1 . In 2019, after retiring from her career as a social worker, Ane Freed - Kernis decided to build a home workshop and devote all of her free time to stone carving. “I might be covered head to to e in dust but I’m happy — it was something I needed more of in my life when I hit 60,” she says.

This appeal has its origins in Freed - Kernis’ childhood. Growing up on her father’s farm in Denmark, she used to wander through the fields with her eyes fixed on the ground, looking for stones to add to her collection. “I’ve always been drawn to the shapes and textures (质地) of stones,” she says.

After moving to England in 1977 and training as a social worker, Freed - Kernis soon became occupied with her busy career and the demands of raising her son. Stones were the last thing on her mind, until her father died in 2005. “He took a stone carving course in his retirement, and I always thought stone seemed so fun but never had the time to look into it myself,” she says. “After he died, I became determined to learn in his honour.”

Signing up for a week-long stone carving course at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Freed-Kernis began to learn how to turn a block of rock into well-designed shapes. “It was really scary at the start because you would spend hours just hammering (锤打).”

Now 65, Freed-Kernis has a thriving small business built largely through word of mouth. She creates 12 to 15 pieces a year that can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks to complete, while her prices range from £ 200 to £ 3,000. “I’m making smaller ones,” she says. “I don’t have to depend on the money much, so I want to keep prices in the range that people can afford, mainly just covering costs and labour (劳动力).”

1. Freed-Kernis was first attracted by stones when ______.

A．she was 60	B．she was a child
C．her father died	D．she moved to England

2. What can we infer about Freed-Kernis from paragraph 3?

A．She never cared about her father.

B．She led a disappointing life in Denmark.

C．She spent lots of time studying stone carving.

D．She learned stone carving under the influence of her dad.

3. How did Freed-Kernis feel when she started stone carving course?

A．Hopeful and proud.

B．Confident and satisfied.

C．Nervous and frightened.

D．Impatient and unprepared.

4. Why is Freed-Kernis making smaller pieces?

A．They are easier to move by her.

B．They are more affordable to people.

C．She wants to save costs and labour.

D．She is too old to focus on making large ones.

2 . In San Francisco, a large group of sea lions move themselves out of the bay waters and hang out on PIER 39, which is a popular tourist destination. According to dock (码头) officials, this is the most sea lions seen in the region in 15 years.

“Over 1,000 sea lions have been counted this week,” PIER 39 harbormaster Sheila Chandor told many different media. “The surge in sea lions is usually a good sign of their strong population and healthy living environment,” said Adam Ratner, Director of Conservation Engagement at the Marine Mammal (海洋哺乳动物) Center in Sausalito, California.

“California sea lions are sentinels (哨兵) of the ocean,” Ratner said. Their population to some extent reflects the health of the ocean. Therefore, seeing a large number of California sea lions is clearly a good thing.

For nearly 35 years, the slippery (滑的) residents have been a star attraction for tourists. That autumn in 1989, PIER 39 had just been repaired, but the ships had not yet been moved back. At that moment, the sea lions unexpected arrival not only attracted fans but also created enemies. According to a website, some dock residents and workers were scared away by the strong and very unpleasant smell and noise of their new neighbors, while others saw these animals as a bright spot after the destructive Loma Prieta earthquake.

The officials sought help from the Marine Mammal Center to find a way to deal with sea lions. Ratner said that the final decision is to let the sea lions stay and coexist with humans. “The fact proves that this is really a good thing,” he said. “This is just a proof of how we can truly work together and think about how we can share our coasts with marine mammals and other wildlife in a way that benefits all the parties involved.”

1. How does the author start the text?

A．By describing a situation.

B．By answering a question.

C．By holding a conversation.

D．By comparing different opinions.

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

A．Sharp increase.	B．Tight control.
C．Slow development.	D．Sudden movement.

3. What is Ratner’s attitude to the final decision?

A．Doubtful.	B．Uninterested.
C．Supportive.	D．Unclear.

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?

A．Sea lions are pretty cool animals.

B．Animals and humans can live in harmony.

C．Watching sea lions might not be a proper action.

D．Sea lions should be driven out of PIER 39.

3 . 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。

Walking through his neighborhood supermarket in Australia,     1     packs of Chinese sauerkraut (酸菜) line the shelves, Huang Xiqing feels like he’s shopping in his hometown of Shenyang in Liaoning province. “The sauerkraut soup tastes just like home,” says the 45-year-old Chinese living in Canberra,     2     (sound) a little homesick.

Chinese sauerkraut, a pickle which     3     (make) of Chinese cabbage, is a traditional specialty of the northeastern region and is now sold around the country     4     exported overseas. Chinese cabbage has gained     5     (popular) with ordinary household, because it is cheap and can be stored for a relatively long period of time.

During the last decades, Chinese businessmen have set     6     several sauerkraut companies. Among them, the Xinmin agricultural product company of the Heilongjiang Cuihua Group has sold its Chinese sauerkraut not only     7     (domestic), but also to countries including Canada, Japan and the United States. When people were making purchases for Spring Festival, sales of Chinese sauerkraut on Douyin increased more than10-fold,     8     (compare) to the previous year.

But for Huang, Chinese sauerkraut is an everlasting link to home. “Although I have tried delicacies from across     9     globe. Chinese sauerkraut is still one of my     10     (favourite), and reminds me of my hometown,” Huang says.

4 . Lying in my hospital bed, I was flicking through (快速转换) the channels when I suddenly paused. Muscular women were competing in a body sculpting competition on the _______ . “Wow, they are _______ ,” I thought in amazement.

It was 2004, and I’d been hospitalized with asthma, which gave me the desire to _______ a more healthy lifestyle. I didn’t know how to exercise correctly and found it hard to _______ healthy diets. But now at 49, it was time for a _______ . Therefore, the day after I left the hospital, I joined the gym with one _______ : to look like the women I’d seen on TV.

The first sessions were so _______ that I could barely walk back down the stairs afterwards. But I kept _______ for several hours, four days a week, slowly building my strength. After six months of training, I _______ my first competition—Masters Over Forty. Standing on the stage, my heart nearly leapt from my chest when they ________ I was the winner.

Over the next 14 years, I ________ 35 titles in body sculpting competitions worldwide. During this time, I decided to use my experience to help other women over 40 achieve their ________ goals. I became a personal trainer and wrote a book to help people eat ________ food during their training. With the right diet, everyone can stay healthy and strong longer.

I know many older women have never been in the ________ or picked up a weight. But it’s never too ________ to make changes.

1.

A．screen

B．bed

C．way

D．mind

2.

A．intelligent

B．reliable

C．wealthy

D．incredible

3.

A．abandon

B．continue

C．adopt

D．alter

4.

A．mix up

B．stick to

C．show off

D．put aside

5.

A．rest

B．celebration

C．chat

D．change

6.

A．suggestion

B．goal

C．order

D．bonus

7.

A．hard

B．dull

C．ridiculous

D．dangerous

8.

A．staying up

B．standing by

C．working out

D．passing out

9.

A．organized

B．sponsored

C．hosted

D．entered

10.

A．announced

B．whispered

C．predicted

D．assumed

11.

A．witnessed

B．lost

C．defended

D．won

12.

A．career

B．fitness

C．education

D．finance

13.

A．tasty

B．fresh

C．appropriate

D．abundant

14.

A．gym

B．hospital

C．session

D．building

15.

A．soon

B．young

C．late

D．fun

5 . What kind of images does “blue sky” create? A breath-taking scenery, broad-mindedness, or a promising future? For Ruslan, a young Kazakh student in China, it means something special. Ruslan’s microblog ID is “Ruslan Blue Sky,” so he is adorably called Mr. Blue Sky. With his sincere smile, selfless dedication, and goodwill toward the Chinese people, this name cannot be more fitting.

In 2023, Ruslan came to China to study Chinese. He did not feel out of place in the warm and wet Hainan, but found local people and customs charming. He had developed a strong interest in the Chinese culture in his childhood, watching Chinese TV series Journey to the West. While absorbed in studying at Hainan University, he made blood donation for the first time, and learned that he had the rare RH negative blood. With only 0.1% to 0.3% of the population having this blood, RH negative blood is referred to as “panda blood”. A dozen thousand women with this blood type get pregnant in China every year. Local RH negative blood banks are often in urgent need of supplies.

Having acknowledged how rare his blood is, Ruslan became a regular donor, making blood donation twice a year. In eight years, he has donated over 5,000 milliliters of blood. In order to help more people, he asked blood banks to leave his phone number with patients in urgent need. Learning a girl in a car accident needing this type of blood, he rushed to contact relevant hospitals to offer help and encouraged the girl with a microblog post—“Mr. Blue Sky is here to help!”

When receiving praise, he says that blood donation is what he and everyone else should do, and he offers help simply because helping others can be a rainbow in someone else’ cloud.

1. What can we know about Ruslan during his studying in Hainan?

A．He found his new life there fascinating.	B．He was called “Panda Blood Boy”.
C．He started watching Journey to the West.	D．He could hardly adapt to the local climate.

2. What did Ruslan do after knowing his blood type?

A．He saved a pregnant woman.	B．He donated blood regularly.
C．He contacted patients directly.	D．He went to work in blood banks.

3. Which of the following can best describe Ruslan?

A．Considerate and humorous.	B．Curious and diligent.
C．Warm-hearted and selfless.	D．Strong-willed and ambitious.

4. What can be the-best title for the text?

A．The Road to a Big Fame	B．Ruslan’s Learning Journey
C．Life in a Friendly Country	D．Mr. Blue Sky’s Panda Blood

6 . For the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, fishing equipment is a deadly threat to their lives. In Indonesia’s Mahakam River, two-thirds of dolphin deaths in the past 25 years were drownings caused by being trapped in fishing nets. Now a relatively inexpensive and practical electronic device known as Pinger shows promise for preventing dolphins from becoming trapped. These underwater noisemakers have been used to protect various marine life, but this is the first time they’ve been proven effective at protecting freshwater dolphins.

The small sound device, about the size of a banana, is attached to a fishing net and sends out a pulsing noise (脉冲噪声) that annoys the dolphins but doesn’t harm them. Dolphins are capable of avoiding the nets, being scared of trying to seize fish from them, and can therefore feed and swim more safely in their habitat. Fishers’ nets, meanwhile, sustain less damage and this can make fishers control the cost.

Pingers are lucrative to fishers’ livelihoods. A six-month study, led by conservation organization Yayasan Konservasi RASI and supported by WWF, recently revealed that fishers who used the devices saw a 40% increase in their daily catch — an additional 350 to 500 pounds of fish — and tended to catch larger fish, thus increasing their profits.

Approximately 80 Irrawaddy dolphins live in the Mahakam River. Small populations are found in the Mekong and Ayeyarwady rivers, where, in addition to being trapped by the fishing nets, they’re impacted by the worsening habitat, unsustainable fishing practices, as well as water pollution.

During the study, the reduction in dolphin bycatch was significant. 100% of participating fishers kept using the devices after the trial ended, which proves that the action of using the device to protect dolphins from being harmed or killed is becoming effective.

1. Why is the undewater sound device applied?

A．To examine the health of dolphins.	B．To scare fish away from dolphins.
C．To decrease noise around dolphins.	D．To keep dolphins safe from fishing nets.

2. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Pinger’s efficiency.	B．Pinger’s working principle.
C．Pinger’s limitations.	D．Pinger’s working conditions.

3. What does the underlined word “lucrative” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Sensitive.

B．Familiar.

C．Risky.

D．Beneficial.

4. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A．Further research will be carried out.	B．The number of dolphins may increase.
C．Dolphins will move to new habitats.	D．All fishers have employed the devices.

7 . What’s on

The Grand Expedition

The Grand Expedition combines interactive design and the special “food” theme in one cultural performance. Performers will play various roles such as boat captains and chefs to interact with participants while offering them international dishes to try. The show has experimented with this “food + theater” theme for more than 10 years.

Where: Loire, Paris

When: April 22 to May 1, 2024

Price: From $111

Cyber Rhapsody of Da Vinci

Did you ever imagine one day technology could bring classic master Leonardo da Vinci right in front of our eyes? This data painting exhibition is attempting to achieve just that by using AI. The AI art team OUCHHH has allowed AI to study the works of Da Vinci, Einstein and Galileo.

Where: Uffizi gallery, Florence

When: April 19 to April 28, 2024

Price: From $13

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

This music event is a candlelight concert of classical music. Classical pieces from great composers will be played. The stage, lit with hundreds of candles, will allow audience to take as many photos as they like. With lit candles, great musicians and music, it is an excellent way for people to relax and enjoy music.

Where: Waverley, Edinburgh

When: April 22 to May 5, 2024

Price: From $12

The Playful World of Eric

This exhibition is a solo show for Eric Carle, a US author, designer and illustrator of children's books. Children and parents will definitely have fun at the exhibition. The art gallery showcases 24 illustrations by Eric and 15 interactive activities are available for families, providing visitors a memorable experience.

Where: Wenceslas, Prague

When: April 16 to April 26, 2024

Price: From $13

1. Which of the four events lasts the longest?

A．Cyber Rhapsody of Da Vinci.	B．The Grand Expedition.
C．A Midsummer Night's Dream.	D．The Playful World of Eric.

2. What do The Grand Expedition and The Playful World of Eric have in common?

A．They include interactive activities.	B．They cover a wide range of themes.
C．They provide various kinds of food.	D．They involve role-play games for kids.

3. Where is this text most probably taken from?

A．A review of classic music.	B．An introduction to a book.
C．A guidebook to travelling.	D．A magazine of technology.

8 . Food labels seem to provide all the information a thoughtful consumer needs, so counting calories should be simple.     1     They say how many calories a food contains, and yet what they don’t say is that how many calories you actually get out of your food depends on how highly processed it is.

Food-processing includes cooking, mixing and mashing (捣烂).     2     It can also be completed in your home when you prepare a meal. Highly processed foods are more digestible, whose effects can be big. If you eat the food raw you will tend to lose weight. If you eat the same food cooked, you will tend to gain weight.     3    

As a result, when we are losing weight, we should reject processed food. And to do so would be much easier if our food labels gave us some advice about how many calories we would save by eating less-processed food.     4     The problem lies in a shortage of information. They find it hard to predict precisely how many extra calories will be gained when our food is more highly processed.

    5     The first gives a precise number of calories but takes no account of the known effects of food-processing, and therefore mismeasures what our bodies are actually harvesting from the food. The second would take account of food-processing, but without any precise numbers. Faced by this difficult choice, every country has opted to ignore the effect of processing and the result is that consumers are confused.

A．Same calories, different outcomes.

B．Processed foods should be given more restrictions.

C．It can be done by the food industry before you buy.

D．Food labels fail to offer a specific number of calories.

E．So why do our nutrition advisers keep silent on the topic?

F．But things get tricky because food labels tell only half the story.

G．Our food labeling therefore faces a choice between two systems.

9 . Covering over 1,600 square kilometers of England’s most valued lowland landscapes (风景) in the busiest part of the UK, the South Downs National Park has been shaped by the activities of its farmers and foresters, its charities and local businesses. Find out about some events happening across the park.

Benfield Hill City Nature Challenge

If you would like to be part of the global City Nature Challenge which brings together cities and organizations around the world to share observations of nature, we will be holding our own initiative on Saturday, 27th May, on Benfield Hill Local Nature Reserve. Welcome anyone, whatever their level of experience, in supporting us on a fun day of learning and identification of valuable biodiversity.

Green Sketching Workshop

Discover how you can use the process of drawing to look at and notice nature, and as a tool for slowing down and bringing calm to our busy lives. This is not a how-to-draw workshop, but a how-to-see workshop! This focuses on the process of drawing rather than the finished result, which means that everyone, regardless of previous drawing experience, can benefit from the joy of Green Sketching.

Longmoor Through the Ages

Discover more about this vast land and how humans have shaped the landscape around the site. Bring your binoculars (双筒望远镜) as the site is also part of the Wealden Heath Phase Ⅱ Special Protection Area and home to some rare (珍稀的) birds, reptiles and rare species of international importance.

Dawn Chorus Walk

Get up with the birds. You won’t regret setting your alarm as we enjoy the magic of some of our springtime songsters. Shortheath Common sits at the northern extremity of the South Downs National Park and is regarded as a Special Area of Conservation due to the unique ecological landscape. It’s hope to a variety of rare birds, and plant species of international importance.

1. Which of the following most attracts people who want to use painting to show nature?

A．Benfield Hill City Nature Challenge.	B．Green Sketching Workshop.
C．Longmoor Through the Ages.	D．Dawn Chorus Walk.

2. What can people do at Longmoor Through the Ages?

A．Hold meetings.	B．See painting exhibitions.
C．Record the farmers’ songs.	D．Watch some rare animals.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To tell about the history of the South Downs National Park.

B．To encourage donations to the South Downs National Park.

C．To stress the importance of the South Downs National Park.

D．To introduce activities happening across the South Downs National Park.

10 . Juleus Ghunta and his three sisters lived in a rural part of Western Jamaica. They were _______ by a single mother, and his mother often had to make _______ choices about how to use their limited resources-including a decision to send his oldest sister to school, but to _______ Ghunta at home.

When Ghunta finally went to school, he couldn’t catch up on his reading skills. “I _______ in school with a deep sense of loss and _______,” he said. Not only had he been kept home from school as a child, but he had not been exposed (使接触) to _______.

When Ghunta was about 12, a young teacher decided to start a special _______ program for struggling students. Ghunta was the first student to _______. “The teacher was _______ kind to me.” he said. “She was patient. She did not require anything of me, except that I ________ in myself and work hard.” Under her ________, Ghunta’s reading skills finally started to improve. And his sense of inadequacy (能力不足) ________ to lift.

After Ghunta’s experience with the teacher, his life ________ a new direction. He went on to college, and later, graduate school. Today, he is the author of two children’s books.

He would like to thank his teacher for seeing his ________. “I would love for her to see the significant ________ that she has made on my life, and how it continues to be a source of joy.”

1.

A．monitored

B．replaced

C．observed

D．raised

2.

A．tough

B．annoying

C．confusing

D．familiar

3.

A．contact

B．comfort

C．keep

D．compare

4.

A．lived

B．adapted

C．volunteered

D．struggled

5.

A．responsibility

B．shame

C．humour

D．achievement

6.

A．families

B．books

C．neighbours

D．friends

7.

A．reading

B．experiment

C．writing

D．fitness

8.

A．build up

B．mix up

C．sign up

D．make up

9.

A．partly

B．hardly

C．suddenly

D．extremely

10.

A．check

B．believe

C．take

D．result

11.

A．control

B．protection

C．guidance

D．consideration

12.

A．began

B．decided

C．failed

D．chose

13.

A．closed

B．doubted

C．feared

D．took

14.

A．memories

B．possibilities

C．explanations

D．instructions

15.

A．reasons

B．summaries

C．impacts

D．challenges