I was an average student in my early elementary years. I came home with a steady flow of B’s, C’s and the occasional F’s in second language subjects. I was told that I wasn’t applying myself and, as every report card I ever brought home clearly stated, I talked too much.
I didn’t write when I was supposed to write. I talked to others while the teacher was giving instructions. That I could recite what she had said to the class while I was talking was not helpful because I had a negative effect on my classmates’ learning. So I regularly brought home disappointing report cards.
My parents and my teachers didn’t know what to do with me. Punishments didn’t seem to work. Rewards didn’t seem to either. And, frankly, I don’t think I knew what I could do to “apply myself”. And I certainly didn’t know how to not enjoy talking with my classmates! What I knew was that I talked too much. Until grade 5.
That autumn, we had a sudden change in teachers as our elderly teacher took a medical leave. In his place, a young substitute (代课老师) arrived — Mrs Royal. She looked like she was freshly out of university and seemed too young to be cast in the role of being responsible for a class of tween, but there she was, charged with a lively group, and me.
I don’t remember many details of that year except the afternoon when I got my first report card from her. She handed out the report cards right after the afternoon break and invited us to look them over. Then she let us know that we could all talk quietly amongst ourselves while she called each student up one at a time, in alphabetical order (按字母顺序), to discuss our report cards with her.
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。
I looked over my report card, expecting the usual result.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then it was my turn to talk with her.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . A microscope is a useful instrument for observing small objects by producing a bigger image. Before using the microscope, please read the instructions below.
CAUTION
Microscopes are both easily broken and expensive and must be handled with care.
·Always carry the microscope with two hands — one supporting the base and the other on the arm.
·Avoid stretching the power cable of the lamp across a walkway.
·Keep the stage clean and always use a glass slide for samples. To avoid breaking the glass slide when focusing, begin with the lens (透镜) close to the sample and gradually back off to focus,
·Keep the microscope covered to prevent the buildup of dust while it is being stored.
HOW TO USE THE MICROSCOPE
1. Turn on the lamp.
2. Place a sample of what you want to observe on a slide.
3. Move the mirror so it can reflect light from the room up into the objective lens. When the mirror is in the correct position, a complete circle of light will appear when you look through the eyepiece (目镜).
4. Place your slide with the sample directly over the center of the glass circle on the stage. If it is a wet sample, be sure the bottom of the slide is dry.
5. Look through the eyepiece with one eye. Slowly raise the lens until the focus is relatively clear.
6. Without changing the focus knobs, switch to the HIGH POWER objective lens. Once you have switched to the HIGH POWER, only use the fine focus knob to make the image sharper.
1. What should we pay attention to after using the microscope?| A．Keeping it covered. |
| B．Turning on the lamp. |
| C．Washing the slide clean. |
| D．Keeping the lens far away from the sample. |
| A．Move the mirror. | B．Cover the microscope. |
| C．Put the slide on the stage. | D．Place the slice on a glass slide. |
| A．As soon as you turn on the lamp. |
| B．After slowly raising the objective lens. |
| C．While looking at the sample on the glass slide. |
| D．After moving the mirror in the correct position. |
3 . Holly Cooke wasu't a fan of weekends. Whenever Friday rolled around, she felt
She moved to London a few years ago and
She finally found herself searching online: “How to make friends in London?” The
At first, Cooke was afraid that no one would
The London Lonely Girls Club has attracted a lot of people to its events, and Cooke said she lost count of how many women have established
| A．sorry | B．upset | C．calm | D．tired |
| A．struggled | B．refused | C．forgot | D．hated |
| A．tasks | B．activities | C．projects | D．services |
| A．truth | B．comfort | C．silence | D．company |
| A．charge | B．function | C．search | D．transition |
| A．puzzle | B．view | C．approach | D．value |
| A．complain of | B．take in | C．talk about | D．deal with |
| A．come | B．help | C．apply | D．care |
| A．Interestingly | B．Surprisingly | C．Confusingly | D．Embarrassingly |
| A．duty | B．challenge | C．success | D．chance |
| A．failure | B．fear | C．illness | D．loneliness |
| A．finished | B．continued | C．practised | D．suggested |
| A．blog | B．app | C．custom | D．group |
| A．businesses | B．agreements | C．relations | D．guidelines |
| A．give up | B．come back | C．stay behind | D．set out |
Having already obtained many medals since starting to play golf at the age of ten, Larry, at sixteen, had developed into one of the best young golf prospects in the country. And he was elected the most valuable player of his high school team. Following his junior year, Larry matched himself against seventy-four of the nation’s best junior golfers in national competitions, and he performed better than the majority of them.
Larry’s performance drew the interest of coaches from some of the best college golf teams in the country. Wanting to stay close to home, he accepted a scholarship to the University of Houston. “Just think, everything will be taken care of, and I’ll be close to home. And it won’t cost us anything,” Larry told his mother, Missy. “And I’ll be playing for one of the best college teams in the country.”
Fighting back tears, Missy hugged her son, knowing he had worked so hard to win a scholarship to make things easier for her. That summer, Larry worked even harder than ever on his golf game, hitting hundreds of balls daily and taking a part-time job in a golf club at night to prepare for college.
Late that summer, unfortunately, Larry had a terrible car accident. “I’m sorry, but we have to cut off your son’s arm below the elbow (肘),”one doctor told Larry’s parents. “Is he going to be all right?” Missy asked. “We don’t know,” the doctor answered.
Upset, Larry’s father wondered about his son’s reaction to the loss of his left arm. “How will Larry ever get along without golf?” he thought. He also realized there was a far more pressing matter than an unclear golf career. “They’ve got to save Larry’s life,” he said to himself. “That’s all that matters now.”
After almost ninety days, Larry’s condition finally improved and he was no longer in danger. One night Larry awakened, found his left hand missing, and cried helplessly. His father raced to the hospital. “Dad, how am I ever going to play golf?” he asked.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
“Honey, you still have one arm left,” his father replied.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Larry’s father reached out to various companies and asked if they could design an artificial hand for Larry.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.活动目的和讲座主题；
2.讲座时间、地点及内容；
3.注意事项。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Irish government has a plan to boost the population of more than two dozen faraway islands in the Atlantic Ocean — to give money to homebuyers
These islands are often a tourist draw due to their
An ongoing worry for island communities is how
The plan brings to mind Italy’s plan to sell homes in small towns for 1 euro
7 . The Ancient Tea Horse Road (in China) was a trade road mainly through Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet.
The Ancient Tea Horse Road was impressive. However, for travelers, transportation was very difficult in the southwest because there were lots of high mountains, climbable only by narrow roads, and rapid rivers to cross. Wheeled or waterway transportation was nearly impossible.
The Tea Horse Road originated from the traditional “tea-for-horse” trade between Han and Tibetan people. The trade began with Tibetan interest in tea in the Tang Dynasty.
With the rapid development of modern roads, the ancient pathways have been taken the place of by the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and other Tibetan roads.
| A．Slowly, the tea horse road wasn’t used. |
| B．During the Song Dynasty, it further developed. |
| C．However, the road has a number of stories to tell. |
| D．It was created by humans with their feet and horses with their hooves. |
| E．Therefore, few people in ancient times could finish the whole journey. |
| F．However, traveling along the Ancient Tea Horse Road is becoming popular. |
| G．Generally speaking, the Ancient Tea Horse Road was divided into two major roads. |
8 . Impatience often takes hold of us as we approach a pedestrian crosswalk (人行横道), especially when we are in a hurry and see that small button on the pole. We press it repeatedly, hoping our persistence will some how magically change the signal from “Stop” to “Walk” in seconds. However, a video, shared by a traffic signal technician on the media, reveals a surprising fact.
Actually, every time you press the pedestrian crosswalk button, it sends a “call” signal to the traffic control system, which indicates that a pedestrian is waiting to cross the street. The traffic system acknowledges this call on time, placing it in a queue until the appropriate time to change the crosswalk signal arises. No matter how many times you press the button, the system will automatically reset it to its initial state once the call has been answered. So the number of times you press the button doesn’t affect the speed at which you receive the green “Walk” signal.
However, it is worth noting that the function of pedestrian crosswalk buttons can vary from place to place. In some regions, pedestrian crosswalks are programmed not to respond primarily to button presses during the day. Only in the evening, the buttons come into play, allowing pedestrians to bring about a change in the signal. In other areas, some of these buttons are equipped to assist people with disabilities. When activated, they might produce audible (可听的) signals to indicate when it is safe to cross.
Some viewers admitted to pressing them multiple times, even if they knew their actions didn’t change anything. They enjoyed the act of pushing the button as a form of interactive engagement while waiting. Others remained doubtful, viewing the buttons as something designed to comfort impatient pedestrians.
Additionally, the video publisher offers forward-thinking suggestions for improving crosswalk systems. These ideas include the use of advanced sensors and adaptive algorithms (算法), which could enhance both efficiency and pedestrian safety. Smarter crosswalks could significantly benefit pedestrians and drivers alike.
1. What truth does the video reveal?| A．Pedestrian crosswalk buttons are appealing to many people. |
| B．The traffic system tends to function well in most situations. |
| C．Traffic lights play a role in maintaining smooth traffic flow. |
| D．Additional button presses will not influence your waiting time. |
| A．They are insensitive to slight presses. | B．They are easily interrupted at times. |
| C．They may serve different purposes. | D．They are friendly to the disabled. |
| A．The true function of the pedestrian crosswalk button. |
| B．The correct way to press the pedestrian crosswalk button. |
| C．Viewers’ ways to kill time when waiting for the green light. |
| D．Viewers’ different opinions on the pedestrian crosswalk button. |
| A．They should be friendlier to drivers. |
| B．They still have room for improvement. |
| C．They are a force for technical advances. |
| D．They are the key to ensuring traffic safety. |
9 . “I knew that the Just Go Zero project could bring many advantages,” says Emmanoui l Antonios Fotaras, one of 745 residents living on Tilos, a small Greek island located between Rhodes and Kos, “but I didn’t expect its effect would be so powerful.” Now Tilos has become the world’s first zero-waste island.
The changes have been big. Before the project began, the island sent 87 percent of its waste to landfill (垃圾填埋厂); now the project has proved such a success that the island no longer has any rubbish bins and the landfill site has closed completely. In its place is the Centre for Creative Upcycling, where items can either be repaired or reused.
The project was controlled and paid for by Polygreen, a Greek company that specializes in circular economy solutions, but much of their success came through education.
They began by setting up an information center in the port so residents could learn about how to sort their waste. Each household was then given its own zero-waste equipment, including boxes for recyclable and non-recyclable waste and a bag for organic waste. Regular door-to-door collections were then arranged across the island. A smartphone app collected real-time information to show Polygreen how much had been recycled. All waste is taken to the 3K Circular Innovation Centre,which is equipped with high-tech waste handling solutions that can further sort and direct rubbish towards recycling or composting (制成堆肥).
Any visitors to the island have to take part in the project as well. Hotels have special equipment for separating rubbish and tourists can pick up cloth bags for shopping from the Zero Point Information Centre.
“In the beginning, it was tiring,” says Fotaras, “but we all helped each other until we mastered it. I am amazed how old people like the idea of no rubbish and how the project benefits the environment — and that gives me hope and courage to do it.”
1. What makes Tilos stand out in the world?| A．Its small population. | B．Its beautiful scenery. |
| C．Its use of green energy. | D．Its efforts to go waste-free. |
| A．How Polygreen dealt with recycled waste. |
| B．How the Just Go Zero project benefited Tilos. |
| C．How Polygreen ran the Just Go Zero project. |
| D．How local residents contributed ideas for recycling. |
| A．Tilos attracts more and more tourists. |
| B．Tilos creates new jobs related to tourism. |
| C．Tilos raises tourists’ environmental awareness. |
| D．Tilos’ project brings in money for local businesses. |
| A．It is meaningful. | B．It faces many challenges. |
| C．It should be aimed at old people. | D．It is still at a developmental stage. |
10 . I know next to nothing about baseball. When in the right field during P. E. as a boy, I prayed the ball wouldn’t come to me. It took a miracle (奇迹) for me to catch it. Yet I later became the father of two boys, Will and Tim (8 and 5), who were both interested in baseball. On Saturday mornings, I’d take Will out to the playground and play catch with him. Thanks to my weak arm, the ball dropped before he could catch it. After many misses one day, he said, “How am I ever going to make the major leagues?” “You got the wrong dad, kid,” I thought. Baseball isn’t my thing.
Still, I wanted to give my kids confidence on the field. There was an official Little League in our area, but it was super-competitive and primarily targeted older boys. What if we had something more low-key, something that welcomed boys and girls, and younger ones?
I shared the idea with some neighbors. “That would be great!”they said. Now who could organize such a thing? Not me. I tried to put the idea aside, but it wouldn’t leave me. I finally decided that I must do something about it. So I called the city’s recreation department, explaining that some families wanted to start a baseball league in our neighborhood. Were there any fields for that? They bounced me around. Finally, I spoke to the official in charge. I got butterflies in my stomach. What if he said no? “Yes, we have something for you,” the man said, hearing my request. We got two fields for four hours every Sunday morning. Our league was founded. What a joy it was to sit on the benches, watching Will and Tim playing baseball! How grateful I was for other parents who did the coaching! And I became the most unlikely baseball commissioner (专员) ever.
Many years have passed. Now Will and Tim are new dads, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll have to do. I know better than anyone: Parenthood calls you to do the most unlikely things.
1. Why did the author think his son Will got the wrong father?| A．He lacked confidence. | B．He had poor baseball skills. |
| C．He had little energy or time. | D．He didn’t know Will’s dream. |
| A．Being easy to join. | B．Having its own fields. |
| C．Focusing on training kids. | D．Having professional coaches. |
| A．Confident. | B．Peaceful. | C．Nervous. | D．Hesitant. |
| A．The need to challenge oneself. |
| B．The greatness of parental love. |
| C．The responsibility of parenthood. |
| D．The role of sports in kids’ growth. |
