1 . Cake moulds are cake pans in fun or functional shapes. You might often see them referred to as cake forms or cake shapes. Cake moulds are especially designed to make it easier to bake a cake.
Generally, a cake mould is often made out of silicone (硅酮).
Cake moulds are sold in kitchen supply stores and baking stores.
It can be difficult to remove a cake from a cake mould without damaging it. Even if the pan is non-stick, which most are, you should still grease (抹油) the pan well before baking.
| A．Cake moulds vary in design and color. |
| B．This kind of cake mould is a breeze to use and wash up. |
| C．There’re virtually limitless possibilities for cake moulds. |
| D．You can also order specially or personalized ones online. |
| E．Allowing the cake to cool fully will also aid in the process. |
| F．Here are some things to consider when choosing a cake mould. |
| G．So you do not have to do all of the shaping and designing yourself. |
Logan was a brilliant student. He had committed to doing everything it took to win a scholarship to study at a good university. But nothing was more important to the 17-year-old boy than supporting his mother who was sick. After school hours, he would work as a bagboy at the local grocery store. Together, Logan and his mother managed to make ends meet while still fighting to achieve bigger dreams.
Now right outside the grocery store, Logan spotted a familiar face. “Mr. Peters!” Logan called out to the old man holding crutches (拐杖), whom he recognized as his new neighbor. Mr. Peters waved at Logan. Logan happily helped the old man find what he needed and helped him bill the items, too.
“That will be $23, Mr. Peters,” Logan said.
Mr. Peters was taken aback by the bill’s amount. He asked, “And how much without the fruits?”
“$19, sir.”
“I see.” Mr. Peters looked in his wallet. He studied the bill and said, “Actually, I’ll just take the greens, thank you.”
“You know what? Here, let me pay for your order. It looks like you may have … left your card at home or something.”
Mr. Peters didn’t see this kind gesture coming, and even though it hurt his pride a little, he accepted the boy’s help.
Logan paid for the order and handed the bags to the old man. But Mr. Peters could only move a few steps forward as he tried to hold all the groceries without the crutches slipping away Logan rushed to Mr. Peters and offered to carry the groceries to his home. It was a short walk, but the two men were engaged in conversation all the way.
“What are you doing working at a grocery store? You look like you should be in college!” Mr. Peter asked.
On listening to Logan’s story, Mr. Peters was moved and thought he should do something. “It was lovely to meet you, Logan. Maybe you could pop in after your shift at the store today?” he asked.
Logan agreed, suspecting that the man probably needed some help around the house.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
After work, Logan knocked on his neighbor’s door and discovered the most astonishing thing about the old man.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I’ve asked some former workmates to notice a scholarship application from a young man named Logan,” Mr. Peters continued.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The awards ceremony for the Fifth Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)Short Video Competition took place in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. With
2023 marked the 10th anniversary of the BRI’s launch.By collecting short video stories from both builders and beneficiaries(受益者),the competition
Among the over 1,000 entries from nearly 100 countries, 99 final winners were announced.“
4 . A happy-sad state can be as confusing to people as to psychologists. This is not about “smiling depression” where someone feels emotional pain, but
When Jeff Larsen, a psychology professor, simply asks people if it’s
Yale University psychology professor Laurie Santos
| A．bottles up | B．talks about | C．gets over | D．cares about |
| A．hardly | B．occasionally | C．suddenly | D．truly |
| A．disturbing | B．conflicting | C．positive | D．powerful |
| A．possible | B．strange | C．necessary | D．acceptable |
| A．valuable | B．abstract | C．universal | D．interesting |
| A．traditional | B．theoretical | C．scientific | D．creative |
| A．awkward | B．worried | C．angry | D．sad |
| A．both | B．neither | C．either | D．each |
| A．stood out | B．let out | C．pointed out | D．turned out |
| A．until | B．though | C．if | D．once |
| A．believes | B．predicts | C．remembers | D．doubts |
| A．expects | B．agrees | C．wonders | D．imagines |
| A．change | B．cause | C．determine | D．reflect |
| A．accidents | B．adventures | C．celebrations | D．graduations |
| A．leaving | B．forgetting | C．failing | D．losing |
5 . Only about 20% of U.S.adults say they have a best friend at work.Should the other 80% start looking for one?Yes and no.
But if becoming best friends with your coworkers feels too daunting (使人气馁的),or just not your style,you can still benefit from social support.When most people hear “social support”,they think of emotional support,like venting (发泄) to a coworker over coffee, Heaney says.
| A．But it comes in many forms |
| B．Research on the topic is clear |
| C．The goal isn’t necessarily to make lifelong friends |
| D．It’s easy to talk yourself out of making these gestures |
| E．It s often considered equal to smoking 15 cigarettes a day |
| F．That could mean seeking input from people at all levels of the company |
| G．There’s no doubt that social support in the workplace is important for your health |
6 . Almost half a billion small, cheap electrical everyday items from headphones to handheld fans ended up in landfill in the UK in the past year, according to research.
The not-for-profit organization Material Focus, which conducted the research, said the scale of the issue was huge and they wanted to encourage more recycling.
More than half a billion cheaply priced electronic goods were bought in the UK in the past year alone - 16 per second. Material Focus findings showed that of these items, 471m were thrown away. This included 260m disposable vapes, 26m cables, 29m LED, solar and decorative lights, 9.8m USB sticks, and 4.8m miniature fans.
Scott Butler, executive director at Material Focus, described it as “fast tech“. He said, “People should think carefully about buying some of the more frivolous items in the first place.” He said the items people bought were often “cheap and small”, and that consumers may not realize they contain valuable materials that could be salvaged if recycled.
Small electricals can contain precious materials including copper, lithium and stainless steel. These components can be recycled and used in wind turbines, medical devices and electric vehicles. Material Focus said that while people were used to the idea of recycling larger electrical items such as fridges, lots of smaller devices were left unused in houses.
Butler said, “We want to get the message across that anything with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled and there’s somewhere near you to do it. The scale of the issue is huge, but there’s an easy solution-just as the trend for recycling and repurposing fashion has grown and grown, we want to encourage the nation to recycle fast tech, guilt-free and fuss-free.”
Material Focus said that when consumers bought a cheap item, they saw it as disposable. They estimate that UK citizens spent more than f2.8bn on these cheap products in the past year. The non-profit group described it as“the tip of the iceberg”when it comes to the growing issue of wasted electricals in the UK. More than 100,000 tonnes of waste electricals are thrown away every year, and there are 880m electrical items of all kinds lying unused in UK homes.
1. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?| A．The research was carried out by the authorities to encourage recycling |
| B．Cheaply priced electronic goods are easy to be thrown away around the world |
| C．Disposable vapes made up the majority of cheap electrical goods that ended up in landfill |
| D．British people are inclined to buy cheap electrical goods |
| A．Cheap items don’t deserve consumer’s careful use |
| B．Valuable materials can be found in these cheap and small electrical goods |
| C．Low-quality electrical goods are easy to be recycled |
| D．Consumers should stop buying these “fast tech”in the first place |
| A．They’d better recycle small devices as well as larger ones |
| B．They’d better set up somewhere near them to do the recycling |
| C．They’d better catch the trend of disposing small and cheap items |
| D．They’d better spread the idea of “fast tech” |
| A．Tons of small and cheap electrical items are thrown away |
| B．Lcgal efforts should be made to ban small electrical items |
| C．“Fast Tech”-the future generation |
| D．Recycling valuable materials from electronics is urgent |
7 . Nowhere is the interconnection of the natural world more evident than in the delicate balance of its ecosystems. These books examine the secret to that balance, making complex concepts accessible to readers just beginning their scientific journeys.
The ElephantBy Jenni Desmond.Illustration: by the author. 2018.
The caring nature,intelligence,and incredible size of African and Asian elephants shine through in Desmond’s magnificent presentation of these mammals. Her illustrations are showstoppers, and the text includes general characteristics and habits. Desmond’s writing,precise and inviting, calls attention to the elephant’s role as a keystone species in the ecosystem and humans’ roles in elephants’ declining numbers.
BeaversBy Rachel Poliquin. Illustration: by Nicholas John Frith. 2018.
This first in the Superpower Field Guide series, about the natural world’s resident superheroes, offers effervescent examinations of a beaver’s super characteristics. Poliquin explains in simple but exact language how these “wet land warriors” chew down trees,build dams and lodges,and most awesome of all, function as a keystone species to create entire new ecosystems.
The Wolves Are BackBy Jean Craighead George. Illustration: by Wendell Minor. 2008.
As George follows one wolf s growth from pup to adult, the emphasis is not as much on the wolves and their habits but on how their presence has changed the ecosystem of Yellowstone and returned its natural balance. Minor’s finely detailed illustrations feature spectacularly rendered animals in the foreground of the bold, western landscapes. Together the words and pictures make for a highly effective and enjoyable explanation of how the presence of one animal can profoundly affect an ecosystem.
1. Who illustrates the book The Elephant?| A．Jenni Desmond |
| B．Nicholas John Frith. |
| C．Rachel Poliquin. |
| D．Wendell Minor. |
| A．Poliquin describes beavers using complex language. |
| B．George does the research mainly on the wolves and their habits. |
| C．Desmond’s writing focuses on humans’ active roles in elephant conservation. |
| D．The species mentioned above are likely to influence the ecosystem. |
| A．A zoo guidebook. |
| B．An academic article: |
| C．A nature magazine. |
| D．A research report. |
More than 20 hours earlier, my friend Emma and I had stood at the entrance to the cave. We laughed and joked as I climbed down the steep mouth and she followed. Six of us had gone on that camping trip, but after a full day of exploring caves, the others had gone back to the campsite to eat. Emma and I decided to explore one more cave.
The mud of the cave floor was soft and sticky as we snaked our way through the tunnel. The air was damp and heavy. As the passage twisted through the earth, it became smaller. Then, suddenly, after a tight squeeze, I came into a larger room.
“Once you make it past this narrow spot you can almost stand,” I told Emma, as I stretched out my arms and legs and enjoyed the big space. “Alright, I’m almost th...” Emma’s sentence was cut short. I turned around. “Are you alright?” I asked. All I could see was her face, and her eyes were full of fear. “I don’t think so,” she said. “I’m stuck.”
Emma and I tried everything we could to free her. But it became apparent that we needed help. I took out my cell phone to call my other four friends, but there was no signal. I couldn’t go to seek help because Emma was stuck between me and the cave mouth. That was why we were so relieved when we heard voices behind us. A beam of light shot down the tunnel.
“What’s going on here?” rang a young man’s voice. “We need help,” I shouted. “She’s stuck.” “I’ve got two buddies with me,” he said. “They can go to find a park ranger (公园管理员), but I’ll stay here and see if I can help from this side.”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式作答。
The next several hours were long and arduous (艰难的).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Almost five hours after we had entered the cave, the rescue team arrived.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . The wheel is believed to be around 5,500 years old. The invention came about long after the advent of other, arguably more complex technologies, like boats, woven cloth, and agriculture. The invention of the wheel greatly speeded up the development of civilization by making it easier to trade. Towns and cities grew crowded, their populations sustained by the increased productivity of wheel-assisted farming.
However, the Aztecs, Incas, Maya, and Native Americans which were regarded as relatively advanced civilizations did not use the wheel until after the arrival of European colonists (殖民者) during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
It had long been assumed that ancient Americans didn’t know how to make them. That turned out to be false. In 1880, as archaeologist Désiré Charnay unearthed the tomb of an Aztec child in Mexico City, he came across a small figurine (雕像) mounted on an even smaller set of wheels. Since then, other wheeled toys have been found across the country.
Current explanations of why the Aztecs, Incas, Maya, and Native Americans lacked wheels focus not on the knowledge of how to create them — which they clearly possessed — but on practicality. One major reason is that the continent lacks creatures strong enough to pull them. After all, horses and cows crossed the Atlantic along with the wheel itself.
Another important factor was geography. Yes, the Incas built roads, but those roads were mapped out over the hilly terrain (地形) of the Andes Mountains. They featured a structure of giant staircases in which there were top, middle, and bottom levels. So wheeled vehicles would not have been able to climb.
Ancient American societies might not have been built on wheels, but this in no way prevented them from teaching levels of complexity comparable to their European counterparts. They also built impressive architecture with rocks. How their builders managed to move those rocks without help from the wheel, nobody knows. But they did manage to do this. Of course, the absence of the wheel still shaped these societies in meaningful ways. For example, attempts to unite the different warring tribes repeatedly fell apart because of the amount of time it took to travel from one stronghold (据点) to another.
“When the wheel did finally show up in indigenous American societies, a lot of things changed. But the change occurred more slowly. Even though indigenous Americans could now use the wheel for transport, weaving, and pottery, this new and more efficient technology didn’t replace the familiar way of doing things overnight. Traditional techniques continue to be passed down from generation to generation, even to this day,” archaeologist Patrick Kirch said.
1. Why does the author write the first paragraph?| A．To stress the difficulty in inventing the wheel. |
| B．To describe the process of the invention of the wheel. |
| C．To explain the significance of the invention of the wheel. |
| D．To introduce the wide applications of the wheel in modern times. |
| A．They lacked tools for creating wheels. |
| B．They built roads with vertical structures. |
| C．They relied on animals for transportation. |
| D．They lacked the knowledge of producing wheels. |
| A．the complexity of ancient American societies |
| B．the frequency of wars in ancient American societies |
| C．the impressive architecture in ancient American societies |
| D．the unification of different tribes in ancient American societies |
| A．Easy but limited | B．Noticeable but harmful. |
| C．Welcome but fruitless. | D．Influential but gradual. |
10 . Twenty years ago, I was invited to join a poker game made up of all middle-aged men. That game became an essential part of my life and it evolved with the group. We used to start at 7 p. m. with wine and play until 2 a. m. Now there is no wine, and we quit before midnight. The smoke of cigarettes is long gone. The food is better—over two decades we’ve gone from chips to homemade vegetable salad. All of these win favor with my wife when I go to play poker.
When the pandemic (疫情) arrived, we switched to online games. We downloaded a poker app on our phones and looked at those nine boxes containing our heads on our computer screens. The app dealt with all nine players at the same time, so the online version was much faster. Despite the efficiency, the app presented problems. It took all our concentration to keep track, on multiple screens, of what was going on with the game. The conversation didn’t really happen. It felt like any online poker game, the kind played with strangers. So I hated this way of playing.
When we finally met each other for our live game after a two-year break, we were excited. However, at our poker game, we learned one of our guys died of cancer without telling any of us he was sick. Actually, we once found Bert looked a bit thin and a bit tired. Then he was gone. According to Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist at Oxford University, men are less likely to discuss their personal affairs and opinions directly and honestly. It’s the reason why men are more likely to have mental problems.
So friendships with women are the perfect complement to male friendships. I have a wife to confide in (向……透露秘密), and a few female friends I regularly meet for lunch. I’m just really glad to have both types of friendships. I can meet my female friends for a nice lunch and a glass of wine. Then head off to poker.
1. Why does the author’s wife support him in playing poker?| A．It can make the author more intelligent. | B．It can make the author more relaxed. |
| C．The author’s lifestyle becomes healthier. | D．The author’s social skills become better. |
| A．The process of playing was slow. | B．Players always faced technical problems. |
| C．Players seldom interacted with each other. | D．The game was often interrupted by strangers. |
| A．Men are less sociable. | B．Men are less open-minded. |
| C．Men are less emotional. | D．Men are less outspoken. |
| A．Confused. | B．Disappointed. | C．Upset. | D．Satisfied. |
