1 . Finding a California condor in the wild would be the most unusual treat. perhaps even more unusual than finding a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. In fact, the wolf was what opened my eyes to the fact that humans could bring an animal back to the place where it had disappeared.

In 1987, there were only 27 California condors left, none of which were in the wild, only in captive breeding programs, It was those breeding programs that contributed to their population rise, enough that by 1991 some of them could be freed into the wild.

Still, the hope of seeing a California condor, which remains an endangered species, is very low, let alone getting a photo of one. California condor population dropped mostly due to human factors, such as poaching and living areas destruction-these are challenges California condors still face today.

Although this is just a bird’s-eye view of the challenges California condors face and there are many others, it is part of why the opportunity to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team and their partners helping their recovery is so special to me as a photographer. I am not only able to photograph the birds in their wild living areas, but also understand and record how difficult the work is of those people on the front lines of the protection.

I am grateful for the work of the team, and my hope is that California condor population will continue to rise allowing future generations an opportunity I never had when I first got here-to look to the sky and see one flying around.

1. What helped the increase of the California condor population in 1987?

A．Rules for hunters.	B．Captive breeding programs.
C．The improved natural environment.	D．The enlargement of wild living areas.

2. What does the author say about taking photos of a California condor in the wild?

A．It is difficult.

B．It is easy.

C．It is boring.

D．It is dangerous.

3. What did the author do when working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team?

A．He guided ways for them.	B．He made records by photos.
C．He helped the birds to recover.	D．He rebuilt the birds’ living areas.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．New Way, New Hope	B．Wolves and California Condors
C．A Photo of a California Condor	D．The California Condor’s Coming Back

2 . English history is vast, from its rule under the Romans to the rise, heights and decline of the British Empire. When choosing a book to recommend on my country’s history, I wanted something that could summarize this sweeping history but didn’t get stuck in the details of things that hold me back from thoroughly engaging with this truly rich history. Then, I found Dominic Haynes’ A Brief History of England. It had just what I was looking for and was a real joy to read.

The book is a whistle-stop tour through the whole of English history, from its earliest people to the movement of settlers from Europe. It looks at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Elizabeth I’s reign (统治) and the lasting impact of Shakespeare. Then it touches on the English Civil Wars and the shift of rule from kings and queens to the parliament (议会) running the country and the establishment of the political parties of the Whigs (辉格党) and Tories (托利党) still functioning today in some form as the currently ruling Conservative Party (保守党). It also covers the Napoleonic Wars and the world wars and even contemplates (思考) England’s post-Brexit (脱欧后的) present and future.

This really is quite the sweeping tome. However, it’s very short. This means it’s easy to navigate and get a hold of a huge amount of history, but it also means it’s very light on the details. At times, this can be frustrating, as there are parts where it feels like just another paragraph or page would really elevate this book. But for an introduction to English history or perhaps a reminder or refresher, it’s great and particularly useful as it is likely to fill in some gaps in your knowledge.

Furthermore, because of the pace of the book, there’s not a dull moment. It’s a real page-turner, covering the succession (交替) of kings and queens, wars, famines (饥荒) and changes in the social order of the country at home and the country’s influence across the world.

One reviewer on Amazon described the book as “a small masterpiece”, and said, “This is a great book for anyone who wants to get a crash course in English history or for those who want a quick reference to that subject.”

So, jump in, dear readers, and get a hold of what made England what it was, what it went on to be, and where it may stand in our global future.

1. What is the main focus of Dominic Haynes’ A Brief History of England?

A．Detailed exploration of England’s political parties.

B．An introduction to the British Empire’s rise and fall.

C．A brief overview of England’s historical shifts and events.

D．In-depth analysis of England’s post-Brexit policies.

2. What is a weakness mentioned by the reviewer regarding the book?

A．Its pace is slow and frustrating.

B．There’s a shortage of information on wars.

C．It dives too deeply into political complexities.

D．It lacks detailed information due to its shortness.

3. What does the underlined word “page-turner” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．A book that is exciting to read.	B．A book that has lots of pages to turn.
C．A book that is easy to understand.	D．A book that is complicated.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Jump into the UK’s past.	B．The ebb and flow of the UK.
C．The significance of studying the UK’s history.	D．The UK, you always live in people’s hearts.

3 . I remember vividly the moment the doctor told me my daughter Annabelle was severely disabled. A thousand ________ raced through my mind. Will she walk? Will she talk? Will she be able to read?

“I couldn’t possibly ________,” said the doctor “But you should prepare yourself for the fact that she might never walk or talk.”

As well as ________ health, I wondered if she would have friends.

Now I know some of the answers. Although she has problems with the spine (脊柱), she can walk huge distances. She can’t hold a ________, but she can make her wants and needs known. And she has no friends.

Annabelle doesn’t get invited to birthday parties. To me, it’s this lack of inclusion (被接纳) that really ________me. Therefore, I was ________ when I saw a post on social media from a little girl with Down’s syndrome (唐氏综合症) at her friend’s birthday party. She was ________ having the greatest time of her life. There were photos of her wearing a wide smile, ________ for the camera, her friend’s arms around her.

“This is amazing!” I wrote, “I am so glad she gets________ in everything. My little girl was born with a spine problem. She hasn’t been invited to a single party in the last four years. ________ my heart.”

Later that day, a woman called Caroline, who I’d never met, sent me a message. Her son Luca was having a fifth birthday party and he wanted to ________ Annabelle.

As Annabelle set off for the party, she felt ________ and became hesitant. But once inside, she was relaxed and felt included in every element by two ________ — a five-year-old boy and his mum. It was highly ________.

My daughter now has memories that will last her a lifetime ________ that, she has her first ever friend.

1.

A．means

B．questions

C．focuses

D．opinions

2.

A．discover

B．lecture

C．predict

D．suffer

3.

A．attracted to

B．concerned about

C．impressed with

D．confused about

4.

A．party

B．debate

C．meeting

D．conversation

5.

A．upsets

B．affects

C．surprises

D．excites

6.

A．stressed

B．disappointed

C．overjoyed

D．frightened

7.

A．obviously

B．generally

C．gradually

D．immediately

8.

A．debating

B．checking

C．explaining

D．posing

9.

A．reminded

B．included

C．observed

D．funded

10.

A．Hardens

B．Breaks

C．Steals

D．Opens

11.

A．forgive

B．rescue

C．invite

D．shelter

12.

A．worried

B．excited

C．calm

D．powerful

13.

A．volunteers

B．teenagers

C．strangers

D．parents

14.

A．emotional

B．professional

C．wise

D．suitable

15.

A．Less than

B．Rather than

C．Fewer than

D．More than

4 . We’re all human, and we know there are some days when we feel good and others when we get down in the dumps. But knowing how to keep things steady, or at least more positive than negative, is a smart move for your health, both mental and physical.     1    “Mood (情绪) awareness is a necessary part of keeping good mental health. It doesn’t mean you should feel positive all the time.     2     Instead, try to be aware of what your mood is, what events or environments can start it, and learn ways to find balance,” explains Himali Pandya, chief strategy and development officer at People USA, a mental health crisis prevention center.

At the first step, you’re supposed to try mood tracking.     3     Use one method per week, then think about which seemed to work best for you and consider building it into your routine going forward.

·Daily Journaling

Just let it flow! Each day, write down how you felt when you woke up in the morning, at midday, and in the evening.     4     It may also be helpful to write down anything that contributed to a change in your mood throughout the day. This is a great wellness activity that can help you process daily experiences.

·Mood Chart

This is similar to journaling, but it offers a bit more structure that can help show any patterns that seem to influence your mood.     5     And then draw columns (柱状图) for day of the week, mood, and mood-changing factors. Make it fun by using colored pens or emoji stickers for tracking.

A．Below are two popular ways to do this.

B．In fact, that is an unrealistic expectation.

C．And then there are times when our moods zip up and down!

D．Becoming aware of your mood trends can help you get there.

E．These are images you color in according to how you’re feeling.

F．Create a chart in your journal, on a whiteboard, or on a piece of paper.

G．If you notice mood changes between those time periods, write those down too.

5 . For as long as I can remember, I’ve had animals in my life. These days, there are four small companions: three dogs and an eight-year-old brown Burmese cat called Soo. I love them all dearly and they are the best company possible. They greet me warmly each time I come home, never complain and never get angry or argue with me. I have, though, discovered recently, after all these years of never being without a pet, there are unexpected risks of living with animals.

This year, I’ve spent four weeks in hospital, thanks to the cat. I felt such a fool telling the doctors that the terrible bruising (擦伤) and growing lump (肿块) in the middle of my right foot was due to my cat misbehaving.

It was a Sunday night. I’d had friends for lunch and was in the kitchen clearing up. I’d emptied and washed a heavy glass ashtray (烟灰缸), which I’d placed on the side. Soo knows she’s not allowed on the kitchen surfaces. Yet, she jumped up, marched towards the ashtray, and knocked it off. I like to think she didn’t know my foot was directly in her line of fire, but it was. I cried with pain. I couldn’t see any obvious wound and the ashtray survived the fall. I thought nothing more of it.

I’ve never seen such bruising as appeared the next day, but I carried on. I had work to do. It wasn’t too painful and surely the bruising would go away eventually. I carried on like that for a couple of weeks until a visit from my son, who thought the lump had grown and could be infected, so demanded I take a trip to the hospital.

As for forgiveness, there’s nothing to forgive. It’s my fault the ashtray was too close to the edge. There’ll still be treats and toys prepared for my pets under the Christmas tree.

1. What has the writer found recently about having pets?

A．Pets are the best company possible.	B．Pets may bring danger to their owners.
C．Pets never complain or argue with people.	D．Dogs and cats are great pets in people’s life.

2. What was the result of the accident?

A．I was grateful to my cat Soo.	B．I was made fun of by doctors.
C．I only suffered some bruising.	D．I stayed in hospital for several weeks.

3. What do we know about the accident?

A．My son took my wound more seriously.

B．Soo didn’t knock off the ashtray on purpose.

C．It happened when I was cooking in the kitchen.

D．I took a trip to the hospital right after the accident.

4. Which can best describe the writer’s attitude towards pets?

A．Love them all to bits.	B．Hate their misbehaviors.
C．Understand their feelings.	D．Complain about their company.

6 . 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。

When I was about four years old, I started washing my face on my own. However, I always ignored the area behind my ears on purpose though my mom would often remind me.

One summer, in July of that year, my mom drove me to my grandparents’ house for our annual summer holiday visit. When we arrived, I was told that Grandma had gone on a trip with her friends and wouldn’t be back for another two weeks. Feeling a bit down, I went to the yard to play while my mom and grandpa caught up on some things. Although I couldn’t hear their conversation clearly, I had a strong feeling they were talking about me based on their gestures and expressions. Later, my mom returned home, and she would come back to pick me up two months later.

After dinner that night, Grandpa asked me to take a bath before going to bed. Since I loved taking baths, I happily agreed. With the bathtub (浴缸) filled with water, Grandpa reminded me, “Just make sure you clean the area behind your ears really well. You wouldn’t want potatoes to start growing there, would you?”

“Potatoes?” I stopped in my tracks and turned back to look at him. “Yes, potatoes. If you don’t clean the dirt behind your ears, potatoes might actually sprout (发芽) and grow there,” he explained, causing my eyes to widen in surprise. “But I don’t have any potatoes behind my ears, Grandpa,” I said as I ran my fingers along the back of my ears. He took a quick glance and replied, “Oh, I see a couple of sprouts: starting right there!” He urged me to get into the bathtub immediately and scrub (擦洗) them away thoroughly.

I nodded, still in disbelief. This was the first time I had ever heard such a thing. Why hadn’t my parents warned me about this before? I wondered, but couldn’t find an answer. Nonetheless, I felt shocked by Grandpa’s warning.

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 hurried to jump into the bathtub, carefully scrubbing behind my ears.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“What are you looking at behind your ears?” Grandma asked me curiously.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Most of us have heard of the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. It is the core principle of a sustainable (可持续的) life, but few of us can apply it in our own lives. Now, there’s a “lab” you can explore and discover a way toward living sustainably.

3R Lab is located in Xuhui district, Shanghai. It offers exhibitions, activities and goods that showcase the 3R principle. The key to a sustainable life, according to Vincent T. M. Fong, the 32-year-old from Hong Kong who created the lab, is to make it a long-term promise. “A sustainable life should be sustainable itself in the first place. You can’t lead a sustainable life on a whim. Small and comfortable changes are exactly what you need,” Fong said.

The lab regularly hosts ugly fruit markets, offering these strange fruits which are often thrown away by traditional markets and consumers at a quite attractive price. “They’re thrown away simply because of their appearance. Buying fruit regardless of how they look reduces food waste significantly in our daily life,” Fong commented.

A water tank with two types of straws is another equipment in the lab. “One type is made from normal plastics widely used in our daily life while the other is from PHA, a new replacement for plastics, and the water is sourced from the Suzhou River,” explained Ni Li, an employee of the lab. Visitors can see how the PHA straws degrade (降解) into a thin layer in just one month, while the others remain unchanged.

“Leading a sustainable life does not necessarily mean sacrifice,” said Fong. Consuming ugly fruit and using degradable plastics are small changes that are good for the environment and easy to stick to. Only in this way can the 3R principle become part of our lives, he added.

After working there for six months, Ni, who wasn’t mindful of the 3R principle before arriving at the lab, now uses her cup every time she buys a coffee. “The job has reshaped my life,” Ni said.

1. What does the-underlined phrase “on a whim” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A．In a rush.	B．On a regular basis.
C．Without any reason.	D．As a common practice.

2. What is the purpose of the ugly fruit market at 3R Lab?

A．To reduce food waste.	B．To promote healthy eating.
C．To sell new kinds of fruit.	D．To provide more affordable fruit,

3. What can the water tank at 3R Lab show to its visitors?

A．The water pollution caused by plastics.	B．The degradation of PHA straws.
C．The interaction between two types of straws.	D．The disappearance of normal plastic straws.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph about Ni?

A．She avoids going to traditional markets.	B．She has devoted less time to her hobbies.
C．She has got rid of a few bad habits.	D．She is leading a low carbon life now.

8 . It was a hot, sticky Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of us set together, side by side, in rows of wooden folding chairs on the main _________ lawn. We wore blue nylon robes (礼袍). We listened _________ to long speeches and some students almost stood up. When the _________ was over, we threw our caps in the air, and we were _________ graduated from college. For many of us, the curtain had just come down on _________.

Afterward, I found Morrie Schwartz, my _________ professor, and introduced him to my parents. He was a small man who took small steps, _________ a strong wind could, at any time, blow him up into the clouds. In his graduation day robe, he looked like a Christmas elf (精灵).

He told my parents how I took every class he taught, “You have a special boy here.” _________, I looked at my feet. Before we left, I _________ my professor a present, a brown __________ with his initials (首字母) on the front. I bought this the day before at the shopping mall. I didn’t want to forget him. Maybe I didn’t want him to forget __________.

“Mlitch, you are one of the good ones,” he said, __________ the briefcase. Then he __________ me. I felt his thin arms around my back. I was taller, and when he held me, I felt awkward, older, as if he were the __________.

He asked if I would __________, and without hesitation I replied “Of course.”

1.

A．campus

B．park

C．track

D．court

2.

A．excitedly

B．impatiently

C．alarmingly

D．mindfully

3.

A．class

B．ceremony

C．conference

D．party

4.

A．individually

B．bitterly

C．obviously

D．officially

5.

A．career

B．opportunity

C．youth

D．mystery

6.

A．previous

B．strict

C．unique

D．favorite

7.

A．as if

B．even if

C．now that

D．so that

8.

A．Inspired

B．Amazed

C．Embarrassed

D．Frightened

9.

A．handed

B．acquired

C．selected

D．delivered

10.

A．textbook

B．briefcase

C．medal

D．image

11.

A．the present

B．the class

C．the ceremony

D．the student

12.

A．admiring

B．seeking

C．measuring

D．searching

13.

A．ignored

B．hugged

C．dragged

D．comforted

14.

A．parent

B．graduate

C．headmaster

D．child

15.

A．interact around

B．update on

C．catch up

D．pick up

9 . In recent days, the small “potatoes” from southern China have occupied Harbin, the capital city of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province. The streets and alleys are full of groups of little people sitting on suitcases, feet up in the air, wearing cute hairy hats, light-colored and thick down jackets.

Upon their arrival, in addition to the must do playing in the ice and snow world, they would not let go of the food in the Northeast, but they didn’t expect that Harbin also sells tofu curd.

A little “potato” came to a food stall and asked the boss for a tofu curd, and the boss asked her what to add. The answer — sugar — made the boss widened her eyes and looked at the little “potato” unbelievably. She has never heard of anyone who eats tofu curd with sugar.

Frozen pears sellers knew that southerners have lived a delicate lifestyle back home, so they cut the frozen pears into pieces for them, while the locals usually bite them directly.

The Harbiners are sincerely hospitable. They really spoil the small “potatoes”, which makes the locals who have lived there for decades envious.

In order to welcome the distinguished guests, a transparent glass cover was specially installed in the Harbin Sophia Square by the municipal government to allow them to watch the snow cozily.

Also, an artificial moon shone brightly in the sky to satisfy their fantasy to admire a white moon on a cold winter night. Besides, the Oroqen people were called out from the mountains and forests to pull reindeer in the Central Street of Harbin, just to pet the southern tourists.

According to official data, Harbin received a total of 3.0479 million tourists during this year’s New Year’s Day holiday, with a total tourism income of 5,914 billion. The number of tourists and the total tourism income reached a record high. Iron pot stew is the most popular food, and 100,000 pieces of popsicles (棒冰) are sold in 3 days.

1. What is the boss’s reaction when a small “potato” asks for sugar in her tofu curd?

A．Pleased and hesitant.	B．Happy and welcoming.
C．Surprised and incredible.	D．Excited and enthusiastic.

2. What does the underlined word “installed” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Held.

B．Built.

C．Operated.

D．Protected.

3. What’s the main idea of the last but one paragraph?

A．The change of the lifestyle of the northeast people.

B．More measures taken to welcome the southern tourists.

C．The new attractions added to attract tourists in Harbin.

D．The comparison between the small “potatoes” and the local people.

4. How does the author mainly develop the last paragraph?

A．By listing numbers.	B．By giving explanations.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By following the order of time.

10 . It’s our duty to leave a better, cleaner and healthier planet for our children, so effective _________ (措施) are badly needed to maintain the ecological balance. (根据汉语提示单词拼写)