1 . The Music Educator Award, this year, went to Annie Ray, an orchestra(管弦乐队)director at Annandale High School.She was recognized for her efforts to make music accessible to all students, particularly those with disabilities.Ray got to attend the awards ceremony in Los Angeles and bring home a $10,000 prize.
Ray created the Crescendo Orchestra for students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as a parent orchestra that teaches nearly 200 caregivers a year to play the same instrument as their child.Ray also works with a local charity to give damaged instruments a second life in her classroom.
The orchestra is about much more than just making music.The most important is to give students a chance to develop their cooperation skills, make mistakes and learn the art of refining something.Ray pushes her students to be brave, go outside their comfort zone and realize they have to learn how to make bad sounds before learning how to make good sounds.And they teach her a lot in return.” They changed my educational philosophy.I understand what it truly means to meet a student where they’re at and apply that elsewhere,” she said.
The warm reception on the ceremony was meaningful.Actually, not many people understand what exactly music educators do or how much their work matters.While her administration is supportive, that lack of understanding is a problem facing the profession in general.Another is resources.She says her school “desperately” needs new instruments.She will use some of her prize money to buy more.
Ray also plans to put some of the money towards an ongoing scholarship for students who want to pursue music when they graduate.She knows of several, those particularly interested in music, and aims to offer financial support needed to realize their musical dreams” It is hard but truly satisfying,” Ray said.“And there’s nothing else like it for them.”
1. What can we learn about Ray from the first two paragraphs?| A．She hosted the award ceremony. | B．She brought music to more people. |
| C．She gave away instruments to the poor. | D．She founded a local charity for children. |
| A．They acquire in-depth musical knowledge. | B．They make friends with the like-minded. |
| C．They gain personal growth from playing music. | D．They improve their connections with educators. |
| A．The reception on the ceremony. | B．Importance of music education. |
| C．Challenges for music educators. | D．Plans to obtain resources. |
| A．Winning a scholarship. | B．Developing interest in music. |
| C．Making musical achievements. | D．Transforming dreams into reality. |
Debra, a five-year-old cousin of mine, often annoyed me. She wished me to stay with her, talk to her and teach her dancing. I hated it and never taught her to dance. That hot July afternoon, Debra annoyed me again.
Our big family all gathered together at a friend’s outdoor wedding. The children were running around and playing games. The afternoon couldn’t have been better. My friends and I gathered together and excitedly talked about our up-and-coming freshman year. Debra desired to join us, but what could a five-year-old kid contribute to our conversations?
I left the table where we were sitting, leaving behind my mother, my grandmother and Debra. I walked inside the house and greeted everyone inside before making my way to the bathroom. As I was washing my hands, there was a big knock and the bathroom door burst open. It was an older cousin of mine, Sylvia. With a look of fear, anxiety and shock, she rushed to find towels. I figured one of the kids was injured while playing. “There has been a bad accident outside,” she told me and rushed out.
What kind of accident? Was anyone hurt? I left the bathroom. A woman approached and told me that a guest who was leaving the party had lost control of his car. Then I heard a voice calling my name. It was my mother. She told me, “Debra has been badly hurt. Come and help rescue her!” My heart dropped to my feet. I was struck by the sudden thought that I might lose her.
I hurried outside. Tables and chairs were overturned everywhere by the runaway car. I was in shock. My mother quickly drove our car around and laid down the backseat. But where was Debra? I saw her parents running from a room with a piece of board, perfectly Debra’s size. I didn’t see my tiny cousin until she was put onto the board and laid in the car, crying. Her new white dress had blood, and on her left shoe was a tire (轮胎) mark.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Together, we hurried to drive towards the hospital.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“She’ll walk again as long as you take good care of her,” the doctor told us.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . When Julia came upon a number of sketches (草图) her grandmother had made decades ago, they took her breath away. She already had a very
In the 1940s, Julia’s grandmother had been admitted to a
Decades later, though, the granddaughter also developed a
She didn’t let that
Julia is not sure where the project will take her, but her main
| A．close | B．strange | C．steady | D．poor |
| A．transform | B．train | C．motivate | D．raise |
| A．law | B．language | C．fashion | D．drama |
| A．take off | B．settle down | C．start over | D．drop out |
| A．lifelong | B．romantic | C．impossible | D．unfinished |
| A．passion | B．request | C．schedule | D．platform |
| A．barrier | B．bond | C．division | D．distinction |
| A．life | B．career | C．school | D．office |
| A．upset | B．slow | C．distract | D．stop |
| A．how | B．what | C．why | D．where |
| A．journey | B．evidence | C．method | D．vision |
| A．Luckily | B．Naturally | C．Gradually | D．Instantly |
| A．role | B．problem | C．reason | D．focus |
| A．sparing | B．killing | C．enjoying | D．saving |
| A．shared | B．particular | C．delightful | D．keen |
4 . Washing machines are one of the greatest inventions of the last few centuries.They have made life easier. Unfortunately, washing machines also contribute to the environmental issues of energy use and micro-plastics flowing into the oceans. That is why the washing machine manufacturer (制造商), Samsung, and the outdoor-wear company, Patagonia, are working together to make a change.
For Patagonia, the issue of micro-plastics has been on its mind for years — its woolen jackets release many microfibers. As for Samsung, new requirements throughout the world have forced many producers to start thinking about ways to help reduce the number of micro-plastics. There are currently more than 14 million tons of micro-plastics floating in the oceans. Though people previously think of things such as plastic bottles and fishing lines when it comes to plastics in the ocean, thousands of micro-plastics are released into seas with every wash.
The issue is a sort of catch-22. In order to reduce energy costs, manufacturers try to make their machines more efficient. These machines use hotter water and are designed to create more friction (摩擦) between the clothing in the machine. However, both of these things lead to the release of more micro-plastics. So, using Patagonia clothes as test cases, Samsung came up with a two-fold solution: One is a technology called Eco-bubbles, which creates more bubbles to make the detergent (洗涤剂) more powerful, and the other is a water purifier that can filter (过滤) out more micro-plastics.
The cooperation between the two companies is proof of how complicated protecting the environment can be. On the one hand, clothing that is well-constructed and durable is a weapon in the fight against fast fashion. On the other hand, the material used to make those clothes and the way they are washed can also add pollutants to the environment.The same goes for washing machines. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The fight against climate change requires creative thinking and learning how to attack a problem from many angles. This will certainly lead to even more strange and fruitful cooperation between the environmentally conscious companies.
1. What is Samsung’s purpose in partnering the outdoor clothing company?| A．To limit the use of micro-plastics. |
| B．To solve the issue of energy waste. |
| C．To find a solution to micro-plastic pollution. |
| D．To produce high-efficiency washing machines. |
| A．A tricky situation. | B．A questionable fact. |
| C．A possible dream. | D．A practical method. |
| A．Using hotter water. |
| B．Creating more friction. |
| C．Using powerful detergents. |
| D．Adding a water purifier to washing machines. |
| A．The difficulty in fighting against fast fashion. |
| B．The complexity of environment conservation. |
| C．The influence of humans’ active action. |
| D．The importance of creative thinking. |
5 . Having a personal trainer is one of the best ways to stay on track with your workouts, push your limits and try new things. But it often costs more than $100 a class, and getting to and from the gym can take up a lot of time.
Over the past ten years, fitness apps have been trying to copy the personal training experience exactly, and in recent years many have included artificial intelligence (AI) to create workouts. A growing number of products offer personalized works that match your abilities, goals and equipment you have, which usually cost around $100 a year.
However, some experts warn that while AI fitness apps are useful for many exercisers, they’re not the right fit for everyone.
AI fitness apps create personalized training programs using information from personal users and the experiences of other users.
In the future, these apps could collect even more information to give ever more personalized feedback (反馈), said futurist David Brin. But, he added, more information doesn’t always lead to better advice. “What you need to consider is whether the advice will actually be good for you, in the long run,” he said.
Furthermore, computers can learn a lot about different workout routines, but they can’t yet create the social interactions that make the training successful, said Nikola Banovic, professor of computer science and engineering at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Michigan.
The AI fitness apps we have now can’t offer encouragement or provide comfort on a bad day. “As humans, we need more than just the workouts that will get us to our goals,” Dr Banovic said. “We need to be encouraged — that’s something only a real trainer can do right now. It will be some time before AI training does this well.”
1. What is the main advantage of AI fitness apps over personal trainers?| A．Requiring less exercise equipment. |
| B．Offering coaching services at a lower price, |
| C．Creating more personalized training plans. |
| D．Providing a better personal training experience. |
| A．Users should work harder to protect their personal information. |
| B．AI fitness apps should find more tools for collecting information. |
| C．Users should be careful with the advice offered by AI fitness apps. |
| D．AI fitness apps should be improved to meet the needs of every user. |
| A．Setting achievable goals. |
| B．Adding live chat services. |
| C．Learning new workout routines. |
| D．Developing useful interactions. |
| A．How do AI fitness apps change the way you exercise? |
| B．Would an AI trainer be better than a real trainer? |
| C．Can AI trainers take the place of the real one? |
| D．How do experts feel about an AI trainer? |
1. 外貌特征；
2. 兴趣爱好；
3. 相处感受。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；开头己给出，不计入总词数；
2. 可适当发挥，以使行文连贯。
It has been a week since I arrived in England to attend this exchange program.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Traveling by train in China is a cost-effective, comfortable, and safe mode of transportation. The train cabins are well-maintained and
Trains leave and arrive on schedule, and there are seldom any delays,
Chinese train is not only a convenient transportation when
8 . When Jenny Streete began caring for older people more than 50 years ago, prejudice was part of her everyday working life. Streete, who grew up in Jamaica and came to England in 1967, had a way of dealing with it: “Just put a smile on your face,” she says. “If you let bad words into your brain, it will only cause you more harm.”
The 81-year-old remembers one instance of abuse.
Streete says: “The sister who was managing the ward (病房) tried to calm a woman down. But I told the sister to let her say what she has to say. I don’t mind.”
The next night, Streete noticed the woman’s blanket had fallen off. She replaced it, telling the patient in a low voice exactly what she was doing and why. The same thing happened the next night, and the next. “But then, the night that I was off duty, that same woman asked the sister: ‘Where is that black lady? I don’t want anyone else to look after me while she is on duty. She was so kind.’”
Brought up by her grandparents, Streete found her vocation after a mystery illness that nearly killed her, and left her with permanently damaged vision. She got better, she says, because of “loving care and tenderness”. When she came to England, she was determined to give that care to others.
And Streete hopes to carry on caring for older people as long as possible — although, she says, her children are urging her to retire. She currently works two nights a week in an end-of-life ward which provides specialist nursing. Many of the people she looks after are now a similar age to her.
Her preference for night shifts hasn’t changed, either. She frequently stays on after her shift is finished, to spend time with residents.
She urges those considering a career in care to think hard about why they’re choosing it. “Sometimes, people are not happy because they don’t want to do the job — they have to do it, because there is no other way. Wanting to do it is very different from having to do it.”
But the key quality a care worker needs, she says, is patience, “Some people like to do everything quick-quick-quick, but you have to take your time with residents. I just try to treat everybody the way I would like to be treated.”
1. What do we know about Jenny Streete?| A．She never accepts others’ words. |
| B．She minded so much when abused. |
| C．She fell ill when she left Jamaica. |
| D．She has her own opinions about nursing. |
| A．Her love for England. | B．The tender care she got. |
| C．Older people’s prejudice. | D．Her grandparents’ encouragement. |
| A．Serious and wise. | B．Positive but stubborn. |
| C．Responsible and patient. | D．Honest but indifferent. |
| A．Jenny Streete’s care for others in her whole life. |
| B．Jenny Streete’s advice on how to find a good job. |
| C．Jenny Streete’s experiences of fighting disease. |
| D．Jenny streete’s determination to remove prejudice. |
Amy and Beth were waiting for their mom, Mrs. March, to have a Christmas breakfast.
“Merry Christmas, little daughters! But I want to say one word before we sit down. Not far away from here lies a poor woman with a little newborn baby. Six children were suffering freezing cold and hunger, for they have no fire and nothing to eat over there. My girls, will you them your breakfast as a Christmas present?”
They were rather hungry, having waited nearly an hour, and for a minute no one spoke. Suddenly, Amy shouted, “I’m so glad you came before we began!” “May I go and help carry the things to the poor little children?” asked Beth eagerly. “I shall take the cream and the muffins (松油饼),” added Amy, heroically giving up the food she most liked. Beth was putting the bread into one big plate.
“I thought you’d do it,” said Mrs. March, smiling as if satisfied. “You two shall go and help me, and when we come back we will have some bread and milk for breakfast, and make it up at dinnertime.”
They were soon ready, and the group set out. It was early and few people were walking on the street. They went through back streets and arrived at the destination.
A poor, simple, terrible room it was, with broken windows, no fire. A sick mother, a crying baby and a group of pale, hungry children were hiding under the old bedclothes, trying to keep warm.
How the big eyes stared as the group went in, with a basket of Christmas articles.
“Oh, my God! Here come good angels!” said the poor woman, crying for joy.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为80个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
In a few minutes, these lovely angels began their work.
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10 . Torbjorn Pedersen is a Danish traveler who recently finished a trip around the world. But this wasn’t just any trip. Mr. Pedersen spent nearly 10 years
As he began to plan his trip, he made a few
It took him far longer. The first part of his trip was pretty easy. He
But he also had many good
On July 26, 2023 Mr. Pedersen arrived back in Denmark after a 33-day boat ride. He was
| A．checking | B．visiting | C．recognizing | D．contacting |
| A．attempts | B．guesses | C．wishes | D．rules |
| A．town | B．city | C．country | D．continent |
| A．check out | B．make up | C．apply for | D．live on |
| A．traveled | B．cut | C．drove | D．hiked |
| A．challenge | B．awkwardness | C．responsibility | D．honour |
| A．got | B．moved | C．turned | D．focused |
| A．sillier | B．stranger | C．crazier | D．harder |
| A．reminded | B．concerned | C．held | D．attended |
| A．actually | B．unavoidably | C．seriously | D．obviously |
| A．experiences | B．emotions | C．traditions | D．proposals |
| A．make out | B．die out | C．refer to | D．give up |
| A．back | B．open | C．big | D．secret |
| A．met | B．blocked | C．waved | D．observed |
| A．quote | B．donate | C．preserve | D．share |
