1 . How to Protect Against Undue Influence Online

The potential for undue influence has become increasingly significant in this era of digital interconnectivity. Undue influence can affect our perceptions and influence our decisions. It may even end anger our autonomy (自主) and mental health.     1    

Understand what undue influence is

The first step to protecting yourself is understanding what undue influence is. Undue influence refers to a situation in which an individual or group employs unreasonable control over another person’s behavior information, thoughts, and emotions.     2     Disinformation campaigns, persuasive advertising, and even content designed to cause fear, uncertainty, or dependency may often appear online.

Develop media literacy skills

In an age of fake news, it is crucial to develop media literacy skills.     3     Become a consumer who can tell the quality of information, identify the source, check for credibility, and look for your unconscious assumptions and preferences.

    4    

Delete as much data as you can about yourself. Be mindful of what information you share online, and always ensure that your online activities are secured through reliable sources. Review all policies on platforms, especially “free” ones. If you aren’t paying, then you are the product, as in many cases, they are selling your data.

By including these steps into your digital life, you can protect yourself from undue influence in the online world, ensuring that you can think and act independently, free from ill control.

    5     It is your mind. Only you should control it!

A．Prioritize privacy

B．Be mindful of free ones

C．It’s vital to have a health y Internet and real-life balance.

D．In the digital world, undue influence can take many forms.

E．Everyone deserves the right to live free from undue influence.

F．They involve analyzing, evaluating, and creating media in various forms.

G．Here are some essential strategies for you to protect yourself online from undue influence.

2 . 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.

2. What do students benefit most from the orchestra?

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.

3. What is paragraph 4 of the text mainly about?

A．The reception on the ceremony.	B．Importance of music education.
C．Challenges for music educators.	D．Plans to obtain resources.

4. What does Ray find satisfying according to the last paragraph?

A．Winning a scholarship.	B．Developing interest in music.
C．Making musical achievements.	D．Transforming dreams into reality.

3 . 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。

I was eight years old and wasn’t aware of all the arrangements being made for our journey as a family to London in 1950. My mother was in great pain and wished to visit specialists in London. My father reluctantly had to sell our property in Queensland. The day before we boarded the ship, Father unwillingly said goodbye to his five-year-old cattle dog, Spider, who was loved by us all. Father’s friend Sandy was to be his guardian while we were overseas, as he had been getting to know Spider for many weeks.

Six weeks later, an airletter arrived from Sandy, giving my father the news that Spider had run away just two weeks after we had sailed. Sandy had advertised constantly on ABC and other regional newspapers. Despite many “sightings”, the dog was never found. It seems Spider just kept running and searching for us. As he was cattle dog, my father thought he would shoe or dingo-trapped, because of his appearance. But our family thought that Father held a secrets hope that Spider was still alive.

We sailed back to Australia two years later and re-established our home. My father immediately began his own search for Spider. One cold winter’s Saturday morning eight months after our return, my father had a call from an elderly lady living on her own on the outskirts of the town. As she told my father on the telephone, it was “just glimpses of a dingo-type dog in the shadows” of her disused tennis court. That was enough for my father to interrupt my homework.   

We set off in his blue and black Jensen car which he had brought back from England. It was hardly the right vehicle for the rough roads we travelled that day. Five and a half hours later, we found the run-down old property. Sadly, she told my father that the “dingo dog” hadn’t been around for a few days. My father had a strange look in his eye. He put two fingers to his lips and did his special whistle for Spider.

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。
Suddenly there was a sound in the bush.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once home we had the task of getting all the prickles (刺) off him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . Everyone deserves healthy meals. However, unfortunately, not everyone has ________ to fresh foods, ________ those in poor communities.

A teenager named Lauren Schroeder ________ this when she volunteered at a community food nonprofit. All vegetables for families in need came in cans and boxes, rather than straight from the fields. ________ to make a change, Lauren set out to grow produce so she could donate it to ________ families.

“I wanted people to get the nutrition they needed from fresh vegetables,” Lauren said. This ________ her to start a garden on her parents’ farm. While her mom was supportive, she made her ________ of how much work it would take-still, the teenager ________ the challenge.

To kick-start her project, Lauren got economic ________ from the National FFA Organization, which ________ agricultural education, to pay for seeds and gardening supplies. Then, the ________ work began. Since the summers in Iowa are very hot and dry, she had to water them daily. Lauren added, “I did a lot of research online and every day, it took about two or three hours.”

But all her efforts ________. Her first harvest resulted in 40 pounds of produce. “It was really good to know that anyone who wanted fresh vegetables would be able to get the ________,” Lauren said, “I knew that I wanted to keep going.”

So far, she has spent over 1,000 hours working in the garden, producing 7,000 pounds of vegetables. “I want to ________ community members. It makes a(n) ________ when you help other people out. That’s what makes me happiest,” Lauren said.

1.

A．invitation

B．access

C．admission

D．ticket

2.

A．especially

B．actually

C．obviously

D．extremely

3.

A．confirmed

B．appreciated

C．recognized

D．identified

4.

A．Arranging

B．Determining

C．Struggling

D．Pretending

5.

A．musical

B．familiar

C．unique

D．low-income

6.

A．recommended

B．reminded

C．inspired

D．requested

7.

A．aware

B．confident

C．certain

D．free

8.

A．took up

B．looked into

C．applied for

D．went over

9.

A．guidance

B．support

C．pressure

D．benefit

10.

A．organizes

B．expects

C．promotes

D．demands

11.

A．amazing

B．specific

C．professional

D．tough

12.

A．worked out

B．paid off

C．broke off

D．wore out

13.

A．reward

B．rescue

C．honour

D．donation

14.

A．impact

B．impress

C．challenge

D．observe

15.

A．discovery

B．profit

C．difference

D．intention

5 . Dusting is particularly annoying. Nearly two-thirds of household dust content comes from the outdoors, some of which may contain harmful chemicals. So, keeping your home as dust-free as possible is important to improve overall health.     1    ？

In general, you should dust your home’s most exposed surfaces on a weekly basis. This means items such as tables, shelves, beds, dressers, counter-tops and windows.     2    . Use microfiber or natural-fiber cloths that will pick up the dust.

Change your bed sheets weekly, as dust mites (螨) especially love bedding.     3    . Every three to six months, clean behind and under furniture, and wash your bedding.

Since so much dust comes in from the outdoors, you can cut down on the amount gathering in your home by keeping doors and windows closed as often as possible, and placing carpets on both sides of doors.     4    , changing them for a pair of slippers or private house shoes.

Get rid of odds and ends, which can easily attract dust, and be careful how you handle clothes. Since clothes both collects dust and sheds (掉落) fibers, regularly wash any clothes or don’t throw clothing on the ground.

When you’re getting ready to clean a room, always work from the top down.     5    , the dust on the highest surfaces will drift down to everything you’ve just cleaned.

A．If you dust from the bottom up

B．How can we keep the home dust-free

C．Why should we keep the home dust-free

D．You can remove your shoes when you come home

E．You can buy some new shoes before you return home

F．Don’t use feather dusters that simply push the dust around

G．Items that don’t collect dust easily can go a month without cleaning

6 . In the northernmost edge of Colombia sits the coastal town of Acandí. Access to the town is only by water or air; there is no road that leads there. The residents there are faced with the struggles of balancing livelihoods while protecting biodiversity.

In the past, traditional community fishing methods, passed down by the elders, focused on the reasonable fishing and management of resources. However, the introduction of large-scale trawling vessels(拖网渔船) decades ago gradually depleted the area’s fishing resources, leading to damage to marine(海洋的) life seriously.

Jesús Antonio Julio Cuestas, who serves in the region’s conservation and management of marine resources, stresses the bad impact of these developments and calls for new fishing techniques. “Fishing and conservation co-exist as long as we have good management practices and reasonable use of our fishing resources,” says Cuestas. He and other officials actively monitor fishing activities in Acandí. Each morning, they visit the fish markets to gather data on fishery resources—including prices and sizes—to monitor the state of the local fishing industry.

Along with Cuestas, the fishers work to reduce their impact on the marine ecosystem. By changing fishing methods and adopting new practices, they aim for a more balanced approach to fishing. “This year the local fishermen have not used the trawl net s that were causing the death of the leatherback sea turtles,” explains Cuestas proudly. Changes include the efforts of boats to protect the seagrass that serves as feeding grounds for marine life and an end to fishers throwing net s where turtles lay their eggs.

This marine reserve in Acandí, Cuestas believes, is their greatest treasure. He attaches great importance to working together with local residents to improve the quality of life while preserving the marine ecosystem. By doing so, he imagines a picture where individuals from the fishing community can pursue various careers, such as engineers or lawyers, proudly stating that they are the products of the fishing tradition in Acandí.

1. What does the underlined word “depleted” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Reused.	B．Restored.
C．Explored.	D．Reduced.

2. Why does Julio Cuestas call for new fishing techniques?

A．To cut down on the costs of fishing.

B．To improve the income of local residents.

C．To promote the well-being of marine wildlife.

D．To spread traditional community fishing methods.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The aim of the changes to fishing methods.

B．The efforts to preserve marine ecosystem.

C．The results the trawl net s have brought about.

D．The impact of fishers on the local environment.

4. What is Julio Cuestas’s attitude towards Acandí’s future?

A．Confident.	B．Uncaring.
C．Concerned.	D．Doubtful.

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。

China is the hometown of tea. China has all kinds of tea products, the main     1     (variety) are green tea, black tea, Oolong tea, scented tea, white tea, yellow tea and dark tea. Tea is China’s national drink. Chinese believe that drinking tea is     2     (benefit) to health.

According to one of Chinese legends, the tea     3     (discover) some 5, 000 years ago by Shennong Shi, whose name literally means Divine Farmer. Shennong Shi tasted hundreds of plants and got     4     (poison). He found tea can relieve the toxin in the body. Afterwards the custom of drinking tea was passed down     5     generation to another.

China is a country with a time-honored civilization and a land of ceremony and decorum (礼仪). Whenever guests visit, it is necessary     6     (make) and serve them with tea. Generally     7     younger generation always shows its respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. At the traditional Chinese marriage ceremony, both the bride and groom (新娘新郎) serve     8     (they) parents with tea.

Chinese tea culture refers to the methods of preparation of tea, the equipment used to make tea and the occasions in     9     tea is consumed in China.

When taking tea, the taster should also be able to savor (品尝) tea     10     (careful). Attention is also paid to environment, atmosphere, music, infusing (注入) techniques and interpersonal relationships.

8 . Mental health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, yet it is often ignored in our fast- paced society.     1     A well-cared and healthy mind leads to improved emotions, better relationships, and a more positive outlook on life.

    2     When we are stressed or upset, it is our mind’s way of reacting to negative stimuli(刺激). Good mental health allows us to cope with these emotions in a positive manner. In addition, when our minds are not clouded by negative thoughts or emotions it is easier to think clearly.     3    

Studies have shown that a person with good mental health lives longer and has a higher quality of life. The effects of positive mental health on the body are plenty, including reducing the risk of diseases and improving overall physical well-being.

Our mental state has a significant impact on relationships. People with good mental health are more likely to be kind and understanding.     4     This may further guarantee them with a stable emotional condition.

Mental health is as essential as physical health in maintaining a fulfilling life. If we run into trouble, don’t keep it to yourself.     5     With the right support, we can all enjoy the benefits of a healthy mind.

A．Turn to friends or families.

B．They strongly connect with others.

C．Physical health has been a problem.

D．So ways to keep positive must be found.

E．And a clear mind can help make smart choices.

F．The mind actually needs as much care as the body.

G．Mental health is vital for keeping emotional balance.

9 . The Australian sand octopus (章鱼) was discovered in 1990 and is the only octopus species known to bury itself deep in the sand to hide from enemies. A team of researchers are studying the venom (毒液) of this kind of octopus. They have discovered that the venom may greatly slow cancer growth. And it can also help fight drug resistance in patients with a BRAF-changed skin cancer. BRAF is involved in managing cell growth. A change in it results in abnormal cell growth. These BRAF changes are seen in half of all cases of skin cancers.

“We and other groups have previously discovered that other animals-snakes, spiders, bees-have anticancer properties,” said Dr. Maria, the study’s lead author. “However, in my current knowledge, the anticancer properties of an octopus species have never been studied or confirmed before.”

Current treatments face a few challenges including low response rates, poisoning and side effects, as well as drug resistance. The octopus venom slows the growth of BRAF-changed skin cancer. More importantly, it is safe to be used in large quantities — it is not poisonous. Therefore, in combination with other drugs, the treatments could potentially achieve better and safer patient outcomes.

It is very unlikely that the octopus has specifically developed its venom to contain an anticancer substance. According to the researching team, the octopus venom contains over 1,000 unique substances with several functions such as reducing pain and anticancer.

“In this study, we have shown that the octopus venom specifically targets BRAF-changed skin cancer. The next step is to examine whether similar promising results are applicable for other BRAF-changed cancers.” said Dr. Maria. “Before it can be used on patients, the team will need to perform several rounds of lab testing and clinical trials to understand how it works and its full potential as a drug against skin cancer.”

1. What can we know about BRAF?

A．It is a change in cells.	B．It controls cell growth.
C．It can cause a deadly illness.	D．It helps to cure a skin cancer.

2. What discovery did the team make?

A．A medicine to cure cancers.	B．A substance contained in animals.
C．The medical value of octopus species.	D．The anticancer effect of an octopus venom.

3. What is an advantage of the octopus venom to treat the skin cancer?

A．It is of large quantity.	B．It has no side effects.
C．It is less expensive.	D．It has lower risks.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph concerning the octopus venom?

A．Its application requires further work.

B．It helps treat BRAF-changed cancers.

C．Its safety needs more clinical testings.

D．It has already been put into wide use.

10 . Every year, national parks are crowded with visitors. Here are the top four named by The National Park Service.

Glacier National Park

In 1910, Glacier was established as the country’s 10th national park. Take advantage of the park’s expansive hiking trails（路线）, and be sure to hit traveler favorites like the Trail of the Cedars and Iceberg Lake Trail. What’s more, Glacier National Park hosts plenty of free activities like guided hikes and appealing events ideal for visitors of all ages.

Grand Canyon National Park

First protected in 1893 as a forest reserve, the Grand Canyon became an official US national park in 1919. The park offers endless hiking opportunities with trails of various lengths, as well as the chance to raft（漂流）the Colorado River. And if you’re looking for a different point, consider a helicopter tour to learn more about the park and see it in all its glory from above.

Yellowstone National Park

The world famous site became the first national park in the U. S. on March 1,1872, when President Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law. Here, hikers can get lost in the beauty of the lakes, mountains, valleys and, of course, its unmatched hot springs. To avoid the crowds that often trouble Yellowstone, plan to visit in April, May, September or October.

Yosemite National Park

First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park stands out for its impressive waterfalls. The best time to see waterfalls is during spring, when most of the snowmelt occurs. There are also plenty of scenic hiking and camping opportunities. Just keep in mind that campsites sell out quickly after becoming available for booking, so make your reservations in advance.

1. Which park may attract people interested in water activities?

A．Glacier National Park.	B．Yosemite National Park.
C．Yellowstone National Park.	D．Grand Canyon National Park.

2. What does Yellowstone National Park feature?

A．Free activities.	B．Popular hotels.
C．Hot springs.	D．Air tours.

3. What do the four national parks have in common?

A．They provide hiking trails.	B．They suit tourists of all ages.
C．They host camping activities.	D．They date from the 19th century.