1 . Bethany Renfree and her three young daughters lived in a low-income apartment in Jackson, California. Like most of the renters, she was a single mother.

One morning, as Renfree walked into the _________ , she looked at the sink piled with dirty pans and _________. And her three young kids made a _________ in the room. A feeling of _________ washed over her.

“I couldn’t bring myself to do those dishes. And I couldn’t look at them any longer. It reminded me of how _________ my life was,” Renfree remembered. She put all the dirty pans and dishes into a bag and _________ it outside to the dustbin, but it was full. So she left it on the edge of the dustbin. Then she _________ her kids and left for the day.

When Renfree got back that evening, she _________ a box in the dark. She brought it inside. “It was my pans and dishes, they’re shining and _________,” Renfree recalled. And there’s a note saying: “I’ve been you before. You will make it. I __________ you.”

To this day, Renfree still doesn’t know which neighbour __________ and returned her pans and dishes. She __________ it’s one of the other single moms in the apartment.

“If I saw her today, I would __________ her for showing me that we are not alone. We’re surrounded by kindness and __________. And I’m so grateful to have learned that __________ so early on in motherhood,” Renfree said.

1.

A．village

B．office

C．bedroom

D．kitchen

2.

A．clothes

B．dishes

C．toys

D．desks

3.

A．difference

B．mistake

C．mess

D．trade

4.

A．humor

B．achievement

C．responsibility

D．hopelessness

5.

A．terrible

B．amazing

C．creative

D．cheerful

6.

A．defended

B．dropped

C．bought

D．found

7.

A．held up

B．brought up

C．packed up

D．gave up

8.

A．kicked

B．removed

C．opened

D．broke

9.

A．large

B．old

C．clean

D．round

10.

A．admire

B．promise

C．miss

D．hate

11.

A．unearthed

B．produced

C．washed

D．protected

12.

A．warns

B．remembers

C．hopes

D．assumes

13.

A．refuse

B．thank

C．agree

D．stop

14.

A．wait

B．appreciation

C．acceptance

D．understanding

15.

A．lesson

B．skill

C．culture

D．tradition

3 . Top 4 Houseboats in the Bahamas

The magical country of the Bahamas has over 700 islands dotting the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, making it a dreamy destination for those looking to connect with nature and relax while enjoying the slow life. Choose a houseboat from the following list and enjoy a great holiday.

Luxurious yacht (游艇) with three outdoor areas; Freeport (from $985)

This grand yacht is perfect for water activities and deep relaxation. You will also enjoy free access to world-class facilities nearby, including a swimming pool, fitness room, and a private beach. Further, if you fancy a walk nearby, the houseboat is located close to several shops and restaurants.

Sunset Point Houseboat; Andros Island (from $400)

This houseboat floats in a beautiful and peaceful location, far from the rush of the city. It’s perfect for observing marine life, fishing, swimming, and diving in the ocean. Guests can also rent a car to drive around the island. Besides, the accommodation possesses an equipped kitchen for cooking meals.

The Mac; Nassau(from $1, 800)

This fully furnished yacht is ideal for exploring locations close to the country’s capital. While living here, you will have access to a fully equipped kitchen with a refrigerator and microwave. Best of all, this accommodation welcomes long-term guests who choose to stay here for 28 days or more.

Attractive boat with free meals; Berry Islands (from $260)

Experience the untouched parts of the Bahamas by staying at this beautiful sailboat. You can spend all your time enjoying the ocean as the rental price includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What’s more, you can use the onboard projector to screen films on the deck (甲板) as you sail on the ocean. For indoor fun, the boat has wireless Internet and television.

1. What activity is recommended while in the luxurious yacht?

A．Watching a film in the open air.

B．Working out in a fitness room.

C．Going on unlimited sea adventures.

D．Dropping in on some nearby theaters.

2. What do Sunset Point Houseboat and the Mac have in common?

A．Tourists have access to a kitchen.

B．A rental car is provided for traveling around.

C．They are equipped with wireless Internet and TV.

D．Three meals are included in the accommodation fees.

3. Which suits a tourist with a tight budget?

A．The Mac.

B．Sunset Point Houseboat.

C．Attractive boat with free meals.

D．Luxurious yacht with three outdoor areas.

4 . Nosebleeds (鼻出血) are among the most common injuries we experience, and they happen for a variety of reasons. They can be the result of allergies (过敏) or sickness.     1    . If the climate one lives in is dry, blood vessels (血管) can break and dry out, causing later bleeding.

But sometimes a nosebleed is a sign of something more serious, and no matter the cause, it’s always helpful to know how to stop a nosebleed once one begins.     2    ?

Nosebleeds aren’t usually anything to be concerned about if they happen as a result of an obvious injury or for any of the above common reasons.     3    , it’s a good idea to check in with a doctor. It could be a sign that there’s something more going on.

    4    , it’s important to stop the bleeding as soon as you’re able. Most of the time, sitting up, holding the tip of your nose and put your body forward will be enough to stop the bleeding and prevent you from accidentally eating your blood.

When doing so, clean any blood that's entered your mouth and don’t expect bleeding to completely stop immediately and hold pressure for 5-10 minutes.     5    . If this doesn’t work, keeping the inside of your nose wet with saltwater can be effective.

A．There is another common reason

B．Whatever is causing your nose to bleed

C．So how should we stop the nose bleeding

D．So when should we care about a nosebleed

E．If nosebleeds are happening to you frequently

F．Sometimes applying an ice pack can also be helpful

G．A professional way will help you stop your nose bleeding

5 . Space engineers from the University of Glasgow have published new research showing how reflectors (反射器) placed in orbit around Earth could increase the output of future large-scale solar farms by reflecting additional sunlight toward them even after the sun has set.

In their paper, the researchers described how they used advanced computer models to help determine the most effective method of using orbiting solar reflectors to produce additional power. Their models showed that putting 20 thin reflectors into orbit 1,000 kilometers from Earth could reflect sunlight to solar farms for an extra two hours each day on average. The additional sunlight could increase the output of the world’s future solar farms, particularly after sunset when electricity demand is high. The output could be scaled up further by adding more reflectors or increasing their size.

The team developed an algorithm (算法) to determine how the reflectors could be arranged to catch the sun’s rays most effectively, maximizing the additional sunlight reflected to solar farms around Earth in the early morning and late evening. The researchers suggested that 20 reflectors could produce an extra 728 MWh of electricity per day — equal to adding an additional large solar power farm to Earth without the cost of construction.

Dr. Onur Çelik, one author of the paper, said, “Solar power has the potential to speed our race to reach net-zero, helping us to relieve the global impacts of climate change by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.”Moreover, the price of solar panels (太阳能电池板) has dropped quickly in recent years, increasing the pace of their adoption and paving the way for the creation of large solar farms around the world.

One of the major limitations of solar power, of course, is that it can only be generated during daylight hours. Putting orbiting solar reflectors in space would help to maximize the effectiveness of solar farms in the years to come. Strategically placing new solar farms in locations which receive the most additional sunlight from the reflectors could make them even more effective.

1. What is the purpose of placing reflectors in space?

A．To improve communication between Earth and space.

B．To bring the effects of climate change under control.

C．To produce electricity for agricultural use.

D．To increase the production of solar power.

2. What may contribute to the application of large-scale solar farms?

A．The increased demand for electricity.	B．The decrease in the cost of solar panels.
C．The development of space technology.	D．The requirement to preserve the environment.

3. What can be inferred about the future of solar farms?

A．They’ll replace fossil fuels completely.

B．They’ll become the main source of energy.

C．They’ll be more cost-effective and efficient.

D．They’ll rely mainly on orbiting reflectors for sunlight.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A news report.	B．A maths website.
C．A marketing brochure.	D．A policy brief.

6 . Elephants’ important role in maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystems has earned them various names including ecosystem engineers and forest gardeners. However, African forest elephants — a species living in the rainforests of central Africa — are increasingly recognized by another name: “climate heroes”.

African forest elephants help lessen climate change by increasing carbon storage in their forest habitats, meaning they help remove heat-trapping CO₂ from the atmosphere. They do this by influencing the forest structure, including by increasing the diversity and abundance of plant species. It’s estimated that one forest elephant can increase the net carbon capture (捕获) capacity of the forest by almost 250 acres. This is equal to removing from the atmosphere a year’s worth of emissions (排放量) from 2,047 cars.

“As strange as it seems, all that eating and destruction help the forest pull more carbon out of the air,” says Alison Pearce Stevens in the book Animal Climate Heroes! . Elephants eat more than 400 pounds of food a day, so they spend a lot of time searching for food. As they walk through the forest, they do a lot of damage to the surrounding smaller trees, leading to the survival of trees that have the ability to absorb and store more CO₂.

In addition, their thirst for fruits also helps to promote forest growth. This is because elephants disperse fruit seeds. In other words, the seeds pass through the elephant bodies until they drop back to the forest floor.

But African forest elephants are seriously endangered and continue to face threats. These mainly come from hunting for the illegal international trade in elephant ivory (象牙), but also from habitat loss and fewer food sources. The number of forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a period of 31 years, and their habitats are thought to have reduced by 75%. Protecting forest elephants and the forests they depend on means we are safeguarding their ecological contributions that we all rely on.

1. How do African forest elephants help relieve climate change?

A．They increase the diversity of wildlife species.

B．They help to maintain the plants of the forest.

C．They take in heat-trapping CO2 from the atmosphere.

D．They promote the net carbon capture ability of the forest.

2. What does the underlined word “disperse” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Consume.

B．Preserve.

C．Spread.

D．Gather.

3. What are the threats facing African forest elephants?

A．Illegal hunting and habitat loss.

B．The disturbed balance of the forest ecosystem.

C．Natural disasters resulting from climate change.

D．Competition for water sources with other animals.

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

A．Preserving Forests: Elephants’ Contribution

B．New Role of African Forest Elephants: Climate Heroes

C．Ivory Trade Threatens African Forest Elephants

D．Forest Elephants Are Approaching the Edge of Extinction

7 . Some of the classrooms at Taft Elementary in Santa Clara, California, have one disadvantage in common: They don’t have windows. That’s true for Logan Earnest’s fifth grade classroom, and he felt it was affecting his students.

“Most of the day, they’re inside,” Earnest told CBS News. “And they don’t really get to see any trees, grass, or the blue sky.” He said the gray walls could be depressing to the kids and may affect their attention and even their attendance.

This was confirmed by former school psychologist Ernesto Rodriguez, who said the lack of windows does affect kids, because research shows being in and around nature eases anxiety and benefits students. Though no longer a practicing psychologist, perhaps he knows now more than ever the impact nature has on mental health. Rodriguez became a park ranger (公园管理员) on Southern California’s Catalina Island and began focusing on his passion—landscape photography.

It was during his training to become a park ranger that he learned a fact that kids who have views out windows to trees do better academically, emotionally and creatively. So an idea to bring nature into rooms occurred to him: Why not bring landscapes in classrooms—via the ceiling (天花板), because teachers don’t typically use them.

Rodriguez took 360 degree shots of tree canopies (树冠) using his photography skills, then he printed them and fit them onto the classroom ceiling of Earnest’s fifth grade. “Beautiful,”one student said as she entered the room. Another student said the trees brought him peace, “When you look up, it feels like you’re sitting under a tree.”

Earnest said he thought there would be many positive effects on his students. “I think my attendance is going to go up. The kids are going to want to come here more frequently. Overall, I think the kids are going to be happier,” he said.

1. What is the common challenge shared by some classrooms at Taft Elementary?

A．Lack of fresh air.	B．Absence of windows.
C．Insufficient lighting.	D．Limited access to technology.

2. Why did Ernesto Rodriguez bring landscapes into classrooms?

A．To connect the students with nature.

B．To promote his photography skills.

C．To improve the teachers’ performance.

D．To create an exciting environment for the students.

3. How did the students react to Rodriguez’s pictures on the classroom ceiling?

A．They did not notice the change.

B．They failed to concentrate on lessons.

C．They preferred the original gray ceiling.

D．They were in favour of the new additions.

4. What’s Logan Earnest’s attitude towards the change in the classroom?

A．Cautious and objective.	B．Appreciative and supportive.
C．Concerned but doubtful.	D．Curious but unsure.

8 . 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。

“When I was young, I told my mother that I would go to China to learn kung fu one day,” says Max Yollando, a young man from the Cote d’Ivoire,     1     (share) his affection for Chinese culture.

Yollando is also known as Yanming, the Chinese name that he     2     (give) by his teacher at the Shaolin Temple,     3     today is well-known all over the world. Due     4     his passion for Chinese culture, Yollando took part in the Confucius Institute to study Chinese and got an opportunity to visit the temple in Henan Province on a three-month exchange. Later, he remained there for six years.

His years at the temple reading, exercising, and practicing kung fu     5     (great) changed him, and allowed him to better understand and appreciate     6     (tradition) Chinese culture. He says the most impressive things he noticed that deeply rooted in Chinese culture are the love of work, respect, and     7     (recognize).

“My purpose of studying Chinese culture is to introduce Chinese values to my country. The culture fascinated me because in China, people make an effort     8     (work) better, and they are very respectful and grateful to     9     (they) family and country. When I make connections between Chinese     10     African culture, it seems to me that they have a lot in common,” he says.

9 . When you hear the word “uncertainty”, how do you feel? Scared, anxious, excited or challenged? With many global challenges still ongoing, we are likely to face even more of the unknown, so we had better get accustomed to managing it.

So how do we detect uncertainty and which part of the brain is responsible for it? Researchers have found that noradrenaline (去甲肾上腺素) is the key chemical involved in our response to uncertainty.

To investigate the role noradrenaline plays when we are faced with uncertain events, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted an experiment with mice. The animals were trained to push a lever (杠杆) down when they heard a high frequency noise. If they did this, they were rewarded with a drink of water. They were also trained to learn that they’d receive an unpleasant puff of air if the lever was activated when a low frequency noise was played. But the researchers added in an element of uncertainty by including a sound where the frequency was unclear.

From this experiment, the researchers discovered that a small part in the brain called the locus coeruleus — an area that modulates noradrenaline — was essential in detecting uncertainty. When the high frequency was clear and the reward was expected for the mice, their noradrenaline release was small. But when the outcome wasn’t clear, and the reward was a surprise, the release was much larger. This was how the mice’s brains learned to deal with uncertainty.

A study with humans was also carried out. They discovered that the subjects’ neurons (神经元) in the prefrontal cortex (前额叶皮质) respond much more to loss than to gain. Namely, this area rules our avoidance behaviour when we are under stress. This helps us understand our unwillingness to expose ourselves to uncertainty.

Once we understand that our cognitive and emotional responses to uncertainty are a necessary part of the human experience. Acknowledge instead of fear them, perhaps making big decisions can seem less stressful.

1. What is the uncertainty in the experiment with mice?

A．The high frequency noise.	B．A drink of water as a reward.
C．The action to push a lever down.	D．The noise with unclear frequency.

2. What does the underlined word “modulates” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Removes.

B．Adjusts.

C．Lessens.

D．Boosts.

3. How does the prefrontal cortex influence our choices when we’re stressed?

A．By seeking rewarding outcome.	B．By maintaining balance.
C．By avoiding negative outcome.	D．By reducing uncertainty.

4. What does the author want to tell us in the text?

A．Responses to uncertainty come naturally.

B．Uncertainty gives birth to potential risks.

C．Experiments can predict expected outcomes.

D．Noradrenaline tends to result from uncertainty.

10 . In present-day Romania, a decreasing number of craftsmen practice what’s thought to be a centuries-old craft. They search the forest for a fungus (真菌), which grows within trees and sends out shelf-like mushrooms a few inches wide. The fungus is shaved lengthwise into thin strips. Those strips are then stretched to form broad sheets, which can be crafted into hats, bags, jewelry, and ornaments. As far back as 1903, Tlingit craftsmen in what is now the state of Alaska were recorded crafting purses out of a material from agarikon fungus.

However, the craftsmen’s process in the early times was about searching for materials, not cultivating them for mass production. Today, the biotechnology company MycoWorks in the US is pioneering in cultivating mycelium (菌丝). Mycelium is a structural wonder — soft, dense, and strong, making it a great potential replacement for leather.

       The operation starts with agricultural waste, like sawdust (锯末), which is heated to remove existing microbial life. Once done, it goes into deep plates of varying sizes. Then fungus joins the party, digesting and growing. In some cases, fabric can be added for the mycelium to weave around. The sheet of mycelium is eventually peeled off the wood blocks, and growth comes to an end. It can be easily mistaken for traditional leather.

MycoWorks is one of a wave of innovators, all of whom assume that a better understanding of mycelium can redefine the limits of fashion and design. In recent years, MycoWorks’ products have been used in designer bags and pillows. CEO Matt Scullin praises mycelium as a material in fashion, “It has a bit of a soft touch, and it has a bounce. It can absorb the oil s and heat from your fingers when you touch it.” “The early efforts appear to be more moral, and improve eco-footprint. Products made from such material are fully biodegradable — allowing for a future in which dealing with an old pair of shoes might mean simply composting (堆肥) them,” he added.

1. What is the author’s purpose in writing the first paragraph?

A．To stress the history of growing mushrooms.

B．To introduce a fashion inspired by mushrooms.

C．To show ancient mushroom growing techniques.

D．To present the novel use of mushrooms in fashion.

2. What does paragraph 3 focus on about mycelium?

A．Its growing process.	B．Its high quality.
C．Its shortcomings.	D．Its working life.

3. What does Matt Scullin think of mycelium as a material in the field?

A．It is straightforward to grow.	B．It offers a rough feel.
C．It promotes sustainability.	D．It is oil-and-heat resistant.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Fungus Crafts: An Endangered Heritage

B．Mycelium: The Green Leather Alternative

C．Crafting with Nature: Romania’s Fungal Tradition

D．Mycelium’s Role: From Ancient Craft to Modern Innovation