1 . 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。

Have you ever wondered what life is like now     1     (compare) to, say, the 1980s or the 1990s? I went to ask some people I know who were adults in the ‘80s and 90s’, and the answer I got was that “Overall, life is a lot     2     (good) now!” This didn’t really surprise me. I mean, these days we’ve got mobile phones and the internet and so on — but     3    (actual) those weren’t the things they talked about.

So what did they talk about? For     4     start, we don’t have to work physically hard since now there are a lot of things like dishwashers for housework. Then there’s the matter of how, these days,     5     is possible to work at home — it’s mainly     6    (computer) that have made this possible. Not only that, there’s a lot more     7     (equal) now. It’s easier for all people, whatever their social background, gender (性别), colour and so on, to have equal access     8     a variety of career opportunities.

That said, it’s not all a matter of improvement. Quite a few people told me that they feel more stressed these days because they rely a lot on technology and they are always     9    (anxiety) about security on the internet. Plus, we spend a lot of our time     10     (use) smartphones. One person said, “Wouldn’t it be great to be off the grid (不上网) for a few days?”

2 . 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。

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said a large atlas moth (皇蛾)     1    (find) on a garage (车库) was identified as the first atlas moth ever documented in the United States.

The department said     2     university teacher took place photos when he found the large moth resting on the wall of     3    (he) garage on July 7. State officials     4    (careful) examined the photos and     5    (confirm) the insect was an atlas moth, one of the world’s largest species of moth.

Atlas moths are native     6     the tropics (热带地区) and have never been documented in the United States.

“This is an     7    (attract) type of insect because it is so large,” said Sven-Erik Spichiger from the agriculture department. “Even if you don’t keep an eye out for insects, this is one that people will get their phones out and take a picture of — they are that striking.”

    8    (researcher) said they are now trying to find out if the moth is part of a population in Washington. They are asking anyone     9     discover s a similar insect     10    (report) it to pestprogram@agr.wa.gov .

“We hope residents will help us learn if this was a one-off escapee or whether there might be a population in the area,” the department said.

3 . “When one door closes,” the saying goes, “another door opens.” For one _______ dog, it appears that saying is also suitable for doggy doors.

A dog named Sheldon took part in a program to _______ a service dog. Unluckily, he couldn’t quite make the _______. Whenever he would _______ something interesting, Sheldon’s concentration flew out of the window and all he wanted to do was _______ the source.

But the very thing that made him a failure as a service dog meant he was likely _______ for another dog job. Sheldon was sent to the State Farm Arson Dog Program, where his sensitive (灵敏的) nose soon put him _______ the class for detecting the accelerants (探测肋燃剂) used to light illegal fires.

_______ John Tadlock of the Saginaw fire department, after his _______ Sheldon went on to become the department’s best accelerant detection dog.

In his first ________, Sheldon and his partner Tadlock were called to a car shop to look into some cars that had been ________ under suspicious (可疑的) circumstances. After three days, no one had been able to figure out how the fire got started — but the cause wasn’t ________ to Sheldon. “I put him to ________. It took him about 30 seconds to give me an alert (警报),” Tadlock said. Sheldon found the evidence with no ________.

For a dog with a super sense of smell, we guess whether you’re tailing bad guys or hunting for a job, it’s always best to follow your ________.

1.

A．old

B．special

C．lucky

D．sick

2.

A．help

B．visit

C．teach

D．become

3.

A．difference

B．mistake

C．grade

D．change

4.

A．find

B．taste

C．smell

D．hear

5.

A．hunt down

B．return to

C．learn about

D．depend on

6.

A．sorry

B．perfect

C．famous

D．responsible

7.

A．in the front of

B．at the bottom of

C．in the middle of

D．at the top of

8.

A．Playing with

B．Paired with

C．Agreeing with

D．Faced with

9.

A．graduation

B．recovery

C．birth

D．death

10.

A．course

B．race

C．case

D．program

11.

A．sold

B．built

C．stolen

D．burnt

12.

A．confusing

B．interesting

C．clear

D．important

13.

A．sleep

B．work

C．flight

D．risk

14.

A．fear

B．choice

C．difficulty

D．experience

15.

A．nose

B．head

C．plan

D．dream

4 . When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, Karen Lauder refused to leave her home because she was wrong about the intensity(强度) of the storm. Karen is 84 years old and depends on a wheelchair to get around because she is missing a leg. Her son, Johnny Lauder, tried repeatedly to get her to leave, but she refused.

Johnny and his whole family live within a few blocks of one another. They kept in touch with Karen as the storm continued violently(猛烈地) outside, watching the water rising dangerously all around them. When Karen reported that the water in her house had reached her bottom, Johnny knew he had to take action.

First, Johnny ensured his sons and their pets were taken care of. Then, he jumped out of a window and began to swim. Johnny used to work as a rescue swimmer. He is obviously a strong swimmer, but the flood water was filled with dangerous materials. There was also a strong current (水流), and he had to swim against it for most of his trip to Karen’s. As he made his way through the water, Johnny stopped periodically to snap selfies(自拍) to show his worried family that he was okay.

Johnny was racing against the clock. He knew he only had a short period of time to get there before the water rose above Karen’s head. It took him 40 minutes to swim four blocks. The sound of Karen shouting inside was music to his ears!

“If it would’ve been 20 minutes later, she wouldn’t be here,” Johnny said.“She’s never been happier to see me.”

Karen is now safe, although she is in the hospital being treated for infections(感染) she got in the water. The family have all lost everything they owned, including their houses, but they’re grateful just to be here.

1. Why did Karen decide to stay in her house when Hurricane Ian came?

A．She had nowhere to go.

B．She was too old to move.

C．She thought the storm was not violent.

D．She lost her wheelchair and was unable to leave.

2. Why did Johnny take selfies along the way to Karen’s home?

A．To record his swimming trip.	B．To show off his swimming skills.
C．To warn other rescuers of danger.	D．To report his safety to his family.

3. How did Johnny’s family keep in touch in the storm?

A．By shouting.	B．Over the phone.
C．Through e-mail.	D．With other’s help.

4. How did Johnny feel when he heard Karen shouting?

A．Curious.

B．Frightened.

C．Confused.

D．Relieved.

5 . “The Worthington Christian defeated the Westerville North by 2—1 in an Ohio boys’ soccer game on Saturday.” That’s according to a story that appeared last month in The Columbus Dispatch. That lead was written not by a sportswriter, but by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool.

Many news organizations are now examining how AI might be used in their work. But if they begin their “experimenting” with high school sports because they are less momentous than war, peace, climate change and politics, they may miss something crucial. Nothing may be more important to the students who play high school sports, and to their families, neighborhoods, and sometimes, the whole town. That next game is what the students train for, work toward, and dream about. Someday, almost all student athletes will go on to have jobs in front of screens, in office parks, at schools, in hospitals or on construction sites. They may suffer blows and setbacks. But the high school games they played and watched, as well as their hopes and cheers, will stay vivid in their memories.

I have a small idea. If newspapers will no longer send staff reporters to cover high school games, why not hire high school student journalists? News organizations can pay students an hourly wage to cover high school games. The young reporters might learn how to be fair to all sides, write vividly, and attract readers. That’s what some celebrities in sports did, and do.

And think of the great writers who were inspired by sports: Hemingway on fishing, Bernard Malamud and Marianne Moore on baseball, Chen Zhongshi on football, and CLR James on cricket, who said, “There can be raw pain and bleeding where so many thousands see the inevitable (不可避免的) ups and downs of only a game.” A good high school writer, unlike a robot, could tell readers not just the score, but the stories of the game.

1. Why is the lead mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To introduce an original idea.	B．To show AI’s wide application.
C．To bring in the opinion about AI.	D．To stress AI’s importance to news.

2. What does the author think of high school games?

A．Hopeful.

B．Eye-catching.

C．Competitive.

D．Far-reaching.

3. What is good sports news like according to the author?

A．Rich in contents.	B．Fair in comments.
C．Centered on results.	D．Targeted on readers.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．News Organizations Are Abusing AI	B．High Schoolers Can Do What AI Can’t
C．Great Writers Are Crazy About Sports	D．AI Ruins High School Students’ Memory

6 . A middle-aged woman playing by herself in the snow is an undeniably odd sight, but maybe it shouldn’t be. New research suggests that modern adults are suffering from overmuch depression, so play may be as essential to our health as sleep. We’ve been in our nature to play, which is causing all kinds of problems—for ourselves, our children, and our planet.

It’s believed that adult play can lead to useful discoveries, which is supported by a study on Bali’s long-tailed monkeys. For her doctoral paper at the University of Lethbridge, animal researcher Camilla Cenni left two types of puzzle boxes for the monkeys to solve. To get the food inside, they had to drop a rock into the container or use it to hit the box. She found the monkeys that previously had been observed dropping rocks for fun were more likely to solve the rock-dropping puzzle, while those that had discovered the joy of tapping rocks together think of the answer to the tapping puzzle.

This finding also suggests that somewhere, deep in our evolutionary history, a playful proto-human(原始人) came up with the concept of stone tools. Even today, the urge to play underlies most of humanity’s greatest inventions, artworks, and scientific breakthroughs, Brown says. “When I interviewed Nobel winners, I was struck by how most of them didn’t separate work and play. Their labs were their playgrounds”.

“The opposite of play isn’t work; it’s depression,” says play researcher Stuart Brown, “Play is all about looking at a tough world with creativity and optimism. It gives us the ability to cooperate and get along with people who differ from us,” He goes so far as to declare that “adult play is necessary for our survival as a species.”

The next time I’m caught playing, I know exactly what I’ll say: “I am not wasting time, or acting immature. I’m doing nothing for the benefit of all humanity. You’re welcome.”

1. What is the phenomenon the author describes at the beginning of the text?

A．Playing with snow is strange.	B．Wild nature is difficult to find.
C．Many people are stressed out.	D．People enjoy living close to nature.

2. What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?

A．The necessity of the study.	B．The importance of adult play.
C．Main activities of monkeys.	D．Various functions of a rock.

3. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning a playful proto-human?

A．To explain the concept of play.	B．To compare two research findings.
C．To highlight scientific breakthroughs.	D．To offer some background information.

4. Which of the following best describes the author in the last paragraph?

A．Humorous.

B．Optimistic.

C．Caring.

D．Active.

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。

The silk industry in Sichuan is one of the original points of Chinese silk culture. Sichuan brocade (蜀锦) originated from the Spring and Autumn period, and fully developed in the Han and Tang     1     (dynasty). It has a history of more than 2, 000 years and had a far-reaching influence     2     traditional Chinese silk production. Sichuan brocade features light shades     3     (integrate) in an elegant and care free style, which shows Han Chinese characteristics and local traditions.

Sichuan brocade is one of China’s four most famous branches of brocade, the others     4     (be) Yun brocade in Nanjing, Song brocade in Suzhou and Zhuang brocade in Guangxi. With its     5     (attract) designs and bright, clear colors that follow the style of Chinese-ink paintings, Sichuan brocade was put on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Silk     6     (produce) in Sichuan Province since ancient times and Chengdu was the starting point of the southern Silk Road. Sichuan brocade is made with local silk and colored silk threads,     7     are the raw materials. Special embroidery (刺绣) skills are used     8     (turn) brocade into quilt covers, pillowcases, clothes and shoes.

    9     subjects of the Sichuan brocade are rich and varied. Some come from legends, myths, historical stories, and others come from landscape, figures, flowers, birds and animals,     10     (especial) the beasts that symbolize fortune and long life.

8 . Last week, four speakers shared, at the Skoll World Forum, why they find themselves smiling in spite of everything.

Ava Duvernay

I don’t believe that all of the problems are happening to us. I believe they’re happening for us. Lonnie Holley is a wonderful artist who uses waste material to create artworks. He says we shouldn’t think of it as garbage. Rather, it can be turned into something new.

Mahali Hlasa

I love my family. I was brought up in a very close family. Of course we fight, but we also laugh together. We share all the joys and the pains and find comfort in that. When I want to be happy, my family is always there for me. With these people who I love, I know that I am safe.

Rodrigo Paris Rojas

I find optimism in villages and slums (贫民窟). That’s because despite the difficult environment around them, they still come together and celebrate at different times of year.   They bring so many smiles and so much joy. When I see that, I say, “I have more money and more education than them, but they’re way happier than me. ”So I find optimism in those ways of celebrating life and building community.

Edgard Gouveia Jr.

I’ve found optimism among kids — Black, white, poor, rich. They play. They enjoy life. They connect. It’s only later that they learn about differences and start to behave differently. But when I see how they interact as children, it’s all about playfulness. Even during war times or in very poor neighborhoods, I see kids finding ways to create joy among themselves.

1. What is Lonnie Holley?

A．An artist.

B．A consultant.

C．A teacher.

D．A waste collector.

2. What did Mahali Hlasa stress in the speech at the Skoll World Forum?

A．Charity and voluntary work.

B．Positive thinking and creativity.

C．Money and comfortable life.

D．Family life and close relationship.

3. What did Edgard Gouveia Jr. most likely mean?

A．Don’t send children to schools.

B．Try to grow up as slowly as possible.

C．Being playful is still important in adult life.

D．It is necessary to help kids affected by wars.

9 . Household chores (家务活) may contribute to healthy aging, according to a study published in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers from Singapore found that regular physical activity, including tasks like dusting, scrubbing floors, and washing windows, can improve physical and mental health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and decrease falls, immobility, dependency, and mortality among older adults.

The study involved 249 participants aged 21 to 64 and 240 participants aged 65 to 90. Participants completed cognitive (认知) function tests and physical capability assessments. They were asked about their levels of physical activity, including light housework (such as dusting) and heavy housework (such as floor-scrubbing). The researchers found that older adults who engaged in high amounts of heavy housework had higher cognitive and attention scores compared to those who did low levels or no heavy housework at all. These participants also had lower sit-to-stand times and were at a lower risk of falling. Similarly, older adults who reported high levels of light housework had higher cognitive and memory scores compared to those who did low levels of such tasks.

Dr. Shiou-Liang Wee, co-author of the research, emphasized that health messaging on staying active should not only focus on recreational physical activities. He highlighted that housework is a purposeful activity performed by many older adults and is linked to sharper memory and better fall protection.

However, experts urge caution when interpreting the study’s findings. Professor Gill Livingston from University College London noted that people who are not well may be expected to do less housework, and the study did not establish a causal relationship between housework and health outcomes. Professor Charlie Foster from the University of Bristol highlighted that the study relied on self-reported levels of household chores, which may be inaccurate, and did not fully consider other factors that could influence the results. While the study suggests that household chore may have benefits for older adults’ health, further research is needed to better understand the relationship between housework and healthy aging.

1. How did the researchers measure the participants’ levels of physical activity?

A．By analyzing the participants’ daily routines.

B．By doing household chores with the participants.

C．By carrying out a test on the participants.

D．By listening to the participants’ spoken reports.

2. What can we know about the study?

A．Household chores, heavy or light, do help.

B．The more housework for the elderly, the better.

C．The subjects are of similar age.

D．Light housework improves health better.

3. What do Gill Livingston and Charlie Foster think of the result of the study?

A．Objective.

B．Meaningless.

C．Partial.

D．Successful.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Definite limitation of a study on healthy aging.

B．The introduction to a study on household chores.

C．Housework arguments among different experts.

D．Possible function of household chores for healthy aging.

10 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Le Le arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport from Singapore     1     Tuesday evening, becoming the first overseas-born giant panda to come to China this year. According to an agreement     2    (reach) between China and Singapore, Le Le was required to be sent to China this month. Singapore Airlines stated that     3    (ensure) Le Le’s safe journey, a Boeing 747-400F plane was used for the flight, with experts from both countries     4    (accompany) the panda.

During the flight, the cabin temperature     5    (maintain) at 12 to 16 degrees Celsius, and efforts were made to avoid turbulence (气流), ensuring a slow takeoff and landing to prevent any     6    (comfort) for Le Le. In addition, the aircraft carried 50 kilograms of fresh bamboo, bamboo shoots, carrots, apples and other food to meet Le Le’s dietary needs during     7     four-and-a-half-hour trip.

Unlike other overseas-born giant pandas     8     have been sent to China, Le Le won’t undergo quarantine (检疫) at the bases in Ya’an or Wolong. The China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center said that the center’s facilities are not sufficient for the recent     9    (arrive) of overseas-born giant pandas coming into the country, so Le Le will use the quarantine facilities at the Huaying Mountain base.     10    (current), Le Le is in good health.