1 . 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。

Summer vacation was finally coming, and Rose couldn’t wait to have a trip with her parents. She recalled the joyful experiences they shared last summer, which filled her with excitement for the upcoming holiday.

“Girls!” Rose heard her father calling. She raced to her big sister’s room, 1ellingherthatDad was calling them, and they rushed downstairs log either. Dad put his arm around Mom and told them that they were going on a trip to the Virunga Mountains of Africa. There were three national parks that they would visit.

Rose and Gina looked at each other. “What?” they said with one voice. Mom told them it would be really exciting to go there on a trip. At 12 years old, Rose would prefer going to an amusement park or a beach. She thought it important to let her parents know she didn’t want to go there but to the beach for a week or two.

“Well,” said Dad, “I have to go for an assignment for the paper. We’re covering the mountain gorillas(大猩猩) because they’re critically endangered these years. So, I thought it’d also be a great place to take a vacation. I’m sure it’ll be very educational for you girls.”

Gina let out a sigh, unable to contain her disappointment. She wanted to say something but Mom interrupted and announced that the trip was set on the next Monday.

“Sit down, both of you.” Dad had on his severe look. “Girls, it’s important for you to know about the world around you. This is a wonderful chance for you to experience and learn an amazing place. Do you know anything about the mountain gorillas?”

The sisters shook their heads.

“Well, get your laptop computer, Gina. I want you to look them up right now,” said Dad, “Rose, there is a book on the bookshelf about the cute mountain gorillas. Find it and read it.”

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。

The girls dragged their feet upstairs.

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The next Monday came and the family set out excitedly.

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3 . Join the Virtual Book Club

Join our virtual community, which will introduce you to fellow alumni (校友) across industries, generations, and geographies all while gaining different perspectives by reading the book.

Why Join

Reading is good for you. It can reduce stress and increase your emotional intelligence and your creativity. The facilitated book club will also provide new insights to make you more effective in areas including leadership and communications skills, which will help you become a lifelong learner.

How It Works

Joining is completely free. You just have to get a copy of the book to enjoy. Then you can participate anywhere you have Internet access and on days and times that are convenient for you.

The book club will connect through a private forum where all participants can discuss the current book and network with each other. It will have a leader from Professional Book Club (PBC) Guru who manages the forum, shares relevant articles and facilitates conversation about topics in the book. Members will be encouraged to post and share as well.

The Books

The book club will read one book every two months so that you’ll have plenty of time for each book. We will vote among several options each period and decide on the book to read according to reader interests. Feel free to name specific titles and include things like “not too technical” or “easy but informative reads.” Our May to July Selection: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. If you have between 1 and 1.5 hours a week to read, you should be fine.

1. What is probably the main reason for joining the club?

A．To meet schoolmates	B．To improve academic performance.
C．To raise health level.	D．To embrace continuous learning.

2. What are you expected to do in the club?

A．Download the book in advance.	B．Have online discussions.
C．Manage public forums.	D．Post personal experiences.

3. On what basis does the club select the book to read?

A．Reader interests	B．Sales volume.
C．Writer’s popularity.	D．Expert recommendations.

4 . One of the most common questions I get from concerned gardeners is how to deal with climbing plants, like ivy. The thinking behind this is that climbers are a dragon brickwork and can cause structural damage to buildings. But when you actually look at the science, very few of these f cars are based on any evidence.

A 2020 study of a range of climbing plants on model brick buildings found that the shade cast by the plants’ leaves cooled the surface of the buildings in the summer by as much as 5.7℃, reducing the wide swings between day and night temperatures-a key driver of surface structural damage. It also lowered summer temperatures inside the buildings by up to 7.2℃, and was even projected to reduce heating bills by as much as 20 percent in the winter. Despite concerns that plant strap moisture (水分) against brickwork, leading to damp issues, the same trial showed ivy didn’t significantly raise moisture levels-rather, it helped stabilise them, minimising changes that could damage the buildings surfaces

It is worth bearing in mind that these results were from model buildings with new brickwork. What about well-used buildings? Well another study, this one from 2011, found that in five historical buildings, bare walls experienced average maximum temperatures 36 percent higher and minimum temperatures 15 percent lower compared with those coated in leaves.

The researchers concluded that the living protection provided by those climbing plants would “reduce the likelihood of frost and salt damage to the building materials, thus contributing to their conservation”. They also found that the leaves’ ability to trap pollution could reduce the damage to historical walls.

Imagine if there was a new material that could cool cities and cut energy bills, all while looking beautiful. Did I mention it was also self-cleaning and carbon negative? The truth is that we have had this amazing material all along, but rather than appreciating it we have spent huge amounts of time worrying about bow to tear it down.

1. What are gardeners commonly concerned about?

A．Poor quality of brickwork.	B．Weeds competing for space.
C．Damage caused by construction.	D．Potential dangers of climbing plants.

2. What do climbing plans mainly serve as according to the 2020 study?

A．A temperature adjuster.	B．A moisture tester.
C．A pollution monitor.	D．An air purifier.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Possible doubts about the findings.	B．Analysis of the experimental data.
C．Supporting evidence for the findings.	D．Explanation for the research process.

4. What is the author’s attitude toward climbing plants?

A．Unclear.

B．Dismissive.

C．Appreciative.

D．Tolerant.

5 . As social creatures, research has histoncally pointed us away from time alone. But recently, more people are spending time away from the crowd, and even seem to desire it. In Solitude (独处) — The science and power of being alone, a book co-written by Heather Hansen, an award-winning journalist and author, with the researcher Thuy-vy Nguyen, they set out to understand how everyday solitude affects people’s lives.

In the largest study of its kind, thousands aged between 13 and 85 participated in online surveys. For some, think of the word “solitude”, and they will think of a determined hiker alone in the wilderness. Most people described experiences of solitude achieved while, for example, walking in a park or writing in a journal. Surprisingly, some described solitude as having a psychological distance from others, but not necessarily a physical one.

In several separate experiments, Nguyen found that when people spend 15 minutes alone, there is a “deactivation effect”, meaning “high excitement” emotions like anxiety are decreased, while positive “low excitement” feelings like calmness are increased, which wasn’t seen when people spent 15 minutes with another person. One caveat is that sometimes solitude also increases the negative low excitement feeling of loneliness. However, a further experiment showed that this increase could be weakened when individuals chose to think about positive thoughts or when they were given a choice whether to spend time alone.

The list doesn’t end there, though. Several studies link time alone and creativity, but only when people avoid social interactions because of what is known as a “non-fearful” preference for solitude. On the other hand, there is no such link in those whose fear or anxiety prevents them from interacting with others, or because of avoidance, where people disliked social interactions.

Now think about the next time you will be on your own. Will you enjoy or suffer it? As evidence increases for how time alone can be a positive force in shaping our lives, Hansen and her colleagues recommend planning for it-and protecting it.

1. What is the survey in paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．When solitude is needed.	B．What solitude looks like.
C．How solitude affects people’s lives.	D．How people make the best of solitude.

2. What does the underlined word “caveat” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Trap.

B．Bonus.

C．Warning.

D．Prediction.

3. According to the studies, time alone will boost creativity for those who__________.

A．prefer to take risks	B．choose to be alone without fear
C．dislike social interactions	D．enjoy negative emotions

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

A．The Power of One	B．Profit of Socializing
C．The Urge to Live Alone	D．Battle Against Solitude

6 . On a hot summer day when I was 13, I was bored in my attic (阁楼) bedroom. Thinking about how to _________ that boredom, I leaned (斜靠) sideways, and my hand landed on a floorboard, which _________ up and almost hit me in the head.

When I looked inside the open space _________, there was something like a book. I _________ it out. It was old and small: Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. I wondered whom these quotations were supposed to be _________ to, because I’d never heard of this book. And _________ I was bored, I decided to see what was inside the book. I started to _________the pages, reading about different _________. I learned about comfort, hope, love and even loneliness.

I began spending all my free time reading Bartlett’s. It felt like a new world _________before me. I learned about different quotes and phrases, and I got to __________ how language could be used to __________ complex emotions. I also realized how those emotions I’d felt while reading Bartlett’s became __________ in the characters I encountered in novels.

When I went to college, Bartlett’s came with me. Over the years, I’ve kept my __________ copy, which I still often refer to. I’ve bought a few of the newer __________, but the first one is the one that __________ me, that helped me escape from the boredom, and see more than my young mind and heart could understand.

1.

A．relieve

B．knock

C．experience

D．defend

2.

A．picked

B．turned

C．popped

D．came

3.

A．curiously

B．patiently

C．aimlessly

D．secretly

4.

A．let

B．pulled

C．reached

D．kicked

5.

A．challenging

B．familiar

C．important

D．acceptable

6.

A．although

B．after

C．supposing

D．since

7.

A．leaf through

B．check over

C．look for

D．tear off

8.

A．cultures

B．emotions

C．themes

D．lessons

9.

A．changing

B．marching

C．unfolding

D．passing

10.

A．mess

B．grasp

C．expect

D．question

11.

A．identify

B．hide

C．control

D．express

12.

A．a live

B．misty

C．mixed

D．weak

13.

A．original

B．special

C．handheld

D．complete

14.

A．works

B．styles

C．products

D．editions

15.

A．shocked

B．sheltered

C．liberated

D．defined

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Lhasa, the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau, has been the administrative capital of Tibet since the mid-17th century. If you’ve ever had the chance     1     (visit) it, there are many places you.     2     (simple) cannot miss. The Jokhang Temple is like the ultimate hotspot for pilgrims (朝圣者),     3     total must to see. It stands as one of the most appealing sites in Tibet as it     4     (house) the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha that’s more than 2, 500 years old, with tons of people     5     (look) around. The temple surroundings have become quite commercialized over the years.

The Barkhor Street,     6     all high tech has been used to create a good atmosphere, is a popular place for     7     (local) and now for tourists. The local crew teamed up with the brainiacs from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and built this wireless street lamp network. No more     8     (mess) wires ruining your view so now you can become completely involved in the scenery     9     anything that turns your attention away.

You can find many surrounding sites attractive and get almost everything here: beautiful objects, a constant stream of tourists and some seriously passionate pilgrims. All this is     10     makes this place a magical one-of-a-kind destination.

8 . Feeling guilty about your daily afternoon nap (小睡)? Don’t. Research shows that catching a few ZZZs after lunch can be good for your brain.     1    

Napping for 30 to 90 minutes can provide significant brain benefits. Researchers looked at data from 2,974 adults in China. They discovered that those who napped for 30 to 90 minutes bad better word recall and figure drawing abilities than those who didn’t nap or napped for longer than 90 minutes. However, longer naps, particularly those longer than 90 minutes, might cause problems.     2     It in tum leads to needing longer naps during the day, which can cause mental issues, feeling dizzy after waking, and trouble sleeping at night.

Charlene Gamaldo, M.D., medical director of the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center, emphasizes the importance of considering individual sleep needs and cycles when it comes to napping.     3     She advises that if you’re experiencing sleeplessness or taking longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night, it might be wise to limit your nap duration. This balance is crucial for maintaining overall sleep quality.

The study also suggests that both too much and too little sleep can be linked to poor health and a shorter life.     4     For most of us, the ideal nap length can have a significant positive impact on brain health and overall well-being.

    5     So, enjoy your afternoon nap, but keep it within the golden time range to get the most benefits.

A．It symbolizes a good memory.

B．Resting more during the day is restorative.

C．Therefore, it’s essential to get the right quantity.

D．But keep in mind that the length of your nap matters.

E．One reason is that they suggest poor quality in nighttime sleep.

F．A well-timed nap helps maintain thinking skills and good health.

G．While napping is beneficial, it should not disturb nighttime sleep.

9 . One Sunday, we arrived home from a wedding to find our neighbors siting among a pile of buckets, bot les, and anything they could fill water in. After inquiring, they said they had been waiting for the water truck. In some parts of Johannesburg, South Africa, homes have not had water in their taps for weeks and months on end.

Thankfully, my dad’s planning ahead blessed our home with a precious borehole (钻井) that provides us with freshwater every day. Sometimes, because we are off the grid (网格), we are not even aware of what is happening around us, especially with the lack of water-until we see people queuing up, waiting for the water trucks the government sends. Often, the trucks are late or run out of water before reaching our street.

In the spirit of Ubuntu, a Zulu (祖鲁语) term meaning humanity that also translates to: “I am because we are”, we encouraged the neighbors to collect their water from our borehole. We opened the gate and connected the pipe. Very quickly, the word spread, and old and young gathered with various-sized containers to collect this life-giving liquid. There was much laughter and chatter, along with some singing as bucket after bucket was filled. It was heartwarming to watch the young help the elderly carry their water home before returning for their own bucket. And as long as our family’s borehole is working, we practice Ubuntu.

“It is not safe to let strangers on to your property,” some say. But humanity drives us to take the risk because the burden is lessened when shared. It is what we need for our collective survival.

A simple act of sharing water has spread hope in the community that we can overcome the difficulties we face together.

1. What did the author find when arriving home?

A．Plastic bottles piled upon the road.

B．Neighbors were short of water.

C．Water trucks were out of service.

D．Public facilities were damaged.

2. What is the father like according to paragraph 2?

A．Forward-looking.

B．Hard-working.

C．Well-educated.

D．Self-confident.

3. Which of the following best interprets the spirit of Ubuntu?

A．One good tum deserves another.

B．A man can do no more than he can.

C．Hardship makes a man wise, not rich.

D．We are stronger when standing together.

4. What does the underlined word “It” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Property.

B．Humanity.

C．Risk.

D．Burden.