2 . Jennifer and James Crumbley were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter (过失杀人罪) due to their failure to prevent their son Ethan from carrying out a deadly school shooting in Michigan, US. They were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison on April 9, reported The New York Times. The sentence for them marks the first instance in the US where parents have been held legally accountable for their child’s involvement in a mass shooting.

Prosecutors (检察官) argued that the couple ignored clear signs of their son’s mental health issues and emphasized that they purchased the gun he used in the 2021 attack. Ethan, who was only 15 when he killed four students in the shooting, was sentenced to life. “Opportunity knocked over and over again, louder and louder, and it was ignored,” Judge Cheryl Matthews told the court.

Instances of extreme and violent crimes committed by minors consistently stir shock and controversy globally. Such issues urge widespread societal reflection, leading nations to consider revising laws to lower the age of criminal responsibility. While most countries and regions have maintained a standard minimum age of criminal responsibility at 12 or 14 years for an extended period, there are exceptions. For example, Japan lowered the age from 16 to 14 in 2000, according to Xinhua.

In 2010, Denmark lowered its minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14 years old. However, researchers found that this change did not reduce crime rates among 14-year-olds. Instead, the punitive measures (惩罚措施) had negative effects. These young individuals often fell behind their peers academically, especially on high school graduation exams, and the rate of reoffenders increased. Consequently, Denmark reversed this policy two years later, restoring the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 15 years old, The Paper reported.

Denmark’s experience showed that the law doesn’t always stop people from committing crimes again. Furthermore, preventing young people from committing crimes poses a complex challenge.

In Germany, imprisonment is considered a last resort, with a focus on educational, rehabilitative (善后的) and disciplinary measures, as noted in a 2018 paper published in the Justice Evaluation Journal. According to the paper, youth imprisonment is applied in only 2 percent of all cases. Additionally, some prisons offer vocational programs for young inmates, including woodworking, metalworking, and farming. Meanwhile, most of these teenage offenders are placed in community programs where social workers help educate and guide them toward a normal life.

1. Why were Jennifer and James sentenced ?

A．They were the murders of involuntary manslaughter.

B．They offered a gun to Ethan who carried out a school shooting.

C．They didn’t take the parenting responsibility for their son’s problems in growth.

D．They ignored their son’s mental health problems.

2. Which of the following statements does the author possibly agree to?

A．Parents should be the key power to stop young people from committing crime.

B．Solving the problems of minor’s crime needs joint efforts and diverse measures.

C．Lowering the age of criminal responsibility can effectively prevent minors from crime.

D．Increasing the rate of youth imprisonment can effectively prevent minors from crime.

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

A．action to take	B．a place to visit
C．an end to happen	D．a chance to take

4. What’s the purpose of the author to write the article?

A．to show the severity of youth crime

B．to show the efforts countries have made to stop youth crime

C．to show the measures countries have made to stop youth crime

D．to raise parents’ awareness of regulating and educating responsibility

4 . 根据句子填空或所给词的适当形式填空

China will become the guest country of honor for the 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer from April 20 to 28. It’s the first time that the festival     1     (introduce) the concept of guest countries since its     2     (establish) in 1987.

During the nine-day event, the China Cultural Center in Paris will join hands with Weifang city in Shandong province,     3     is known as the “kite capital of the world”,     4     (show) the most authentic Chinese kite art and cultural experience to the audience. Various cultural activities will take center stage,     5     (include) kite competitions, cultural performances and workshops on intangible cultural heritage.

The International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer is the largest and     6     (influence) kite-themed event in France. Visitors can not only observe     7     wide variety of kites, traditional and modern, small and giant,     8     also engage in kite-making workshops, art performances and experiential activities.

In addition     9     regular kite displays, this year’s festival will debut the international kite stunt competition,     10     (call) “The World Kite Cup Berck-sur-Mer”. Kite-flying masters from ten countries and regions will compete for the world champion title in a showdown of skills and creativity.

6 . Lexi Reed weighed 485 pounds at the age of 25—a weight that was quite ________ . Danny was overweight himself even though he came in at 280 pounds. But, the ________ part of everything was that the couple were both gaining more weight on what they already had with each passing day. Some of the daily activities, no matter how simple, became a real ________ for the couple. However, after celebrating their first ________ in 2016, they decided to make a positive change in their life.

The couple was making many plans to ________ in the new year 2016 like many other people around the world. They made a New Year’s resolution. But, it was not ________ to many that were made, as they decided to ________ a challenge that would change their lives forever--and for good! So many people make promises to themselves and others that they don’t really ________ , but the Reeds were not about to act like the others. Theirs were bound to come to ________ .

It was completely unknown to the couple that people were actually ________ them online when they started their journey. Their ________ attracted lots of attention, and people cheered them on. Lexi kept her friends and family ________ with her progress through Instagram. But they were yet to receive a major________ of their lives: They were ________ in a popular issue of People Magazine known as “Half Their Size”. Before long, the couple’s story had become a real ________ .

1.

A．unforgivable

B．unbelievable

C．unachievable

D．uncomfortable

2.

A．vital

B．strange

C．miserable

D．miracle

3.

A．issue

B．concern

C．debate

D．possibility

4.

A．birthday

B．valentine

C．Christmas

D．anniversary

5.

A．work

B．run

C．ring

D．surge.

6.

A．equal

B．similar

C．familiar

D．inferior

7.

A．take on

B．take out

C．take off

D．take in

8.

A．put out

B．break out

C．spread out

D．carry out

9.

A．fame

B．formation

C．top

D．reality

10.

A．doubting

B．recording

C．following

D．serving

11.

A．success

B．mission

C．enterprise

D．innovation

12.

A．updated

B．inspired

C．moved

D．connected

13.

A．achievement

B．commitment

C．surprise

D．boost

14.

A．praised

B．featured

C．documented

D．memorized

15.

A．hit

B．incident

C．gossip

D．legend

7 . 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。

Kevin woke to the blaring beep of his alarm clock. “Can’t wait for that camping trip,” Kevin thought, filled with excitement. As he was leaving home, his dad grabbed him by the hand and said, “Before you go, just tell me the directions on where you and your friends are going to stay.”

“But dad!” Kevin complained.

“No buts!” Kevin’s dad added.

“Fine.” Kevin told him the directions and left.

The three friends, Kevin, Jay and Nathan, had been planning this adventure for weeks, packing their stuff-tents, snacks, and a map-preparing for a 3-day outdoor exploration. Excitement ran through Kevin as they departed for their campsite. “This trip is going to be awesome, ” Nathan excitedly yelled as they set off. But little did they know that nature had a surprise in store for them.

The first day at the campsite was going great, setting up tents, collecting firewood, and sharing stories. “Man, we nailed these tents, ” Kevin said. “I know it was easy really,” Nathan replied. The friends were happy.

Yet towards night, as the dark clouds gathered overhead, the atmosphere shifted, and a sudden storm erupted with unforgiving anger. Rain poured down from the heavens like a relentless waterfall, transforming the peaceful campsite into a muddy battleground. Worse still, a huge tree was uprooted and crashed down with a deafening crack on their only means of escape - their car. Kevin’s eyes widened in horror as he spotted the damaged wreckage beneath the fallen giant. “Our car!” he screamed over the howling wind, his voice a mix of disbelief and despair. “We’re stuck here,” he declared, his words barely audible against the backdrop of thunder and raindrops. They realized that their plans had been violently spoiled by forces beyond their control. The once quiet campsite now stood as a deserted battlefield, the fallen tree serving as a painful reminder of the unpredictable nature of the world around them.

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。

Paragraph 1: The next day, they found themselves facing the immediate problem of finding water.

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Paragraph 2: On the third night, a distant engine sound broke the terrible stillness.

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