Last summer, Hilda worked as a volunteer with dolphin trainers at a sea life park. Her job was to make sure the tanks were free of any items so that the trainers could train the dolphins to fetch specific items. However, one day after cleaning, one of the dolphins, Maya, presented Hilda with a candy wrapper from the tank. When Katherine, the trainer, saw this, she blamed Hilda for her carelessness. Upset but not discouraged by this event, Hilda decided to do some spying on Maya.
The next morning, Hilda arrived at the park early. She put on her scuba gear (水下呼吸器) and jumped into the tank for her usual, underwater sweep. Finding nothing in the tank, she climbed out of the water just in time to see Katherine jumping in on the other side. After what happened yesterday, Hilda knew what she was doing. She watched as Katherine performed her underwater search, but Hilda wasn’t surprised when she surfaced empty-handed.
During the tank sweeps, Maya had been swimming playfully, but now the dolphin stopped suddenly and swam to the back part of the tank where the filter (过滤) box was located. She stuck her nose down behind the box and then swam away. What was Maya doing back there? Hilda wondered. She jumped back into the water and swam over to take a look behind the box, and her question was answered. Hilda then swam across the tank following Maya’s path and emerged from the water to find Katherine removing her scuba gear. As Katherine turned around, her mouth dropped open. There was Maya at the edge of the tank with a comb (梳子) in her mouth waiting for her treat.
“Maya! Where did you get that?” demanded Katherine, taking the comb and throwing her a fish. “I know where she got it,” declared Hilda climbing out of the tank with a handful of items still wet from their watery, resting place. “What’s all this?” Katherine asked, obviously confused.
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。
“This is Maya’s secret,” Hilda said with a big smile.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now Katherine realized what had been going on.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My dad and I had been looking forward to the Stale cross-country race of my senior year of high school, which would be the climax (顶点) of my existence.
I was the fastest runner on my team, and I was supposed to make it into the top fifteen. We had been working towards this race for three years. It was everything to me, and it was everything to my dad. He was a runner and was wild with joy by my success in running. He made it to every race, even flying home early from business trips to see me run. I always listened for his voice, which rang above the crowd-telling me to relax my arms, calling out my time. He pushed me. He cheered for me. He believed in me. We spent countless hours on the sandy canals of Arizona. Breathing in the dust of the desert, the blossoms of the orange trees, and the terrible smell of the dairy farm, we made our way across the city. We pounded miles and miles into our running shoes, marking with every step the path to greatness. It was a journey that was just ours. A dream passed on from one generation to the next.
Then the big day came. It was hotter than normal - too hot. My throat felt like a field of cotton, cracked with the summer heat, as I waited for the gun to fire. I gazed out at the crowd; dozens of familiar faces from church and school flickered across my view. They had come for me. They were counting on me. I saw my dad set his watch, worry and excitement etched across his face. With the sound of a gunshot, the race began.
For the first two and half miles, I felt great. I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with hard practices and a strict diet. The scorching sun beat upon my back, blinding me with its brilliance. Nothing was going to stop me, though.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
However, without warning, my strength was running out.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I whispered, “I’m so sorry I disappointed you, Dad.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . A mother of nine who started medical school when her youngest child was 4 years old graduated with her degree and plans to be a neurosurgeon (神经外科医生).
Sarah Merrill, now 41, said her journey to medical school began at age 17. She then met her husband and got married. Merrill first thought about going to school part-time to get a degree, but later she decided to follow her dream of attending medical school. Certainly, it was a challenge. Speaking of her successfully returning to university, Merrill thought it was credited to her family largely. “When I was accepted at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, we moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona,” said Merrill, who is moving to Indiana with her family to begin her residency (实习期) in neurosurgery. “In fact, they volunteered these movements. I know it was tough for all of us.”
Merrill and her children often have “homework parties” where they study for their own courses. Merrill’s choice has given a stimulus to her children. Merrill felt touched knowing her 11-year-old daughter wants to become a surgeon and overhearing her son tell his friends his mom’s going to be a cool brain surgeon, though he doesn’t understand that really.
Merrill’s next step into a neurosurgery residency will take her into a male-dominated field where only 5% of board certified neurosurgeons are women. Dr. Michele Halyard at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine said Merrill was known as a focused student. Halyard said, “If you can deal with nine children and keep your reason, the residency should be a piece of cake because no amount of stress will make you fail.”
Merrill had considered choosing a more family-friendly specialty, but, again, chose to dream big and follow her original pursuit. It’s the same advice she would give to all. “Set the goal that is what you’re really enthusiastic about, and it helps to think small. If you know what your priorities are, focus on the next step. Then you’ll get where you want to go.”
1. Why does Merrill speak of their movements?| A．To show the support of her family. |
| B．To stress her determination to be a doctor. |
| C．To reflect difficulties in attending college. |
| D．To describe the process of pursuing her dream. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Inspiration. |
| C．Commitment. | D．Confusion. |
| A．Merrill will have more stress to handle. |
| B．Staying focused and sensible is key to success. |
| C．Being Mom makes Merrill a better doctor. |
| D．She is confident of Merrill’s being a neurosurgeon. |
| A．Starting with small things. |
| B．Getting your priorities right. |
| C．Being true to your passion. |
| D．Having the courage to dream big. |
“I’ve sent my resume(简历), but I haven’t received any emails or heard anything. So, I came here,” Sandra said to Mrs. Cleaver, the manager of the grocery store where she applied to work during her summer holidays.
Sandra was raised by a single mother who worked very hard but still didn’t have much to save for the 18-year-old’s future. So Sandra decided to send out resumes and work as much as possible. Usually, her mother would not allow her to work during the school year because she wanted Sandra to focus on her study. But Sandra insisted and applied at several places. However, this grocery store was the best option. It was close to her house, and her mother wouldn’t worry about her much if she was there.
“I’m sorry, child. We’re just not hiring right now,” Mrs. Cleaver said.
“Please, I’ll do everything. I can work part-time or full-time, and I can do anything that others don’t want to do. I’m also pretty strong, though I look skinny,” Sandra explained eagerly. Mrs. Cleaver gave her a knowing smile. Sandra explained that she wanted to save money for medical school, and Mrs. Cleaver finally nodded.
“Can you start working today?” Mrs. Cleaver asked. Sandra almost hurt her neck while nodding fiercely. She was excited. Mrs. Cleaver took her in the back and gave her a vest and a broom. Her first assignment was to sweep the dirt and leaves. Sandra did it without complaint. Mrs. Cleaver then assigned her to clean the bathrooms, which was a rougher request. But Sandra didn’t complain and kept her word. Eventually, Sandra started getting all the dirty and heavy tasks other employees hated. She did everything gladly for everyone, no matter how difficult and tiring the task was. Mrs. Cleaver liked her attitude and took note of it. In a world where young people of her age wanted to become Internet stars, it was nice to see someone enjoy honest hard work.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Mrs. Cleaver spoke to the store owner Ronald about Sandra.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Learning that Ronald allowed her to apply for a scholarship, Sandra couldn’t believe her ears.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 . When the company OpenAI developed its new artificial intelligence (AI) program, ChatGPT, in late 2022, educators began to worry. ChatGPT could create text that seemed like a human wrote it. How could teachers discover whether students were using language created by an AI chatbot to cheat on a writing task?
As a linguist who studies the effects of technology on how people read, write and think, I believe there are other more pressing concerns besides cheating. These include whether AI, more generally, threatens student writing skills, the value of writing as a process, and the importance of regarding writing as a tool for thinking.
As part of my research on the effects of AI on human writing, I surveyed young adults in the U.S. about some issues related to those effects. One participant said that at some point if you depend on predictive text, you’re going to lose your spelling abilities. Enter “Was Rom” into a Google search and you’re given a list of choices like “Was Rome built in a day”. Type “ple” into a text message and you’re offered “please” and “plenty”. These tools complete our sentences automatically, giving us little chance to think about our spelling, and continuously asking us to follow their suggestions.
Evan Selinger, a philosopher, worried that predictive texting reduces the power of writing as a form of mental activity and personal expression. “By encouraging us not to think too deeply about our words, predictive technology may change how we deal with each other,” Selinger wrote. “We give others more algorithms (算法) and less of ourselves. Automation can stop us thinking and the resulting text didn’t feel like mine anymore.”
I asked ChatGPT whether it was a threat to humans’ motivation to write. The bot responded: “There will always be a demand for creative, original content that requires the unique viewpoint of a human writer.” It continued: “Writing serves many purposes beyond just the creation of content, such as self-expression, communication, and personal growth, which can continue to encourage people to write even if certain types of writing can be automated.”
I was glad to find the program had seemingly admitted its limitations.
1. What is the author’s main concern about ChatGPT?| A．Whether it will lead to students’ cheating. |
| B．Whether it will shape students’ writing style. |
| C．How students will make use of it at school. |
| D．What effects it will have on students’ writing. |
| A．Give us more creative ideas. | B．Make us write like a machine. |
| C．Encourage us to think more deeply. | D．Make us tend to ignore grammatical mistakes. |
| A．Writing will become completely automated. | B．Robots will work with humans in writing. |
| C．Robot writing will become more creative. | D．Human writing will still matter a lot. |
| A．What impact will AI bring to writing? | B．What is the future of modern literature? |
| C．How to improve writing with AI’s help? | D．How to apply AI technology to education? |
6 . Volunteer with Red Cross
Volunteering expands your skills and experience, increases your employability and is a way to stay active and engaged with the community. It’s also a way for you to give back to the community and help people who need a hand. Here are some of our community services:
Aged Care Services for older peopleOur social support and aged care services provide a range of support for older people.They can be matched one-on-one with a volunteer, receive regular caring welfare calls, be driven to appointments, be provided with a personal alarm or be delivered a healthy meal.We can also support them to access appropriate housing and care.
Homelessness ServicesRed Cross believes that everyone deserves a home that is safe, secure and affordable. In an average year, Red Cross helps 2,180 people to find housing, supports 1,360 people at risk of becoming homeless, and provides 43,400 meals for people experiencing hardship.
We support people who are at risk of losing their rental property by negotiating with landlords(房东) or finding more suitable accommodation. We also help clients to man age the potential issues which contribute to their housing problems, including income management,misuse of alcohol or other drugs.
We build life skills by supporting people who have been homeless to develop community connection and friendship through one-on-one matching with a volunteer, providing education and training support, and teaching first-aid skills. These new connections and skills make a big difference, helping people move out of cycles of homelessness.
Mental Health Support ServicesRed Cross provides mental health support services and programs that promote the participation of people with a men tal illness in the community and support the well-being of young people. Red Cross wants to support those people to be more independent, to improve their well-being and social connection, and to build their confidence and skills.
1. What support do Aged Care Services and Homelessness Services both provide?| A．Training support. | B．One-on-one service. |
| C．Regular welfare calls. | D．Free accommodation. |
| A．By teaching money management. |
| B．By maintaining friendship with landlords. |
| C．By finding suitable housing. |
| D．By developing community connection. |
| A．Cure of mental diseases. | B．Personality rebuilding. |
| C．Daily medical assistance. | D．Community participation. |
7 . People who are overweight are often seen to have a strong desire for food at any time of the day. They keep on eating till they reach their satisfaction level. This often pushes them towards overeating.
Do not rush while eating food. Take your time and eat slowly as this technique develops the feeling of fullness before your stomach is actually full.
Do not watch television while eating because it causes distractions.
| A．Eat when you begin feeling hungry. |
| B．Overeating is a major cause behind poor health. |
| C．Start with the dish that seems more interesting to you. |
| D．Frequent overeating will result in unwanted weight gain. |
| E．Instead, sit at a dining table to concentrate on what you’re eating. |
| F．Decide how much you want to eat before actually eating your food. |
| G．To know if you are full during a meal, take deep breaths in between. |
| A．permits; taking | B．permitting; taking |
| C．permits: taken | D．permitting: taken |
| A．being built: haven't been; had been | B．having being built; hadn't been; was |
| C．built; haven't been; was | D．built; hadn't been; had been |
10 . Droughts(干旱)caused by global climate change have led to drop in wheat production, a worldwide shortage and high food prices around the world. The global wheat supply is at its lowest point in 50 years, with only an estimated 10 weeks of supply left. This has been one factor pushing the prices of bread, beer and other wheatcontaining foods steadily higher. According to Hilton Dinner, a bakery owner from Edmonton, Canada, the price of flour has more than doubled over the past eight months. In 19 years of business, Dinner said, he has never seen prices rise like this.
"Prices creep up seasonably," he said. "They might go up 10 percent, then down 5 percent. They never go back to where they started, but they creep. This is not creeping, this is drastic."
Also to blame for the global wheat shortage is the rising population, coupled with increasing meat consumption worldwide. This has led to the increasing diversion of grain to animal feed.
Analysts anticipate that the shortage may be resolved within 12 months, as farmers pull fallow land into wheat production. But even when the shortage resolves, food prices are only expected to keep climbing due to other factors, such as high energy and shipping costs.
"It's not something that's going to go away," Dinner said. "Food in general is going to go up. As wheat goes up, so does the price of eggs and chicken because they eat grainbased feed. It affects people who can't afford to pay more for their food."
Public health experts have expressed concern about the effect that rising food prices have on the poor. The United Nations recently reported that in 2007, the cost of food imports in the world's neediest countries increased 24 percent to a total of $107 billion.
1. The indirect reason for a drop in wheat production is ________.| A．the drought | B．the global climate change |
| C．the shipping cost | D．the rising population |
| A．suddenly | B．gradually |
| C．slowly | D．rapidly |
| A．the empty lands are used to plant wheat |
| B．the shipping costs are falling down |
| C．chickens don't feed on wheat any more |
| D．beer isn't made from wheat any more |
| A．poor people can't afford food |
| B．the rising population leads to high food prices |
| C．the global climate change causes wheat shortage |
| D．food prices are going to go down |
