1 . 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。

Samuel, aged 49, was resting on the glass wall which encircled the tiger at the time. After a long wait, the opportunity to face the tiger arrived. Samuel was uncertain if the large cat could recognize him after his five-year absence because of his wife’s new job in another city.

Samuel has had a lifelong craziness with animals. Born and raised in a forest-surrounded area, he often brought home animals he had not seen before. Thus, when Samuel announced to everybody that he had been planning to become an animal keeper, nobody was shocked.

Nothing pleased Samuel more than being employed by someone close to his birthplace, who was a zookeeper. He finally did something that made him happy each day. Furthermore, this job paid well enough for Samuel! This made the situation even better!

Luna, the zoo’s sole (唯一的) female white tiger, liked Samuel. Samuel liked it too. Nobody could comprehend their extraordinary relationship. Luna seldom approached humans. When Luna was younger, it was mistreated at the hotel’s tourist attractions. When the zoo rescued Luna, it made no attempt to interact with anyone. Samuel was able to break through Luna’s fearful shell with a lot of support and patience.

Luna was going to have a baby as part of a plan to save white tigers. Luna had a rough pregnancy (怀孕), but its delivery was terrible. As Luna struggled, Samuel looked after it for hours. Unfortunately, Luna died during her delivery. Samuel was not able to stop crying over its death, but he needed Luna’s children out as quickly as possible!

Luna was taken to a veterinary hospital (兽医院). Samuel wandered outside, waiting for word. The veterinarian soon presented Samuel with a baby tiger. But who would look after it? As its mother passed away, Samuel took on the responsibility. He had been caring for the baby’s mum all along, and now the baby, which Samuel named Blanca.

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。

However, things did not go well as expected.

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Five years later, Samuel persuaded his wife to return home.

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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。

On October 15, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in the United States on Sunday hosted a ”Discover Beijing Opera“ cultural event at its Public Diplomacy Center in Washington D. C.,     1     (bring)the charm of the traditional Chinese stage art to nearly 100 people from all walks of life.

The event was co-organized by DC’s Beauty of Beijing Opera Lad(DCBBO)and a local     2     (organize)Things to Do DC. Minister Jing Quan of the embassy attended the event.

At the event, the guests     3     (show)the make-up process of a ”guifei”(noble consort)as well as props(道具)and costumes     4     (use)in the Beijing Opera. In addition, the history, performance features, and beauty of the traditional art were also on show.

Through performances such     5     “Battle at the Hu Village”, “Empty City Strategy”, “Monkey King” and “Drunken Beauty”, the audience experienced a great joy of the major types of roles of the Beijing Opera and the     6     (base)skills including singing, reciting, acting, and martial arts.

The audience went on stage     7     (experience)horse riding, male role walking, fighting, playing small gong(锣)—     8     musical instrument in Beijing Opera-and acting with water sleeves.

“This is unique. This is fantastic,” Gregory Bland, CEO of Things to Do DC, told Xinhua. “I’m looking around: everyone’s smiling; everyone’s happy. They’re running up to take     9     (picture); they’re running up to get involved; they’re all asking questions. ”

This cultural event was held successfully,     10     would help promote people-to-people exchanges, he said.

3 . I first started sending articles out in the 1980s. Because I was immature at that time, I sent them to all the major magazines and newspapers and _______ waited for their replies. I didn’t know that I was starting a collection of _______ letters thick enough to support a table with half a leg cut off. And since publishers _______ sending out printed letters years ago, my ever-increasing total carries _______ weight on my hard drive (硬盘).

There’s a famous Samuel Beckett saying that goes like this, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail _______.” Beckett, a well-known Irish writer, struggled against _______ in publishing just like me.

My rejection folder weighs two pounds, but that’s considerably less than the _______ of the hundreds of magazines, newspapers and books that accepted and _______ pieces of mine. The rejection folder is just a _______ that I have to do the work and keep doing it. It’s a chance to ________ what those who reject my works have to say, to be more objective about their negative ________ and to see if there is believable value to take from the ________. It’s simply a(n) ________ to make the work better — or leave it be.

That pile of rejections is a step ________ can stand on to be a bit higher on their way to “yes”. What matters is that you can’t ________ if you don’t keep sending your articles out. Fail better.

1.

A．curiously

B．eagerly

C．secretly

D．calmly

2.

A．invitation

B．congratulation

C．rejection

D．appreciation

3.

A．delayed

B．stopped

C．considered

D．enjoyed

4.

A．reasonable

B．final

C．specific

D．electronic

5.

A．better

B．earlier

C．harder

D．faster

6.

A．fortune

B．nature

C．life

D．growth

7.

A．size

B．weight

C．depth

D．cost

8.

A．sponsored

B．awarded

C．published

D．found

9.

A．promise

B．suggestion

C．prediction

D．reminder

10.

A．turn to

B．give up

C．pick out

D．look over

11.

A．images

B．reviews

C．effects

D．attitudes

12.

A．experiences

B．adventures

C．expectations

D．competitions

13.

A．evidence

B．plan

C．opportunity

D．strategy

14.

A．illustrators

B．publishers

C．writers

D．editors

15.

A．succeed

B．escape

C．relieve

D．suffer

4 . Back to School: Tips to Help Students Adjust

Going back to school can be a scary, trying time for some students. Their worries may be related to adjusting to a new school, fear of what this school year will be like, being accepted by classmates or teachers and feeling pressure to get good grades. These tips can help students adjust:

For students attending a new school, visit the school in advance if possible. Many schools will offer student, parent and teacher conferences before school starts.     1    . Additionally, it allows an opportunity for parents and students to see the new school.

Review academic expectations. Identify where at home students will sit to do homework each day, such as at their desk or the kitchen table. When are they expected to start their homework? Review expectations for grades and how the family will address academic challenges.     2     .

Develop a good life routine for school. Make sure students sleep enough and develop consistent sleep routines, so students are able to mentally and emotionally prepare for bedtime.     3     and proper nutrition can help prepare students for learning. If they’re hungry, they’re more likely to have difficulty focusing.

    4     . School years are a time for students to learn how to navigate relationships outside of their family and prepare them for adulthood. At times, that may mean working through a conflict or disagreement with a peer or a teacher. Developing an approach or a plan for unexpected matters is necessary.

There are times when routines and plans aren’t enough. If students don’t think they are adjusting well to school, reach out for additional support.     5    . You can also seek support outside of the school system through a behavioral health provider or your primary care provider.

A．So everyone can meet

B．For example, connect with teachers

C．Eat a healthy breakfast each morning

D．Try to meet different people at school

E．Have a plan for school-related conflicts

F．Anxiety or depression may be a contributing factor

G．Setting proper goals will help both children and parents

5 . Because of a record drought, the Amazon River drops to the lowest level ever recorded. Smaller river systems that feed into the Amazon River have been drying up, leaving boats stranded (搁浅) and people in remote villages with very little food and water. The port of Manaus, where the Amazon River meets with the smaller river Rio Negro in Brazil, recorded 13.59 m of water on Monday compared to 17.60 m a year ago. That was the lowest level since records began in 1902. It was said the drought had affected 481,000 people so far.

The Brazilian government has blamed the drought on the El Nino climate pattern, which has brought hotter and drier weather. The government said it was expected the drought would last until at least December, when El Nino’s effects are forecast to reach the highest point.

The drought has made it hard to access food, drinking water and medicines, which are usually transported by river. After months without rain, some rainforest villagers were relieved when a Brazilian charity delivered supplies to their community. Some areas could still be reached by canoe, but many boats hadn’t been able to bring supplies along the river and a lot of supplies were being delivered by tractor. The drought also affected the cleanliness of the village’s drinking water. As a result, many children were getting ill and often having fever. Villagers said it wasn’t very good for them because they were practically isolated (隔绝).

El Nino has also affected the animals of the river. More than 100 endangered river dolphins are thought to have died because of high water temperatures. The Amazon rainforest represents about half of the remaining rainforest left on Earth and is home to more than one million species, or a third of all known land plants, animals and insects. About 150—200 billion tons of carbon is stored in the Amazon rainforest, making it important for the health of the whole planet.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A．Water level in Manaus hit its lowest in over a century.

B．The Amazon River has been drying up and disappearing.

C．It is important for the global fight against climate change.

D．It forces villagers living in the rainforest to leave their homes.

2. What is the local villagers’ attitude to their living conditions?

A．Optimistic.

B．Concerned.

C．Content.

D．Uncaring.

3. What can we infer about the Amazon rainforest from the last paragraph?

A．It contains almost all of the world’s fresh， flowing water.

B．It will cause the widespread droughts around the world.

C．It is important for the global fight against climate change.

D．It forces villagers living in the rainforest to leave their homes.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Ecosystem of the Amazon Rainforest

B．The Importance of the Amazon River

C．The Amazon River and Its Rainforest

D．The Lowest Level of the Amazon River

6 . During Brandi Tuck’s junior year at the University of Florida in 2004, her spring break plans fell through and it changed the course of her life.

All of her friends were going on alternative spring break trips, which gave them an opportunity to serve a diverse set of communities and she reluctantly signed up because nobody was going to the beach with her.

There were several trips to choose from, each focused on a cause like AIDs, women’s rights or the environment. But none of them spoke to Tuck. She’ d done community service for years, but more out of just a desire to enrich her resume (简历). “I picked the homelessness and poverty trip. I thought it was the least bad of the choices,” she recalled.

That spring, she and a dozen other students headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to spend a week volunteering at homeless shelters. The experience was eye-opening. At one shelter, one young boy’s request stopped her in her tracks. He said, “Oh, I love you. Can you please not go? Stay with me.” Tuck knew they didn’t have a lot of attention because the moms were so stressed. So she stayed. In that moment, Tuck decided to continue working at the shelter.

In 2008, Tuck started a nonprofit organization, now known as Path Home, which provides shelter, support, and a host of services to families experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon. The organization has since helped more than 10,000 parents and children. She also bought an old church to create an environment that would help families recover mentally as well as physically, giving them the sense of emotional, physical, and psychological safety.

Tuck says her wish is a society where every family receives the support and compassion they need to boom, which is all that she needs to continue doing the work.

1. What happened during Tuck’s spring break in 2004?

A．She traveled to the beach by herself.

B．She joined in a community service activity.

C．She was admitted to the University of Florida.

D．She organized a number of holiday study tours.

2. What does the underlined word “reluctantly” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Excitedly.

B．Proudly.

C．Unwillingly.

D．Fortunately.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly talking about?

A．Tuck’s sympathy for the poor.	B．The effort that Tuck made.
C．Tuck’s reason for volunteering.	D．The honor that Tuck received.

4. Which of the following inspires Tuck’s ongoing work with the homeless?

A．The little boy’s invitation.	B．Her wish to help all the homeless out.
C．The challenges from her volunteering.	D．Path Home’s development.

7 . 听下面一段独白, 回答以下小题。
1. What do most Indians like doing in their free time?

A．Doing sports.

B．Watching films.

C．Singing and dancing.

2. How much do most Bollywood films cost?

A．About $2 million.

B．About $5 million.

C．About $500 million.

3. What can we learn about Amitabh Bachchan?

A．He has starred in 114 films.

B．He is one of the greatest American actors.

C．He has a great passion for the film industry.

4. What does the speaker mainly talk about?

A．A brief introduction to Bollywood.

B．Common entertainment activities in India.

C．The comparison between Hollywood and Bollywood.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What causes the party to be put off?

A．An unexpected meeting.

B．The terrible weather.

C．A changed plan.

2. When was the party supposed to be held at first?

A．This Saturday.

B．This Sunday.

C．Next weekend.

9 . Reunions offer a chance to reflect on how much has changed. One happened in Hollywood when Here premiered (首映), bringing together the actors, director and writer behind Forrest Gump 40 years later for a new film. The stars were “de-aged” using new AI tools, making them more youthful in some scenes and enabling the filmmakers to see the transformation in real time while shooting.

With the use of generative AI in film making come things worth watching. The first is how AI will be used to tell new types of stories, as storytelling becomes more personalised and interactive. No one is quite sure how the nature of storytelling will change, but it is sure to. David Thomson, a film historian, compares generative AI to the advent of sound. When movies were no longer silent, it changed the way plot points were made and how deeply viewers could connect with characters. Cristóbal Valenzuela, who runs a company providing AI-enhanced software, says AI is like a “new kind of camera”, offering a fresh “opportunity to reimagine what stories are like”. Both are right.

Another big development to watch is how AI will be used as a time-saving tool. Generative AI will automate and simplify complex tasks like film-editing and special effects. For a glimpse of the future, watch Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2023. It featured a scene that used a “rotoscoping” tool to edit out the green-screen background and make a talking rock more believable. It shortened into hours what might have otherwise taken days of video-editing.

What is also noticeable is more dramatic conflicts between creators and those running AI platforms. This year is likely to bring floods of lawsuits (诉讼) from authors, musicians and actors about how their works have been used to train AI systems without permission or payment. Perhaps they can agree on some sort of licensing arrangement, in which AI companies start paying copyright-holders.

It will probably be a few years before a full-length film is produced entirely by AI, but it is just a matter of time.

1. What can we learn about the film Here?

A．It relates a story about youth.	B．The theme of the film is reunion.
C．AI tools are employed in the film.	D．It is adapted from Forrest Gump.

2. What does David think of AI’s application in film making?

A．Transformative.

B．Destructive.

C．Representative.

D．Irreplaceable.

3. Why does the author mention the film Everything Everywhere All at Once?

A．To show the high efficiency of AI tools.	B．To demonstrate the influence of the film.
C．To analyse a novel way of video-editing.	D．To praise the hard work behind the scenes.

4. What is the article mainly about?

A．Conflicts between man and machine.	B．AI’s huge effects on film production.
C．Drawbacks of dependence on AI tools.	D．Hot debate on the use of technology.

10 . 英汉互译
1. adj.焦虑的；不安的 ________
2. on average ________
3. n. 志愿者 ________
4. immediately ________
5. vi. & vt.申请；请求 vt. 应用；涂 ________
6. donate ...to ________
7. n. 智慧;才智 ________
8. worthwhile ________
9. vt. 欣赏；重视；vi.增值 ________
10. positive ________