1 . Born with hearing loss, Emily Jensen faced difficulties while pursuing (追求) a career she truly felt passionate about. As others doubted her abilities, all she hoped for was a chance to unlock her true potential (潜能) and feel a sense of belonging in the workplace. Jensen’s chance finally materialized when Cornell offered her an opportunity she had been seeking for nearly a decade.
Jensen first applied to the university for a job opening as a human resources (HR) assistant at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) . Although she didn’t make it to the final round of interviews, a worker approached Jensen and suggested she connect with Larry, the head for human resources at the ILR School.
“They saw something in me,” Jensen said. “So, I met with Larry and his team. They were looking to develop their department and decided to bring me on board as an HR assistant.”
When Jensen first came on board at ILR, she needed special technology for her computer. Because of her hearing loss, additional equipment, such as a soundbar, is necessary to hear. “My team provided this from day one,” Jensen said. “It feels really good to be able to come into an environment that was already set up for my success from the very beginning.”
For many, disclosing a disability is not an easy thing to do, especially in the workplace. Fortunately, the ILR School and Jensen’s new HR team have created an environment where she not only feels comfortable doing so but is also valued for the role she plays.
“It’s a testament (证明) to my team and Larry, who is my biggest cheerleader,” Jensen said. “It was he who brought me on and saw what I was capable of, which led me to develop so much trust in myself.”
1. What can we know about Jensen?| A．She failed to attend college. | B．She used to study at Cornell. |
| C．She topped other interviewees. | D．She had trouble finding a job. |
| A．Coldness. | B．Warmth. | C．Loneliness. | D．Humour. |
| A．She is grateful to Larry. | B．She is a good cheerleader. |
| C．She will build a positive culture. | D．She saw her team make progress. |
| A．The Impressive Achievement | B．The Road to a Successful Life |
| C．The Chance that Changed It All | D．The Offer that Saved a Professor |
A boy named Stevens was addicted to the Internet at a secondary boarding school. The online games were so interesting and attracted him so much that he had no interest in his study and life. He even often slipped out of the school dormitory in the middle of the night to go online.
After slipping out at midnight several times, he was caught by the school guards who were on duty. So his problem was exposed to the school and his parents. He was called to the head teacher’s office for a serious face-to-face chat. He surely knew as a student, he should give priority to learning, but he just couldn’t control himself. After several attempts, the teacher shook his head in disappointment. His father, a construction worker, had to leave work and took several buses to the school and had several chats with him. But the attraction of the games was still there, making him hard to sleep at night, so he just kept slipping out of the school as before. His classmates who knew this would always shook their heads and sighed (叹气).
One cold day, Stevens’ father came to the school again to pay his school fees. The father tried to find some words with the son, but only “Take care of yourself”. On the same night, Stevens still couldn’t resist the games and slipped out of the dormitory secretly. He climbed over the wall as usual, but rushed to climb back immediately. He looked frightened when he came back, but he didn’t say anything.
After that, he studied hard and stopped leaving school to go online. There was even a rumor (传闻) at the time that he saw a ghost. Everyone was curious to know what had happened that night, but Stevens always kept silent. He simply devoted himself to his study. Surely, hard work paid off. Later, he was admitted to a key university.
At the farewell(告别) party, his former classmates kept asking him about that night. He kept silent for a long time and eventually told everyone what had happened.
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。
He said there was a man sleeping at the foot of the wall.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________He felt deeply sorry and guilty, and made up his mind to study hard.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The “Reminiscing Jiangnan (忆江南)-Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Arts Exhibition” kicked off at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday.
The exhibition,
Themed “Reminiscing Jiangnan”, the exhibition expresses the
In particular, the City Walk Shanghai series albums were displayed at the opening ceremony,
4 . In 2017, I developed an unusual illness that had almost destroyed my life. But one of the things that
Qi Gong looks like Tai Chi, but it’s
It was my first trip out of the country for more than a decade. I booked a trip to San Jose where I
There was no Internet or other entertainments there — just
That was when everything changed. I
| A．annoyed | B．inspired | C．equipped | D．frightened |
| A．actually | B．randomly | C．gradually | D．originally |
| A．conclusion | B．reservation | C．practice | D．battle |
| A．breakthrough | B．difference | C．reward | D．suggestion |
| A．came across | B．knocked over | C．brought up | D．brushed off |
| A．piloted | B．operated | C．boarded | D．fixed |
| A．winding | B．smooth | C．deserted | D．incredible |
| A．space | B．state | C．destination | D．position |
| A．meaningful | B．processed | C．delicious | D．smelly |
| A．shook | B．lowered | C．forced | D．began |
| A．recalled | B．performed | C．guaranteed | D．assessed |
| A．cast | B．underwent | C．organized | D．identified |
| A．explore | B．showcase | C．stress | D．adjust |
| A．business | B．profession | C．outline | D．globe |
| A．peaceful | B．definite | C．objective | D．joyful |
5 . “Leave no track” is popular among many campers who are concerned about our environment and favor sustainable (可持续的) travel. Its goal is simple; to minimize human-created impacts on the natural world.
Reject plastic and paper. First and foremost, one of the easiest ways to reduce the impact of camping on the planet is to go plastic and paper-free. Instead of single-use plastics and paper plates, choose bamboo or other recyclable camping dinnerware and food packages.
Rent or buy a used tent. Instead of brand-new equipment, consider renting camping equipment instead. Outdoor retail (零售) brands like REI offer a wide variety of camping products to rent, including tents.
Only camp in designated (指定的) camping areas.
| A．Pack with the planet in mind. |
| B．Sort out what you really need when camping. |
| C．They even carry other outdoor essentials for rent. |
| D．Learn how to sustainably upgrade the summer camping here. |
| E．Campers can also buy reusable paper towels in order to genuinely leave no track. |
| F．Eco-friendly campers can learn how to update their skills with these simple tips. |
| G．Although backpacking off the beaten path sounds fascinating, it may not be eco-friendly. |
6 . Temperatures above 30 degrees have been forecast for Sydney on the eve of autumn, while western Sydney is expected to experience temperatures above 40 degrees. The government department has issued severe heatwave warnings for much of New South Wales and high fire ratings have also been issued. In Queensland, Brisbane has been predicted to break an all-time record for the longest stretch of hot nights, with overnight temperatures not yet dropping below 20 degrees in 2024.
Scientists have come up with an unusual idea for how to deal with global warming — cool the Earth by injecting (注入) ice into the upper atmosphere to make it drier.
Water vapour — water in its gas form — is a natural greenhouse gas that traps heat, just like carbon dioxide from burning coal, oil and gas. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA believe that if they can just inject ice up high in the air, it could dry out the upper atmosphere and reduce its ability to trap human-caused warmth.
“So far it’s just an early idea that scientists could add to their toolbox against climate change,” said NOAA physicist Dr Joshua Schwarz, lead author of the study published in scientific journal Science Advances. “This is about exploring what might be possible in the future and identifying research directions,” he said, explaining that there is no workable technique for scientists to put the idea into practice at present.
The approach is one of a few proposed by scientists that aim to reduce the impact of climate change by fixing the world's atmosphere or oceans. The way it could possibly work is that hi-tech planes could inject ice about 17km high, where the air slowly rises. The researchers believe that the ice and cold air would rise to where it’s coldest and gets the water vapour to turn to ice and fall, drying out the stratosphere (平流层) in the process.
Injecting two tons of ice per week could reduce global heating by about five percent of the warming created by carbon from the burning of fossil fuel (化石燃料). But researchers are unsure how they will inject ice and whether the practice will cause side effects.
1. Why are so many places mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To present some natural phenomena. |
| B．To clarify the ignored reason for climate change. |
| C．To highlight the severe condition of global warming. |
| D．To predict the potential threats to the survival of humans. |
| A．Fund. | B．Policy. | C．Climate. | D．Technology. |
| A．How to send up the ice. | B．The quantity of the needed ice. |
| C．Whether to promote the idea. | D．The scientific foundation of the idea. |
| A．A government report. | B．A personal diary. |
| C．A science magazine. | D．A travel guide. |
7 . Robots are now not merely the favorite image of science fiction. They are already widely used to perform simple repetitive tasks and in industries where work must be performed in environments hazardous to humans, because it can prevent people from suffering harm or loss. Robots may be equipped with the equivalent (对应物) of human senses such as vision, touch and the ability to sense temperature. Some are even capable of simple decision-making and current robotics research is aimed at inventing robots with a degree of self-sufficiency.
Modern robots are like very young children who are just learning to walk. It’s fun to watch them fall over, but deep down we know that if we laugh too hard, they might develop a complex emotion and grow up to start World War II. None of humanity’s creations inspires such a confusing mix of amazement, admiration and fear. We want robots to make our lives easier and safer, yet we can’t quite bring ourselves to trust them. We're crafting them in our own image, yet we are terrified that they’ll replace us.
But that fear is no barrier to the field of robotics. Robots have finally grown smart enough and capable enough to make their way out of factories and labs to walk and roll and even leap among us. You may be worried that a robot is going to steal your job. But you may be more likely to work alongside a robot in the near future than have one replace you. The rapidly developing relationship between humans and robots is so complex that it has started its own field, known as human-robot interaction. The challenge is that it’s easy to adapt robots to get along with humans — but it’s another issue to train humans to get along with machines.
The machines promise to change virtually every aspect of human life, from health care to transportation to work. One thing is clear: The machines have arrived. Now we have to figure out how to handle the responsibility of having invented a new species.
1. What does the underlined word “hazardous” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Helpful. | B．Dangerous. | C．Beneficial. | D．Acceptable. |
| A．They are not safe to use. | B．They may take away their jobs. |
| C．They fail to think themselves. | D．They are unable to do the required work. |
| A．How to make robots obey humans. | B．How to have robots live in peace. |
| C．How to get humans to live with robots. | D．How to train robots to cooperate effectively. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Indifferent. | C．Pessimistic. | D．Objective. |
8 . Wildlife photographers are talented, but capturing (捕捉) a brilliant moment under the water or among the waves comes with challenges. That’s why the winners of the Underwater Photographer of the Year Awards are extra impressive. This year, Portuguese photographer Nuno Sá was awarded the Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year (MCPY) prize for his amazing aerial (空中的) shot of a whale washed up on a Portuguese beach.
Back in 2022, he captured the moment that an injured, 12-meter-long whale was washed up on Fonte da Telha beach. The photo, called Saving Goliath, was taken using a drone (无人机) and captured about 30 bathers trying to push the whale back into the sea. Sadly, the whale died a few hours later.
Thanks to this remarkable and moving photo, Sá was successful in the Marine Conservation Photographer category, which is in partnership with the Save Our Seas Foundation. The competition has 13 categories and 6,500 photographs were submitted by over 500 participants.
“It was a mix of emotions to see an animal that I am so used to filming, in different parts of our planet, injured and dying fighting to stay on the surface. But it was also inspiring to see so many people risking their lives to try to save him.” says Nuno Sá. After approaching the whale himself, Sá realized that one of the people trying to save it was his ten-year-old daughter.
The competition’s judge president, Alex Mustard, says that the photo gives us hope that people care and want to help the oceans, but it also warns us that bigger changes are needed.
Sá also won big back in the 2015 competition, claiming not only the Underwater Photographer of the Year title but the International Macro winner, too.
1. Why are winners of the Underwater Photographer of the Year Awards impressive?| A．Wild animals are hard to capture. | B．Wildlife photographers are greatly gifted. |
| C．Taking a picture under the water is tough. | D．So many people have taken part in the competition. |
| A．Swimmers playing on a beach. | B．People trying to save a whale. |
| C．Bathers playing with a whale. | D．A whale recovering from injuries. |
| A．It conveys hope and warning. | B．It showcases a happy scene. |
| C．It forces people to respect nature. | D．It predicts the seriousness of sea pollution. |
| A．A Photo Won Nuno Sá the MCPY Prize |
| B．Nuno Sá Took a Touching Photo of a Whale |
| C．500 Participants Competed in the MCPY Competition |
| D．Nuno Sá Took His Prize-Winning Photo Using a Drone |
9 . Family plays an important part in much fiction, of course, but sometimes the short story form has offered us an insight into family life that the longer novel does not. Here are some for you to taste.
Prelude, by Katherine MansfieldPrelude is one of Katherine Mansfield's longest and finest short stories. Because Prelude is a modernist short story, the emphasis is on characters rather than plots. Mansfield is using the Burnells’ house-move, and the period when they are busy settling into their new home, as a situation to observe family, women and class.
He, by Katherine Anne PorterKatherine Anne Porter (1890-1980) wrote just one novel and fewer than thirty short stories, yet she is regarded as an important twentieth-century American writer, with He among her most celebrated and critically praised works. An important theme of Porter’s work is the search for meaning in a modern and increasingly materialist world.
Signs and Symbols, by Vladimir NabokovIt is a short story by the Russian-American author Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), originally published in the New Yorker in 1948. The story centers on an elderly married Russian couple who move to the United States; their son is suffering from paranoid delusions (妄想症) and has been limited to a care center. Signs and Symbols focuses on the couple’s attempt to visit their son and its result.
Down at the Dinghy, by J. D. SalingerThis short story was originally published in 1949. It involves an adult speaking to a child. It is about a young boy who runs from home and goes down to the nearby lake, where he gets into a boat and refuses to speak to his mother. The story ends with the mother bonding with her son.
1. What is special about Prelude?| A．It’s about scientific observation. | B．It’s the longest of the four. |
| C．It involves moving to a new place. | D．It focuses more on figures than plots. |
| A．They are contemporary writers. | B．Their works center on critical thinking. |
| C．They both seek for meaning in modern life. | D．Their works were published in the New Yorker. |
| A．Science fiction fans. | B．Family-based short story lovers. |
| C．Those who plan to be writers. | D．People trying to have a family. |
When I was a little girl, I used to be afraid of the dark. A simple sound in the middle of the night could make me imagine the scariest scenes.
My uncle lived alone in his big old house in New Hampshire. The house was surrounded by a huge yard with lots of trees. The inside was very neat and tidy but reminded me of a museum with its ancient objects. Everything looked like it dated from the previous century, from the old-fashioned oil paintings to black-and-white pictures on the walls. Looking back at it now, it would have made the perfect setting for a frightening large house.
Once, my family visited my uncle in the fall. During the day, my sister and I made big piles of leaves to jump in with the help of Elaine, my big sister. Our room had a double bed facing a window, out of which stood a huge maple tree. The floor was made of wood that made funny sounds every time we took a step.
Although the day had been bright and cheerful, the night turned out to be extremely windy. Soon after Elaine and I were lying in bed and all was dark, I started to notice strange noises, as if someone was walking in the room. It seemed that someone was knocking against the windows, making strange noises. There were even howls (咆哮声) coming from somewhere outside!
At this point, I didn’t know what to think. All of a sudden, I thought I heard someone coming up the stairs, and my heart rose to my throat. I thought I saw something moving in the dark corners of my room, and my breath quickened. Elaine sat up in bed, but when she looked at me, she seemed confused, too. We couldn’t help but wonder if we were going crazy.
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。
The noises continued for a while longer.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next morning, though I knew it was a false alarm, I was still nervous and talked with my uncle.
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