1 . The kitchen is not just where we prepare meals. In many places, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we connect with our family and friends. We have open talks about our pleasures and problems we met during the day while we make dinner or have a bite to eat. So, it can be a very busy room in the house.

Sometimes you need order in the kitchen for things to run smoothly. And sometimes you need one person to be in charge. Imagine you are cooking dinner for your friends. As you are making the soup, your friend Sara tastes it and says, “This needs more salt.” So, she adds more salt. Harlan comes to taste your soup and throws some fresh black pepper into the pot and some dried herbs. Cecilia tastes the soup and pours in some vinegar. What will the soup be like?

You are happy to spend time with your friends. But, quite frankly, all their opinions about your soup are becoming annoying. Worst of all, you taste the soup and it’s awful! And that is where we get the expression “too many cooks spoil the soup”.

This expression describes an age-old problem: If too many people help to complete a task, it may not go very well. But, you may think, “If many people are trying to get something done, the task will get done faster.” After all, American English also has the expression “many hands make light work”.

To answer that point, I will draw your attention to the word “cook”. Now, the cook is the leader in the kitchen. They may have assistants to help them. But the cook has the final say. So, what if a kitchen has many cooks? Who is the leader? Everyone! And that’s where the trouble comes.

1. What does the author think of the kitchen according to the first paragraph?

A．It is crowded in many houses.	B．It is where we feed our body and soul.
C．It helps to brighten up people’s day.	D．It serves as the most useful place in a home.

2. Why does the author take “your friends” as an example?

A．To describe a common phenomenon (现象).

B．To vividly introduce a saying.

C．To explain a way to be a good cook.

D．To stress the importance of teamwork.

3. Which situation agrees with “too many cooks spoil the soup”?

A．A group of students get a task done together.

B．Some volunteers discuss how to help others.

C．Five designers want their own idea to be accepted.

D．Many retired workers learn how to be a cook.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．What Happens with Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen?

B．Should a Cook Be Open to Suggestions?

C．What Could a Cook Do to Everyone’s Satisfaction?

D．Why Will Too Many Cooks Work in the Kitchen?

2 . Stepping out of your comfort zone (区域) helps you to improve yourself and become a happy and fun person. You’ll experience greater enjoyment as you try out new experiences.     1    .

Unplug (拔掉插头)

Take a break from today's interconnected world.       2    .   You may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but you will know that is just part of the process to let you know better about yourself.

Go to another country

You will experience new cultures, different customs, unique landscapes and another language from travel.     3    . Additionally, the excitement of exploring different scenery and experiencing different cultures are lifelong treasure.

    4    

Try diving, skydiving or a roller coaster ride. If those are too frightening, try giving a speech or taking a dance class. Once you overcome your inner fear, you will have a sense of satisfaction that comes from overcoming it.

Talk with someone new

This doesn’t have to be a complete stranger. Start a conversation with someone new at work, the barista (咖啡师) in your local coffee shop, a neighbour or someone in the queue.     5    . By focusing on other people rather than your own internal thoughts, you can improve your own mental health.

A．Do something that is fearful for you

B．Become uncomfortable with the Internet

C．You can end your conversation with your friends anytime

D．Leave your phone at home, turn off the TV and the Internet

E．Here are some ways that can probably lead you to a new life

F．See if you can continue the conversation for 30 seconds or longer

G．Besides, using cash from different countries is also good for your brain

3 . Everyone tries their best in life, and sometimes a few kind words of encouragement can help people realize that their efforts are not in vain (徒劳).Ⅰ remember a time when I was in fifth grade, and I was a very shy girl.

There was a drawing competition at my school that day. As everyone started to use their creative ideas to draw, I was only trying to think of something creative that could express my thoughts and emotions. Lost in my own world, I was brought back to reality when my art teacher called my name from behind. She came to me and encouraged me, saying, “Don’t overthink it, just put whatever comes to your mind on the canvas (画布). Do your best, and you will do well.”

Taking her words of wisdom to heart, I started my painting. Time flew by, and soon the bell rang, signaling the end of the time limit. We all turned in our canvases for inspection (检查). The next day, the winners of the competition were announced in front of the whole school. To my surprise, I heard my name being called second prize. It was a bolt from the blue for me, as I had never dared to dream of winning any prize.

Later on, I expressed my gratitude to my art teacher for her words of encouragement and for believing in me. That day, I became aware of my talent and started painting more whenever I had free time. Sometimes, I think that if it weren’t for her words of encouragement, I may have never discovered the talent I have.

Overall, this experience taught me the importance of encouraging others and how a few kind words can make a significant impact on someone’s life.

1. What was the author doing when called by the art teacher?

A．Organizing a drawing competition.	B．Trying to get some creative ideas.
C．Painting her work on her canvas.	D．Trying to get help from others.

2. What did the author think of the competition?

A．Easy.

B．Interesting.

C．Challenging.

D．Encouraging.

3. What do the underlined words “bolt from the blue” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Addiction.

B．Puzzlement.

C．Disappointment.

D．Surprise.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Power of Encouragement

B．The Importance of Art Competitions

C．Overcoming Shyness Through Painting

D．Discovering Your Great Natural Ability

4 . Listed below are some nice family-friendly museums in Chicago, pick one that interests your kids most and take your little ones there to have fun.

Shedd Aquarium (水族馆)

It was open to the public on May 30th, 1930. Visitors with limited movement can use easy slopes (斜坡) to reach the exhibits, which are also explained to children through an app.Families can spend the night in the aquarium during the special event called Asleep with the Fishes.

Elmhurst History Museum

It’s a museum about history that has won awards and was created in 1957. It shows different exhibits about many history-related subjects, has a fun interactive exhibit about its own history, and offers various public programs, tours of exhibits, and special events for the community. The museum is a fantastic place for families to visit for a day or two, and it even has places for picnics and holiday train journeys.

Chicago Children’s Museum

Founded in 1982, the museum displays impressive exhibits for children, featuring dinosaur bones, a play area only for babies and a famous and fun climbing area for children.Moreover, the museum offers various exhibitions and daily art classes for children, which are free of charge. Visiting the museum on the weekend is a good choice for economical family amusement.

Field Museum of Natural History

With millions of things in its store, it was established in 1893. Disco ver more than 4billion years of life on Earth through interesting displays and interactive events, and discover protection campaigns worldwide.   It is now considered as famous as the Smithsonian Institution, established in 1846 in Washington, and the American Museum of Natural History, which originated in 1869 in New York.

1. What is special about the Shedd Aquarium for family visitors?

A．They can go on a picnic there.

B．They can sleep overnight there.

C．They can surf the Internet.

D．They can learn the history of Chicago.

2. What can kids do at the Chicago Children’s Museum?

A．Have discounts on holidays.	B．Watch dolphins’ exhibitions.
C．Take a fun climb.	D．Take free art classes on an app.

3. Which of the following has the longest history?

A．Shedd Aquarium.	B．ElmhurstHistoryMuseum.
C．Chicago Children’s Museum.	D．Field Museum of Natural History.

5 . How Can Teens Volunteer in the Communities?

Encouraging teens to volunteer in the community has lasting rewards, including increased self-confidence and a sense of belonging.    1    

● Community Service

Teens can volunteer at museums, parks and stations. They can also visit the elderly in nursing homes to provide companionship to people who might not have been visited by family or friends in a while. Organizations differ on their standards for teen volunteers.    2    

● Environmental Cleanup

    3    They can just get into their neighborhood and help clean it up. Teens can help beautify their neighborhood by picking up trash, planting flowers or starting a community garden. Teens can also start recycling projects, and encourage their neighbors to participate in efforts to clean up the environment and live a more sustainable lifestyle.

● Tutoring

Teens who want to help in their communities can volunteer by tutoring others. They can participate in peer tutoring at their school, or offer their services at a local library.    4    Language tutoring provided by companies usually charge a great deal for their services, so immigrants of the community will be especially grateful to receive free tutoring.    5    It also helps teens expand their mind, look good on college and job applications, and find potential career paths.

A．Many communities offer service programs.

B．Teens don’t have to join formal organizations.

C．Here are common ways for teens to help the communities.

D．So check with them first to find out different requirements.

E．Volunteering allows teens to have a positive influence on others.

F．They can persuade the immigrants to join in some volunteering activities.

G．Teens can also reach out to immigrants whose first language isn’t English.

6 . 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 September 26, 2022, NASA     1     (successful) completed its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission by intentionally crashing     2     unmanned spacecraft into the asteroid (小行星) Dimorphos. The goal was to change its orbit. With the success, NASA proved the concept     3     this technique could keep a potentially dangerous asteroid     4     crashing into Earth in the future.

NASA noted that Dimorphos is not a     5     (threatening) to Earth, but because it passes relatively close to Earth, it     6     (choose) as the target for the test mission.

“If you were going to do this for planetary defence, you would do it 5, 10, 15, or 20 years in advance for this technique     7     (work).” said NASA program executive Andrea Riley. “This is why we test. We want to do it now rather than when there’s an actual need.”

Asteroids can be a significant danger to planet Earth. For example, around 66 million years ago, an asteroid around 6 to 9 miles across struck the Earth,     8     (cause) one of the largest extinction events in Earth’s history. Therefore, DART’s success     9     (be) an important step forward in protecting the planet from potential damage from an asteroid. This shows humans are no longer     10     (power) to prevent this type of natural disaster.

7 . As the autumn colors fade over time, cold days are well underway. The Start of Winter or “Lidong” (立冬), the 19th solar term (节气) in China, begins this year on Nov. 7 and ends on Nov. 21.

    1     For the northern hemisphere, biting winds blow from the north, crops harvested in autumn have been stored up, and creatures begin to rest and hibernate (冬眠) for the coming winter.

Three phases (阶段) of Lidong

    2     in the first phase of Lidong, water begins to freeze. Ice often encrusts lakes in just one night in northern China, which reminds people of the coming cold winter. The second phase of Lidong brings frozen ground. The thin ice is easily broken if stepped on. The ice covers and protects crops and farmlands from pests and discases.     3     As migratory birds move south and resident birds store their food in the nest, the sky often seems lonely without its winged friends.

Traditional customs

On the day of Lidong, people would treat themselves with feasts, as a reward for their hard work during the busy months. Some brave swimming enthusiasts take a dive in cold rivers to celebrate the Beginning of Winter, and of course, to exercise their bodies.

    4     For people in southern China, high-caloric food such as beef, chicken, mutton, and fish is their favorites during the days of Lidong, and can provide enough energy and fat to help them see the winter out.

Turn of the year

Though for the northern hemisphere, the days are getting colder and nights longer, the year will soon pass by.     5    

A．Lidong is divided into three phases.

B．Birds are rarely seen in the third phase.

C．If winter comes, spring won’t be far behind.

D．As a matter of fact, Lidong is the beginning of the end.

E．Some living creatures begin to rest and store energy for the cold days.

F．“Li” (立) refers to the start of a season as well as the change of seasons.

G．In northern China, it is customary to eat dumplings during the winter days.

8 . When John Todd was a child, he loved to explore the woods around his house, observing how nature solved problems. A dirty stream, for example, often became clear after flowing through plants and along rocks where tiny creatures lived. When he got older, John started to wonder if this process could be used to clean up the messes people were making.

After studying agriculture, medicine, and fisheries in college, John went back to observing nature and asking questions. Why can certain plants trap harmful bacteria (细菌)? Which kinds of fish can eat cancer-causing chemicals? With the right combination of animals and plants, he figured, maybe he could clean up waste the way nature did. He decided to build what he would later call an eco-machine.

The task John set for himself was to remove harmful substances from some sludge (污泥). First, he constructed a series of clear fiberglass tanks connected to each other. Then he went around to local ponds and streams and brought back some plants and animals. He placed them in the tanks and waited. Little by little, these different kinds of life got used to one another and formed their own ecosystem. After a few weeks, John added the sludge.

He was amazed at the results. The plants and animals in the eco-machine took the sludge as food and began to eat it! Within weeks, it had all been digested, and all that was left was pure water.

Over the years, John has taken on many big jobs. He developed a greenhouse — like facility that treated sewage (污水) from 1,600 homes in South Burlington. He also designed an eco-machine to clean canal water in Fuzhou, a city in southeast China.

“Ecological design” is the name John gives to what he does. “Life on Earth is kind of a box of spare parts for the inventor,” he says. “You put organisms in new relationships and observe what’s happening. Then you let these new systems develop their own ways to self-repair.”

1. What can we learn about John from the first two paragraphs?

A．He was fond of traveling.	B．He enjoyed being alone.
C．He had an inquiring mind.	D．He longed to be a doctor.

2. Why did John put the sludge into the tanks?

A．To feed the animals.	B．To build an ecosystem.
C．To protect the plants.	D．To test the eco-machine.

3. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Fuzhou?

A．To review John’s research plans.	B．To show an application of John’s idea.
C．To compare John’s different jobs.	D．To erase doubts about John’s invention.

4. What is the basis for John’s work?

A．Nature can repair itself.	B．Organisms need water to survive.
C．Life on Earth is diverse.	D．Most tiny creatures live in groups.

9 . Nowadays, family life has become even more challenging than before. Then, how can we create a happier family life? Let’s see some advice.

Enjoy togetherness. When children are babies, parents are advised to spend one-on-one time with their babies.     1     This can be a big mistake since enjoying each other’s company (陪伴) is one of the easiest ways for families to create lasting happiness. Parents should regularly spend quality time with their children doing activities together like playing games, sports.

    2     Although the Internet has certainly made communication easier, it is still important to have face-to-face time with your family members. Try to avoid using your cell phone so much.     3     Many families have regular meetings where they discuss issues affecting (影响) the family. This can be a great way to start talking face to face. You can talk about your family’s values, or how you can work together as a group to solve problems that affect the family.     4    

Plan fun activities as a family. This can be something that you do once or twice a month, or even once a week. This can be something as easy as going to the beach, a park, or going on a trip to visit relatives.     5     Doing the activities regularly can help you build stronger relationships with your family members, and relieve (释放) stress that many families feel.

A．Talk more as a family.

B．Let family members talk about activities.

C．But, as children get older, the one-on-one time is reduced.

D．Parents need to help their children manage their daily stress.

E．Make quality conversation with your family members, instead.

F．You can also try simpler ones such as camping overnight in your backyard.

G．Regular communication like this can help you build stronger family relationships.

10 . 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。

I yawned (打哈欠)as I got off the last step of the bus. I had woken early that morning, and had not been able to sleep on the long ride from Riverside High, thinking about that day’s race, the Eye Opener. I had never raced in a state-wide race before. Over thirty high school teams ran, along with quite a few colleges. The rest of my team and I unloaded the bus, and we relaxed and waited for our race patiently.

“Start warming up,” our coach told us, roughly forty-five minutes after we arrived. After finishing our stretches, we headed over to the starting line, eager for the race to begin.

The starter walked to the middle of the field. “There will be two commands,” his voice boomed, ‘‘Runners set, then the gun. If you hear another shot, return to the starting line to start again. ” My heart raced as I got my legs ready to race.

“Runners set!” the starter shouted Bam! The gun fired, and he rushed out of our way. Adrenaline (肾上腺素)rushed through my body as I raced through the mass of runners. As I rounded the first turn, my schoolmates greeted me with heartening shouts. Then, in what felt like only one minute, I arrived at the one mile mark.

“6’10”, a man declared as I ran by. I tried to ignore him, but my legs began to burn as I realized I had run a mile and still had two to go. I slowed down my pace, for I knew the second mile was the worst of all three. Minutes later, I felt horrible. My legs ached, feeling like lead blocks. My vision was clouded as sweat dropped down into my eyes, and my arms felt as if they would fall off if I swung them one more time. Just as I almost reached my limit, a boy passed me. He also seemed to have lost strength but soon he was a little ahead of me.

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 gathered up my strength to speed up but suddenly fell to the ground.

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In the last mile, seeing the athletes passing us one by one, I asked the boy to run without me.

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