1 . ※ Brown Girl Dreaming
By Jacqueline Woodson
As a winner of the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and a Newberry Honor Book, in her book, Brown Girl Dreaming, the author uses poetry to tell her true story of growing up as a black woman in the 1960s and 1970s. Woodson’s beautiful language explores big ideas while describing her family, her growing awareness of race and the civil rights movement, and her life in South Carolina and New York City.
※ When You Were Everything
By Ashley Woodfolk
Cleo and Layla have been best friends for years. But in their second year of middle school, everything changes. Layla starts hanging out with her new friends, and the two girls’ friendship slowly ends. Cleo is still trying to make sense of what happened as she tries to make new friends. Told across two timelines, Cleo’s story of sadness surrounding a lost friendship will be relevant for many 8th graders trying to deal with past middle school friend drama and looking forward to high school.
※ The Hound of the Baskervilles
By Arthur Conan Doyle
The famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Watson set out to look into a new case in Dartmoor, England. A man is dead, with many dog paw prints leading to his body. Holmes and Watson arrive in Dartmoor to find several unexplainable events and clues. Together, they start to figure out a puzzle that has defined mystery and detective fiction ever since.
※ The Hobbit
By J. R. R. Tolkien
This story is an opener to the longer and more challenging The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s an adventure story set in a fantasy world. With dwarves (小矮人), hobbits, sword fights, wizards and dragons, the book’s plot and humor have stood the test of time.
1. How is Brown Girl Dreaming different from the other books?| A．It focuses on city life. | B．It uses clear language. |
| C．It has won many awards. | D．It tells humorous stories. |
| A．Friendship and growth. | B．Lost love and gained hope. |
| C．Learning to be more independent. | D．Dealing with pressure from schoolwork. |
| A．The Hobbit | B．Brown Girl Dreaming |
| C．When You Were Everything | D．The Hound of the Baskervilles |
2 . It was a cold May morning when I received an email from an old friend inviting me to join a 10-day all-girls surf trip. I knew I had to say yes. The trip seemed simple enough. 10 women aged 30 to 45, all complete strangers, were to meet on the coast of Portugal to try something new: surfing in the Atlantic Ocean. I have always loved traveling, so I eagerly sent an email to my boss asking for time off to make the trip.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my past 33 years, it’s that adults typically spend their days mastering the things they’ve done before. It seems like we pride ourselves on becoming experts in whatever field we’ve fallen into, knowing more about less. Now, in theory, this is a great strategy, as it allows you to become really good at one particular thing, but it also kind of ends up leaving some skills lacking.
I met my new surfing companions on the grass of the hotel lawn in a small surf town called Ericeira. Despite our different personalities and backgrounds, we were all united in a strong desire to challenge ourselves, learn, tackle and grow.
The shores at Ericeira, where the beginners learn to surf, are shallow and covered with slippery rocks. They make for softer waves but are difficult to ride.
Guided by our amazing coaches, together, we faced the waves. Sometimes, it poured with rain, and the waves crashed around us, but we were still out there. And with every slip and fall, words of encouragement filled the air. Honestly, I probably spent most of my days frozen to the bone, but that didn’t matter because a new level of genuine joy and personal achievement had been unlocked.
Learning a new skill taught me the humility (谦虚) that can come from doing badly at something new, and the pride that develops when you finally manage to grasp something you’ve been working on. While surfing might not be my lifelong passion, trying it out inspired me to take more risks in life. You never know what you’re capable of if you don’t go out there and try.
1. What inspired the author to join the surf trip?| A．Her love for seashore surfing. | B．Her desire to make new friends. |
| C．Her need to take a break from work. | D．Her passion for exploring something new. |
| A．It hurts one’s pride. | B．It narrows one’s potential. |
| C．It promotes one’s career success. | D．It broadens one’s view of the world. |
| A．Relaxing but dangerous. | B．Tough and uninteresting. |
| C．Challenging but rewarding. | D．Surprising and unforgettable. |
| A．She used to lack confidence in herself. |
| B．She determined to become an expert surfer. |
| C．She discovered her lifelong passion after the trip. |
| D．She was more willing to try new experiences in life. |
3 . We all want to know what happiness means and try to find ways to help make our life better. Happiness — you know it when you see it, but it’s hard to define. You might call it a sense of well-being, optimism or meaningfulness in life, although those could also be treated separately.
We also know that we don’t always have control over our happiness. Research suggests that genetics may play a big role in our level of happiness, so some of us may start out at a disadvantage. On top of that, environmental factors can bring down mood and dry up our thirst for living.
A 2022 review of more than 200 studies found a connection between positive psychological features, such as happiness, optimism and life satisfaction, and a lowered risk of heart disease.
If what you mean by happiness is specifically “enjoyment of life”, there’s newer evidence to support that, too. A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that people aged 60 and over who said they enjoyed life less were more likely to develop disability over an 8-year period.
| A．But whatever happiness really is. |
| B．It might take more work if your mood is low. |
| C．For now these studies can only show associations. |
| D．That refers to the person, and the situation he or she is in. |
| E．Being able to travel around was also related to enjoyment of life. |
| F．To manage our emotions is important for both our body and mind. |
| G．It’s not as simple as “you must be happy to prevent heart attacks”, though. |
4 . Waterways are important for every country around the world. They provide not only water for everyday use but also routes for transport. However, due to industrial activity, many of them are now polluted.
Dakota Perry from the US has experienced water pollution first-hand. The 15-year-old high school girl told Alabama Local News that she spends a lot of time going on boat rides with her dad on the river behind their house. However, the river has become littered with plastic bags, bottles and cups. Perry wanted to clean up the water so she could continue to enjoy the river. So, with the help of her father, she designed a system to collect and remove rubbish in waterways.
In May, Perry put forward her solution at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair held in Georgia, US, and received a Judge’s Award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for her project.
According to the Science News for Students website, her system was inspired by the Dutch Great Bubble (气泡) Barrier in Amsterdam, which creates a flow of bubbles that trap waste and directs it to a catchment system. But Perry tried to challenge herself and make her system more environment-friendly. She planned to create a curtain of bubbles that stretched the river diagonally (对角地). The curtain would stop the floating rubbish and then push it toward the shore. Once there, a conveyor run by a solar-powered battery would carry the waste to a dustbin.
In her backyard pool, Perry used an air compressor (压缩机) to send air through a pipe full of holes to create a stream of bubbles. She experimented with different amounts of pressure to make sure there would be enough bubbles to form a full curtain. “For the bubble system to actually work and collect rubbish,” she explained to Science News for Students, “I have to know how much pressure the air compressor is supposed to push out.”
After she tested her system for collecting rubbish, Perry found that it worked better than expected. Next, she plans to work out how to use the power of the river to run the air compressor.
1. What motivated Perry to design a rubbish-collecting system?| A．Her father’s encouragement. |
| B．Her desire to protect a nearby river. |
| C．A visit to a science and engineering fair. |
| D．An invention of a Dutch high school student. |
| A．It was designed by Perry alone. |
| B．It makes power to run the air compressor. |
| C．It collects solar energy to remove rubbish. |
| D．It creates a bubble curtain to block rubbish. |
| A．Advantages of the system. | B．The way of testing the system. |
| C．The improvement on the system. | D．Challenges in the design process. |
| A．Efficient and ambitious. | B．Helpful and hardworking. |
| C．Responsible and creative. | D．Professional and adventurous. |
1. 时间、地点及参与者；
2. 植树的过程；
3. 你的体验和感受。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为100左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
An Interesting Tree-planting Activity
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The 38th Qinhuai Lantern Festival Lights Up China
On the evening of February 2, the 2024 “Light Up China” event, the 38th annual China Qinhuai Lantern Festival lighting ceremony,
With the Bailuzhou Park, the Confucius Temple Scenic Area and the Laomendong District serving
The Lantern Festival in Nanjing this year not only celebrates the traditional customs of the Lunar New Year but also highlights the city’s cultural heritage and
A local elderly person said to a news reporter
7 . Standing on the shore of a lake, I can’t help but feel surprised at the thousands of small rocks that surround my boots. They were all created from hard surfaces, their edges softening over time. I wonder, “Can we learn from a pile of
Even the tallest mountains have
But I’m not a rock. I’m a
Two years ago, while traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I watched a restaurant owner ask several young men to
The group of young men wanted to
You can fit more rounded rocks in a jar than those with sharp edges. The former look for ways to
I placed a
| A．goods | B．boxes | C．books | D．rocks |
| A．piled up | B．worn down | C．risen up | D．broken down |
| A．will | B．voice | C．attitude | D．heart |
| A．Often | B．Still | C．Here | D．Once |
| A．understanding | B．confident | C．patient | D．competitive |
| A．contribute | B．exist | C．suffer | D．develop |
| A．leader | B．teacher | C．human | D．judge |
| A．leave | B．explain | C．apologize | D．pay |
| A．contradictory | B．confusing | C．forceful | D．discouraging |
| A．get through | B．stick to | C．deal with | D．fight against |
| A．think | B．care | C．talk | D．argue |
| A．even | B．however | C．anyway | D．also |
| A．hardships | B．struggle | C．experiences | D．failure |
| A．open | B．cautious | C．ambitious | D．independent |
| A．ignore | B．accept | C．adjust | D．change |
| A．excuse | B．agreement | C．entrance | D．inch |
| A．Nature | B．Tolerance | C．Tide | D．Time |
| A．reforming | B．seeing | C．exploring | D．travelling |
| A．sharp | B．rounded | C．valuable | D．rolling |
| A．class | B．belief | C．meeting | D．discussion |
8 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.
I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.
Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.
I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.
The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.
Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.
1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Enjoy. | B．Fear. | C．Expect. | D．Avoid. |
| A．They get angry too easily. | B．They blame her for their debts. |
| C．They do not see her as a real person. | D．They accuse her of taking their money. |
| A．She can offer callers best advice. | B．She is always respected by callers. |
| C．She can put herself in others’ shoes. | D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity. |
| A．To call for understanding of her job. | B．To explain why she is good at her job. |
| C．To introduce what she is responsible for. | D．To complain about her being treated badly. |
9 . Andy Kong has worked very hard to get to where he is today. He credits becoming a millionaire by 20 to his strict Asian parents who tutored him at a young age by working for the family.
Kong, of Danville, Virginia, started working when he was only nine. English wasn’t a strong suit for Andy’s parents, and that’s where he was able to assist his family the most. After school and on weekends he would help out at their family-owned restaurant and nail salons. Not only did he do the labor work, but he was also involved in creating online ads. This was his introduction to the world of online business.
Andy started his Amazon business in the eighth grade. When he learned about Amazon Dropshipping (代发货模式) from a kid he saw on Instagram, he got inspired and decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, the store eventually got shut down because he was impatient with the growth. Instead of considering it a failure, he viewed this experience as a life lesson and learned from his mistakes. Meanwhile, his parents never stopped trying to talk him into focusing on school and their retail business.
“The biggest challenge when starting a business is getting someone to believe in you,” Andy says. He pushed through and did things for himself even when his loved ones discouraged it.
In 2019, Andy met his now business partners, and together, they created an Amazon management company called Project WiFi. This Project has proven to be extremely successful. They currently help over 55 clients run their online businesses, and plan to help many more in the future.
When asked about the secret to his success, Andy says, “Learning to sacrifice whether that’s family, friends, or soccer game for a single goal is the only way to succeed, rather than attempting multiple things. If it’s worth doing then it’s worth doing well with no shortcuts.”
1. Why did Andy work in his parents’ shops at a young age?| A．Because he could earn some pocket money. |
| B．Because his parents weren’t fluent in English. |
| C．Because his parents could help with his study. |
| D．Because he could get access to the Internet. |
| A．A new online business model. | B．Results of working impatiently. |
| C．Difficulties in Andy’s career. | D．Andy’s tense family relationship. |
| A．His early working experiences. | B．Lessons learned from his failures. |
| C．Gaining other people’s trust. | D．Focusing on the thing you choose. |
| A．Committed and generous. | B．Open-minded and motivated. |
| C．Creative and faithful. | D．Hard-working and sociable. |
10 . Some people think that all wild animals are dangerous. Actually, very few of them will attack a man if he leaves them alone. If you met a lion or an elephant, I suppose you would run away; but even a lion will keep away from a man unless it is very hungry. Lions and tigers only kill and eat men when they have grown too old and too weak to catch their usual food, such as deer and other small animals. If you saw a wild elephant, perhaps you would be frightened. Elephants usually run away at once unless you attack them. Some animals get very frightened if they only smell a man; some take no notice at all but quietly walk in another direction. Wild animals only attack hunters when they are afraid that the hunters mean to harm their young ones, or then the hunters shoot at them and make them angry.
1. Lions and tigers will not kill or eat men ____________| A．unless men try to run away | B．if they are too old and too weak |
| C．if they are able to get enough food | D．however men act towards them |
| A．when they grow old | B．if they are left alone |
| C．while they are looking for food | D．when their young ones are in danger |
| A．how to protect wild animals | B．how animals look for their food |
| C．how to make friends with wild animals | D．how animals act towards men |
