1 . The Best Activities in Melbourne

It’s time to start planning how you’ll keep entertained. We’ve put together four family-friendly activities for you.

Visit Melbourne Royal Show

Some visit the show for the thrilling rides, the others feel amazed at award-winning cakes, the cutest baby animals... or maybe you’re all just united in a love of sugar-filled show bags. This year’s Melbourne Royal Show is set to be bigger and better than ever, running for 11 days, with all the fantastic attractions that we know and love.

Meet Magical Dragons at Kryal Castle

If your family has a love for the fantastical, you can get up close to mysterious dragons at Kryal Castle. There will be a wide range of activities themed around the famous creatures, including an exciting dragon egg trip and dragon soldier training. You’ll come face to face with dragons, and catch the thrilling Dragon Cup Tournament, where noble soldiers and brave knights battle for the Dragon Cup.

Get Inspiration from First Nations Artists

The activity is inviting kids to express their creativity at the immersive (沉浸式虚拟现实的) art experience. The organizer will have little kids using their personal creativity to create their own artworks that can be taken home, surrounded by the world of art and culture as inspiration. There will also be free gifts and interactive art plays. It’s suitable for age 5 to 12.

Let Loose at the Museum of Play and Art (MoPA)

MoPA is a kids’ museum, a place where kids can engage with fun exhibits. The exhibits at MoPA are designed for kids aged 1 to 9. Kids can practice their fine motor skills, build and race in the Zoom Room, climb up to Sunset City for a sweet view of the museum and get creative at the MoPA Art Car.

1. How is this year’s Melbourne Royal Show different from before?

A．It offers live music.	B．It has thrilling rides.
C．It is larger than before.	D．It has award-winning cakes.

2. What is special about First Nations Artists?

A．It lets kids get writing inspiration.	B．It is mainly about the culture.
C．It’s the most suitable for kids.	D．It offers free gifts to kids.

3. Which is the best activity for kids to race?

A．The MoPA.	B．Melbourne Royal Show.
C．First Nations Artists.	D．Magical Dragons at Kryal Castle.

2 . In pursuing our dreams, we commonly encounter voices of doubt from those around us. Friends, family, or even strangers may question our ambitions, casting shadows of uncertainty on the path we’ve chosen. However, it’s important to remember that the opinions of others should not define our potential or limit our ambitions.

Shawn Warner, a 58-year-old Texas man, pursued his childhood dream of becoming a writer after being laid off. Despite facing discouragement from others, he published his first book, Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor, last year.

Surprisingly, Shawn’s journey took an unexpected turn—he became a Texas bestselling author when a TikTok video of him selling his book at a grocery store went viral (走红). TikToker Jerrad Swearenjin shot the video of Shawn sitting alone at a table with his books in a Texas Kroger store.

“I was just shopping when I noticed this man trying to promote his new book. I honestly don’t even read books nowadays. But something told me to get a couple. This new author seemed super defeated when I first walked past him. So before I left the store, I decided to go back,” the video text read. The video gained great popularity, with millions of likes and comments, and many people expressing interest in purchasing Shawn’s book.

Swearenjin shared his motivation for approaching Shawn, stating that he wanted to show kindness to a stranger, having experienced a lack of recognition despite working hard in the past.

As the conversation progressed, Shawn’s face lit up with joy when Swearenjin expressed interest in his books and offered support as a local author. He was in shock and struggled to find words to express his appreciation for the unexpected events.

Emotionally moved by the support from people worldwide, Shawn thanked Swearenjin and everyone who had shown kindness and generosity.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the topic.	B．To explain a phenomenon.
C．To show a type of person.	D．To add background information.

2. What happened to Shawn before he took up writing?

A．He failed in many fields.	B．He was out of work.
C．He was encouraged by others.	D．He met a kind TikToker.

3. What does Shawn think of Swearenjin’s behaviour?

A．It saved his energy.	B．It won millions of likes.
C．It contributed to his dream.	D．It was beyond understanding.

4. What message does Shawn’s story convey?

A．Gratitude is the best attitude.	B．Kindness is the nature of human.
C．Having trust in strangers counts.	D．Good luck comes with determination.

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。

Dmitry Bondarenko was a Toronto-based artist. One day he had an appointment with a friend for a painting session. So he put the objects including his sketchbook (速写本) in the back basket of his bike and then cycled to meet his friend. But when he arrived and turned to take his things, he was shocked to find his sketchbook was missing.

The 5×7 black sketchbook contained a decade of his works and had great emotional value to him. It included portraits of friends and family, and still life paintings of his great grandfather when he served in Red Army in Russia. The notebook became a visual account of the 40-year-old artist’s life and family history. His parents are Russian and Ukrainian, and he and his family moved to Canada when he was a child.

Dmitry shared that he felt a deep sense of loss when he first discovered his sketchbook missing. He thought that the book must have fallen out of his bicycle’s back basket. So he went back to look for it. First, he retraced his steps and posted dozens of flyers along the bike path through the park. He also checked with park services. Several days later, he still had no clue where his precious sketchbook was, making him extremely sad and anxious.

“I realized the weight of it when it was gone, how precious it is,” Bondarenko said sadly.

In a last-ditch effort to locate his treasured sketchbook, he decided to turn to social media. He shared a post to a neighborhood Facebook group, detailing his trouble. A few other community-oriented Facebook groups reshared the post. Word quickly spread within the local community for everyone to keep an eye out for the missing sketchbook.

In the meanwhile, a man named Chris found the sketchbook in the park. As he picked it up and skimmed through the pages, he found there was no name or address. The paintings in the book were so impressive that he couldn’t take his eyes off. Finally, he decided to leave the sketchbook where it was found, thinking the owner would return to look for it. He leafed through the sketchbook again before putting it down.

注意:
1. 续写词数为150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly, a dishonorable idea occurred to him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris Elam contacted Dmitry at once, telling him that the sketchbook was in his house.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . It’s really easy to feel all alone in life, especially when going through hardship. But sometimes the _______ thing we can do is allow ourselves to ask for _______ , like Erin did.

Erin worked at a McDonald’s in Michigan. But her pay wasn’t enough to _______ rent and she and her twin girls ended up _______ . She wanted to sleep in her car which was _______ right outside of the girls’ school. However, she wasn’t sure what she was doing was _______ .

So, she asked police officer Heather Kolke if they could stay there. But the _______ didn’t stop there. Heather, also a mom, knew she had to _______ . She and her fellow officers found Erin and her daughters a temporary place to stay. That wasn’t all though: They even got her an _______ and went with her to offer moral ________ . Luckily, Erin got that job.

Heather also planned a birthday party for Erin’s daughters, with local businesses ________ balloons, cake, and pizza.

The whole community ultimately got ________ , raising $2,300 in cash, as well as clothes for the kids, items for their new ________ , gift cards to help them make ends meet.

“It ________ warms my heart to know that there are people out there who ________ . It is a reminder that there are good people in the world,” shared Erin.

1.

A．last

B．odd

C．difficult

D．best

2.

A．help

B．forgiveness

C．permission

D．leave

3.

A．guarantee

B．cover

C．return

D．balance

4.

A．desperate

B．fruitless

C．homeless

D．disappointed

5.

A．repaired

B．seen

C．abandoned

D．parked

6.

A．worthwhile

B．legal

C．wise

D．useful

7.

A．question

B．conversation

C．vehicle

D．demand

8.

A．set out

B．walk by

C．step in

D．look forward

9.

A．interview

B．innovation

C．award

D．arrangement

10.

A．support

B．guidance

C．satisfaction

D．standard

11.

A．producing

B．decorating

C．designing

D．donating

12.

A．paid

B．involved

C．elected

D．cleaned

13.

A．car

B．school

C．office

D．home

14.

A．really

B．eventually

C．timely

D．obviously

15.

A．remain

B．insist

C．care

D．share

5 . Have you considered how to choose your major in university, which is of great significance for your future career? Here is some practical advice.

Initially, don’t choose a major merely based on money, otherwise mistakes will happen.     1     Can you see yourself investing the next 40 years in this career without getting bored? Actually choosing a major with high-paying career won’t guarantee you a high-paying job. It depends on position openings and your competitors when you graduate.

    2     You want to pick something that interests you, but you need to be sure you won’t get sick of it as time progresses.     3     A hobby is a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation for relaxation while passion comforts you and drives you crazy at the same time. It isn’t relaxing. It inserts itself into your life. When you choose to study your hobby and build your life around it, it can lose its appeal and won’t be relaxing.

Thirdly, never choose a major by feeling instead of research. Being interested in a major isn’t enough. Researching the field will ensure you to choose a right major. If you know someone in the field, ask them for some information. Besides, consider the entire journey you’ll pursue—the coursework, the major demands, the school time you’ll need, and the available job prospects.     4    

Lastly, don’t always depend on your parents.     5     However, the choice is ultimately yours. If anyone wants to help you in choosing a major and you completely agree with their opinions, then go with it. But if you want your future to go in any other direction, speak up. The only way to get the best outcome is to shape your own future.

A．Next, a hobby is never meant to be your priority.

B．The opinions of your family aren’t something to ignore.

C．Besides, keep a balance between hobbies and relaxation.

D．Typically, people will confuse their hobbies with their passions.

E．You should also consider your passions, dislikes, and happiness.

F．Remember college is an investment of both your time and money.

G．If you’re passionate about a major after research, follow your heart.

6 . In the U. S., people eat more protein than they need to, which might not be bad for human health, but does pose a problem for the country’s waterways. The nation’s wastewater is loaded with the leftovers from protein digestion: nitrogen compounds(氯化合物) that can feed harmful algal blooms(藻华) and pollute the air and drinking water.

Maya Almaraz, a biogeochemist at the University of California, Davis, and her team wanted to see how much of this nitrogen entered into the U. S. wastewater system because of a protein-heavy diet. The researchers found that the majority of nitrogen pollution present in wastewater—some 67 to 100 precent—is a by-product of water people consume.

Once it enters the environment, the nitrogen can have a series of ecological impacts. It helps algae grow much faster than they would normally, which is harmful to humans, other animals and plants. And when the algae eventually die, the problem is not over. Microorganisms(微生物) that feed on dead algae use up the oxygen in the water, leading to “dead zones,” where many species simply cannot survive, in rivers, lakes and oceans.

Although it is possible to treat algal blooms, many of the current methods are not always effective at getting rid of all of the harmful growth. Some of these methods can even lead to additional pollution. So the best strategy for dealing with the effects of nitrogen pollution is prevention, says Patricia Glibert, an ocean scientist at the University of Maryland. Almaraz and her team suggest that controlling nitrogen pollution could be approached more quickly with a change in eating habits that could save billions of dollars in the long term.

1. Which aspect of Americans’ diet does Almaraz’s research focus on ?

A．Its variety.

B．Its effect.

C．Its make-up.

D．Its amount.

2. What causes “dead zones” in the water?

A．No oxygen for many species.	B．Death of lots of healthy algae.
C．Microorganisms’overconsumption of nutrients.	D．Poisonous chemicals released by harmful algae.

3. What is the problem with current algal bloom treatment methods?

A．They are costly.	B．They may kill all algae.
C．They are slow to take effect.	D．They may cause secondary pollution.

4. What does the text mainly tell us?

A．It is high time to treat wild algae growth.	B．Eating too much protein harms the planet.
C．Prevention is better than cure in treating air pollution.	D．Researchers find solutions to the wastewater problem.

7 . In China, tea has become an important part of everyday life for thousands of years. As the tea-processing methods and tea culture have evolved over the years, tea sets have also changed to meet the practical and cultural needs.

During the Tang Dynasty(618~907AD), tea leaves were traded across the country and Asia. For the convenience of transportation and storage, tea leaves were pressed into bricks. To prepare tea, drinkers had to cut them into small pieces and boil them in heat-resistant teapots.

By the Song Dynasty(960-1279), drinkers started to turn the hard bricks into powders (粉末) that could be whipped (搅打) in a cup with boiled water. This whipped tea is most commonly associated with Japanese tea ceremonies today.

By the 1500s, tea bricks gave way to the form of rolled leaves. This innovation led to the invention and use of teapots as we know them today. These teapots originally came from the Yi Xing region of China and were soon copied throughout the world. Then Japanese teapot-makers moved the handle from the side to the top of the teapots.

Tea finally reached Europe in the 1600s, along with the necessary tea sets made in Japan and China. As English teapot-makers began to adapt the tea sets to their country men’s tastes, they eventually added a handle to the tea bowl because of the English habit of drinking hot black tea, which was consumed at higher temperatures. The size of teacups also grew to accommodate milk and sugar in their tea.

By the early 1900s, innovations in tea drinking became an American affair. The most revolutionary one was the tea bag, which was accidentally commercialized by Thomas Sullivan. He had been sending customers tea wrapped in silk bags. Rather than take the leaves out of the bags, as Sullivan intended, the customers put the bags into their teapots instead. Not only did the tea bags push the teapot back to the sidelines of tea service, they were also too large for teacups and led to the modern practice of drinking tea from mugs.

1. Which was used to make the whipped tea in Japan?

A．Rolled tea leaves.	B．Freshly picked tea leaves.
C．Powdered tea leaves.	D．Loosely pressed tea leaves.

2. Which innovation was first introduced by the British?

A．Tea bags and mugs.	B．Tea bowls with handles.
C．Heat-resistant teapots.	D．Teapots with top handles.

3. What can we learn from Thomas Sullivan’s story?

A．Customers are very creative.	B．Innovations are relatively easy.
C．Marketing strategy is critical.	D．Good ideas can be born by accident.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Development of Tea Sets	B．Varieties of Tea Leaves
C．Various Tea-making Methods	D．The Spread of Tea Trades

8 . Moments ago, a seal was resting on a piece of floating ice deep in an Antarctic channel. Then three hungry killer whales appeared. When the seal noticed them, it was already surrounded.

On this sheet of sea ice, the nearly thousand-pound sea l would be unreachable for most of his enemies in nature. But these killer whales had mastered a hunting technique called wave washing: working together to turn water into a weapon.

Having identified their target, the killer whales formed a battle line and started rushing toward the ice. Just before reaching it, they rolled to their sides in a single, synchronized (同步的) motion. The wave they created was so powerful that it flooded the ice sheet and washed the frightened seal close to the edge of the ice sheet. Slowly and methodically, they repeated the attack. At the third time, the wave sent the helpless seal flying into the sea. It struggled to climb onto a piece of ice, but then disappeared from view...

“The level of intelligence that went into making each wave was staggering. They solved the problem with very complex teamwork. They used water as a tool,” said wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory, who had spent a decade tracking those killer whales, known as Bls. “I rarely saw failed hunts. This behavior was not what they were born with. It was learned and mastered over decades. Every time they made waves, it almost felt like more of a teaching experience than hunting. It was terrifying to watch.”

But as Antarctica warms and sea ice disappears, seals are increasingly staying on land, out of killer whales’ reach.

“I’ve found Bls are losing about 5 percent of their population every year. Whether this subgroup will go extinct or just adapt their behavior, I don’t know,” said Gregory. “But with fewer opportunities for the killer whales to wave wash, I’m seeing an extinction of a culture.”

1. How did the killer whales get the seal on the ice sheet?

A．By making huge waves.	B．By jumping onto the ice sheet.
C．By destroying the ice sheet.	D．By waiting underwater patiently.

2. Which of the following best explains “staggering” underlined in paragraph 4?

A．Puzzling.

B．Shocking.

C．Satisfying.

D．Annoying.

3. What is Bertie Gregory most worried about?

A．The seals and killer whales.	B．The rising sea level.
C．The loss of a hunting skill.	D．The disappeared ice sheet.

4. What can be inferred about the wave washing behavior?

A．It is a natural behavior with whales.	B．Usually, the smartest whales can learn it.
C．It can be carried out by one whale alone.	D．Perhaps, it is only mastered by certain groups.

9 . The secret to truly enjoying life lies in making small changes to everyday lives. Taking care of yourself and connecting with others are just some of the ways you can live a happy life. We’ve made an extensive list of practical tips.     1    

Put yourself and your happiness first. While making a decision, choose the things that will make you the most pleased.    2     When you focus on your passions and interests, you’ll feel more optimistic and energized. And allow yourself to be involved in the small things that can keep your spirits up, such as going for a short walk each day.

Reward yourself for making progress and continuing to grow. Make sure to celebrate even the smallest signs of progress and growth rather than only praising yourself for the successes. Give yourself an encouraging gesture or word occasionally.    3     Or, be sure to reward yourself with small breaks throughout the workday.

    4     Rather than bottling up all of your thoughts and keeping them to yourself, let others know when you need something. Doing so can help you become more confident and feel like you have control over your life. When you speak your mind and live life on your own terms, you’ll be more content.

Turn off the news every now and then. Consuming too much negative news can lead to stress. While it’s great to keep up with current events, the news can have a bad effect on your happiness levels if lots of negative things have happened recently.    5     If you still want to read, avoid potentially stressful topics.

A．Be honest about your wants and needs.

B．Don’t be afraid to seek out new experiences.

C．They’ll help you enjoy your life to the fullest.

D．Also, make taking care of yourself a top priority.

E．Invest your time and resources in improving yourself.

F．Even just skipping it for a day or two might help ease your worry.

G．Buy yourself a treat whenever you cross something off your to-do list.

10 . 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。

On October 18, world leaders came together in Beijing for an eye-catching forum (论坛) to celebrate     1     tenth anniversary (周年) of the Belt and Road Initiative (“一带一路”倡议). The forum was considered     2     (extreme) important in building the Belt and Road.

Chinese President Xi Jinping     3     (give) a speech at the opening. He said that over the past 10 years, plans of Belt and Road cooperation had been turned into real projects. He also said that China would take eight major steps     4     (support) high-quality Belt and Road cooperation,     5     (include) green development and the advance of science and technology.

So far, the Belt and Road Initiative has become the world’s     6     (large) platform (平台) for international cooperation. By June 2023, China had worked together with 152 countries and 32 international     7     (organisation) to build the Belt and Road. Over 3,000 cooperation projects have been started in the past 10 years, one of which is the China-Laos Railway.     8     was put into use in December 2021, helping Laos become a country with easy transport in Southeast Asia.

“Belt and Road cooperation was suggested by China,     9     its fruits are for the world to share,” President Xi Jinping said. There is no doubt     10     the Belt and Road Initiative will continue to make a great difference to the world in the future.