Ari was a lonely young man who lived on a large island called Iceland. Most of the villagers were fishermen. Ari often wondered what lay beyond the island. The days were long and cold, and he spent many hours in his small house thinking about what life would be like in a warm, sunny place.
“I shall find a true friend far away from here,” Ari thought, and he began writing a letter. He described himself as a loner who had few visitors, yet he had a warm heart. It was his hope to find true friendship with someone who understood his sadness.
Ari described the volcanos on his snowy island and the impressive glaciers (冰川). He wrote about the sky turning green, blue, yellow, and pink at night when the Northern Lights shined in the heavens like silk. For days, Ari poured his soul and innermost thoughts into the letter. Then he placed it into a bottle, and sealed (密封) it tightly.
Ari threw the bottle into the sea and wished upon the brightest star that a true friend would find the letter.
A year later, Ari received a letter. He had no idea who would be writing him, but with joy, he opened the envelope.
Dear Ari,I found your simple but lovely letter. Imagine my surprise when your little bottle from so far away washed up on my shore. I; too, live on an island. It is called Sardinia. My island is warm and filled with mountains, beaches and waters. Most of the people I know are my family, and I, too, long for a true friend. Now that you have found a friend far away, I do hope that you will write and tell me more about your life and people.
Your new friend,
Renata
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。
For three years, Ari and Renata exchanged letters.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Without telling Renata, Ari started a long journey.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________British people are big tea drinkers. It is a tradition in Britain to drink tea for different occasions and reasons. People have it for breakfast, for when guests visit,
3 . Sirine Jahangir has a rare condition that left her completely blind by the time she was 10 years old. While her parents and doctors have tried to find
So her parents focused on helping her
When she
Afterward, she said, “I can’t even say it’s a dream come true,
A.destinations | B.examples | C.challenges | D.treatments |
A.bring about | B.adapt to | C.give up | D.figure out |
A.see | B.hear | C.guess | D.move |
A.minded | B.considered | C.started | D.missed |
A.recognition | B.power | C.fortune | D.happiness |
A.value | B.talent | C.confidence | D.experience |
A.easy | B.amazing | C.energetic | D.difficult |
A.danced | B.appeared | C.lied | D.painted |
A.achievement | B.misunderstanding | C.love | D.knowledge |
A.headed | B.ran | C.pulled | D.changed |
A.smiled | B.cried | C.sang | D.jumped |
A.Painfully | B.Obviously | C.Unfortunately | D.Unsurprisingly |
A.meeting | B.competition | C.experiment | D.funding |
A.because | B.if | C.before | D.unless |
A.frightening | B.formal | C.realistic | D.awkward |
4 . How to Read a Poem
You’ve selected the poem you want to read — congratulations! Now it’s time for the business of reading it.
Examine the title and the shape
Read the poem as you normally read anything
Reading poetry doesn’t require a clever approach; you can read as you’d read anything else. On the first pass through, absorb whatever it is that arises upon first impression.
Next, try reading the poem out loud or search for readings of the poem online. This is where the music of a poem emerges, and you can feel the shape of each word and line as you move through it.
Add context to paint a full picture
Finally, return to the poem context.
A.Re-read for sound |
B.Re-read for meaning |
C.Dig into the author’s history |
D.Notice where in the poem you react |
E.Look for where the poem offers a moment of surprise |
F.Before you start a poem, you should first read the title |
G.Long messy forms might mean it’s coming from a place of confusion or anger |
5 . Wildfire season has begun in many places around the world. The dangerous smoke wildfires produce can spread far and wide. It blocks sunlight, poisons the air and damages the health of people and other living things.
Some of those living things could be the plants in gardens, says gardening expert Jessica Damiano, who writes gardening stories for the Associated Press. Damiano lives in New York City and recently experienced several days of very smoky air. Wildfires in eastern Canada were the source.
Damiano, like other people, limited the time she spent outdoors when the air quality was poor. She also wore a face covering when she had to go outside.
But the plants in her garden had no such escape. They had to breathe the poisoned air through the extremely small holes in their leaves.
Pollutants in smoke landing on plants can block sunlight, which is essential for photosynthesis (光合作用). Reduced photosynthesis results in reduced energy. That means slower growth. Additionally, smoke can also affect a plant’s ability to take in nutrients(营养物质).
Brooke Edmunds, a plant scientist and community horticulturalist with Oregon State University Extension, said plants that are affected by smoke for a short amount of time will usually recover quickly. “It depends on how close they are,” she said. “There could also be a localized effect, where one garden is covered in ash(灰烬), and a half-mile away, there’s nothing because that’s the way the wind was moving things around.”
The best thing home gardeners can do is keep an eye on plants. Edmunds suggests giving plants some extra love and care. “Wash the plants gently to remove pollutants left by smoke. Then give them a long, slow drink of water. Most will pull through,” Edmunds said. However, people should not use leaf blower machines to remove ashes from plants because they will risk breathing in what is blowing around.
1. What happened to Jessica Damiano?A.She had her house burned in a fire. |
B.She couldn’t afford face coverings. |
C.She suffered from health problems. |
D.She had to deal with poor air quality. |
A.The bad effects of smoke on plants. |
B.The benefits of growing plants. |
C.The role of plants in the environment. |
D.The importance of water to plants. |
A.Wind has little effect on plants. |
B.Plants can sometimes make a quick recovery. |
C.Ashes can spread more than half a mile. |
D.Plants close to smoke usually grow well. |
A.By pulling them out of the ground. |
B.By using leaf blower machines. |
C.By washing them with great care. |
D.By giving them a fast drink of water. |
6 . French officials are preparing to offer flying taxi services to people attending the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024. If the taxis are actually used in the French capital, it could mark the first major real world show of the flying technology.
Some air taxi developers attended the recent Paris Air Show to show off their products and seek industry support. One of the companies in attendance was Germany’s Volocopter, which plans to offer a flying taxi service during the Olympics.
But so far, no air taxi maker has received government permission to launch service in France. Volocopter hopes to be the first. But the company still needs to run its aircraft through rigorous weather tests and provide thousands of pages of documentation to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
Company chief Dirk Hoke said that in addition to worries about government approvals, air taxi companies have also faced difficulties linked to economic slowdowns affecting the world. Robin Riedel, who co-leads the Center for Future Mobility at the business advisory company McKinsey, said companies formed to support air taxi projects have lost about 30 percent of their value in recent years. In addition, many investors(投资人) have decided to put money into drones(无人机) instead of flying taxis.
Hoke has thought about a person he would like to be the first rider of his flying taxis-French President Emmanuel Macron. “That would be super amazing,”Hoke said, “That would be a strong sign to Europe to see the president flying.”
In the beginning, air taxi trips are likely to be short and costly. This is because current battery technology limits the distance and number of paying passengers the aircraft can carry. The long-term success of air taxis will also be dependent on effective systems to manage all the air traffic using the skies. Experts say such systems will need new technology to provide safety for all flyers. As the industry progresses, the number of air taxis is expected to reach into the millions.
1. What does the underlined word “rigorous” in paragraph 3 mean?A.Strict. | B.Simple. | C.Creative. | D.Similar. |
A.To secure the president’s investment. |
B.To welcome the Paris Summer Olympics. |
C.To increase public trust in air taxis. |
D.To get government approval more quickly. |
A.Crowded roads. | B.Limitations of batteries. |
C.Investors’ requirements. | D.The government’s decisions. |
A.The rapid development of drones. |
B.An industry report to ensure safety. |
C.The strong support from French officials. |
D.A good system for managing all air traffic. |
7 . Last Sunday, the famous Champs-Elysees street in Paris was turned into a giant outdoor classroom for a special spelling event called “The Big Dictation”. The event was a chance for people who love words to show off their listening and spelling skills in an unusual setting.
The Big Dictation of Champs-Elysees was organized by a writer named Rachid Santaki. He came up with the idea of large groups of people taking part in dictations back in 2013. Over 50,000 people asked to join the special spelling event on the Champs-Elysees, which turned one of Paris’s busiest streets into a classroom, with cars replaced by desks. In the end, around 5,000 people, aged 10 to 90, were chosen to take part.
Just like in school, a large “blackboard” was set up for the event near a famous building, the Arc de Triomphe. Several famous people were there to play the part of the teacher, and read the dictation texts out loud. After the dictation is read, the text on the screen lets people check their work.
Not everyone found it easy. Ten-year-old Samson thought the dictation was too quick and he couldn’t finish. Another young student agreed. “It was impossible!” he said. “The dictation was for adults.”
Even adults found it challenging, reporting that it caused stress and worry. One retired woman was pleased that she had only made two mistakes.
Marc-Antoine Jamet is in charge of the Champs-Elysees Committee, who brought the event to the famous street. He said the event wasn’t just about getting all the words right but also about bringing people together.
Another goal of The Big Dictation was to break the record for the largest dictation event ever. The previous record was set in 2018 at France’s national stadium, Stade de France, with 1,473 people taking part. That event was also run by Mr. Santaki.
1. How many people were chosen to take part in The Big Dictation last Sunday?A.Around 1, 500. | B.Around 2,000. | C.Around 5,000. | D.Over 50,000. |
A.Easy. | B.Exciting. | C.Boring. | D.Challenging. |
A.To break the record for the dictation event. |
B.To introduce a famous street to the world. |
C.To reduce the learning pressure of students. |
D.To remember the founder of the competition. |
A.The Famous Scenic Spots of France |
B.A Spelling Event Took Place on a Paris Street |
C.The French Love for Spelling Competitions |
D.An Outdoor Classroom Unique to the British |
8 . The Sunday scare is a feeling of worry and anxiety about going to work or school the next day. They are common but manageable.
Structure your Sunday
Structure can be a best friend when feeling the Sunday scare. Instead of sitting on the couch and watching the clock, go to do something.
If you’re feeling more stress in general, it’s important to make space for relaxing activities to ground yourself. And there’s no right way to relax. You can do anything that is restful, such as baking, exercising, or connecting with a friend.
Identify your anxiety sources
Anxiety is a normal human experience, and one of the main ways to manage it is to identify your personal anxiety sources.
End your Sunday with the right energy
Make Sunday nights about doing something for yourself, to counteract the anxiety you’re feeling about Monday. Maybe that means planning some favorite food to enjoy while watching football.
A.Plan for a restful Sunday |
B.Do things to relax yourself |
C.You might still feel that sense of dread. |
D.Once you have a better idea of what to do, take note of it. |
E.Here are some suggestions for you to deal with the Sunday scare. |
F.Try to find out what’s really causing you to worry the next week. |
G.Do your best to enjoy yourself and make Sunday nights all for you. |
9 . For me, nothing is more satisfying than discovering hidden gems (珍宝) in secondhand shops and estate sales. After all, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
Two years ago, I came across a collection of loose, dusty photos. I thought: if these were mine, or my family’s, I’d want someone to return them to me. So I made it my goal to do so for others.
I’ve since visited estate sales and secondhand shops weekly, and have accumulated more than 50,000 of these items. I organize them in big boxes all over my house in New York. Photographs, home movies, undeveloped films, photo albums -- you name it, I’ve collected it.
I’ve also set up a social media account to help reunite items with their owners or other family members. The quickest we’ve been able to find an owner is within two minutes. Someone commented below a photo I posted; “I think that’s my child’s preschool teacher.” The longest we’ve taken to find someone is four months, but I’m proud that we still managed to do it. There are thousands of photos that have yet to be reunited. Without social media, this project would not be possible.
People are often quite emotional when we get in touch -- most of these items are lost after a house move or a family death. Sometimes people donate a camera to a charity shop and forget to take the memory card out.
I’d love to create a building to hold all these memories. I want every photo and video to be digitized so they can be preserved online. I’m bringing together a team to return the photos to their owners. People get hooked on the feel-good stories that come out of this and I do, too.
1. What inspired the author to start collecting old photos and videos?A.His interest in secondhand objects. | B.Advice from his family. |
C.Some photos he discovered. | D.The business opportunity he saw. |
A.He sets it up to collect more items. | B.He posts his own photos and films. |
C.It is for people to share their stories. | D.It helps find the owners of the collected items. |
A.Touched. | B.Relaxed. | C.Hopeful. | D.Calm. |
A.Work together with secondhand shops. | B.Create a digital copy of the photos. |
C.Collect more stories behind the photos. | D.Set up an official website for his project. |
10 . Many people are a little scared by the term “mountain biking” because they think it implies the need for extreme physical fitness or some kind of death wish. But in actual fact there are different forms of mountain biking, some of which provide a great chance to get out in the great outdoors and enjoy the main attraction that brings people to New Zealand-the beauty of nature.
Downhill Mountain Biking
Downhill mountain biking is one of the craziest sport in New Zealand, and the one which will likely appeal most to New Zealand adventure travel tourists. It can be extremely dangerous. If you haven’t tried it before, stick to a small track without a steep incline, and make sure you wear the correct safety gear such as a helmet and chest plate.
Long Distance Mountain Biking
Many New Zealanders treat mountain biking as a serious sport and many also use it as their primary way of keeping fit. Compared to many other countries, a cross-country tour by bike is relatively easy and safe on New Zealand roads. However, if you want to push yourself physically and experience parts of New Zealand which are “off the beaten trail,” a mountain bike trek may be ideal for you.
Scenic Mountain Biking
You can experience the freedom of mountain biking through the New Zealand landscape even if you aren’t particularly adventurous or fit. In fact, if you have the time, biking is one of the best ways to see the country. You can get a taste of some of the easier, flatter trails through the National Parks and forests. The wine-growing regions are also good areas for guided scenic bike tours. These areas tend to be relatively flat and have a good climate for enjoying some open outdoors.
1. What does the author think of mountain biking?A.It’s a way of keeping fit. |
B.It’s a very dangerous sport. |
C.It’s a good way of sightseeing. |
D.It’s highly physically demanding. |
A.A mountain bike race. |
B.Scenic mountain biking. |
C.Downhill mountain biking. |
D.Long distance mountain biking. |
A.Sport. | B.Advertisement. | C.Lifestyle. | D.Travel. |