1 . On a Friday evening in December, I lost my job. That was _________. I was excited about the weekend, when my daughter Kristil and I _________ to get our Christmas tree. Then I listened to my voicemail: “We are sorry, but we decided to _________ you.” I was a single mother and my income was survival. The next day, I struggled to be _________ as I eyed the Christmas tree prices.

Over the next week, I applied for _________ like crazy as my bank account grew smaller. On a weekend afternoon, I dropped Kristil in a _________ community for a birthday party surrounded by all the nice things that we couldn’t _________. I drove home feeling sad.

Back at home, I looked out the window at the heavy snow and _________ a woman opening her car door against the strong wind. As she _________, I realized it was my old teacher, Sister Esther. I rushed out and asked, “What are you doing out in this ____________?” She said, “I looked for you at your ____________ and it was said that you had left, so I thought I would ____________.” I made her tea and we talked. Before leaving, she handed me a Christmas card.

Later on when I opened her card, I was ____________. There was a lot of money inside. Tears of gratitude filled my eyes as I ____________. Sister Esther had given me $1,000. In 2020, at age of 91, Sister Esther died, but the ____________ she gave during her life lives on in my heart.

1.

A．unexpected

B．unfair

C．unavoidable

D．unnecessary

2.

A．forgot

B．refused

C．managed

D．planned

3.

A．judge

B．monitor

C．fire

D．charge

4.

A．encouraged

B．thoughtful

C．surprised

D．cheerful

5.

A．puddings

B．posts

C．shares

D．places

6.

A．small

B．safe

C．wealthy

D．unique

7.

A．remember

B．afford

C．find

D．appreciate

8.

A．spotted

B．felt

C．imagined

D．recognized

9.

A．came in

B．walked away

C．settled down

D．got out

10.

A．business

B．weather

C．room

D．situation

11.

A．company

B．school

C．hotel

D．house

12.

A．call

B．drive

C．visit

D．pay

13.

A．shocked

B．satisfied

C．confused

D．inspired

14.

A．searched

B．counted

C．packed

D．celebrated

15.

A．guidance

B．joy

C．care

D．advice

2 . 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。

“April 23 is English Language Day,” says Melissa, jumping up and down. “What a surprise, dear. What would we have done without you reminding us?” jokes Lindsay.

Melissa burst out laughing loudly. “What I meant was that April 23 is a very special day for all of us and I just wanted to make sure non e of you forgot about it.”

“What are your plans for that day?” questions Rocky. “I want to do something special to promote our beautiful English language,” dreams Jennifer.

“I have an idea,” says Lindsay. “Mango Street’s house No. 10 has been recently occupied (居住) by a family who is not fluent in the English language.”

“Where are they from?” asks Melissa. “I don’t know that but I heard the lady talking to the grocery store owner. She had great difficulty explaining her requirements. Her son and daughter also could not understand much. Why don’t we help them improve their English?” wonders Jennifer.

“It is a wonderful idea. Shall we go and let them know what we think?” asks Rocky. “Not now. We will go to meet them tomorrow,” decides Jason.

The next day, the five friends ring the doorbell of house No.10. A young girl opens the door and smiles at them. “May we come in?” asks Melissa. “We are your neighbors.”

The girl calls her mother. The sweet fat lady invites them inside with a smile. All of them sit on the chairs laid out on the front porch (门廊).

Jason explains their plan of helping them understand and speak English better. The lady seems grateful.

“We will help you in learning how to speak and understand our language,” says Lindsay.

The lady smiles her thanks. She point s to the fruits on the table. Rocky picks up one fruit at a time and names it. Jason asks her to repeat. She tries a few times and is able to call each fruit by its name. Her son and daughter learn the names too.

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。
Paragraph 1:

The friends stay for about an hour.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

On April 23, the new family holds a party for the five children.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . Being healthy is important. Often, we’re crazy about articles in health magazines talking about the latest popular diets, or advertisements that offer cures (疗法) for fatness that are often too good to be true. One of the latest crazy phenomena (现象) is intermittent fasting (间歇性禁食).     1    

There are different ways of intermittent fasting.     2     Another common way is choosing a diet that sees people only eating during a limited part of the day, for example, over eight hours.

    3     A study suggests intermittent fasting may help control blood sugar and reduce the possibility of suffering related disease. Other studies have shown intermittent fasting may help slow the ageing process, support brain function, lose weight, etc.

Some people try intermittent fasting for weight management, and others use the method to deal with some conditions such as high cholesterol or arthritis.     4     Fasting might not suit those who are underweight or with a long-term medical condition. Fasting may cause some people to experience symptoms (症状) such as headaches or make them easily suffer from overeating after a reduced calorie intake (热量摄入) day.

As with many diets, it’s always wise to speak to your doctor or weight-loss professional before changing your eating habits. And, at the end of the day, it could just come down to what lifestyle choice suits you.     5     If not, your health may suffer.

A．But what is intermittent fasting?

B．However, this diet isn’t for everyone.

C．Intermittent fasting has two main origins.

D．Let’s look at some of the possible benefits.

E．The idea of this is to reduce calories over a period.

F．In a word, you should avoid turning to intermittent fasting blindly.

G．You can eat normally on five days of a week and reduce calorie intake on the other two.

4 . Taking exercise in a crowded, noisy gym will improve your muscle but may not make much difference in your stress level. By contrast, hiking improves not only your physical fitness level, but your mental health as well. “I hike with friends every week. Whether I am wandering down a flat path along a river or climbing a rock y mountain in the wilderness, hiking can be beneficial to me because it exposes (使接触) me to outdoor scenes such as mountain s and rivers, which can always offer me good ideas about paintings and music,” Marry Copper, a hiker said.

Experts agree that hiking reduces stress. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), hiking increases the body’s production of endorphins, a type of chemical that improves mood (情绪). Endorphins also help you sleep more soundly, which will lower your stress level. However, not all scientists agree that hiking raises your endorphin level. Instead, some researchers believe that hiking causes the release of the chemical norepinephrine, which helps make you less excited or upset.

The controversy (争议) is ongoing, but it is clear that however it happens, hiking is useful when you are feeling anxious. Hiking can also help improve your confidence. Walking down a path is a repetitive motion, which can lead your brain into relaxing; you may “zone out” to the point where you won’t be thinking about anything in particular. Being outside in the open air may also help you exercise better because most people do indoors; getting out from under a roof can lift your spirits.

Hiking may improve your mood more than a gym workout will, but your risks are also greater. People sometimes try to make their own way rather than stick to established paths. They are proud to say they like to have an adventure. However, people who try to do something new could be attacked by wildlife and get hurt and lost. So stick to the known roads and bring a cellphone with you, and always tell someone where and when you are going hiking, even if you have a partner going with you.

1. Why does Marry Copper like hiking?

A．She dislikes exercising in the gym.	B．She can meet new friends when hiking.
C．She can draw inspiration from nature.	D．She has the spirit of adventure in the wilderness.

2. What do we know about the study of hiking?

A．Scientists have reached an agreement.

B．Sound sleep can increase the body’s endorphin level.

C．Stress is caused by the body’s production of endorphin.

D．The chemical norepinephrine could make people calm.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards exploring new roads during hiking?

A．Negative

B．Positive

C．Objective

D．Unclear

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How can hiking cause controversy?	B．Why do people like exercising outdoors?
C．What do hikers like to do in the wilderness?	D．What benefits can hiking bring to people?

5 . This is the last Christmas that Faye and Matthew have spent in their house, which has already been sold. Faye and Matthew Gooding and their five young sons appear to have perfect lives. For the couple themselves, however, this “materially perfect world” was lacking in something—so now they are giving up all their possessions to travel around the world with their children. Most of their belongings have been given to their neighbors. Faye said, “It is a relief to get rid of so many possessions. Thankfully, our parents understand and support us.”

“I hesitated for a while because some friends think Faye and I are mad to give up so much. When we told the older boys, they were so excited that they were going to have so much time as a family. It made me realize the amount of toys or material possessions can’t replace time spent with our children. They’ve had to give away so many toys, bikes and books. My wife Faye was so determined to keep to our plan,” said Matthew.

They will leave this month and plan to start their travels in Sweden where they have friends. Faye said, “My older boys plot where we go next but we hope to see Europe and over two years travel as far as Japan, America, Bali and Thailand. We don’t plan to hire any tour guides. We just depend on a compass and local people to move in the right direction.”

Faye, who posts on Instagram as a mother of five boys, added, “It is a risk because we are giving up so much. I, however, even plan to quit my job after the travel. We can’t wait to spend more time with our sons without the stresses of everyday routines. We don’t know what will happen, but we do know if we didn’t do this we would always regret it.”

1. How will Faye and Matthew cover the travel costs?

A．By selling their house.	B．By doing part-time jobs.
C．By asking parents for help.	D．By borrowing from neighbors.

2. What is Faye’s attitude towards traveling around the world?

A．Worried

B．Excited

C．Uncertain

D．Firm

3. Who will decide where the family will travel?

A．Faye

B．Matthew

C．The children

D．The tour guide

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A travel guidebook

B．A life journal

C．A paper

D．A diary

6 . Many high school students look forward to volunteering abroad. Here are some programs that such students can consider.

Spring Break Voluntary Service

Through this program, you’ll volunteer to build schools and community centers in the Dominican Republic, and help with reforestation (重新造林) or water purification (净化) projects. You’ll also have the chance to spend some free time on beaches, and explore freshwater lakes and underwater caves. This eight-day program costs $1,899.

Tanzania Expedition

Raleigh International’s Tanzania Expedition includes an adventurous hike in the Southern Highlands, through which you can help out with some environmental projects, and also pick up wildness survival skills. Except for these, volunteer work includes planting trees, improving access to clean water, and helping with hygiene (卫生) awareness events. This expedition lasts five, seven, or ten weeks, starting at $2,595.

Volunteer in Sri Lanka

Plan My Gap Year (PMGY) is offering a Sri Lanka volunteering experience to travelers aged 16 and 17. For two weeks, you’ll explore and volunteer, with activities including visiting an elephant center, watching animals at Yala National Park, relaxing on the beach and volunteering for different projects which mainly focus on English teaching, elephants, and sea turtles. The cost starts at $1,599.

Volunteer in Morocco

Another volunteer opportunity perfect for teens is the Morocco program provided by Cross-Cultural Solutions, where you will be able to travel across this beautiful country for two or four weeks and help with education, health, technology, or sports leadership activities. The cost (including housing and meals, in-country transport handbooks, and more) starts at $750, plus a $249 registration fee (注册费).

1. What is special about Tanzania expedition?

A．It includes a trip to a national park.

B．It puts volunteering and adventure together.

C．It aims to raise locals’ environmental awareness.

D．It requires volunteers to be equipped with first aid skills.

2. What do the first program and the third one have in common?

A．They are of the same lasting time.	B．They are for teens aged 16 and 17.
C．They both stress environmental protection.	D．They offer volunteers chances to visit beaches.

3. What should you do if you want to attend the Morocco program?

A．Pay a registration fee.	B．Work out an activity plan.
C．Make a booking online.	D．Join Cross-Cultural Solutions.

7 . You’re chatting with a friend and want to recommend a good book.     1     It feels like it’s on the tip of your tongue, but the harder you try to remember, the more you can’t. We’ve all been there, and everyone knows how hard it is to remember all of that information in your head. Luckily, there are some things you can do to improve your memory.

·Repeat important information out loud.     2     When you repeat something out loud, you aren’t technically memorizing it. You’re actually creating a pattern and sound that will make the information easier to remember in the future.

·    3     Turn the TV off while you study and get off the phone while you’re driving. When you do different activities at the same time, your attention is divided, which will make it hard to process the information necessary to remember what you’re doing.

·Take notes and write things down. Taking notes will help you memorize the information, even if you never look at your notes again!     4     So you’re better off sticking to pen and paper if you really want to remember your friend’s birthday or an important meeting.

·Take a short walk. There’s a lot of scientific evidence that taking a walk will jog your memory. If you are trying to remember something, spend a few minutes walking around your neighborhood to see if it helps.     5     At best, you’ll remember the name of that life-changing book from grade school!

A．Focus on one thing at a time.

B．All of a sudden, you can’t remember the title!

C．At worst, you’ll get some exercise and relax a little.

D．Change your way of memorizing important information.

E．Say that address phone number, or date over and over again.

F．Remember something once makes it easier for you to remember it in the future.

G．Research shows that it’s hard to achieve the same effect by typing something on your phone.

8 . After inventing a life-saving device, a student is set to stand on the stage of the Global Innovation (创新) Challenge this fall.

Anna McCord, 13, won a top title at the National Innovator Challenge and has become the top story in the news. The National Innovator Challenge is a yearly competition that encourages and celebrates youth innovation where the top 10 inventions are chosen for “Top Innovator” honors. On July 3, the eighth-grader won “Top Innovator” for her invention, “Sea Me Here,” a device that makes anyone lost at sea more visible to the rescue team.

The “Sea Me Here” device is made from plastic and a metal ring. It can be stored in a small pocket or bag. When removed, it spreads into a much larger size behind the user, increasing visibility.

Anna said she came up with the idea for the device from her mother’s past diving experience. “My mom used to div e for a living and she would keep a white plastic bag in her pocket, so if she would ever get lost, she could stick it up on the surface,” Anna said. “I improved on that when she told me about it.”

Jeremy Brannon, Anna’s earth and life science teacher, said when Anna told him about her project, he was impressed. Brannon added that Ann a was independent with her project, asking for guidance only when needed.

The project took six months, Ann a said. “Everyone liked it... I got some good questions, and it helped me improve on the device,” Anna said.

Anna believes her invention has a bright future ahead. “The end goal would probably be to have it built into life jackets, so you could have it at anytime,” she said. “If you had a life jacket on you and you were lost at sea, you could just pop it out.”

1. Why was Anna in the news?

A．She won an honor in a national event.

B．She entered an international competition.

C．She became the youngest inventor in her school.

D．She saved a person’s life with an innovative device.

2. What can Anna’s invention be used for?

A．Making reusable plastic bags.

B．Collecting plastic waste from the sea.

C．Protecting the safety of rescue workers.

D．Helping rescue workers find people lost at sea.

3. Where did Anna get the idea for her invention?

A．From her teacher’s science class.

B．From her mother’s diving practice.

C．From her mother’s traveling stories.

D．From one of her diving experiences.

4. Which words can best describe Anna?

A．Hardworking and polite.	B．Warm-hearted and gifted.
C．Confident and smart.	D．Humorous and honest.

9 . Do you think you are too old to do something? Just go online and ________ the video of John Harrison doing the 50m backstroke in 2014.

He ________ the 100-104 years world record by 15 seconds! Yes, you read that ________. The 100-104 years group! A time of 1:29.78. The first ever British man to set records in that age group. The applause (掌声) is long-lasting and heartfelt from all the crowd. A(n) ________ moment.

John loved swimming. He still tried to keep ________ by swimming in his last years before he passed away at the age of 105 in January 2020. Many of John’s friends speak ________ of him saying he was a “wonderful man”.

John was born in Farnborough on 25 July, 1914. And his ________ in swimming was unusual. “When I was five years old, on the way home from school, I came across a small pond,” he said ________, “so I went swimming. It taught me two things. One, to swim; and two, not to drink the water.”

“My parents ________ two years later that I was still doing it. They were ______ at first. But their anger soon ________” when I said, “I didn’t get asthma (哮喘病) last winter. They then bought me a costume and ________ me swimming skills.”

However, John didn’t start swimming ________ until his wife told him to stop teaching swimming and life-saving classes and ________ the sport for himself at the age of 79. From then on, he didn’t look back and was full of praise for everyone who ________ him during his successes.

1.

A．change

B．watch

C．use

D．make

2.

A．broke

B．held

C．quit

D．put

3.

A．carefully

B．proudly

C．correctly

D．freely

4.

A．interesting

B．brief

C．private

D．amazing

5.

A．safe

B．close

C．fit

D．warm

6.

A．simply

B．highly

C．openly

D．lightly

7.

A．position

B．belief

C．start

D．success

8.

A．humorously

B．angrily

C．finally

D．shortly

9.

A．guessed

B．discovered

C．hoped

D．repeated

10.

A．happy

B．curious

C．sad

D．mad

11.

A．began

B．increased

C．disappeared

D．remained

12.

A．taught

B．forced

C．advised

D．reminded

13.

A．competitively

B．dramatically

C．comfortably

D．necessarily

14.

A．work out

B．take up

C．depend on

D．go through

15.

A．found

B．answered

C．supported

D．introduced

10 . The Australian National University (ANU) and an Australian start-up, Lunaria One, are teaming up to grow plants on the moon together, as early as 2025. Lunari a One’s ALEPH project is an early step toward growing plants for food, medicine and oxygen production. However, the problem is that the moon is like a desert (沙漠). There’s no life there, only dust, rocks and water.

“Space provides a unique opportunity to study how to grow plants in extreme environments,” said ANU Associate Professor Caitlin Byrt. “The extreme conditions that the Earth is facing because of climate change present challenges for how we manage food security in the future. Having controlled environments can create the ability to rapidly grow plants after natural disasters or events caused by climate change. So this project is important. If you can create a system for growing plants on the moon, then you can create a system for growing food in some of the most challenging environments on Earth.”

As to what plants to be grown on the moon researchers are still deciding, but one of the front runners under consideration is Tripogon loliiformis, a kind of Australian native (本土的) grass that can live in extreme conditions and survive for months without water. According to a plant biologist, even after losing more than 95 per cent of its relative water content, the dead-looking grass remains alive and continues to grow when provided with water. Whatever plants are selected, they will be transported to the moon in a dry and sleeping state and will come to life upon watering.

The ship will take off in 2025. Upon arrival, pictures and videos will be sent back to Earth over a 72-hour period and will be publicly accessible (可得到的). “The ALEPH project aims to make the science and engineering behind growing life on the moon open to people. And we hope to get everyone involved (参与的) and listen to their opinions. If you’re interested in the project, you can get all the necessary information from our website,” said Lauren Fell, the director of Lunaria One.

1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The methods of growing plants in space.	B．The challenges of growing plants after disasters.
C．The value of growing plants on the moon.	D．The need to grow food for a growing population.

2. Why is Tripogon loliiformis being considered for the project?

A．It can produce young plants fast.	B．It can live with little water.
C．It is the most common grass in Australia.	D．It can naturally wake up from a sleeping state.

3. What is Lauren Fell’s attitude towards the public joining the project?

A．Supportive.

B．Shocked.

C．Negative.

D．Worried.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Plants are on the moon for the first time

B．How to care for plants in extreme environments?

C．Why can this Australian native grass grow in space?

D．A space project aims to grow plants on the moon