1 . Erinna’s son, Jackson, was an autistic (患自闭症的) child. One of the most
Jackson went almost two years with no haircuts.
“We got caught in traffic. He
Erinna was about to
It meant a lot to Erinna that Ree took the time to
| A．simple | B．normal | C．free | D．difficult |
| A．doctor | B．headphone | C．haircut | D．babysitter |
| A．kicking | B．falling | C．dropping | D．throwing |
| A．notice | B．ignore | C．review | D．watch |
| A．try | B．stop | C．keep | D．begin |
| A．Suddenly | B．Finally | C．Generally | D．Constantly |
| A．find | B．send | C．take | D．finish |
| A．came true | B．faded away | C．broke down | D．went wrong |
| A．lost | B．stayed | C．left | D．missed |
| A．bad | B．nice | C．hard | D．funny |
| A．relieved | B．alarmed | C．inspired | D．embarrassed |
| A．quickly | B．eagerly | C．noisily | D．crazily |
| A．end | B．call | C．quit | D．change |
| A．trick | B．task | C．game | D．pleasure |
| A．wipe | B．wash | C．brush | D．bathe |
| A．spot | B．exit | C．path | D．block |
| A．crying | B．leaving | C．whispering | D．smiling |
| A．turn out | B．carry out | C．work out | D．give out |
| A．care | B．duty | C．hope | D．effort |
| A．trust | B．light | C．warmth | D．comfort |
2 . Have you ever been really hungry, but there wasn’t much to eat in your kitchen? Did you throw together a bunch of stuff you had on hand and were pleasantly surprised when it tasted good? You aren’t alone. Some of our favorite foods were created by accident. Here’s a sample menu of some familiar foods that never would have happened if someone hadn’t created them by mistake.
POTATO CHIPS
One of the world’s favorite snacks is the result of a complaint. In 1853, a man was eating dinner at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York. He ordered fried potatoes, a popular side dish. But when they came out of the kitchen, he didn’t think they were crispy enough. He sent them back to the kitchen, where Chef George Crum was so angry at having his cooking criticized that he sliced the potatoes really thin, put lots of salt on them, and fried them. Not only did the diner love them, but everyone else did, too. They soon became a specialty of the restaurant.
TOFU
Tofu, or bean curd, is made by curdling (使凝结) fresh soya milk, pressing it into a solid block, and then cooling it. Tofu was accidentally invented in China more than 2,000 years ago, when a cook added seaweed to soya milk, which made it curdle. This is the same process that is used for making cheese. Like cheese, tofu is a great example of how really messing up a recipe can create something unexpectedly good.
CHEESE PUFFS
Did you ever wonder who thought up cheese puffs? The company that invented them wasn’t even trying to make food for people. It was trying to make animal feed. In the 1930s, the Flakall Company of Wisconsin made animal food from small, flaked piece of grain. One day, an employee, Edward Wilson, watched workers pouring cornmeal (谷粉) into the flaking machine, wetting it to keep it from clogging (堵塞). Because the machine was very hot, the wet cornmeal came out of it in puffy ribbons that hardened when they hit the air. Wilson took some of the ribbons home, added oil and flavoring to them, and voila! Cheese puffs!
1. What’s the purpose of the text?| A．To compare the features of some foods. |
| B．To inform readers of some foods. |
| C．To recommend some foods. |
| D．To introduce the origins of some foods. |
| A．Seaweed is also used for making cheese. |
| B．Chef George Crum didn’t like to criticize others' cooking. |
| C．Hot wet cornmeal hardened when they hit the air. |
| D．Bean curd dates back to 2,000 years in China. |
| A．They are the results of complaints. |
| B．They were not created on purpose. |
| C．They weren’t originally made for people. |
| D．They are all popular throughout the world. |
3 . Having been based in Thailand for seven years, I was informed my visa was no longer legally acceptable, which meant that I had to quit the job that I was succeeding in and leave behind this wonderful life I had built. I felt very, very down. Then, a friend, aware of what I was going through, messaged: “I can see you walking around Great Britain and then writing a book on it.”
Three weeks later, I did just that. Another friend suggested that I set up an Instagram account to document my journey, which I did, and so I set off with just a sleeping bag. When I took those first steps, I knew this journey would change my life, but not in the way it did. All of a sudden, I started to feel better, clearer and happier out in nature, walking. I remember what the first days were like. I walked the southwest coastal path for 635 miles. Its rough land and beautiful scenery were in equal measure, and it challenged me every day.
I met so many people who became my friends very quickly and supported me in many ways. Mentally, I felt stronger at this point. Of course, with the enormous amounts of miles walked and the challenging weather conditions that I faced, I had the occasional hesitation. But when this did happen, I’d just remind myself of what I’d achieved and the overwhelming support that I’d had to get me through. Finally, in April, I finished my walk around the UK.
I was cheerful, I felt proud, and I never imagined in my wildest dreams I could do it. But quickly after, I realized I had more in me. The walk had changed my life so much that I wanted to pay it forward and help people like the previous version of me that had been left in the past. So I decided to do it again — this time in 12 months, and for 12 charities. And that’s what I’m doing now.
1. Why did the author walk around the UK?| A．To find inspiration. | B．To remove depression. |
| C．To meet a friend’s request. | D．To escape from reality. |
| A．It was refreshing. | B．It was documented by a friend. |
| C．It turned out smooth just as expected. | D．It proved more challenging than satisfying. |
| A．Modest. | B．Outgoing. | C．Smart. | D．Determined. |
| A．Step Out of Your Comfort Zone | B．Something beyond Walking in Life |
| C．Walk around the UK for Charities | D．A Life-Changing Tour around the UK |
4 . The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species. Its population loss appears to be slowing. But scientists warn that the large sea animals still face threats.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that by the early 1890s, commercial whalers almost destroyed the species. They got their name from being the “right” whales to hunt because they floated when they were killed. Commercial whale fishing is no longer a threat, but its population has never fully returned. They have been protected for many years now.
Right whales primarily occur in Atlantic coastal waters on the continental shelf, although they also are known to travel far offshore, over deep water. They migrate seasonally and may travel alone or in small groups. In the spring, summer, and into fall, many of these whales can be found in waters off New England and further north into Canadian waters, where they feed and mate.
Recently, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium (NARWC) said the population decrease appears to have leveled off. A strong birthing year in 2021, when 18 baby whales, or calves, were born, kept whale population numbers up. However, the organization warned that the high number of deaths faced by whales from getting caught in fishing equipment or struck by ships remains a major problem for the whales.
“The news is less bad than it has been. My heart is a little less heavy, but certainly not light or hopeful,” said Philip Hamilton. “It shouldn’t be dependent on the whales to give birth to enough calves to reverse what we’re doing to them.”
Scientists say as waters have warmed, the whales must travel outside of protected areas of the ocean in search of food. That has left them open to strikes with large ships and getting trapped in commercial fishing equipment. Those are the biggest causes of early death.
Many fishermen have opposed proposed fishing restrictions that they fear would hurt their business. But environmental groups want new rules to save the species, including one to make ships slow down for whales.
1. What do we know about the North Atlantic right whales?| A．They regard humans as their friends. | B．They are easy to catch when they die. |
| C．Their population has fully returned recently. | D．They are the largest sea animals in the world. |
| A．habitats | B．hobbies | C．behavior | D．reproduction |
| A．Favorable. | B．Intolerant. | C．Satisfied. | D．Complex. |
| A．Insufficient reproduction of right whales doesn’t matter. |
| B．Fishing restrictions are in great need to be established. |
| C．New findings of right whales bring hope for scientists. |
| D．Threats remain though right whale number decrease slows. |
5 . The biggest risk to UK forests over the next 50 years is a “catastrophic” collapse of their ecosystems, according to a group of experts. The group of 42 researchers were asked to identify the issues that would have the greatest impact on UK forests in the next half-century. The list was topped by “catastrophic forest ecosystem collapse”, the prospect of a number of risks, from droughts and floods to storms and pests. If action is not taken, the ecosystem will no longer function effectively.
This is the first “horizon scanning” exercise — a technique to identify relatively unknown threats, opportunities, and new trends — of UK forests. The aim is to help researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and society in general, better prepare for the future and address threats before they become critical.
Experts define such a collapse as a “sudden, long-lasting and widespread change in ecosystem state that has major negative impacts on biodiversity and key ecosystem services”. Those ecosystem services include clean air and water. Some species could be pushed to extinction. “Forest collapse will have significant short-and long-term influences on the forest, and wider environment, economy and society,” the researchers said.
The UK is one of the least forested countries in Europe, with 13 percent of land being forested, compared with a European average of 46 percent. The government has a UK tree-planting goal of 30,000 hectares by 2025, but is widely expected to miss it.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment said,“ We will continue to work with partners to tackle the challenges and opportunities raised in today’s report to ensure our trees and woodlands remain healthy, so they can support habitats and a range of wider environmental benefits.”
The Times revealed this year that more than 400,000 trees planted in England to make up for road projects had died since 2018. Experts think an increase in dry spring s and hot summers has made tree aftercare harder.
1. What’s the purpose of the researchers’ making the list?| A．To apply more serious laws. | B．To search for potential opportunities. |
| C．To learn about the overall situation. | D．To get an insight into natural disasters. |
| A．Its definition. | B．Its process. | C．Its consequences. | D．Its causes. |
| A．Short-sighted. | B．Time-consuming. | C．Intolerable. | D．Impractical. |
| A．It depends on climate. | B．It has a long way to go. |
| C．It is bound to be a failure. | D．It needs support from all over the world. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（/）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
My parents and I had a family visit in Xi’an, the old city with a long history in China. We tasted the true home-cooked dishes in the home in which we visited. For in-homing dinner, the host would prepare a list of menus by advance. Our tour guide asked for advices about the food, so the host would try to cook what we choose to eat at his home. We real enjoyed the locally cooked dishes. What’s more, the host taught us what to make dumplings step by step. Though dumplings created with badly dressed appearance, we felt happy to enjoy the fruits of our labor. The family visit in Xi’an was a good chance for them to know Chinese people’s daily lifestyles and it was a lot more excited than we had expected.
7 . A survey of 2,000 parents of primary and secondary school children found 34 percent were out of their depth with primary school homework and unable to help their child.
Trigonometry (三角学) provided the biggest headache, with 52 percent of parents unable to help, followed by algebra (代数), which left 46 percent confused. 39 percent of parents could not calculate Pi (π) and 35 percent did not understand the periodic table. Foreign languages stumped many, with 31 percent unable to ask for directions in French. The English language also proved a struggle, with 21 percent no longer knowing the difference between a noun, verb and adjective.
As for history, 19 percent said they did not know the beginning and end dates of the world wars. On average, parents spent four hours a week attempting to tutor (辅导) their children, according to the survey by MyTutor, a company that links families with private tutors. About 73 percent ended up arguing with their children over homework and 87 percent believed schoolwork had become more challenging than the work they completed when they were at school.
Families turned to schools for extra help, with 19 percent of parents saying they had requested this from their child’s school. Thirty-nine percent said not enough support was provided. Florence Milner, a manager at MyTutor, said, “Even though most parents devote a significant amount of time weekly to helping their children with schoolwork, it’s not surprising that many find the task challenging.” Schools can use the National Tutoring Programme to support pupils they believe are most in need, but government funding has dropped this academic year from 60 to 50 percent of the cost.
Some studies have suggested that homework has little impact on a child’s progress at primary school, but helps at secondary school. The Education Endowment Foundation, which provides evidence to help improve teaching, said homework has a positive impact, particularly at secondary level, but warned that some pupils may not have a quiet space for home learning.
1. What does the underlined word “stumped” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Assisted. | B．Amused. | C．Inspired. | D．Confused. |
| A．They resist too much homework. |
| B．They doubt their children’s ability. |
| C．They may have an unpleasant experience when tutoring. |
| D．They did study hard when they were young. |
| A．Primary schools should assign more homework. |
| B．Middle school students should have proper homework. |
| C．Parents should provide more tutoring for their kids at home. |
| D．Pupils should improve academic performance by doing more homework. |
| A．quoting experts | B．making comparisons |
| C．listing figures | D．analyzing reason and effect |
| A．A child. | B．A cat. | C．A dog. |
| A．She was lonely there. | B．The teacher was too strict. | C．The classroom was too crowded. |
| A．Economics. | B．Physics. | C．Politics. |
