1 . My life as a tax-paying employed person began in middle school, when, for three whole days, I worked in a baking factory.
My best friend Betsy’s father was a manager at Hough Bakeries, which, at Easter time,
Our
Dad
| A．sold | B．ordered | C．made | D．reserved |
| A．stores | B．families | C．schools | D．citizens |
| A．generous | B．financial | C．technical | D．temporary |
| A．plans | B．problems | C．excuses | D．hobbies |
| A．offer | B．earn | C．set | D．suggest |
| A．worked | B．closed | C．developed | D．survived |
| A．ambition | B．permission | C．experience | D．invitation |
| A．joys | B．ideas | C．roles | D．choices |
| A．Save | B．Keep | C．Stop | D．Remove |
| A．harder | B．better | C．longer | D．cheaper |
| A．Calm down | B．Slow down | C．Stay on | D．Move on |
| A．indicated | B．witnessed | C．expected | D．remembered |
| A．cried | B．smiled | C．hesitated | D．refused |
| A．tasting | B．finding | C．sharing | D．delivering |
| A．withdraw | B．donate | C．receive | D．appreciate |
2 . Writing an essay is a difficult process for most people. However, the process can be made easier if you learn to practice three simple techniques.
The next technique is to write your draft rapidly without worrying about being perfect.
The third technique is to try printing out a triple-spaced (三倍行距) copy to allow space for revision.
| A．Make sure your handwriting is neat. |
| B．Let your pen follow the waves of thought. |
| C．The second draft of the essay should be better. |
| D．First of all, learn the technique of nonstop writing. |
| E．Too many writers try to get their drafts right the first time. |
| F．Many beginning writers don’t leave enough space to revise. |
| G．Then you can print out a fresh draft, again setting your text on triple-space. |
3 . You’ve heard that plastic is polluting the oceans — between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.
At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called “Strawpocalypse,” a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168,000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source (来源) of plastic pollution, but they’ve recently come under fire because most people don’t need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that’s part of Von Wong’s artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone, the straw will take centuries to disappear.
In a piece from 2018, Von Wong wanted to illustrate (说明) a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds, a truckload’s worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled “Truckload of Plastic,” Von Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look like they’d been dumped (倾倒) from a truck all at once.
Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.
1. What are Von Wong’s artworks intended for?| A．Beautifying the city he lives in. | B．Introducing eco-friendly products. |
| C．Drawing public attention to plastic waste. | D．Reducing garbage on the beach. |
| A．To show the difficulty of their recycling. |
| B．To explain why they are useful. |
| C．To voice his views on modern art. |
| D．To find a substitute for them. |
| A．Calming. | B．Disturbing. |
| C．Refreshing. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Artists’ Opinions on Plastic Safety |
| B．Media Interest in Contemporary Art |
| C．Responsibility Demanded of Big Companies |
| D．Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures |
4 . There has been a very serious decline in the numbers of shallow-water fish as a result of overfishing. People still want to eat fish, so the fishing industry must look at other sources, especially the deep waters of the Atlantic.
Conservation measures will have to be put in place if these deep-sea fish are to survive. Research on five such species shows that numbers have declined by between 87 percent and 98 percent.
The problem is emphasized by the fact that the decline in numbers happened in less than twenty years. Deep-sea fish take a long time to reproduce and normally live for many years.
The damage done by overfishing goes beyond the sea environment. Millions of people make a living in the fishing industry.
| A．Billions of people rely on fish for protein. |
| B．Many people now choose not to eat deep-sea fish. |
| C．Unfortunately, their reproduction rate is very low. |
| D．This puts them in the category of “critically endangered”. |
| E．None of these facts has been taken into account by the fishing industry. |
| F．Overfishing is a major cause of decline in populations of ocean wildlife. |
| G．This has resulted in a sharp decline in the numbers of many of the species caught. |
In 1998, an eco-museum was established in Suojia Miao, Yi and Hui Township, China’s Guizhou Province. Consisting of 12 villages, including Gaoxing Village, the eco-museum is different from traditional ones. It isn’t enclosed by walls and
Xiong Shaozhen, a 77-year-old resident of Gaoxing Village, weaves every day with a loom (织布机) in a wooden house, her daughter-in-law busy
A decade ago,Gaoxing Village
There are 25 such eco-museums in the province, which are in line
6 . Are you ready to unlock your full career potential? Explore the details of each course below to find your right fit.
EliteOnline
Whether you’re exploring what to do next or you’ve already identified a role, this course is structured to help you take practical steps toward your career. It uses a design thinking approach to help people of any age and academic background. It consists of 5 career-oriented concepts, explained through videos, personal reflections, and exercises.
7 weeks:2-4 hours per week; self-paced
AUX
The course provides skill development for graduates as they prepare for their next career step. Participants will build skills to promote leadership, run a team, manage projects, apply teaching skills beyond the classroom, develop strategic communication skills and prepare successful job application materials.
·7 weeks:2-5 hours per week; instructor-led on a course schedule
BerkUX
This course provides tips and strategies for launching a successful music career as an artist. It covers developing your identity, leading a band, planning and recording your first independent record, building a brand, developing business partnerships, and understanding the business side of music production.
·4 weeks: 2-5 hours per week; self-paced
UXOnline
In this course, you will focus on the pathways to Internet security career success. You will determine your own incoming skills, talent, and deep interests to apply toward a meaningful exploration of 32 Digital Pathways of Cybersecurity. You will complete a self-assessment to determine the essential next steps.
·6 weeks:2-4 hours per week; self-paced
1. What is an advantage of EliteOnline?| A．It provides downloadable videos. | B．It offers the longest learning hours. |
| C．It focuses on trainings of design thinking. | D．It requires no specific academic background. |
| A．They allow a flexible learning pace. | B．They aim at specific professions. |
| C．They develop management skills. | D．They assess career potentials. |
| A．Network engineering. | B．Online teaching. |
| C．Career consulting. | D．Digital marketing. |
7 . It’s always exciting to begin a new job. But among the frenzy (激动) of meeting new colleagues, starting new projects, and building new skills, there can be a stressful pressure to succeed. A big part of your success is determined by how quickly you are able to digest lots of information, which can be very hard.
* Manage yourself
When you notice information overload, don’t ignore it and don’t panic. Say to yourself, “I’m in a new job and there is plenty to learn here. It’s okay to feel this way.”
* Sort your information
*
Organizations often have digital knowledge management systems to store and take important information. You can do the same to reduce brain burden. I recommend creating a Word or Google document in which you write down information that your brain doesn’t need to remember or store.
* Reduce task-switching
Multi-tasking isn’t good for you physically or mentally and is worse for your productivity and cognition (认知).
| A．Respond positively |
| B．Use technology to help |
| C．That problem is much easier to understand and solve |
| D．Here are some methods to deal with the information overload |
| E．For greater results, focus on one task for around 25 minutes |
| F．Our brain is like a clever piece of equipment that “takes in information” |
| G．This self-talk helps normalize the situation and makes the emotions easier to handle |
8 . “What if I told you that I murdered Basil?”
“You couldn’t murder anyone, Dorian. He probably fell into the Seine from a bus. By the way, where’s that wonderful portrait he did of you? Oh! I remember now. You told me years ago that you sent it to Selby Manor and that it got lost or stolen on the way. What a pity! I wanted to buy it. I wish I had now.” Lord Henry said.
“I never really liked it,” said Dorian.
“How have you kept your youth, Dorian? You must have some secret. I’m only ten years older than you are, and I’m wrinkled and old. Please, tell me your secret. To get back my youth, I’d do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable.”
When Dorian arrived home that night, he sent his servant to bed, and sat down on the sofa in the library. Then he began to think about his life.
“I’ve been an evil influence on my friends, and I’ve ruined the lives of many good young people,” he thought, “Ah! Why did I pray for the portrait to grow old, and for me to stay young? I worshiped beauty and eternal youth, but they ruined me. It’s better not to think of the past. Nothing can change that. I must think of the future. James Vane is dead. Alan Campbell is dead, too. He shot himself one night in his laboratory.”
“I’m safe now,” he continued. “Basil painted the portrait that ruined my life. I can’t forgive him for that. Everything is the portrait’s fault.”
He began to wonder about the portrait. “If I’m good, maybe the portrait will become beautiful again,” he thought. “I’ll go and look.”
He took the lamp from the table and went upstairs. As he unlocked the door, he smiled. “Yes, I’ll be good,” he thought, “I won’t be frightened of this portrait any more.”
He went upstairs to the room and locked the door. Then he pulled the purple cloth off the portrait. He gave a cry of pain. The portrait was more horrible. His face looked more evil. There was new blood on the hand and on the feet.
Dorian trembled with fear. Dorian looked round the room and saw the knife that stabbed Basil Hallward. It was bright and shining.
“This knife killed the artist, and now it will kill the artist’s work,” he thought.
He grabbed the knife, and then he stabbed the portrait with it.
1. What do we know about Lord Henry from the passage?| A．He doubted slightly whether Dorian murdered Basil. |
| B．He would do whatever he could to get back his youth. |
| C．The portrait he wanted to buy was stolen by Selby Manor. |
| D．The truth about how Dorian kept his youth was hidden from him. |
| A．Dorian admitted he was badly affected by his friends. |
| B．Alan Campbell shot himself one night in his laboratory. |
| C．Dorian blamed his sufferings on the portrait and Basil. |
| D．Dorian wanted to kill himself so that the portrait could become normal. |
| A．Admired. | B．Deserved. | C．Maintained. | D．Ignored. |
| A．Because the portrait aroused too much curiosity of his friends. |
| B．Because the portrait reflecting his soul made him suffer great pain. |
| C．Because he was jealous of the portrait which would never grow old. |
| D．Because he thought the portrait would take his youth and beauty away. |
As a single mother, I’ve never doubted my daughter Jane’s dream to be a singer on the stage. At an early age, she was crazy about singing. Whenever she had a chance, she would sing to her heart’s content. Her sweet and charming voice tended to get people around attracted to her songs.
Living in a small city, I took several odd jobs, determined to do everything in my power to support her. Soon after Jane attended school, her music teacher Mary noticed her talent by chance and volunteered to give her some guidance on how to sing. Jane practiced so hard that before long she made great progress in singing.
Unfortunately, one noon a year later, Jane was crossing the street when a careless driver knocked her down. She was rushed to hospital. When I hurried there, the doctor told me that my daughter would probably not stand on her own feet. I froze with shock, feeling as if I had been thrown into a dark world. Weak and dizzy, I was about to fall to the ground when someone took hold of me.
It was Mary, who got the news and raced here. She comforted me, saying firmly, “Grace, Jane needs you. You must stay calm and strong.” I nodded. Having calmed down, I entered the ward with Mary.
That night, Jane recovered her consciousness (知觉) and opened her eyes. Holding her hand, I said, “My dear, everything would be fine.” Mary comforted her gently, “I know you are a strong girl, Jane. Don’t worry. We’ll be standing by you.” I was heartbroken to see tears streaming down Jane’s cheeks.
After two months, we returned home from hospital. Her teachers and friends frequently visited her. Jane eventually accepted the fact that she would have to get around in a wheelchair. Never did she refer to the subject of singing again. I knew she was a nice and understanding girl, who was afraid that talking about her original dream would upset the two of us.
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。
One day, however, Mary came with good news.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the host announced it was Jane’s turn, she was wheeled onto the stage.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . When it comes to lowering blood pressure, studies have typically shown that aerobic (有氧的) exercises are best. Recent research suggests another type of physical activity is worth including as an effective tool to prevent and treat high blood pressure.
Exercises that engage muscles without movement, such as wall squats and planks, may be best for lowering blood pressure, according to a large study published in July, 2023 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
This type of training is known as isometric exercise, according to the Mayo Clinic. Isometric muscle action happens when muscles contract but do not visibly change length, and the joints involved don’t move, facilitating stability of the body. Isometric exercises can be done with weights or without, just relying on the body’s own weight.
“These findings provide a comprehensive data-driven framework to support the development of new exercise guideline recommendations for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure,” said study coauthor Dr. Jamie O’Driscoll in a news release.
The researchers looked into randomized controlled trials that had reported the effects of exercise interventions, lasting two or more weeks, on blood pressure between 1990 and February 2023. From a review of 270 trials with 15,827 participants, the researchers found that among HIIT (high intensity interval training), isometric exercise, aerobic exercise, dynamic resistance training and a combination of the latter two, isometric exercise led to the greatest reductions in blood pressure.
It’s also important to note that there are other lifestyle changes as well as exercise that can benefit your blood pressure. These include keeping to a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, cutting down on salt, not drinking too much alcohol and ensuring that you continue to take any prescribed medication.
More research is needed to determine exactly why isometric exercises might be better for lowering blood pressure than other types of training, the authors said.
1. What does the underlined part “isometric exercise” in paragraph 3 refer to?| A．Exercise that is done with extra weights. |
| B．Exercise that involves visible muscle contraction. |
| C．Exercise that focuses on stability of the body. |
| D．Exercise that engages muscles without movement. |
| A．By providing statistics. | B．By interviewing experts. |
| C．By doing experiments. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Exploring the reasons for its effectiveness. |
| B．Demonstrating its influences on mental health. |
| C．Assessing its suitability for different populations. |
| D．Determining its long-term impacts on blood pressure. |
| A．The benefits of aerobic exercises. | B．The best exercise for blood pressure. |
| C．The effects of various types of exercises. | D．The importance of keeping a healthy lifestyle. |
