1 . Caring 17-year-old Lauren Schroeder was inspired to help bring healthy food to needy families in her community. Volunteering at a food shelter helping
Coming from a farming family, Lauren was
Lauren was one determined young
In 2023, Lauren doubled the size of her farm to an acre. Discussing her future
Explaining her
A.compare | B.decorate | C.fill | D.connect |
A.free | B.urgent | C.far | D.missing |
A.demand | B.desire | C.ability | D.failure |
A.tired with | B.scared of | C.familiar with | D.anxious about |
A.realizing | B.improving | C.making | D.imagining |
A.Eventually | B.Unfortunately | C.Generally | D.Initially |
A.thinking | B.worrying | C.arguing | D.talking |
A.care-taker | B.decision-maker | C.change-maker | D.job-seeker |
A.questioning | B.believing | C.indicating | D.checking |
A.required | B.consumed | C.produced | D.recycled |
A.intelligence | B.ambition | C.work | D.courage |
A.measures | B.difficulties | C.tasks | D.plans |
A.handing | B.bringing | C.applying | D.reducing |
A.motivation | B.hobby | C.secret | D.method |
A.progress | B.difference | C.power | D.space |
2 . Compared with Americans, people in Okinawa, 1, 000 miles south of Tokyo, are three times more likely to become centenarians (百岁老人) , according to professor Dan Buettner’s research. The centenarians garden, sing, laugh and play. For most of the city dwellers (居民) who are busy working, it’s not possible to live like that.
For those who don’t like the gym, you may be inspired by the way the centenarians bring movement into their everyday routines.
They reduce meat for a plant-forward approach.
The typical diet in America includes 220 pounds of meat per year. per person.
They give loneliness the boot and become joiners.
Buettner describes a woman named Panchita who was well over 100 years old. She didn’t feel lonely at all because, her 85-year-old son biked to her house to help feed the chickens each day. In return, she cooked him some beans and some rice. They both found happiness in doing so. “There’s this beautiful symbiosis (共生) .
A.They depend on each other. |
B.They eat as little as they can. |
C.They build movement into their days. |
D.They plant a garden in their backyard. |
E.But we can learn from their simple habits. |
F.Those centenarians only consume 20 pounds a year. |
G.Much of their intake is from whole plant-based foods. |
3 . The “Got Talent” crew is one of the pioneers in finding and publicizing music talents and has been giving the world some of its most favorite artists for almost two decades. This year “Britain’s Got Talent” (BGT) uncovered a musical genius named Malakai Bayoh who amazed the audience with perfect high-note singing. The London-based 13-year-old boy appeared for the show’s audition (试镜) in April, 2023 and was accompanied by his mom and sister. “My big dream is to be a singer. I started singing at 7,” said Bayoh to the BGT team and added jokingly, “My mom made me join the choir (合唱团) because she’s very bossy.” The teenager mentioned she’s his biggest fan.
Bayoh’s mom was shocked as he was about to perform and said, “It scares me because, on his first show, somebody heckled (对……起哄) him. It was bad to think that someone would boo (喝倒彩) a child on stage because it could’ve knocked his confidence completely.” Contrary to his mom’s fear, Bayoh set the stage on fire singing the song “Pie Jesu” and the entire crowd were struck by his beautiful voice. As he ended his song, the audience and the judges gave him a standing applause. Simon Cowell, a judge, had just one word to say and it was “Golden Buzzer”, sending him straight to the semi-finals of the show.
Cowell and the other judges called Bayoh’s performance “flawless” and “heavenly”. His angelic voice made the audience tear up and the judges thanked the teen for coming on the show. Bayoh went on to become one of the finalists of the show.
Bayoh’s audition at the BGT became popular on social media. People loved the boy’s impeccable singing and some musicians even commented on how perfectly he hit the high notes. “I’m a trained singer and a music teacher by profession, and sang this song as a young performer myself. I can say with absolute certainty that this song is most beautifully sung this time. With proper technique and breathing, this boy sang really well,” posted @mayacorinne878.
1. What can be learned about Bayoh from paragraph 2?A.He comes from a single-parent family. | B.He is humorous in speech. |
C.His dream was inspired by his fans. | D.His mom used to be a singer. |
A.Bayoh’s difficulty in singing. | B.The judges’ attitudes to his son. |
C.Bayoh’s performance on stage. | D.Some audiences’ initial responses. |
A.Touched. | B.Annoyed. | C.Relieved. | D.Amused. |
A.To uncover more musical geniuses. | B.To show musicians’ ability to sing well. |
C.To stress Bayoh’s excellent singing. | D.To contradict some audiences’ comments. |
4 . Thanks to the 1999 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 26 endangered species in Australia have seen their populations recover.
It seems like that we're always hearing about new animals that have become endangered, but there's some good news in Australia: 26 animal species no longer meet the criteria to be listed as threatened. Australia’s biodiversity has been in decline, with more than 1, 700 species and ecological communities known to be on the line. In 1999, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act was passed to introduce protections for endangered animals. The burrowing bettong is one of 26 Australian species that have returned from the edge of extinction.
Seemingly these are working, as a recent study published in the journal Biological Conservation reviewed the animals that were previously or currently listed as threatened between 2000 and December 2022, and discovered that 26 species had recovered to no longer meet the criteria. Species that have seen improvement include the charmingly named burrowing bettong, the golden bandicoot and the bulloo grey grasswren.
Factors behind this improvement include habitat management, control of introduced predators (捕食者) and translocation of endangered animals to predator-free islands. However, the species have not been officially delisted at this time. The EPBC Act only allows species to be delisted if doing so will not have a negative effect on their survival, and researchers believe that conservation gains could be lost should management efforts be stopped.
Dr Michelle Ward, a conservation scientist at WWF Australia, told The Guardian, “The key problem with delisting species is that then they no longer have monitoring and no longer need certain funding plans.”
However, it is promising that researchers have found signs of improvement. Hopefully this will continue among these and other species!
1. What do the underlined words “on the line” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Out of place. | B.At risk. |
C.Under control. | D.On the increase. |
A.Some animals are facing extinction. |
B.Burrowing bettong is a charming species. |
C.The criteria to be delisted were hard to meet. |
D.26 endangered species’ populations are recovering. |
A.their living situation is severe | B.the delisting consequences are uncertain |
C.the conservation gains are short | D.the habitat management level is poor |
A.Unconcerned. | B.Doubtful. | C.Positive. | D.Worried. |
5 . Robotics/Artificial Intelligence (AI) Competitions for High School Students
Robotics and AI competitions are a great way for high schoolers to dive into modern technologies. Here are four of them.
MATE ROV Competition
Location: Houston, Texas
Awards: VR headsets
Competition Date: March to June
MATE ROV Competition challenges students to design and build remotely operated vehicles, and its purpose is to see who can design a vehicle that will help monitor ocean health, provide clean energy, or just help keep our oceans healthy for the future.
RoboRave
Location: Lorrach, Germany
Awards: Small cash prizes
Competition Date: November
RoboRave is a robotics competition that welcomes participants to compete in various challenges like firefighting. The competition’s unique aspect lies in its international reach, bringing together enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate robotics education and hands-on learning.
Agorize AI Challenge
Location: Virtual for initial phases, then in Paris, France for the final award ceremony
Awards: A trip to the destination of your choice, iPad, Apple TV
Competition Date: September
In this project, you can work in teams of 2-5 people to present an idea for how we can use AI-technologies to impact a specific field, like marketing, healthcare, etc. You’ll send in your initial application in a 3-5 slides presentation, and if your team makes it pass this phase, you’ll have the opportunity to include more information about your product features.
OpenCV AI Competition
Location: Online
Awards: Certificates, cash, free courses
Competition Date: December
In your project, you can either work individually or in teams of three using computer vision technologies. OpenCV AI Competition suggests project ideas related to robotics, agriculture or education, but you’re not limited to these areas.
1. Which of the following mainly welcomes the entries for oceanic conditions?A.RoboRave. | B.MATE ROV Competition. |
C.Agorize AI Challenge. | D.OpenCV AI Competition. |
A.It is held every month. | B.It offers online training. |
C.It is a global competition. | D.It promises a national tour. |
A.They allow teamwork. | B.They provide free courses. |
C.They fund their winners. | D.They need presentations at first. |
6 . 听下面一段独白,回答以下小题。
1. Which generation is Liu Wenwen for performing suona in her family?A.The seventh generation. |
B.The eighth generation. |
C.The third generation. |
A.Because the voice of the instrument annoyed her neighbors. |
B.Because the park is beautiful. |
C.Because she didn’t like practicing at home. |
A.Liu had a personal concert in Sydney. |
B.Liu performed with award-winning composer. |
C.Liu was followed by Chinese. |
A.About 20 years. |
B.Less than 20 years. |
C.More than 20 years. |
7 . 听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1. Who will the man go with?A.With the woman. | B.With his pen friend. | C.Nobody. |
A.The man’s hometown. |
B.The UN’s liveable city. |
C.The town of fruit. |
A.Have a trip with her. | B.Send emails. | C.Take some photos. |
A.On December 22nd. |
B.On December 20th. |
C.On December 25th. |
1. What can we know about the girl?
A.She got a bad mark in the exam. |
B.She got some advice in the exam. |
C.She got a good mark in the exam. |
A.Do lots of reading comprehension exercises. |
B.Try to speak English more. |
C.Read some English books. |
A.Read a book. |
B.Watch a film. |
C.Learn twenty new words. |
9 . Do you find yourself looking at your Facebook page or watching YouTube videos instead of getting work done? Are you
I am in my second year at college. In almost every
Yes, we live in a digital age where we even use
My
There is no easier solution to this; you must turn off digital devices, or you won’t focus. It just takes some
A.looking for | B.asking for | C.thinking about | D.talking about |
A.careful | B.happy | C.right | D.alone |
A.show | B.lecture | C.direction | D.interview |
A.letting down | B.setting aside | C.looking at | D.looking after |
A.natural | B.interesting | C.useless | D.bad |
A.improve | B.check | C.correct | D.share |
A.knowing | B.accepting | C.telling | D.finishing |
A.offering | B.advertising | C.reading | D.writing |
A.hardly | B.slowly | C.strangely | D.fully |
A.keys | B.cellphones | C.cameras | D.umbrellas |
A.shorter | B.better | C.wider | D.deeper |
A.change | B.question | C.study | D.debate |
A.avoid | B.need | C.control | D.lose |
A.comfortable | B.helpful | C.hard | D.necessary |
A.feel | B.wish | C.mention | D.wonder |
A.attitude | B.advice | C.information | D.worry |
A.happens | B.aims | C.prefers | D.dislikes |
A.because | B.unless | C.though | D.when |
A.chances | B.ways | C.times | D.places |
A.courage | B.patience | C.encouragement | D.confidence |
10 . Types Of Students You Will Meet In College
There are thousands of universities around the world, and each school boasts its own traditions and slogans. Some schools pride themselves on sports, while others emphasize their research facilities. While there are a myriad of differences among each and every school, there will always be these three types of students in class.
The one who sits in the front row
There’s at least one of these people in every single class,whether it’s a required General Education class or an upper division major course. These students always sit in the front row and ask at least five questions every lecture.
They attend all the discussions and office hours, and try to turn in homework at least a week in advance. These are also the people who remind professors about assigned homework and upcoming exams. Nothing bad about being studious, but are they even human?
The one who never studies (but still aces the class)
Standing as probably the most frustrating category of people in this list, these students won’t know about a midterm until two days before. They go to class every once in a while when the class time doesn’t clash with one of their many elaborate social plans, but never pay attention. Somehow, they still ace all their exams and end up with the top grade in the class.
The one who always falls asleep
This person comes to class every day, but somehow never stays awake for more than 20 minutes. You can sometimes hear the occasional snore from a corner of a large lecture hall, or catch their heads nodding like a pendulum near the front of the class if they’re the studious type. But let’s be real here: we’ve all been one of those students at some point.
1. Who always sit in the front row?A.The studious students. |
B.The sleepy students. |
C.The smart students. |
D.The frustrated students. |
A.Some students never go to classes but still get top grades. |
B.Some students never go to classes and get bad grades. |
C.Some students go to lectures occasionally but still ace the class. |
D.Some students go to lectures everyday and still ace the class. |
A.The one who always falls asleep |
B.The one who sits in the front row |
C.The one who never falls asleep |
D.The one who never studies (but still aces the class) |