1 . In 2011, artist Grimanesa Amorós stepped off a boat made of totora reeds (芦苇) onto an island—also made of totora reeds — in the northwest portion of Lake Titicaca. It’s home to one of the world’s most innovative achievement of human engineering: the Uros Islands.

The man-made floating islands, which are home to the native Uros people, are created by putting layers upon layers of totora roots and reeds. This water-resistant plant grows in the lake and is the lifeblood of the Uros community. It is used to make boats, houses, roofs, mattresses (床垫) and more. The plant is also eaten and serves as medicine, and its flowers are used to make tea.

However, the Uros weren’t always dependent on the totora. More than 500 years ago, the growing Inca Empire began to invade the Uros’ mainland villages. To beat this threat, the Uros began to build the islands, which could be launched deep into Lake Titicaca, away from danger. Hundreds of years later, there are now about 120 of these constructed islands, with around 1,300 people living on them.

To build the islands, the Uros first gather large blocks of totora roots. Multiple blocks are pulled together, and the roots and reeds mix naturally to form a layer about 1 to 2m thick. The totora reed is laid on top of this floating base. The Uros use a long tool to reach deep down into the water and cut the plant above the base. Then, the reeds are dried in the sun for one to four weeks and bundled (捆绑) together using a rope. Once dried, totora reeds are placed in alternating directions on top of the root blocks and become the ground that the Uros walk and build their homes on.

Today, urban influences are evident on the islands: Solar panels power bedroom lights and small TVs; a radio station operates on the main island. It’s evident that these modern changes and tourism have changed the Uros’ life on the lake. One thing remains certain, though. As long as there is totora growing at Lake Titicaca, the islands’ rooted foundation will stay the same.

1. Which word can best describe the role totora reeds play in the Uro’s life?

A．Essential.

B．Symbolic.

C．Protective.

D．Sustainable.

2. What was the original purpose of building the floating island?

A．To develop tourism.	B．To maintain their lifestyle.
C．To escape from enemies’ attack.	D．To be separated from the world.

3. What does the fourth paragraph mainly focus on?

A．The key to selecting building materials.	B．The procedure of building the islands.
C．The difficulty of living on the island.	D．The method of spotting reeds.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Fancy Lifestyles of the Uros	B．Innovative Building Materials
C．Floating Homes on Lake Titicaca	D．A Must-see Tourist Attraction of Lake Titicaca

2 . Winners of the Broadcom MASTERS

Girls took the top prizes at the Broadcom MASTERS, a science competition for middle school students.

Alaina Gassler

Alaina won the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize for the project of reducing blind spots in cars. She was inspired to solve this issue by her mother who didn’t like driving her vehicle because its large A-pillar (A柱) design made her feel in danger. “I started to think about how blind spots were a huge problem in all cars,” said Alaina. So she worked on and solved it.

Sidor Clare

Sidor won the $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, an honor made by Samueli’s generous donation of his 2012 Marconi Society Prize Award. She developed bricks that could one day be made on Mars, so that humans wouldn’t be required to carry building materials with them in order to build there.

Alexis MacAvoy

Alexis won the $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement, which recognized the student whose work and performance showed the most promise in health-related fields and demonstrated an understanding of the many social factors that affect health. She designed a water filter (过滤器) by using carbon to remove heavy metals from water.

Rachel Bergey

Rachel won the $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention, awarded by The Lemelson Foundation to a young inventor creating promising solutions to real-world problems. She developed a trap made of tinfoil (锡纸) and netting for the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species causing damage to trees.

1. What is the purpose of Alaina Gassler’s invention?

A．To beautify vehicles.	B．To improve the safety of driving.
C．To decorate the sidewalk for the blind.	D．To reduce the carbon released from cars.

2. Whose invention is related to human health?

A．Alaina Gassler’s.	B．Sidor Clare’s.
C．Rachel Bergey’s.	D．Alexis MacAvoy’s.

3. What is the Broadcom MASTERS about?

A．Art.

B．Sport.

C．Technology.

D．Education.

3 . Say many things, and people will remember none. Say some things, and people will remember some. Say ONE thing, and people will remember ALL. Want to express clear viewpoints?     1    .

Express more, explain less.     2     We think the audience doesn’t understand something, so we explain it, But in that case, explaining serves to correct a failed expression. When you focus on expressing points instead of explaining ideas, you’ll communicate more precisely (精确地). Expressing and delivering are more important about what your audience hears and receives.

    3     Wherever you see a list of words or concepts (概念), ask yourself: Do I need all these words or concepts to attract my audience’s attention or are some of them not needed? When you remove less important ideas, your audience will gain more.

Limit paragraphs to three sentences. If you’re writing your idea in a document or email, try to make paragraphs to three sentences or less. This makes it easier for readers to understand your points because they have less content to process. And because you’re writing in short, direct points compared with long pieces of text, you may find yourself writing less overall.     4    .

Hear your own words. No matter how much you review your own, writing, hearing it aloud will always identify places to cut.     5     When you say even one word more than you need to, you make your point one word harder for your audience to receive.

A．Remove unnecessary ideas

B．Know your “Need-to-Know”

C．These four tips shouldn’t be missed

D．You can’t change the style of your writing

E．Explaining is often an understanding behavior

F．Everyone benefits from applying this writing rule

G．You can read it aloud yourself to find out the words

4 . Are you a fan of outdoor adventures? Do you enjoy scenic views to relax? Look no further, as the following destinations offer all that and more.

Athabasca Falls

Alberta, Canada

Water from the Canadian Rockies flows down into the waterfalls of Jasper National Park, creating a flow with wild energy. The falls are wheelchairs accessible, with a paved path taking admirers to a number of viewpoints. If visitors leave the path, they can explore both the upper and lower regions of the trail.

Akaka Falls Trail

Hakalau, Hawaii

A short half-mile hike is big on sights and low on hard activity. The well-kept ring like trail guide visitors around to see a number of waterfalls, including the 442-foot main attraction, and beautiful local flora (植物群) among the famous landscape. Though there are no hills to climb, there are a number of stairways to go.

Nugget Falls

Juneau, Alaska

Located in Tongass National Forest about 12 miles from Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier has produced Nugget Falls, a fan-like waterfall that leads into a lake. A series of short hikes allows for different views of the waterfall and icy surrounds, which are also known for frequent brown bear sightings.

Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Valley, California

Yosemite National Park is one of the oldest national parks in America and home to the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. Hikers can reach it by taking a 1-mile trail from the lodge or the 7.2-mile round-trip Yosemite Falls Trail route. Late spring is best, with the highest water flow. In the winter, the temperatures dip below freezing. A park admission fee applies.

1. Where can visitors expect to see frequent brown bear sightings?

A．Athabasca Falls.

B．Akaka Falls Trail.

C．Nugget Falls.

D．Yosemite Falls.

2. Which season is best for visiting Yosemite Falls?

A．Winter.

B．Spring.

C．Summer.

D．Fall.

3. Where can this text probably be found?

A．In a travel magazine.

B．In a novel.

C．In a history book.

D．In a diary.

5 . Today, many people spend a lot of time reading online. Whether reading news or e-books, people are spending more time eyeballing (盯住) screens. While online reading opens up a great deal of knowledge to people, there are some disadvantages too, such as eyestrain, headaches, as well as difficulty in focusing on the text. Now a new reading system, Bionic Reading, developed by Swiss typographic designer Renato Casutt, can help people overcome these issues, and most importantly, it aims to help people read faster online and develop a more in-depth understanding of written content.

The reading system improve the reading process by guiding the eyes through text with artificial fixation points. To make it short: some parts of the words are displayed in bold (粗体). As a result, the reader only focuses on the highlighted letters and lets the brain center complete the rest. Your brain can “read” faster than your eyes, so by essentially reducing the number of letters your eye needs to look at, you can read faster while still preserving the full context.

Cassult discovered the system by accident. He was working on designing a book in a foreign language and realized he could read it if he sectioned it off. He worked for six years to develop Bionic Reading and is still working to adjust it.

A preliminary (初步的) study was conducted by the Swiss Institute InnoSuisee, but more research is needed before it can be definitively shown that the system improves reading. Some people with ADHD (多动症) prove that Bionic Reading helped them focus and comprehend what they are reading. Other people don’t seem to notice a big difference compared to regular text. There’s also no evidence to suggest Bionic Reading is any better than regular text. The best way to know if the Bionic Reader helps you read better online is to try it yourself.

1. What is the main purpose of Bionic Reading?

A．To point out people’s reading problems.

B．To teach people necessary reading skills.

C．To reduce readers’ screen time and eye stress.

D．To improve people’s reading speed and comprehension.

2. What does the underlined phrase “artificial fixation points” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Words displayed in capital letters.	B．Useful expressions.
C．Difficult sentences in the text.	D．Bold letters.

3. What do some people with ADHD think of the system according to the text?

A．It is complex.	B．It can be beneficial.
C．It needs to be improved.	D．It has little effect on them.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A reading project for ADHD.	B．A research on language learning.
C．A system to help with online reading.	D．A tool for treating reading disability

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

We sometimes think we can take care of things on our own. However, sometimes we need to use the strength of our groups to get things done.

Ray Drake knew this better than anyone, because he was moved to tears when he understood how good it was to have good neighbors when he needed them.

In 1989, Drake lost the use of his legs. The Iowan man did have family, though. His two older sisters were there to help him get his life back on track and deal with his new situation. The plan worked for years, and their love helped him through hard times.

In August 2020, a strong windstorm stopped everything in Iowa. There was terrible damage, and 40% of the crops in the state were lost. People lost their electricity. Businesses were a mess and homes were all broken. So many people had a hard time.

The storm caused Drake to have a specific trouble. There were broken trees all over his yard, and he couldn’t move them. His sisters were also too small to clean up the trees. The three people really needed help.

After about a week, Drake’s sisters decided to ask for help because the power lines were still down and people were still trying to get their lives back together. They called some of their brother’s old high school friends to see if anyone had a chainsaw (链锯) they could bring over to start cutting up the fallen trees.

Doug Applegate, a friend, looked at the damage and realized that just a chainsaw wouldn’t be enough to clear the fallen trees from Drake’s yard and that the family would need more. He made a call for help in the area to see if anyone there could give a helping hand.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Soon, the call for help was answered.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The collective effort turned a seemingly impossible task into a manageable one.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 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。

Cui Zhenshuo and Yang Bo discovered that because of the far location of most paper workshops and lifestyles of the paper-making craftsmen, their products are unable to reach the market     1     (easy). Therefore, Cui and Yang came up     2     the idea of establishing their own studio that could serve as a bridge to connect far workshops with buyers to advance     3     (tradition) Chinese handmade paper.

Chu is a kind of tree.     4     (it) bark (树皮) is a common material that was used in papermaking in ancient times. Han Yu, a famous     5     (write) during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) called paper Mr. Chu in his work Biography of Mao Ying. Since then, it     6     (use) as a nickname (昵称) for paper by Chinese scholars. In 2019, Cui and Yang named their own studio “I am Mr. Chu.”, and they focused on     7     (run) it.

Du Weisheng, an expert in the restoration (修复) of ancient books at the National Library of China, told them that, in     8     1990s, many Chinese paper relics needed to be repaired with handmade paper that allowed people to find information on various paper styles.

The two began to create the series of handmade paper products from 2021. Each volume is made up of thirty types of handmade paper, each of     9     is sourced from its place of origin. At present, two volumes of the series have been produced, and they plan     10     (make) ten volumes.

8 . How to motivate (激励) a lazy teenager

Here’s how to give the teenagers the motivation they need without nagging (唠叨) them.

    1    

A teenager needs between 8-10 hours of sleep every night but most only get about 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep per night. So when a teenager is forced out of bed at 7 am or 8 am to go to school, their natural sleep cycle is thrown off and they will likely appear lazy, unmotivated, all symptoms (症状) of lack of sleep.     2    .

Limit screen time

It is recommended that teenagers spend no more than two hours a day sitting in front of a small screen and get 60 minutes’ exercise a day.     3    .

Teach responsibility

It’s important for teenagers to help with tasks and learn responsibility.     4    . Be firm and clear about the results for not finishing the housework-this can range from no screen time, to less pocket money or not being allowed to go out with their friends.

Show them the love

Teenagers might not act like they need it or want it.     5    . When teenagers know adults are emotionally (情感上) available to support them, a welcome change in their behaviour may be seen.

A．Set a sleep schedule

B．Understand their thoughts

C．Be sure that teenagers can do homework alone

D．Set a plan with teenagers for the daily housework they would prefer to do

E．However, they need to know that adults love them, care for them and respect them

F．Make sure the teenager goes to bed on time and gets eight hours of sleep a night

G．Make screen time a reward by ensuring teenagers finish their homework or tasks first

9 . India’s robotic spacecraft landed on the moon undamagedly on August 23, 2023, a historic achievement for the country’s growing space program.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is the first ever to touch down at the lunar south pole. Many nations and private companies have set their sights on the region because of its ice, thought to be buried in the polar craters. The natural resources are coveted because they could supply drinking water, air, and rocket fuel for future missions, ushering a new era in spaceflight.

The success also means India has been one of countries who have landed a spacecraft on the moon. The victory comes four years after India’s previous mission, Chandrayaan-2, crashed.

An Indian official, who watched the live stream from Johannesburg, South Africa, said, “On this joyous occasion, I would like to address all the people of the world: India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone. This success belongs to all humanity.”

About 60 years have passed since the first unpiloted (无人驾驶的) moon landings, but touching down is still demanding. The moon’s atmosphere is very thin, providing virtually no drag to slow a spacecraft down as it approaches the ground. Furthermore, there are no GPS systems on the moon to help guide a craft to its landing spot. Engineers have to make up for these shortcomings from about 239,000 miles away.

Over the past four years, private companies and other nations have tried and failed. But perhaps now there’s more hope.

The Indian official said, “I’m confident that all countries in the world including those from the global south are capable of achieving such a success. We can all aspire (渴望) to the moon and beyond.”

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

A．Desired.

B．Legal.

C．Tough.

D．Balanced.

2. What can we infer about Chandrayaan-2?

A．It was connected by Chandrayaan-3.

B．It landed on the south surface of the moon.

C．It was the first to touch down at the south pole.

D．It fell and broke when carrying out space mission.

3. What makes it hard to land on the moon according to the text?

A．The unfamiliar preens for scientists.

B．The materials used to make the spaceship.

C．The shortage of previous successful cases.

D．The limitation of the moon’s atmosphere and technology.

4. What is the Indian official’s attitude to the future space exploration?

A．Indifferent.

B．Positive.

C．Objective.

D．Doubtful.

10 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填人1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Soon, every robotic dog will have its day!

Isn’t it nice to always have a lovely dog follow you around and respond when     1     (ask) to sit down or shake hands? What     2     the dog has some unique skills, such as standing on one leg while resting on a chunk of tofu without destroying it, or continuously making back flips(后空翻)? This would be even better.

In fact, a life-like quadrupedal (四只脚的) robotic dog     3     is developed by Chinese tech company Xiaomi Corp seems like that special one.

    4     (weigh) 8.9 kilogram, about the size of a Doberman, CyberDog 2 is the latest push by Xiaomi to popularize quadrupedal robotics. With a black, shiny, futuristic design, CyberDog 2 can run along at speeds of 3.2 meters per second, analyze its surroundings in real-time, create navigational maps, plot its destination,     5     avoid obstacles (障碍物).

“Coupled with human posture and face     6     (recognize) tracking, CyberDog is capable of following its owner and avoiding obstacles,“ said Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi.

“This is the first time I     7     (see) a robotic dog in reality. It is quite cool!” said Zhang Lu,     8     university student in Wuhan, Hubei province, after witnessing CyberDog 2 during an exhibition earlier this month. “I have seen videos of people walking robotic dogs online. But it is     9     (interesting) in reality,” Zhang said, adding that domestic technology products have changed and developed rapidly.

On being asked     10     the robot dog can help deliver parcels, an employee at Xiaomi said as long as the weight of the package is within the acceptable range of the flat back area of the robotic dog, it can be done.