and the sound of 19-year-olds being sick by the bins.

I wonder now if this early experience of duck adoption is the reason that, at least three times a week, what ever the weather, you will find me swimming in the Thames or a nearby lake with the ducks. Although they never say hello.

1. Why were there marks of “O” and “X” on eggs?

A．To have fun.	B．To count the eggs.
C．To tell sides apart.	D．To distinguish males from females.

2. What was the initial reason for duck adoption?

A．Family preference.

B．A nursery assignment.

C．The mother's occupation.

D．Neighbour' support.

3. What does paragraph 3 imply?

A．The ducks' smells drove the author mad.

B．The energetic ducks brought much pleasure.

C．The ducks were hard to feed in cold weather.

D．The ducks were offered luxury accommodation.

4. What was the author's response to the neighbor' complaints?

A．Rejecting firmly.	B．Ignoring deliberately.
C．Explaining patiently.	D．Accepting unwillingly.