When the shrill (尖锐的) ring of the phone echoed (回响) through the living room, Jane was still sleeping. She slowly opened her sleepy eyes and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was already nine o’clock! Though still sleepy, Jane knew she had to get up because her mother had been working in her office day and night for several days and she couldn’t expect her younger brother Tom, who was sleeping like a pig, to answer the phone. She quickly put on a coat and dashed into the living room. As she picked up the receiver, on the other end came the warm greeting, “Good morning, my dear!”
It was the voice of her father, a sea man who seldom returned home due to his duties earning money to support the family. On hearing her father’s voice, Jane’s sleepiness disappeared.
Born in a not-so-rich family, Jane and Tom felt the stress of life, but they were happy to enjoy the family atmosphere. At school, they were straight-A students and took part in various after-school activities, earning the pride of their loved ones.
“Good morning, Dad. Why are you calling so early on a weekend?” Jane inquired, pretending to be slightly annoyed. “Tom and I have been very nice recently.” “My dear, today is your mother’s birthday. I have ordered a cake online and it will arrive at our doorstep in the late afternoon. Do remember to take the cake. It is my surprise for your mother.”
Upon hearing her father’s words, Jane felt a twinge of embarrassment. How could she have forgotten such an important day!
While chatting with her father, Jane’s gaze (凝视) wandered around the room and saw a lot of dirty clothes scattered (散落) on the sofa. The floor hadn’t been cleaned for a few days since her mother had been too busy with work this week to attend to such domestic matters.
Glancing at the clock again, Jane realized she still had enough time to prepare a surprise for her mother.
“Well, Dad, now I’m going to wake Tom up. We will give Mum a surprise, too!” Jane said and hung up the telephone.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Jane hurried to Tom’s room and shared her plan with him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
“Happy birthday, Mum!” Jane and Tom shouted when their mother opened the door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . Honored as “one of the best ever”, the 19th Asian Games, held on August 25, 2023, in Hangzhou, has been highly praised.
The Asian Games is the largest sporting event in Asia. In 1948, Guru Dutt Sondhi, the leader of Indian sports, felt that the Far Eastern Games were not good enough to reflect the level of Asian sports and the unity spirit of Asian people, and suggested establishing the Asian Games so that all Asian countries could take part in.
The Hangzhou Asian Games is the third Asian multi-sport event held in China, with 12, 417 athletes from all 45 Asian countries and regions participating. Some rising sports that are popular among young people appeared at this Games, such as break dance and e-sports. Weiqi, a mind sport, have returned to the Hangzhou Games after a 13-year absence since it appeared at the Guangzhou Games in 2010. Certain regional sport in Asia, especially dragon boat racing, though not recognized as Olympic sports, also is medal-awarded event at the Asian Games.
The design details of the victory ceremony elements, like the bunch of flower, named “Fruits of Victory”, combines Chinese elements such as rice ears and lotus pods, indicating harvests, and wishes the athletes a journey of accomplishment and honor. The podium (领奖台) displays a purple rainbow on its outside, reflecting energy and innovation. Its white surface shows the spirit of unity, harmony and success among Asian nations and regions.
“Technically, we have had one of the best Asian Games ever. And the coverage of the Games from TV and the written media is also among the highest ever in the history of the Asian Games. The basketball last night (Saturday) attracted almost 17 million TV viewers.” said Vinod Kumar Tiwari, acting director general of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). “We have about 12, 000 athletes participating in the Games. The number of officials and the technical officials is 4, 975 and 4, 700, respectively. This by far has been the biggest and the largest Asian Games ever.” Tiwari added.
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The regions of the Asian Games. | B．The spirit of the Asian Games. |
| C．The participants of the Asian Games. | D．The origin of the Asian Games. |
| A．Weiqi has been a competition event for 13 years. |
| B．Break dance made its first appearance in the Games. |
| C．It involved the largest number of Asian athletes in history. |
| D．The Olympics and the Asian Games share the same medal-awarded sports. |
| A．Harvest and harmony. | B．Unity and honor. |
| C．Energy and creation. | D．Nobility and achievements. |
| A．To introduce the size of athlete participation. |
| B．To stress the success of the best Olympic Games. |
| C．To highlight the excellent organization of the event. |
| D．To praise the highest viewership of the basketball game. |
4 . It is well-known that earthquake is one of the most serious natural disasters. Because of its sudden nature, the traditional earthquake prediction method is often difficult to predict it accurately, and has always been a difficult problem in the field of earth science. Recently, artificial intelligence is showing promise in earthquake prediction, challenging the long-held belief that it is impossible. Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, have developed an AI algorithm (算法) that correctly predicted 70% of earthquakes a week in advance during a trial in China and provided accurate strength calculations (强度计算) for the predicted earthquakes.
The research team believes their method succeeded because they used a relatively simple machine learning approach. The AI was provided with a set of statistical features based on the team’s knowledge of earthquake physics (地震物理学), and then instructed to train itself using a five-year database of earthquake recordings. Once trained, the Al provided its prediction by listening for signs of incoming earthquakes within the background sounds in the Earth.
This work is clearly a milestone in research for AI-driven earthquake prediction. “You don’t see earthquakes coming,” explains Alexandros Savvaidis, a senior research scientist who leads the Texas Seismological Network Program (TexNet). “It’s a matter of milliseconds, and the only thing you can control is how prepared you are. Even with the 70% accuracy, that’s a huge result and could help minimize economic and human losses and possibly improve earthquake preparation worldwide.”
While it is unknown whether the same approach will work at other locations, the researchers are confident that their AI algorithm could produce more accurate predictions if used in areas with reliable earthquake tracking networks. The next step is to test artificial intelligence in Texas, since UT’s Bureau TexNet has locations and over six years worth of continuous records, making it an ideal location in 300 earthquakes for these purposes.
Eventually, the authors hope to combine the system with physics-based models. This strategy could prove especially important where data is poor or lacking. “That may be a long way off, but many advances such as this one, are what moves science forward,” says Scott Tinker, the bureau’s director.
1. What can we infer from the passage?| A．AI can predict earthquakes accurately. |
| B．AI is provided with accurate strength calculations. |
| C．AI can prevent the potential earthquakes from coming. |
| D．AI forecasts earthquakes by analyzing background sounds. |
| A．Building many earthquake stations. | B．Over ten years of continuous records. |
| C．Reliable earthquake tracing networks. | D．Researcher’s confidence in the technology. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Supportive. | C．Disapproving. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．AI helps reduce possible earthquakes by 70%. |
| B．AI predicts earthquakes with a certain accuracy. |
| C．AI algorithm improves earthquake preparation worldwide. |
| D．AI algorithm produces accurate predictions about earthquakes. |
5 . The four people have persuaded companies to give them £250,000 worth of toys and food — for nothing. And next Monday, they are going to
According to them, it is remarkably easy to get toys and food to
The four friends
Their first successful “kindness act” was to help
The Kindness Offensive tries to
| A．lead | B．attach | C．distribute | D．apply |
| A．carrying out | B．working out | C．making out | D．bringing out |
| A．children | B．customers | C．strangers | D．friends |
| A．give in | B．give off | C．give up | D．give away |
| A．wealthy | B．countless | C．guiltless | D．aimless |
| A．initially | B．finally | C．unfortunately | D．naturally |
| A．launched | B．concluded | C．advertised | D．gathered |
| A．look forward to | B．pay attention to | C．break | D．stick to |
| A．strategies | B．intentions | C．methods | D．routines |
| A．found | B．obtain | C．realize | D．affect |
| A．status | B．power | C．shelter | D．peace |
| A．unwillingly | B．eagerly | C．patiently | D．passively |
| A．avoid | B．double | C．encourage | D．oppose |
| A．kindness | B．bravery | C．selfishness | D．accuracy |
| A．though | B．unless | C．until | D．if |
6 . In 2015, Aldo Amenta had just started classes at Florida International University when something incredible happened. One day, while he was out
Doctors told Aldo he’d never
Aldo never stopped trying to take the next
| A．climbing | B．running | C．swimming | D．riding |
| A．surprisingly | B．frequently | C．intentionally | D．seriously |
| A．learn | B．speak | C．walk | D．watch |
| A．defeated | B．considered | C．accepted | D．damaged |
| A．doctor | B．trainer | C．teacher | D．brother |
| A．go through | B．get over | C．go away | D．get through |
| A．present | B．receive | C．submit | D．accept |
| A．celebrated | B．cheered | C．expected | D．shouted |
| A．determination | B．curiosity | C．confidence | D．consideration |
| A．note | B．step | C．control | D．interest |
| A．produced | B．made | C．created | D．changed |
| A．discoveries | B．challenges | C．achievements | D．moments |
| A．mobility | B．reality | C．ability | D．possibility |
| A．afford | B．encourage | C．remind | D．promise |
| A．unreasonable | B．unwilling | C．unobtainable | D．unnecessary |
7 . Rap music has long been the poster child for negativity in society for a number of decades. It has been criticized (批评) in the media and seen by a good number of people as a bad influence on citizens in general. The lyrics might have something to blame in this regard as they often seemingly celebrate violence as well as drugs and alcohol. The reality is that rap music is greatly misunderstood. In spite of the negativity that often surrounds it, however, rap music can have a positive influence on listeners.
One of these positive effects is that it has been used as a great unifier of diverse populations around the world. It started as a subculture among African American communities in America but it is now a phenomenon of global culture. As a matter of fact, it isn't only limited to African American communities, as non black communities make up seventy five percent of the global rap audience. Its infectious rhythms, catchy beats, and relatable lyrics hold universal attraction that goes beyond cultural and language barriers.
Rap has also been vital in promoting social and political awareness among the youth of today. Rap music educates people from different points of views and raises many social issues. Rap is channel (渠道) for people to speak freely about their view on political or social issues and by doing so, it encourages teenagers to become concerned and aware of these issues. A few of them that rap has created awareness in are racial discrimination (歧视), the importance of education and believing in your dreams.
Rap music is entertainment (娱乐) and should not be treated any differently than any other form of entertainment out there. If critics of rap music still believe that rap only sends negative messages, they should listen closer. The bottom line is that all rap music is not degenerate (堕落的) and consideration should be taken when analysing the message that the music is presenting
1. Why is rap music often connected with negativity?| A．It has long been the poster child for negativity. |
| B．It has shown a bad influence on citizens in general. |
| C．It seems to celebrate violence as well as drugs and alcohol. |
| D．It started as a subculture among African American communities. |
| A．Its positive influence on listeners around the world. |
| B．Its engaging music elements like rhythms, lyrics and beats. |
| C．Its continuous promotion of social and political awareness. |
| D．Its African American culture that fascinates non black communities. |
| A．By making social issues more entertaining. |
| B．By providing a platform to voice their opinions |
| C．By stressing the importance of education and dreams. |
| D．By drawing teenagers’ attention to racial discrimination. |
| A．Rap music is now unfairly treated. |
| B．Rap music is suitable for everyone. |
| C．Rap music is difficult to understand. |
| D．Rap music is simply for entertainment. |
Be Like Dad
Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.
I was in my study on a cold Sunday in May 2020 when I glanced out the window and saw my dad’s car parked in our driveway. He was walking from my front door to his car, about to leave. Why would he drive all the way to my house, only to turn around and leave? Had the doorbell stopped working? I raced downstairs, opened the door and yelled “Dad! What are you doing?” I shouted.
My dad lives forty minutes away, and I hadn’t seen him since COVID-19 because we were following the health-department guidelines to self-isolate and not leave the house, so it’s strange that he would show up.
He smiled and pointed beside the door, where I could see a bright yellow begonia (秋海棠) plant.
“I know it is Mother’s Day, but... I’m not a mother,” I was puzzled.
My dad smiled. “But I think you should get flowers, too, my dear son.” With that, he winked and drove off.
That evening, I called to thank him and told him how touched I was that he had driven such a long round trip just to leave begonias on my doorstep.
That’s when he let me in on his little secret. It turns out I wasn’t the only receiver of an act of kindness from him. To keep away from the loneliness during epidemic he decided to do acts of kindness to remove the social isolation (隔离，孤立), and it made him so happy to see the smiles on people’s faces.
“But why?” I continued.
It just had started a couple of weeks before, when a friend of his was having a tough day and called him to talk about it. He knew she loved ice cream, so after ringing off, he went straight to the grocery store, bought a huge ice cream, drove to her house and left it on her doorstep. Then he called from the driveway to tell her to look outside.
“She just beamed when she saw it. I don’t think leaving her a million dollars would have made her happier.”
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数为100左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
After listening to story after story like this, I was inspired.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Australia Day, on 26 January, is in memory of the day in 1788 when Captain Arthur Phillip, commander of the First Fleet of 11 British ships, arrived at Sydney Cove to mark the birth of the colony (殖民). Every year, many in this nation of 24 million people gather on beaches and around barbeques to celebrate. From boats competitions, camel races, to outdoor concerts, Australians mark a public holiday more popularly treated as a late summer festival than the serious national day its founders intended it to be — a unifying celebration of the good fortune of being Australian and the values that unite the nation: freedom, independence, a fair go, mateship.
However, not all Australians feel the same about the day. Recently there has been much controversy over the correctness of celebrating on this date. Native Australians, in particular, have long referred to this date as "Invasion (入侵) Day" or "National Day of Mourning (哀悼)" in protest of the arrival of the British peoples. They mourn their ancestors who suffered and died during colonization. There has even been a growing push to change the date of the national celebration, a move popular with younger Australians but less so with older generations.
In response to the protests, the Australian government has recognized the traditional owners of the lands on which Australia Day activities take place, in the hope that Australians from all backgrounds come together to celebrate Australia as a multicultural society. "Our desire is that Australia Day is a time for inclusion, as well as an opportunity for greater understanding," one officer from The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts said.
1. What is the original purpose of Australia Day?| A．To observe a late summer festival. |
| B．To honor the arrival of the British. |
| C．To celebrate national identity and values. |
| D．To mourn the natives who suffered during colonization. |
| A．Debate. | B．Defence. | C．Faith. | D．Puzzle. |
| A．They mourned the suffering of native Australians. |
| B．They recognized native Australians’ independence. |
| C．They protested against native Australians’ ownership of the land. |
| D．They brought loss of life and hardship among native Australians. |
| A．More Australia Day activities will be organized. |
| B．The date of Australia Day will soon be changed. |
| C．The protests of changing the date have already been settled. |
| D．Australia Day should be celebrated with understanding and respect. |
