1 . Mundi, a 41-year-old female elephant, was orphaned (使……成为孤儿) at a young age, captured, and sold to the Mayaguez Zoo in Puerto Rico. The animals housed at the zoo were in such bad shape that they were being moved to various shelters under an order from the US Department of Justice.

Mundi was the zoo’s major attraction. Her departure caused so much argument that armed guards came to see her off the island. She was so popular that people lined the streets to say goodbye.

Mundi’s new home is certainly beautiful. After living in the zoo for 35 years with no other elephants, Mundi met Bo and Tarra, with whom she’s now sharing 850 acres. She was first housed in a separate place, but she and the other elephants could see each other, and they started getting along quickly. Soon, Mundi was no longer separated from the others. Tarra immediately acted as a big sister and mentor to Mundi, while Bo became her playmate. Now, they spend a lot of time together and the public can watch their interaction and learn about their behaviors on the shelter’s official website.

Carol Buckley, the founder of Elephant Aid International, first imagined setting up the Georgia shelter after meeting Tarra in 1974, when the elephant was less than a year old. At the time, Tarra belonged to the owner of a tire store, who used her to advertise the place.

Buckley ultimately became an advocate for elephants worldwide and designed the retirement home in Attapulgus to address their needs. Attapulgus was selected as the location for the shelter because its climate allows the elephants to be outdoors most of the time, almost year-round.

1. What can be inferred about the animals in Mayaguez Zoo?

A．They lived a normal life.	B．They were not welcome.
C．They were not well treated.	D．They were living happily.

2. Why were armed guards sent to see Mundi off?

A．To prevent possible accidents.	B．To protect the animals around.
C．To say goodbye to Mundi.	D．To show their respect for Mundi.

3. What was Tarra doing when Buckley first met her?

A．Taking care of Mundi.	B．Buying tires for her owner.
C．Working as a store keeper.	D．Advertising a tire store.

4. What makes Attapulgus a shelter for elephants?

A．Its small space.	B．Its weather pattern.
C．Its special design.	D．Its convenient transportation.

2 . How Important Is General Awareness?

Many people today are highly specialized and know a lot about their specific field or set of interests, but they often lose sight of general awareness. We might believe the first thing we read online if we don’t have a clear idea about many things in the world. Our general awareness can protect us against a variety of issues.     1    .

We can understand general awareness as a two-fold concept.     2    . Secondly, it refers to the sense we have of who we are, what we want, and where we are going.

    3    . It provides a path for growth and the true understanding of what we want and where we should go. But awareness of the world sometimes gets overlooked, and yet becoming more aware of it can help us cultivate (培养) better values and make ourselves much stronger.

The better we understand the world around us, the more empowered we are to make good decisions.     4    . And understanding how our bodies work gives us the chance to promote health.

    5    . But knowing more is always better than knowing less. Learn about topics that affect you and your life: money, health, politics, psychology, and beyond. You might find yourself surprised by all the possibilities that open up when you cultivate greater general awareness.

A．Let’s take a look at how it helps us

B．Nobody knows everything, and that is fine

C．General awareness refers to being aware of current events

D．With higher levels of awareness, you may have limited choices

E．It’s easy enough to understand why we should be more aware of ourselves

F．Knowing more about our country and community politics can allow us to make predictions and decisions

G．Firstly, it refers to the general sense we have of the world: how it works, what is going on and more

3 . 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。

Carl moved to Arizona in December. He came from the round, green mountains of Vermont to the Sonoran Desert where the mountains were sharp, brown, and wrinkled. Carl was homesick.

Carl’s new home was the town of Silverbell. Silverbell sat near a river with the same name. But there was not a drop of water in this river.

Carl hadn’t made any real friends yet. He always walked home from school alone. One day, though, he heard a lonely melody (旋律) floating in the wind. It sounded wonderful-and fitted Carl’s mood just right. He followed the music to the schoolyard and found Tadio, the kid who always sat by himself in the lunchroom. He sat on the steps playing a wooden flute (长笛).

“That song is wonderful!” Carl said.

“Thank you,” Tadio said with a bright, sunny smile.

“I’m Carl. I play, too.” He took out bis own silver flute.

“Ah, my name is Tadio. Let’s play together.”

Carl joined Tadio. They played Ode to Joy, a piece that they both knew by heart. The two got along so well that Carl felt comfortable telling Tadio about his homesickness.

“It just doesn’t feel like winter around here,” Carl said. “I don’t think it ever will. It’s too hot.”

Tadio said, “It feels like winter to me, but I’ve lived in Silverbell my whole life.”

“So, why is it called Silverbell anyway?” asked Carl.

“Because of the canyon (峡谷). My grandfather said at special times, one could hear her ring like a silver bell…for example when the rain poured down,” Tadio said.

Then Carl complained about Principal Ramire’s request for his flute solo at tomorrow’s winter concert.

“Ah, you are shy, but you play very well. Let’s meet tomorrow before the concert to practice. Maybe that will help ease your fear. I know a spot beside the canyon where I often go to play. Sometimes, her echo (回音) sounds like she’s singing with me,” Tadio laughed.

The next day was sunny and warm. After school, the two boys spread out a blanket beside Silverbell Canyon and played, stopping only when they heard the sound of distant thunder. The rain followed.

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。

As the rain poured down, Carl started to understand what Tadio said earlier.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He woke up from the amazing scene and joined the other students for the concert.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . Live classes

Our live, online, interactive classes are taught by expert British Council teachers and are available 24/7 via our easily accessible interactive platform. Choose your own timetable. Study in small group classes suited to your specific skill level, joining students from around the world, or choose one-to-one private lessons.

Self-study courses

Our English online self-study courses cost just £5.99 per month and give you a low-cost way to reach your goals in English. Improve your English speaking, listening, reading and writing through a combination of web-based exercises, webinars (网络研讨会) on grammar and pronunciation and optional online live classes.

Personal tutoring

Book private online sessions with a tutor of your choice and focus on the areas important to you. Work together on a learning plan based on your level to help you reach your goal. Sessions are fun, friendly and designed to get you speaking confidently.

IELTS (雅思) preparation

Get the help you need to maximise your IELTS score. Focus on speaking, writing, reading or listening, or any combination of these. You decide your schedule, your teacher and your language focus. The program includes 30＋ hours of online practice activities, live stream webinars and language sessions.

All the courses are recommended for participants with: A1 Elementary to C1 Advanced English levels

Contact us at britishcouncil@learnenglish.com

1. What do we know about live classes?

A．Their timetables are flexible.	B．Their group lessons are unpopular.
C．They fail to provide private lessons.	D．They are only available in the UK.

2. Which of the following can best describe self-study courses?

A．Time-wasting.

B．Traditional.

C．Cheap.

D．Inefficient.

3. What is the text?

A．A research article.

B．A guidebook.

C．A diary entry.

D．An advertisement.

5 . 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。

Recently, a poll(民意调查) finds that although almost three in four adults played sports when they     1     (be) younger, only one in four continue to play sports as adults.

But that decline in interest doesn’t stop parents from encouraging their children to make sports a part of their lives.     2     fact, almost nine in ten parents     3     middle school or high school aged children play sports say that their children benefit     4     great deal or quite a bit from playing sports.

And, while most adults no longer play sports     5     (they), the majority of parents say it is very likely or somewhat likely that their children will continue playing sports when they become adults. One in four parents also hope their children will become     6     (profession)athletes.

“Sports are an important part of a healthy community. They help children and adults maintain a fit     7     (weigh), teach acceptance and teamwork, and expand opportunity for children     8     (live) in poverty(贫困),” said a researcher. “This poll     9     (indicate) that we must continue to encourage children to play sports, but just as important, we must find ways     10     (keep)adults engaged in sports in order to maintain health and well-being.”

6 . In an inspiring series of events over six years, a remarkable woman has turned up as the guardian angel for one family. She ______ a man from a life-threatening situation and later saved his daughter’s life.

Six years ago, Kristi Hadfield was a nurse who saved John Cunningham’s life when he was ______ a heart attack. “At the time I ______ being in the back of the ambulance and I was like, ‘Not today John, not today,’” Hadfield recalled. She performed chest compressions (按压) until they ______ the hospital. ______ , doctors were able to get him back.

Hadfield stayed in ______ with Cunningham through social media, as she often does with ______ patients. She also became Internet friends with his daughter, Molly Jones, after Jones sent her a friend ______ on the Internet. On July7, Jones ______ on the Internet that she was officially on the kidney transplant (肾移植) list. She was ill with advanced kidney disease. Although she found it hard to ask for help, she wanted to see if anyone would ______ donating.

“And when I posted it, I got a(n) ______ from Kristi,” Jones said. Hadfield messaged Jones and said, “Hey, I’ve got your kidney here.” Hadfield was eventually cleared to be a kidney ______ and the two women met for the first time. And on December 27, the operation finally ______ . The operation went as planned and was ______ . “It was amazing. Kristi gave me back my ______ ,” Jones said.

1.

A．knew

B．caught

C．rescued

D．employed

2.

A．having

B．avoiding

C．escaping

D．curing

3.

A．enjoy

B．remember

C．regret

D．imagine

4.

A．came across

B．worked on

C．turned to

D．got to

5.

A．Fortunately

B．Gradually

C．Disappointedly

D．Basically

6.

A．agreement

B．touch

C．comparison

D．competition

7.

A．female

B．strange

C．serious

D．former

8.

A．order

B．gift

C．request

D．suggestion

9.

A．identified

B．recommended

C．shared

D．heard

10.

A．quit

B．appreciate

C．allow

D．consider

11.

A．invitation

B．message

C．argument

D．description

12.

A．provider

B．waiter

C．user

D．protector

13.

A．set out

B．took place

C．shut up

D．came back

14.

A．remarkable

B．unique

C．successful

D．significant

15.

A．life

B．luck

C．money

D．thanks

7 . Scientists have mapped out oceanic “dead zones” from the Pliocene, about 5. 3 to 2. 6 million years ago, when Earth’s temperature was two to three degrees higher than today. This could offer insight into the future locations and effects of low oxygen areas in a warmer Earth’s oceans.

Oxygen minimum zones, or OMZs, are regions in the ocean with lower oxygen levels in the mid-waters to support marine (海洋的) life. These dead zones play an important role in the ocean’s overall health. “Their locations show where carbon and nitrogen (氮) are available in the ocean —so they’re important drivers of nutrient cycles,” says Catherine Davis, assistant professor at North Carolina State University.

Being able to predict the location of OMZs is important not only for understanding nutrient cycling but also because of their effects on marine life. Oceanic dead zones restrict the range of animals to the shallow surface ocean where oxygen is more plentiful. Davis and her colleagues wanted to figure out how a warmer climate might impact future OMZs. So they looked to the Pliocene, when the Earth’s atmospheric CO₂ levels were close to what they are now.

“This is the first global spatial reconstruction of oxygen minimum zones in the past,” Davis says. “And it’s in line with what we’re already seeing in the Atlantic in terms of lower oxygen levels. Warmer water holds less oxygen. This dead zone map from the Pliocene could give us insight into what the Atlantic might look like 100 years from now.”

What would a future with much less oxygen in the Atlantic mean? According to Davis, it could have a big impact on everything from carbon storage and nutrient cycling in the ocean to how fisheries and marine species are managed. “OMZs act as a ‘floor’ for marine —animals they are pushed to the surface,” Davis says. “So fishermen may suddenly see a lot of fish, but it doesn’t mean that there are actually more than normal —they’re just being forced into a smaller space.” Fisheries will need to take the effects of OMZs into account when managing populations.

1. What does Catherine Davis say about OMZs?

A．They have lower carbon levels.	B．They may affect the ocean’s health.
C．They make Earth’s temperature higher.	D．They have the highest oxygen levels.

2. How do OMZs benefit marine life?

A．They offer more oxygen.

B．They make the climate more pleasant.

C．They drive animals to areas with more oxygen.

D．They attract more scientists to research the ocean.

3. Which field is most probably influenced by OMZs?

A．Fishing.	B．Farming.
C．Education.	D．Travel.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Scientists Have Mapped Future Oceans

B．Animals in the Ocean Will Benefit from OMZs

C．“Dead Zones” in the Old Times Will Appear Again

D．Map of Ancient Ocean “Dead Zones” Could Predict Future Ocean

8 . Scientists are confused about two newly discovered stars. The two stars, one of which was announced this month in the journal Nature, send out long pulses (脉冲) of radio waves about every 20 minutes. This means they move much more slowly, and they have other characteristics that astronomers can’t explain. “We are all still quite amazed,” says astronomer Natasha Hurley-Walker, who led the discovery of both of these surprising sources.

The mystery began in 2021, when Hurley-Walker and her colleagues discovered a slowly repeating radio pulse. It shone for three months. But by the time they discovered it in the records, its activity had died down, and it had become invisible in the skies. In a January 2022 paper, the scientists suggested the object could be a kind of star called a magnetar (磁陀星). But the object, with the name GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3, sent out a pulse every 18 minutes instead of every few seconds like known magnetars.

It also had no X-ray signal associated with the radio emission (发射), which doesn’t fit with magnetar theories. And strangely, the object’s magnetic field was likely much stronger than previously seen. So the scientists began looking for other similar objects. In June 2022, Hurley-Walker and her colleagues began observing the entire visible sky every three nights. Almost immediately, they found something that sent out a radio flash every 21 minutes.

At first glance, it looked similar to the previously discovered object. But once the team began to dig through data for additional pulses from this source, named GPM J1839-10, the object only seemed more perplexing. Unlike the first star, the signal of J1839-10 was detected over decades.

For now, researchers assume both objects are the same. But why would one flash for three months and the other for 33 years and counting? “I don’t know,” says Hurley-Walker. “That’s the problem.”

1. What can be learned about the two newly discovered stars?

A．They were made public in Nature this month.

B．They send out short radio waves every 20 minutes.

C．They move at the slowest speed of all known stars.

D．They are unlike the stars astronomers have seen before.

2. How often do known magnetars send out a pulse?

A．Every few seconds.	B．Every 18 minutes.
C．Every 20 minutes.	D．Every 21 minutes.

3. What drove scientists to look for the second star?

A．Radio waves research project.	B．Strange features of the first star.
C．The government’s guidance program.	D．The assumption of the magnetar theories.

4. Which of the following best explains “perplexing” underlined in paragraph 4?

A．Appealing.	B．Challenging.
C．Unaccountable.	D．Unacceptable.

9 . For college-bound students, leaving home and moving into a new environment can be a stressful experience. As for the students with anxiety, the transition can be more challenging.    1    . They may feel it complicated to share a space with unknown roommates. But with your proper supports in place, they can work through these challenges.

Make preparations ahead

When a student with anxiety is unprepared for the stress of being away from home, combined with the need of independence, can cause a false belief that the transition is simply too hard to handle. This can result in an anxious thought pattern, making his college life a nightmare. When he is prepared for it, on the other hand, all the challenges can be solved practically.    2    

Discuss appropriate expectations

Establishing healthy expectations can help cut down the pressure. Parents and rising college students might approach the transition with a hope that things will be better in college.    3    . Quite different from high school in academics, even a straight-A high student is likely to experience an academic roadblock during college.

Create a support plan

If your college-bound student is currently working with a therapist(治疗专家)for anxiety treatment, chances are the therapist is helping him prepare for the transition and figure out a support system.    4    . Talk it over with your teenager before he makes the transition.

    5    

While making your teens aware that they can cope with their anxiety independently, you are to ensure that help is available on campus. Establish a weekly check-in to catch up and provide support. Encourage him to seek out help on campus if his anxiety increases. By enabling them to use the resources available in his new environment, you send a positive message to them: You can do this.

A．Check in periodically

B．Discuss coping skills that work

C．Keep optimistic in realistic expectations

D．If not, it’s important to help him make a support plan

E．For example, they may find it hard to make new friends

F．Being fully prepared makes working through the stress a piece of cake

G．One challenge new college students face is adjusting to different schedules

10 . Imagine if it were easy for everyone to get to the seashore, to smell the sea winds and to feel seawater on their skin. Wouldn’t it be great if people with walking difficulty could also get closer to the ocean to enjoy the thrill of a sunset, watching the sun’s rays light up the waves? The good news is that things are moving in the right direction!

In a CDC study, around 14% of adults in the US report a mobility disability, defined as serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs. This can make vacation planning a challenge and put some destinations off-limits. But technology companies like Mobi-mat are making a day at the beach for people with limited mobility a reality.

Mobi-mat has developed some exciting innovations like non-slip roll-out accessibility mats(垫子). These function like red carpets at movie premieres(首映), taking people with special needs right to the seashore. They are made of a fine nylon material that is designed for people who use wheelchairs or may otherwise need a firmer surface to cross the sand.

More cities are working to make enjoyment of the beach much more wide-ranging in other creative ways based on regional conditions. The town of Jupiter in Florida has opened up access to its beaches to people who have trouble going up and down stairs via three new wide wooden walkovers. The Miami Herald recently reported on the upcoming construction of a wheelchair-accessible beachfront observation platform, and upgraded park with adaptive playground and exercise equipment for people with disabilities in Miami Beach.

Inspired by creative innovation, forward-looking policymakers and companies, and the shared demands of disabled people who are calling for better access to beautiful beach locations, it seems that many more people of all abilities will be able to head to the beach.

1. What is the good news mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．The seashore becomes the hottest destination.

B．The ocean environment changes for the better.

C．Beaches are more accessible to the disabled.

D．Approaching the sea benefits disabled people.

2. What can we learn about the mat from Mobi-mat?

A．It offers a firm surface.	B．It originates from movies.
C．It replaces wheelchairs.	D．It functions beneath the sand.

3. What can be inferred about the measures in Jupiter and Miami?

A．They’re well behind schedule.

B．They center on ocean protection.

C．They need to be more creative.

D．They’re tailored to local conditions.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To introduce a friendly move.

B．To recommend a treatment.

C．To advertise beautiful beaches.

D．To report findings of a study.