1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Due to temperature rise and safety concerns, the     1     (huge) popular Harbin Ice and Snow World dropped its curtain on Thursday evening.

Since opening on December 19, 2023, the winter wonderland     2     (draw) record-breaking visitor numbers from around the country and the world, with around 30,000 visitors to the park every day, nearly double pre-pandemic records.

Crowded with people on the last opening day, the winter wonderland became a paradise where both adults and children were immersed in a     3     (joy) atmosphere. Right before closing, the saxophone tune of “Going Home” gently echoed (回响) in the park,     4     many tourists wandering about. Children were spotted     5     (rush) to the gate of the giant ice slide, anxiously asking, “Do we have time for one more round?”

The recent temperature rise and windy weather have worried the park’s management about the safety of tourists. According to videos posted by visitors, some ice sculptures can be scratched and marked by nails. Local residents     6     are familiar with the matter warned that snow sculptures do not melt (融化) inch by inch     7     rather could suddenly collapse.

The Ice and Snow World     8     (build) by thousands of craftsmen every winter in Harbin with care and     9     (affect). Despite widespread unwillingness     10     (link) to the park’s closure, it’s an example of how ice and snow art represents the beauty of disappearance.

2 . When it comes to what shapes me into who I am today, the first things coming to mind are my experiences as a child of immigrant parents. I was _________ in New England, and my family was one of just a handful of people of color in the area.

I remember feeling _________ by trying to _________ my Indian culture and American culture of my hometown. Between speaking Hindi at home and English everywhere else, as well as some other _________ — such as the way I look, the foods I eat —that seem to _________ out like a sore thumb _________ my peers. I neither felt fully Indian nor American, leaving me _________ in a strange balancing act.

_________, there is a _________ line between having a sense of belonging to a culture and feeling isolated (孤立的). I used to hate feeling like I did not belong to a __________ culture, and sometimes I find myself still __________ what it would be like if I was just a little more Indian or American. __________, I have been able to find my communities: people who make me feel welcome and __________ to be who I truly am, and who constantly __________ me to something different from what I used to know.

Like many people __________ by unfamiliar cultures, there is bound to be a mix of belonging and __________, like a tug-of-war. The isolation is uncomfortable, like being behind a glass wall, being able to see in but unable to truly __________ what is going on.

But alongside that isolation, I usually __________ learning something new, whether that is a custom that __________ mine or values that don’t resonate with me. Although a constant feeling of belonging is comfortable, it is always important to remember that if you stay in an echo chamber (回音室) of your own ideas, there is never any __________ for growth.

1.

A．taken in

B．brought up

C．focused on

D．picked out

2.

A．proud

B．upset

C．relieved

D．fun

3.

A．desert

B．remain

C．value

D．balance

4.

A．characteristics

B．interests

C．strengths

D．feelings

5.

A．keep

B．stick

C．stretch

D．break

6.

A．in regard to

B．in charge of

C．in comparison to

D．in company with

7.

A．torn

B．broken

C．energetic

D．mean

8.

A．Therefore

B．Otherwise

C．However

D．Besides

9.

A．straight

B．fine

C．parallel

D．simple

10.

A．traditional

B．certain

C．special

D．universal

11.

A．hesitating about

B．deciding on

C．setting about

D．holding on

12.

A．Sadly

B．Surprisingly

C．Fortunately

D．Hopefully

13.

A．sorry

B．anxious

C．afraid

D．safe

14.

A．expose

B．limit

C．reduce

D．commit

15.

A．inspired

B．attracted

C．shocked

D．surrounded

16.

A．isolation

B．connection

C．relationship

D．division

17.

A．doubt

B．admit

C．believe

D．grasp

18.

A．insist on

B．refer to

C．end up

D．put off

19.

A．resembles

B．copies

C．dislikes

D．favors

20.

A．ability

B．right

C．privilege

D．room

3 . Fingerprints have been used to identify individuals for centuries. But now scientists may have finally figured out how those patterns are formed, according to a paper published in the journal Cell in February.

Previous studies have shown that fingerprints can be influenced by the shape and size of the blood vessels in the skin and how fast the different layers of skin grow. Denis Headon at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and his colleagues started their study from a new viewpoint: how genes affect fingerprint patterns. They identified the genes related to limb (肢体) development, which could serve as the groundwork for print formation, according to their work published in 2022.

However, many genes are not involved in the process. “The key is how they form,” Headon told Nature, a science journal. The team studied the ridges (脊) on mouse toes and human cells grown artificially.

They found two kinds of elements work against each other. A protein called WNT, which is important in skin development, promotes ridge formation. Another molecule (分子), called BMP, impedes the ridges. With the two elements “fighting” each other, they create the patterns of waves. The team also changed the timing and the location of the origins of the waves in experiments. They discovered that the waves would collide in different ways, which helps to create the diversity of print patterns.

Interestingly, the analysis of the fingerprint patterns supported the Turing reaction-diffusion system. It was first proposed by UK scientist Alan Turing in 1952 to describe a self-organizing system that creates patterns in nature, such as the feather patterns in birds and stripes on zebra. The researchers also built a computer model that can recreate print patterns by following the Turing system.

Based on the new study, it may be possible that the structures of human skin might be all generated by the same mechanism, Sarah Millar, a US biologist, told the website Science News. However, more studies on how the skin matures are needed to solve the mystery.

1. What did Denis Headon and his colleagues focus on in their study?

A．The relation between skin growth and fingerprint formation.

B．The influence of blood vessels on fingerprint patterns.

C．The impact of genes on fingerprint patterns.

D．The analysis of mouse toes’ ridges.

2. What approach did the researchers adopt to conduct the study?

A．They experimented with mouse toes and artificial human cells.

B．They compared mouse toes with human hands.

C．They did research on human hand anatomy.

D．They planted human cells in mouse toes.

3. What does the underlined word “impedes” in paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Supports.

B．Stops.

C．Generates.

D．Influences.

4. What can be inferred about the study from the last paragraph?

A．It uncovers how the skin is generated.	B．It promotes Alan Turing’s theory.
C．It may further research on skin maturation.	D．It shows the mechanism of skin formation.

4 . My husband made a little two-story house that mirrored our own in color and design for our Little Free Library, while I carefully selected books from our shelves. The idea resonated (引起共鸣) with us immediately — instead of loading boxes into the car for yet another used book sale, we could simply walk them to the roadside.

Fifteen or so years later, it’s safe to say that thousands of books, as well as the occasional DVDs, CDs and jigsaw puzzles have been shared through our little library. Situated on a busy street just a few blocks from a subway station, our little library sees dozens, perhaps hundreds, of passers-by each day.

Many of those who use our library do not hesitate to share their love of this neighborhood resource. One gentleman regularly stops by to pick up books for a nearby retirement home. At other times, we have received cards and gifts, including chocolates and even a personalized drawing from a local artist.

Like the people who use our library, the books that come and go reflect the broad diversity of our city. Arabic, French and Russian books are staples among the dominant English-language books. I’ve even collected favorite books of mine in languages I don’t understand, simply for the joy of adding another edition to my collection. Surprisingly, our library hasn’t dealt with our book storage problem —if anything, we now have more books than ever before.

I have heard some complaints that Little Free Libraries do not always serve the purpose of building community and may compete with our public libraries and independent bookstores. This has not been our experience. We continue to buy more books than we need and we are fiercely loyal users of the public system. Our Little Free Library has enhanced our love of reading and has connected us to a community of book lovers in the heart of our busy neighborhood.

1. Why did the author and her husband create the Little Free Library?

A．To make friends with book lovers.	B．To deal with their unwanted books.
C．To prepare for used book sales.	D．To make use of community resources.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The multiple resources of the library.

B．People’s contributions to the library.

C．The friendships between library users.

D．The author’s impression of her neighborhood.

3. Which of the following can account for the author’s passion for the library?

A．Its superiority to public libraries.

B．Its close distance to a busy street.

C．Its success in solving book storage.

D．Its reflecting city diversity through books.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Cozy Reading Corner: Promoting Reading

B．The Whispering Pages: Tales from a Shared Library

C．The Little Free Library: Contributing to Tighter Bonds

D．The Magic Bookshelf: Account of Neighborhood Harmony

5 . The first wave of excitement about generative artificial intelligence (AI) has cooled a little. But an entirely new industry centred on generative AI models is taking shape. Three forces will determine what it eventually looks like.

The first factor is computing power, the cost of which is forcing model-builders to become more efficient. Faced with the eye-watering costs of training and running more powerful models, for instance, OpenAI is not yet training its next big model, GPT-5, but GPT-4.5 instead, a more powerful version than its current model, GPT-4. That could give deep-pocketed competitors such as Google a chance to catch up. Its soon-to-be-released cutting-edge model, Gemini, is thought to be more powerful than OpenAI’s current version.

High computing costs have also encouraged the development of much smaller models, which are trained on specific data to do specific things. Replit, a startup, has trained a model to help developers write programs, for instance.

All these models are now fighting for data—the second force shaping the generative AI industry. The biggest, such as OpenAI’s and Google’s, are always hungry: They are trained on more than one trillion words, which amount to more than 250 English-language Wikipedias. As they grow bigger, they will get hungrier.

Generative AI’s hunger for data and computing power makes a third factor more important still: money. Many model-makers are already turning away from generative AI models for the general public, and looking instead to fee-paying businesses. OpenAI, which started life in 2015 as a non-profit venture, has been especially energetic in this regard. It has not just licensed its models to Microsoft, but is setting up tools for companies including Morgan Stanley and Salesforce.

Who will emerge victorious? Firms like OpenAI, with its vast number of users, and Google, with its deep pockets, have a clear early competitive edge. But for as long as computing power and data remain limited, the model-builder with the smartest method to process data could yet steal the lead. So, the AI craze may have cooled, but the drama is just beginning.

1. Gemini is probably more powerful than __________.

A．GPT-4

B．GPT-4.5

C．GPT-5

D．GPT-5.5

2. How is Replit trying to compete with such big companies as OpenAI?

A．By buying the latest technologies abroad.	B．By designing specialized smaller models.
C．By building bigger and smarter models.	D．By partnering with other AI companies.

3. What will be the most important factor in the next round of AI competition?

A．The number of users.	B．The depth of pockets.
C．The computing power.	D．The data-processing methods.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．What Are the Disadvantages of Big AI Models?

B．Who Will Have the Last Laugh, OpenAI or Google?

C．What Are the Determining Factors in the AI Drama?

D．How Can Startups Reduce the AI Model Training Costs?

6 . Having just finished a show in Times Square, Italian rocker Maneskin and his band learned that their Madison Square Garden show scheduled for the week was a sellout. Pleasantly surprised, Maneskin called the news very special, because it’s one of the most important places where every musician can ever dream to perform.

In an era when rock bands seem endangered and most of the top rockers came from the last century, Maneskin and his band seem to be an anomaly. Coming to public attention in 2021 after an unexpected win at the Eurovision Song Contest with their high-energy song, Zitti E Buoni, the Italian band seems to be reviving (复兴) rock music, or at least, providing a breath of hope.

“The band was born out of pure passion between four friends who met in high school,” Maneskin told reporters. “We never had the ambition to make a breakthrough in the music business as a rock band.”

Maneskin thinks that their success has something to do with the band’s experience on the streets of Rome as teenagers. “We had to get the attention of the people. So, we saw that interacting and getting close was something that really worked,” he admitted.

That is carried over to their live show, as they always break away from the main stage for a few songs to get closer to the audience. They also have brought fans onstage. The relationship between the artists and audience was intensified during their South America tours where the band was exposed to some of the most energetic audiences.

“People went crazy. They really screamed at the top of their lungs,” Maneskin laughed.

While they can easily be mistaken for rockers of a new era with their distinctive style and songs like I Wanna Be Your Slave or Supermodel, their music is strongly influenced by the rock of the 1970s and 1980s.

“We grew up listening to the rock music our parents played. When we started playing our instruments, our teachers introduced us to all the classic rock music bands of the past. It’s something that really shaped us into who we are today,” he said.

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

A．Great success.

B．Classic combination.

C．Unusual thing.

D．Normal phenomenon.

2. What is probably the band’s secret of success according to Maneskin?

A．The interaction with audience.	B．The innovative music.
C．The high energy of the songs.	D．The special performance venues.

3. What does the author imply in paragraph 7?

A．Good rock bands are very rare nowadays.	B．A totally new era of rock music is coming.
C．The 70’s and 80’s are the rock’s best time.	D．The band has not made a big breakthrough.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A music review.

B．A news report.

C．An advertisement.

D．A biography.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why do white-collar workers turn to farming?

A．To get cheaper vegetables.

B．To reduce stress.

C．To learn farming skills.

2. What do Yang Rui’s kids want to do next year?

A．Buy more land.

B．Grow some rice.

C．Raise some animals.

3. What is the speaker mainly talking about?

A．A popular lifestyle.

B．A monitoring system.

C．An animal farm.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the man?

A．A secretary.

B．A host.

C．A photographer.

2. How many countries have the woman travelled to?

A．Over 150.

B．About 100.

C．Around 15.

3. Which quality is the most important according to the woman?

A．Communication.

B．Curiosity.

C．Patience.

4. What does the woman think of her job?

A．Easy.

B．Tiring.

C．Interesting.

9 . It was not a “whale-come” experience! A humpback whale caused quite a _________ by landing on a boat near the _________ of Plymouth, Massachusetts on Sunday.

“The 19-foot boat was _________ in the area of White Horse Beach when the whale _________ out of the water and fell on top of this guy’s boat. As his bow (船头) went down into the water, engine out, the whale _________ over the side of it, totally fine, but his boat was _________,” witness Ryder Parkhurst said. “It was _________. The guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s all.”

Plymouth Harbormaster Chad Hunter said no one was _________ by the whale. “This could have been much worse for all _________,” added Hunter. “People like to __________ over the side of the boat to watch the fish, so it is very __________ that nobody got hurt here. An incident like this is pretty __________ but very dangerous to boaters.”

Harbor officials had been __________ whale activities in the area since Friday after a boat __________ hit a whale. “There are a lot of whales in this area but it also draws a lot of __________, which creates problems like today,” said Hunter. “They’re beautiful __________, but, you know, they are still animals, you got to keep their __________ .” Officials have stated that with an increase of fish, more whales have been __________ to the coastline. Boaters have also been __________ that under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, they are required to stay a(n)__________ of 100 feet away from the mammals.

1.

A．climb

B．stretch

C．bounce

D．signal

2.

A．road

B．coast

C．field

D．corner

3.

A．floating

B．flashing

C．switching

D．crashing

4.

A．flowed

B．bent

C．watched

D．leapt

5.

A．rolled

B．struck

C．hid

D．swung

6.

A．taken up

B．messed up

C．made up

D．pushed up

7.

A．practical

B．extinct

C．brilliant

D．crazy

8.

A．injured

B．frightened

C．threatened

D．seized

9.

A．blocked

B．interrupted

C．touched

D．involved

10.

A．surf

B．lean

C．drag

D．jog

11.

A．stressful

B．convenient

C．lucky

D．typical

12.

A．rare

B．generous

C．professional

D．tough

13.

A．recovering

B．monitoring

C．challenging

D．updating

14.

A．definitely

B．regularly

C．accidentally

D．normally

15.

A．hunters

B．captains

C．donators

D．boaters

16.

A．evidences

B．miracles

C．creatures

D．blessings

17.

A．spirits

B．distance

C．company

D．promises

18.

A．attached

B．aroused

C．addicted

D．attracted

19.

A．reminded

B．relieved

C．occupied

D．prohibited

20.

A．average

B．extreme

C．minimum

D．maximum

10 . Distance running, it turns out, is where humans are better at compared with other species, even if our two-leggedness makes us about half as fast as other mammals of similar size, on average.

So what is it about our bodies and our physiology that allows us to undertake such long and hard runs?

“Our ancestors developed adaptations for running literally from toe to head,” said Daniel Lieberman, a human evolutionary biologist at Harvard University who focuses on movement. “There’s no part of our body that running doesn’t touch.” According to Lieberman, our toes are short so they don’t break while running. And in general, our lower body has larger joints, tendons (筋腱) and muscles than our upper body that does to absorb the forces we generate at speed. Beefy muscles in our back keep our upper body from falling forward, and our swinging arms stabilize our heads. Unlike apes, we have a flexible spinal column (脊柱) that allows us to twist our hips and shoulders and separate them from our head so we can keep our gaze directed forward.

But perhaps the biggest adaptations that set humans apart deal with our ability to let heat out. Our tall, upright bodies create a lot of surface area for cooling, and the ability to breathe from both the nose and mouth helps dump heat as well. Humans are also one of the only species with the ability to sweat, and without thick fur, our sweat can easily evaporate from our skin, cooling us down.

All of these adaptations led humans to adopt what’s known as persistent hunting long before the appearance of early weapons. Hunters likely followed their quarry (猎物) for miles until the animals gave in to exhaustion. Other animals do this too, but none can persistently hunt during the day or in hot climates. Hunting gave humans access to more energy, which freed our brains to grow larger. In turn, our brains have developed our ability to run and hunt, said Missy Thompson, a neuromechanics biologist at Fort Lewis College in Colorado.

1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．We don’t need our toes in our running.

B．Running can touch most parts of our bodies.

C．Our lower bodies play a vital role when running at speed.

D．When we are running, our swinging arms can twist our hips and shoulders.

2. According to the passage, which one isn’t helpful to release heat?

A．Tall upright bodies.	B．The ability to breathe.
C．Having no thick fur.	D．Persistent hunting.

3. Which of the following is said in the text?

A．Hunting is beneficial to our brains’ growth.

B．Humans are the only species that can sweat.

C．Hunter won’t follow their targets in hot climates.

D．Beefy muscles keep our body from falling backward.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The ways to be good runners

B．Effective ways to undertake long runs.

C．The reasons why humans are good long distance runners.

D．An imporatnt sport for humans—distance running.