1 . Districts across the US are trying to address the high number of students needing mental health support. What if they could enlist students as part of the solution, too? A rural Ohio high school has done just that.

At Claymont High School in Uhrichsville, Ohio, a group of about 21 high schoolers are trained in mental health first aid. They’ve taken courses to learn how to help their peers who are going through a difficult time.

The students, who are in grades 10 through 12, are part of a larger program called Peers Uplifting Peers, or PUP, which helps to break down the stigma (耻辱) around mental health and wellness and normalize having conversations about both and seeking professional help when necessary.

A key part of their training is to help their friends get in touch with professionals and established resources. “Students are helping out by picking up on early warning signs. They are noticing that maybe someone is having a hard day or is just sitting by themselves,” said Kelsi Barnhart, the school’s assistant principal. “They try to be good friends, and they speak up. It’s not that they are stepping in and providing counseling.”

Despite a national conversation around mental health, the context may be different in rural areas like Uhrichsville where people feel ashamed of discussing mental health. “It’s hard to talk about mental health out loud,” said Bridget Britton, a licensed social worker. Getting to a therapist can also be a challenge since most rural areas do not have the bus and rail systems found in urban communities. There are also financial barriers. “Many rural residents work on farms, which often don’t provide workers with health insurance,” she said.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A．Students face mental health issues.

B．Students actively seek mental health help.

C．Students are unwilling to share mental health programs.

D．Students are getting involved in the mental health program.

2. What is the purpose of the Peers Uplifting Peers (PUP) program?

A．Promoting academic excellence.

B．Advocating for stricter school policies.

C．Reducing the shame concerning mental well-being.

D．Encouraging competitive behavior among students.

3. What can be inferred about accessing mental health support in rural areas?

A．Transportation systems are well-established in rural areas.

B．Mental health issues are less taken seriously in rural areas.

C．Licensed social workers are readily available in rural communities.

D．Financial barriers and lack of insurance prevent access to therapists.

4. What’s the most suitable title for the passage?

A．PUP: Peers taking the lead in high school.

B．PUP: Government breaking down the stigma.

C．Mental Health: Professionals offering training.

D．Mental Health: A pressing issue among students.

2 . There are world-class museums located across the globe, from well-established institutions to newer builds and niche offerings. For museum fans, the choice is endless. Here, we look at some of the world’s most visited museums.

The Louvre — Paris, France

With record-breaking visitor figures, The Louvre is undoubtedly one of the most popular museums in the world. It is home to over 380,000 objects and a permanent collection that covers 60, 600 square meters. Visitors can enjoy sculptures, paintings, drawings, and more, with famous highlights being the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. As well as its world-class collection, it is also a landmark in itself, thanks to the iconic Louvre Pyramid, designed by the distinguished Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei.

National Museum of China — Beijing, China

This museum is home to 1.3 million objects, displayed in a series of galleries exploring everything from ancient ceramics and calligraphy to jade and bronze treasures, as well as Buddhist sculptures and socialist-realism art. Recent exhibitions have covered a wide range of topics from across the world of art, culture, history and politics. These have included The Power of Truth: Marking the Bicentenary of the Birth of Karl Marx, and The Splendor of Asia: An Exhibition of Asian Civilizations. Since May 2021, more than 30 of China’s top museums have adopted digital collectibles as an alternative to NFTs.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art — New York, USA

Next one on the list of the most visited museums in the world is The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met’). The Met is the largest art museum in the United States and holds more than 2million works in its permanent collection. It is famous for holding blockbuster attractions, such as 2018’s record-breaking Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer. It also hosts the Met Gala each year, although the 2020 event had to be moved online due to the pandemic. In 2021, Sofie Andersen, head of digital content at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, spoke to Blooloop about digital storytelling and the museum’s online strategy.

1. What makes the Louvre enjoy the greatest popularity?

A．Its record-breaking visitors.	B．Its strategic location in Paris.
C．Its distinguished designer I. M. Pei.	D．Its various collections of objects.

2. Which of the following is NOT National Museum of China’s collection?

A．Buddhist sculptures.	B．Ancient ceramics.
C．Impressionist paintings.	D．Jade and bronze treasures.

3. What can we learn about The Metropolitan Museum of Art?

A．It is the oldest art museum in the world.

B．It hosts an annual event called the Met Gala.

C．It has the largest collection of Michelangelo’s works.

D．It focuses mainly on digital content and online exhibitions.

3 . The fast-paced modern life in the city can be too much for an introvert (内向的人) like myself. And I sometimes really need some time to ______ my shell. Fortunately, I had the perfect ______ to learn and love gardening.

Well, after my A-levels, I stayed at my uncle’s house. At that time the gardening ______ me a lot, because my uncle does gardening with ______ and he has a beautiful garden. When I was there every day, I ______ the beauty of his garden and the interest he showed in ______ it. After seeing that, I was ______ to start gardening in my home and started doing it. Therefore, I started my ______ Garden in my balconies (阳台) with only pots of different coloured roses. As I grew up, my interest in gardening also ______ to grow. It gives me the biggest ______ .

Whenever I go to my uncle’s home, I collect more plant saplings (幼苗) for my Garden. So now my garden is full of colorful flowers and ______ , I went deeper into debt each day buying seeds, plants, flowers, soil, and pots. I preferred to spend my free time in my garden, without getting ______ . It makes me come alive and I just love that ______ .

I enjoy watering my Garden. It gives me enough physical exercise and sends me back to my work with ______ passion. The everyday sun shines bright on the plants and beautiful butterflies fly above the flowers. I smile with ______ when I cast my flourishing garden.

1.

A．turn into

B．shrink from

C．retire into

D．escape from

2.

A．ability

B．opportunity

C．dream

D．plan

3.

A．fascinated

B．puzzled

C．benefited

D．annoyed

4.

A．confidence

B．sympathy

C．relief

D．enthusiasm

5.

A．suspected

B．wondered

C．imagined

D．noticed

6.

A．decorating

B．beautifying

C．fixing

D．opening

7.

A．cautious

B．nervous

C．eager

D．patient

8.

A．large

B．another

C．delicate

D．first

9.

A．continued

B．happened

C．seemed

D．started

10.

A．challenge

B．wealth

C．happiness

D．responsibility

11.

A．however

B．otherwise

C．somehow

D．moreover

12.

A．worried

B．bored

C．thrilled

D．moved

13.

A．spirit

B．courage

C．feeling

D．strength

14.

A．renewed

B．original

C．limited

D．poor

15.

A．embarrassment

B．satisfaction

C．bitterness

D．politeness

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where does the man work?

A．In a cafe.

B．In an office.

C．In a computer workshop.

2. What will the woman do in her job?

A．Show clients in.

B．Make drinks for clients.

C．Work on projects for clients.

3. What is through the double doors?

A．The waiting room.

B．The meeting room.

C．The break room.

4. How could the man be described?

A．Nervous but excited.

B．Friendly and patient.

C．Generous and humorous.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the woman’s suggestion?

A．Making an English version of the menu.

B．Collecting feedback on the menu.

C．Adding new dishes to the menu.

2. Which food would the woman eat?

A．Chicken.

B．Fried potatoes only.

C．A salad without mushrooms.

3. What is the relationship between the speakers?

A．Waiter and customer.

B．Chef and kitchen assistant.

C．Restaurant manager and employee.

6 . 假如你是李华，学校英语社在向全校学生征集社徽。请就以下要点用英文向评委介绍自己的作品。
1. 社徽的形状、颜色等;
2. 你的设计思路;
3. 希望得到采纳。
注意：1. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯;
2. 词数80左右。
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7 . From Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga to Wicked: Part One, 2024 is shaping up to be a thrilling year of films. Here’re some you have to see at the cinema.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

(May 24, 2024)

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a decade since the superb Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) , but George Miller is finally returning with the sequel (续集) this year, and it looks promising. While Charlize Theron played the so-called Furiosa in Fury Road, this time Anya Taylor-Joy will be the actor to tell her origin story as she is taken and trapped between two warring cruel rulers and tries to find her way back home.

Inside Out 2

(June 14, 2024)

Returning with a sequel to 2015’s surprisingly emotional Inside Out, Pixar picks back up the story of Riley and the emotions who control her inside her brain. Now a teenager, Joy (Amy Poehler) and the other core emotions are joined by new addition Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and some other, unconfirmed emotions as well, judging from Anxiety saying “we wanted to make such a good first impression” in the advertisement.

Wolves

(September 20, 2024)

This highly anticipated movie sees Hollywood royalty Brad Pitt and George Clooney reunite for their first film together since 2008’s Burn After Reading. After showing their on-screen chemistry in the Ocean’s Eleven permission, the Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home) directed film follows two lone wolf fixers assigned to the same job.

Wicked: Part One

(November 27, 2024)

This one has been a long time coming! Originally announced all the way back in 2012, the first act of the film adaptation of the multi-award winning musical Wicked is nearly here.

It is a prequel (先行篇) to the beloved The Wizard of Oz, telling the story of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda (the Good Witch, played by Ariana Grande) in the years before the tornado transported Dorothy and Toto to the magical land of Oz.

1. What do Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Inside Out 2 have in common?

A．They both are sequels.	B．They are action films.
C．They’ll be released together.	D．They have the same plots.

2. What do we know about the film Wolves?

A．It was filmed in 2008.	B．It is directed by Brad Pitt.
C．Two actors first unite in the movie.	D．The same task is arranged for two fixers.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To praise some movie actors.	B．To encourage people to film more.
C．To advertise for the four films.	D．To presell the tickets for the four films.

8 . ALL DRESSED UP...with nowhere to go? It can hurt when your friend cancels plans at the last minute with a message: “Sorry, can’t make it after all.” But there are plenty of ways to get over the disappointment and make the most of your day.

How to be honest.     1    . You don’t want to make a friend feel bad. But brushing it off with a simple “No worries” might imply that you don’t mind and it’s OK to cancel without thinking.     2    . Let your friend know that you care about what’s happened, especially if you suspect there’s a deeper reason behind their no-show. And it’s good to suggest rearranging plans, so you have something you can look forward to together.

    3    . If the same person keeps cancelling plans with you, it might be time to reconsider the friendship. Have they let you down a lot? Is it often hard to get them to commit to things?     4    . If this is what you suspect, perhaps step back for a while and instead focus on other friendships. If you can, arrange to meet friends who make the effort to spend time with you and whose company you enjoy.

Have a back-up plan. Your original plans may not be possible, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time. Despite the upset feeling, you can still make the most of the time you’ve been given back to focus on yourself.     5    .

A．How to draw the line

B．When to draw the line

C．It’s important to acknowledge your emotions

D．It’s common to reply to the last-minute “can’t make-it” text

E．It’s often hard to reply to the last-minute “can’t make-it” text

F．For example, watch a film, or go for a relaxing walk into nature

G．These can be signs that they aren’t the most reliable person to be friends with

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the woman’s attitude towards the man’s control of his calorie intake?

A．Favorable.

B．Unfavorable.

C．Casual.

2. What does the woman mean in the end?

A．The man should take in more energy.

B．The man should practice more.

C．The man is in his best shape.

10 . Economist Tyler Cowen argues that traditional interview methods are not effective in determining the best candidates for a job, especially in creative roles. Candidates who are well-prepared often pass these interviews, but this only tests their preparation and not their abilities.

To determine the best candidate, Cowen suggests that interviewers concentrate on authenticity (真实性) and spontaneity (自发性) in their interactions with candidates, rather than relying on pre-written questions.

The interviewer should be trustworthy, Cowen argues, as it helps them better evaluate the authenticity of candidates. Eventually, “better allocation (分配) of talent” contributes to economic growth, and more thoughtful interview methods can help identify more talented individuals and elevate (提升) them to greater opportunities. Cowen adds, “There are too many interview questions, and every interviewer is ready. For example, ‘What mistakes did you make in your previous job?’ But many candidates just didn’t prepare well and didn’t provide a good answer. So in most cases, for better candidates, you are actually just preparing for testing. But for more creative jobs, you will lose candidates with other qualities.”

“How to get people into what I call the “Real Mode” largely depends on who they are, as well as who you are. If I am interviewing a candidate, my favorite discussions are just those without scripts. I prefer to have these conversations without asking questions. I hope they are natural. I like spontaneity — how to achieve it depends on the environment, work, how much time you have, and many other factors.”

“An estimate suggests that since the 1960s, 20% to 40% of US economic growth has come from “better talent allocation”. If we had a fresher and more creative interview process, I do think people would be more thoughtful. They will think more deeply about the work they will be engaged in. I think we will find talents that we haven’t seen so far. We will enable more people to have greater opportunities.”

1. How do the interviewers determine the best candidates?

A．By judging if they are well-prepared.	B．By asking pre-written questions.
C．By focusing on their real performances.	D．By testing their work efficiency.

2. What does Cowen think of thoughtful interview methods?

A．Useless.

B．Crucial.

C．Inspiring.

D．Changeable.

3. What does the author mean by mentioning “better allocation of talent”?

A．Stressing the importance of authenticity in interviews.

B．Explaining the role of interviews in evaluating candidates.

C．Rethinking interview approaches for better talent allocation.

D．Avoiding the impact of talent allocation to economic growth.

4. Who does the author probably intend to write to?

A．An interviewer.

B．An interviewee.

C．A graduate student.

D．A career trainer.