1 . On the morning of Jan. 21st, 2023, I was taking the subway to work as usual. A quiet subway ride felt like a mini ________ from my busy life. Yet I found myself spending that ________ time browsing my endless messages on the phone.

One day, I put down my phone and started writing ________ notes to people who had contributed to a donation activity I had ________. When I got off the train, I was in a noticeably ________ mood. Then an idea struck me that I could write one for every day of that year. As an organizer and consultant, I had no ________ of people I could write to, so I picked out a different ________ for each month to keep on task. January was “charity”, February was …, and I thought of ________ names right away.

In July, my “________” month, I had become good at getting my memories back and ________ people to send my notes to. On the top of the list was Jenny, a(n) ________ chef. She had cooked at my favorite restaurant (It is now closed down). I thanked her and specially mentioned her biscuits ________ into the Roman number Ⅵ for our sixth wedding anniversary.

________, I received a note back from her, ________ “I have never received such a touching letter before. It was ________ expectation and unbelievably thoughtful. And so needed at a time when I’m ________ professionally. Your letter was a fantastic reminder that ________ back is a good motivation for moving forward.”

Part of the ________ of what I did was ________ with people like Jenny — people, who weren’t ________visitors in my life but made a lasting impact. And I wouldn’t have known if I had not reached out.

1.

A．activity

B．carriage

C．adventure

D．vacation

2.

A．nervous

B．temporary

C．precious

D．unforgettable

3.

A．apology

B．invitation

C．cheer-up

D．thank-you

4.

A．hosted

B．witnessed

C．attended

D．missed

5.

A．better

B．calmer

C．funnier

D．heavier

6.

A．resource

B．shortage

C．idea

D．awareness

7.

A．person

B．colour

C．theme

D．letter

8.

A．seven

B．twelve

C．thirty

D．thirty-one

9.

A．neighbour

B．family

C．trip

D．food

10.

A．requiring

B．identifying

C．encouraging

D．contacting

11.

A．gentle

B．responsible

C．considerate

D．honest

12.

A．shaped

B．filled

C．drawn

D．developed

13.

A．Luckily

B．Surprisingly

C．Finally

D．Hopefully

14.

A．writing

B．addressing

C．printing

D．reading

15.

A．out of

B．owing to

C．free from

D．up to

16.

A．struggling

B．thinking

C．hesitating

D．progressing

17.

A．moving

B．calling

C．stepping

D．looking

18.

A．task

B．magic

C．concept

D．praise

19.

A．reuniting

B．fighting

C．reconnecting

D．exchanging

20.

A．useful

B．important

C．frequent

D．necessary

2 . Must-see exhibitions of 2024

Cute at Somerset House, London

Explore the irresistible force of cuteness in contemporary culture. From emojis to Internet memes, video games to plush toys, cuteness has taken over our world, but how has something so charming and seemingly harmless gained such attraction? Somerset House brings together cultural ephemera and contemporary artworks, alongside a spotlight on Hello Kitty, to coincide with her 50th anniversary.

Tickets: £18.50 per person/Concessions (减价票) from £11 per person

25 Jan. 2024 — 14 Apr. 2024

Barbie at Design Museum, London

Running with 2023’s Barbie mania, and coinciding with Barbie’s 65th anniversary, London’s Design Museum will tell the icon’s story through a design lens in their major new show. The exhibition will trace the legacy that began in 1959 when Ruth Handler sought a new female narrative for her daughter, Barbara. It delves into Barbie’s evolution through fashion, architecture, furniture, and vehicle design.

Tickets:TBC

05 Jul. 2024 — 23 Feb. 2025

Brâncuşi at Centre Pompidou, Paris

The Centre Pompidou presents an unprecedented Constantin Brancusi exhibition, featuring nearly 200 sculptures, photographs, drawings, films, archives, tools, and furniture from his workshop. This unique showcase, coinciding with the workshop’s relocation during renovation, offers a fresh perspective on the art of this immense 20th-century artist. The workshop, a jewel of the museum’s collection since 1957, forms the core of this retrospective, enriched by major loans from international museums.

Tickets: From €15 per person/Concession from €12 per person

27 Mar. 2024 — 01 Jul. 2024

Michelangelo: The last decades at The British Museum, London

In 1534, Michelangelo left Florence for Rome, never to return. This exhibition explores his final 30 years in Rome, showcasing new reunions with close friends, and his major works. It features numerous preparatory drawings for the Last Judgement fresco, the restored Epifania cartoon, and studies for St Peter’s Basilica’s reconstruction. Contrasting today’s youth-centric culture, the exhibition highlights lifelong practice, mastery, experience, wisdom, and experimentation, embodying Michelangelo’s enduring legacy.

Tickets:TBC

02 May 2024 — 28 Jul. 2024

1. How much will a couple pay for the first exhibition at least?

A．£37.

B．£11.

C．£22.

D．£18.5.

2. Which of the following exhibitions lasts the longest time?

A．Cute at Somerset House, London.

B．Barbie at Design Museum, London.

C．Brâncuşi at Centre Pompidou, Paris.

D．Michelangelo: The last decades at The British Museum, London.

3. What can we know about Michelangelo?

A．He passed away in Florence.

B．His works will be exhibited with objects from international museums.

C．He completed the Last Judgement fresco effortlessly.

D．His later years were spent in Rome.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Which areas are most at risk in the storm?

A．Downtown areas.

B．Coastal neighborhoods.

C．Suburban towns.

2. What does the speaker suggest all viewers do?

A．Protect window glass.

B．Avoid driving cars.

C．Leave the city.

3. Who might Julia be?

A．An emergency rescuer.

B．A weather reporter.

C．A traffic reporter.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What’s the man’s opinion about the film?

A．Scary.

B．Boring.

C．Exciting.

2. What is the woman’s plan this evening?

A．Play a game.

B．Watch a film.

C．Visit a museum.

3. Where is the Modern Art Museum?

A．Across the woman’s flat.

B．On the north side of the river.

C．On the south side of the river.

4. When will the woman leave her flat?

A．At 7:00 p.m.

B．At 7:15 p.m.

C．At 6:45 p.m.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does the woman order Sleeping Murder?

A．She needs to copy it.

B．She wants it as a gift.

C．Her birthday is coming.

2. How much does the woman owe to the bookshop?

A．$31.

B．$3.

C．$15.

3. What is the date today?

A．July 31st.

B．July 29th.

C．July 28th.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are the speakers doing?

A．Climbing a hill.

B．Training for marathon.

C．Camping along the stream.

2. What happened to the man?

A．He nearly fell into a stream.

B．His ankle was injured.

C．He was too tired to move on.

3. What will the speakers do next?

A．Stop for a rest.

B．Receive training.

C．Finish the race.

7 . In order to survive trips to Mars, humans need oxygen. Now, a team of scientists has designed a robot that could extract oxygen from water on the Red Planet.

The robot, which is called “AI chemist”, used a machine learning model to find a compound that could ignite an oxygen-producing chemical reaction on Mars. The compound, known as a catalyst (催化剂), is made entirely from elements found in Martian meteorites (陨石)   — which means, if such a system could work reliably, space travelers would not need to bring oxygen or even the catalyst needed to produce it.

Mars’ atmosphere contains only trace amounts of oxygen. But scientists have detected evidence of liquid water beneath the planet’s southern ice cap. To create the breathable gas, researchers wanted to find a way to break down this water into its hydrogen and oxygen molecules using materials found on Mars.

Their robot analyzed five meteorites that either came from Mars or had a composition similar to that of the Martian surface. Using a laser, it identified significant amounts of iron, nickel, calcium, magnesium, aluminum and manganese in the samples. From these six elements, the robot’s algorithm (算法) determined it could produce more than 3.7 million possible molecules to break down water and form oxygen on Mars. According to the researchers, finding the best one from this extensive list would take roughly 2,000 years of human labor, but for the AI chemist, it took only weeks.

“On Earth, we don’t use these six elements,” Yi Luo, a co-author of the study says. “They are not the best choices for catalysts, but it’s only what you’ve got on Mars.”

With its chosen catalyst, the system could produce oxygen from the Martian materials at around -37℃, demonstrating the chemical reaction could be possible on the cold Martian surface.

Notably, the robot was able to carry out the entire process — analyzing the rock samples, identifying the best possible catalyst and producing it without human intervention.

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

A．Delay.

B．Limit.

C．Change.

D．Cause.

2. What is the basis of extracting oxygen on Mars?

A．The oxygen that Mars’ atmosphere contains.

B．The scientists’ previous study on meteorites.

C．The existence of water and catalyst on Mars.

D．The amazing learning ability of “AI chemist”

3. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．The finding of six elements.

B．The advantages of the robots.

C．The formation of the meteorites.

D．The process of producing oxygen.

4. What is the writer’s attitude towards “AI chemist”?

A．Doubtful.

B．Favorable.

C．Unclear.

D．Indifferent.

8 . 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。

Beautiful Birthmarks: The Power of Acceptance

Whenever you hear the word “birthmark (胎记)”, you probably think of one of those black or brown spots you have somewhere on your body. However, for me, it’s completely different — I have them both on my lips and inside my mouth, which make them quite visible and, to me, ugly. When

I was young, these birthmarks kept making me feel extremely awkward and self-conscious (难为情的). As these birthmarks always drew a lot of attention, people often asked me, “What are those black marks on your lips?” When I told people that they were birthmarks, they usually said, “How strange！”

In pictures, I used to hide my birthmarks by pursing (噘起) my lips, so I would not have to deal with people’s questions. As I was growing up, the situation didn’t get any better. In the school, my classmates would always tease me, making me feel hurt and helpless. In society, I often encountered individuals who would inquire about my birthmarks even before they knew my name.

Such experiences left me feeling disheartened. I felt like people judged me by my appearance without considering my personality.

My birthmarks are caused by a genetic condition from my mom’s side of the family. My mom’s mom has birthmarks on her lips, and my mom’s uncle and my uncle have some on their bodies. I used to try to cover them up with makeup, but it never looked good. I even consulted a doctor, wanting to have surgery to remove them. But when imagining the process, I would get nervous and eventually give up.

Whenever I cried to my mom about them, she would always comfort me and say, “Learn to accept them and see them as beautiful birthmarks.” However, it wasn’t easy for me to accept my own birthmarks. Every time I showed my birthmarks, people would look at me with strange eyes. I began to regret why I had given up on the surgery and chosen to accept my birthmarks.

注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 词左右。
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:

One day, I met my cousin, who also had a large birthmark on his arm._

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

From then on, when I met people, I began to change myself.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Bryan was driving home one evening. It was starting to get dark and cold. Ever since the factory closed, he’d been unemployed. Suddenly, he saw an old lady ________ standing beside a car on the side of the road. So he ________ in front of her and said, “I’m here to help you ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s ________? By the way, my name is Bryan.”

All she had was a ________ tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car and soon he changed it. The lady asked him how much she ________ him. Bryan never thought twice about the ________ and told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give the ________, and Bryan added “... and think of me”. She started her car and drove off.

A few miles down the road, the lady saw a small cafe and went in. She ________ that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but never let the strain and aches change her attitude. Then she remembered Bryan. As the waitress went to get the ________ for her hundred-dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. ________, the waitress noticed something written on the napkin under which were four more $100 bills. There were ________ in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote. It ________ : “Somebody once helped me out the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, do not let this chain of love ________ with you.”

That night when she got home from work, she was thinking about the lady. With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how ________ her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and ________, “Everything’s gonna be all right; I love you, Bryan.”

1.

A．confusedly

B．anxiously

C．frightenedly

D．crazily

2.

A．pulled up

B．broke down

C．dressed up

D．calmed down

3.

A．crowded

B．spacious

C．warm

D．cold

4.

A．flat

B．spare

C．new

D．swollen

5.

A．charged

B．admired

C．appreciated

D．owed

6.

A．price

B．money

C．cost

D．salary

7.

A．assistance

B．guidance

C．opportunity

D．reward

8.

A．discovered

B．recalled

C．hoped

D．noticed

9.

A．menu

B．lunch

C．change

D．tip

10.

A．Unwillingly

B．Unexpectedly

C．Unfortunately

D．Unlikely

11.

A．sorrows

B．joys

C．regrets

D．tears

12.

A．wrote

B．said

C．printed

D．showed

13.

A．continue

B．begin

C．end

D．develop

14.

A．terrified

B．relieved

C．excited

D．worried

15.

A．whispered

B．screamed

C．laughed

D．shouted

10 . On hearing the word vacation, most people react positively. Experienced travelers will argue that more important than where they go on vacation is who they go with.     1    

Family travel is special and creates lasting memories, but it can also have some challenges. For one, the success of a trip often depends on the relationships that the family members have with one another. If two brothers do not get along at home, the chances are that they will fight during a vacation.     2     If a family is traveling by air, purchasing plane tickets for everyone can be very expensive.

    3     Close friends often have similar personalities, so they generally get along with each other and fight less than family members might on a trip. Furthermore, if friends are close, even a terrible trip will not ruin the friendship.     4     All in all, traveling with friends can be a positive experience that results in a great vacation and, likely, a stronger friendship.

Finally, people can choose to travel alone. Solo travelers can be more flexible with transportation than those traveling in a large group.     5     And they also have better chances of getting a seat on buses or planes since they only need one. In addition, solo travelers are more likely to meet locals or other vacationers because they are more likely to want to talk with others.

A．They can change plans more easily.

B．Each person tends to cover his or her individual expenses.

C．Another potential problem of family travel is transportation.

D．Sightseeing and scheduling are not a problem for solo travelers.

E．In fact, friendships are often strengthened with the travel memories.

F．Traveling with friends can be an unforgettable experience for several reasons.

G．Vacations can be classified on the basis of who vacationers choose to travel with.