1 . 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。

I was fifteen when my world took a hopeless turn for the worst. My mom was diagnosed with cancer again. She had undergone surgery and beaten the cancer. Then the cancer came back. However, there was more to worry about than the disease that my mom was battling. My dad had left us years before. Besides, because of the mounting medical bills she was paying for her previous cancer, we were on the edge of financial ruin. I was too young to get a job.

That winter was the worst. We didn’t have money to pay for electricity. Our neighbor, Sophia, allowed us to use her electricity so that we could have one lamp on in our home. The gas stove in the living room was the only heat in our house. My mom slept in her cold room, with as many blankets as we could pile on her.

Thanksgiving Day came. I searched our cupboards for food and there wasn’t much. I started slamming doors as I looked through the cabinets for a can of food we might have missed. The more I searched, the angrier I became. The noise must have woken my mom, because she came to the kitchen wrapped in a blanket. She looked worried at me and asked, “Baby, what’s wrong,” I retorted, “I’m hungry. I’m freezing to death in our own house,” I wasn’t angry at her. I was angry at our situation.

She opened her arms toward me and said, “Come here. Right now things are hard, but hope is always there. Whatever difficulties we meet, we should be strong. All you have to do is have faith. Why not believe we can be better by using our own hands?”

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。

I was deeply ashamed of what I had done and said.

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Just as I wondered what to do to spend the night, Sophia knocked at our door.

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2 . When we think of a grocery store, we usually picture aisles of food and everyday necessities. But sometimes, it’s also where unexpected ________ are formed, turning a simple store into a backdrop for heartwarming human connections.

Ellie Walker, ________ at a British grocery store, was known for her friendly demeanor. Ellie enjoyed the daily chat with customers but never ________ how deeply these interactions could impact her life.

It was during one of these ________ conversations that Ellie encountered Edwin Holmes, an elderly regular customer, who ________ that he had no one to spend Christmas with.

This revelation ________ a chord in Ellie’s heart, as she couldn’t bear the thought of Edwin spending the festive season alone.

Edwin had lost his wife in 2006 after 45 years of marriage. His family, including a daughter and grandchildren, lived in Australia, making it ________ for them to be together during the holidays. This left Edwin facing the prospect of a ________ Christmas.

Upset about Edwin’s situation. Ellie decided to ________ a gesture of kindness. She invited him to join her for a Christmas meal, hoping to ________ a memorable and joyous experience for both of them.

“I thought, if it was my granddad and he was alone, I would want someone to talk to him.” Ellie’s invitation to Edwin was more than just a kind ________ it was a start of their friendship.

From that memorable Christmas dinner, a beautiful friendship ________. Ellie and Edwin began meeting regularly for coffee, sharing stories and enjoying each other’s ________.

Their relationship, which started with ________ conversations in a grocery store, had ________ a meaningful and enduring friendship.

1.

A．techniques

B．bonds

C．ideas

D．steps

2.

A．candidate

B．participant

C．employee

D．volunteer

3.

A．planned

B．meant

C．argued

D．anticipated

4.

A．routine

B．positive

C．bitter

D．amusing

5.

A．agreed

B．revealed

C．requested

D．debated

6.

A．charged

B．outgrew

C．struck

D．overlooked

7.

A．cautious

B．impossible

C．competitive

D．sympathetic

8.

A．lonely

B．warm

C．shared

D．delightful

9.

A．extend

B．command

C．discipline

D．assign

10.

A．allow

B．beg

C．remind

D．create

11.

A．fear

B．prejudice

C．gesture

D．temptation

12.

A．conducted

B．stressed

C．blossomed

D．remembered

13.

A．company

B．comfort

C．entertainment

D．leisure

14.

A．delicate

B．casual

C．difficult

D．potential

15.

A．put about

B．taken in

C．struggled for

D．grown into

3 . Cultivating gratitude requires effort and a commitment to change. The following exercises can help you take on a grateful outlook.

Practice mindfulness

    1    . Tap into your senses and let your mind linger (逗留) on pleasant, everyday sensations. Focus on the taste of a ripe strawberry, for example, the feeling of the sun on your skin, or the gentle sound of background music. This can help ground you in the present, pulling you away from worrying.

Keep a gratitude journal

There are many ways to create a gratitude journal. First, decide if you want to keep a physical journal that you write in or a digital list on your phone or computer.     2    . You can update the journal on a weekly basis, ending the week by putting down three or four moments that you appreciated.

    3    

Build relationships by writing thank-you letters to people in your life. Go into detail about treasured memories from your relationship. Write about the positive effect they’ve had on your life. When you’re done, you can mail or deliver the letters in person.

Revisit and reframe past events

Most of us can recall past events that we regret.     4    . Although they may have led to disappointment, shame or even heartbreak, you’ve likely also learned something from these experiences.

While these gratitude exercises can give your mood and outlook a welcome boost, it can take time for them to impact your mental health and overall well-being. Be patient and continue practicing gratitude. Turn the exercises into little rituals. In time, you may notice your stress levels drop and relationships strengthen.     5    .

A．Write notes of appreciation

B．List what deserves appreciation

C．A little gratitude can do harm to your mood

D．Then, you’ll have even more reasons to be grateful

E．Then, consider how often you’ll update the journal

F．It could be anything from a failure to anger at a close friend

G．Enjoying little moments in your life can be a way to cultivate gratitude

4 . Creighton is no stranger to the media. He was the face of a TV series, which remains popular for its behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs of zoo life. He was often stopped on the street, and is regularly called “the man from the zoo”.

Creighton’s father and his brother also worked at Dublin Zoo. “I don’t ever remember not being in the zoo,” he said.

Creighton’s passion for animal welfare is clear, and not something that has reduced over the years — for him, or his father. Just a few hours earlier he was at the vet’s with his father where their 15-year-old German shepherd had to be put to sleep. “For any zookeeper, losing an animal is like losing a part of yourself,” said Creighton. He has been present for the euthanasia of an old lion, which reduced many zookeepers there to tears. He was present for the death of a chimpanzee in her 50s who both Creighton and his father had cared for over the years. He also described the death of a rhino, which escaped from a transport container in 1996, as something gut-wrenching.

In January 2021, he left Dublin Zoo and started his own consultancy agency, Global Elephant Care. He is working on developing elephant care and enclosures (围场) in France, the UK, the US, Israel, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, where elephants will have air conditioning to save them from the 50-degree heat. He is also working on projects to manage the gradual release of elephants back into the wild, but nevertheless talks straightly about their situation. There are about 40,000 Asian elephants left in the world. In an hour, there will probably be five or six African elephants killed for their ivory.

Despite the cruel reality for elephants around the world, with increasing human encroachment (侵占) on their natural habitat, Creighton faces it with a smile.

1. Why is Creighton familiar to media?

A．He was involved in a TV program.

B．He filmed a documentary on the people.

C．He posted his work life in the zoo online.

D．He was the zookeeper of the popular zoo.

2. What does the underlined word “gut-wrenching” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Too proud.	B．Greatly cheerful.
C．Quite helpless.	D．Extremely upset.

3. What is Creighton’s purpose of establishing Global Elephant Care?

A．To raise money to help elephants.

B．To guarantee the elephants’ welfare.

C．To manage the elephants in the wild.

D．To improve elephants’ living conditions.

4. What can be used to describe Creighton?

A．Efficient and just.	B．Sociable and loyal.
C．Caring and optimistic.	D．Sensitive and mean.

5 . 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，并将答案填写在答题卡相应的位置上。

Travel is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get,       1     (especial) when using a mystery (神秘) box plane ticket.

Earlier last year, buying mystery box travels caught on among China’s young people. In normal trips, people often plan their vacations well     2     advance. However, the travelers buying a mystery box at a low price, usually 100 or 200yuan, will select their airport and receive several destination choices.

A citizen surnamed Cheng would like     3     (go) on a mystery box trip, stating that going out alone usually     4     (cost) too much and that too many people don’t know where to go. “However, the mystery box directly offers me a few destinations,     5     feels wonderful.”

Since the destination choices include many less popular cities, travel mystery boxes also bring     6       (economy) benefits to these destinations. For example, Dehong city is a beautiful city in Yunnan province,       7     it has few visitors due to a lack of promotion. However, up to now it     8     (think) of as a so lid location for tourism after its inclusion as a mystery box travel destination.

But even so, a large number of people feel disappointed with travel mystery boxes because they can meet many problems after buying one, such as improper travel times, sudden flight cancellations, or even       9     (challenge) with refunds (退款). Sun Weili from Ctrip recommends     10     (choose) reliable platforms to make sure of visitors’ interests.

6 . 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。

Prince Llewellyn the Great was ruler of Wales for 40 years but he is now remembered more for the story of Gelert. One day, Prince Llewellyn was out hunting in the Welsh countryside. Back home, his newborn son     1     (sleep) as Gelert, his     2     (faith) dog, watched over him. While the Prince was riding through the forest, he heard loud barking     3    (come) from the direction of the house. The Prince had a terrible feeling and galloped quickly home. When Prince Llewellyn walked through the door, Gelert jumped up to greet him     4     a huge smile on his face. The Prince looked at Gelert, only to find blood dripping from its mouth and fur. Llewellyn ran into his son’s bedroom. The cot was empty. In a blaze of anger, he took his sword and     5     (swing) it at the dog. After he killed the dog, he saw the body of a dead wolf and realized that there     6    (be) a fight earlier on. And then he heard the crying of a baby from under the cot. It was not until then     7     the Prince realized Gelert     8     (hide) the baby and killed the wolf. Llewellyn was heartbroken. He organized a great ceremony to bury the dog that had saved his son’s life. He visited the grave every day until he died. Very touching, isn’t it?     9    , some people do not believe the story to be true, despite the     10     (exist) of Gelert’s gravestone in Wales.

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。

A new report suggests Canada’s Western Hudson Bay polar bear population     1    (drop) 27 percent during the past five years.

Every autumn, bears     2     (live) along the western edge of the Hudson Bay pass through the sub-Arctic town of Churchill, Manitoba. The yearly movement has helped make the area’s bears one of the most studied     3     (group) in the world. Bear watching adds about $5.3 million to the local economy each year.

But a report     4     (recent) issued by the government in Canada’s northern territory(地区) of Nunavut found that just 618 polar bears remained in     5     area. This represented a 50percent drop in the population from the 1980s.

Polar bears depend on frozen salt water called sea ice     6     (help) them hunt seals for food   But the Arctic is now warming about four times     7     (fast) than the rest of the world. Around Hudson Bay, seasonal sea ice is melting earlier in the spring and forming later in the fall. This is forcing bears to go longer periods     8     food.

John Whiteman,     9     is chief research scientist at the nonprofit conservation group. Polar Bears International, called the population drop “totally shocking”. He said, “Scientists fear that if continued sea ice loss cannot     10     (stop), it will one day lead to a total loss of the area’s polar bear population.”

8 . This year, over 2,000 students across the UK participated in the Youth Industrial Strategy Competition, a national competition organized by the British Science Association. Let’s take a look at some of the most creative ideas that made it to the final.

Rushil Patel’s AI processor

Rushil Patel, a student from St Wilfrid’s Catholic Comprehensive School in Crawley, developed a project that uses offline AI to accurately process a specific object or event in the world around the user.

A Martian habitat to reduce overpopulation

Thinking outside the box, students from Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in Greater Manchester “created” a habitat for humans on Mars in order to reduce the effects of overpopulation on Earth. It’s an unusual idea.

A hydroelectric plumbing (水力发电的管道) system

Students from Mary Webb School and Science College in Shrewsbury made a hydroelectric plumbing system designed to reduce energy wastage. Their product aims to make use of water flowing through the pipes in our homes, by fitting a device into household water pipes that acts as a mini hydroelectric generator.

The rainwater-harvesting bench

Students from Dundonald High School in Northern Ireland created a project that harvests rainwater in the city that can then be used again for human consumption. The product can also operate as a public bench.

1. What makes Rushil Patel’s AI processor different from other ideas?

A．It made it to the final.

B．It can be used as a public bench.

C．It was invented by a single person.

D．It won first place in the competition.

2. Which idea is the most difficult to realize according to the text?

A．Rushil Patel’s AI processor.

B．The rainwater-harvesting bench.

C．A hydroelectric plumbing system.

D．A Martian habitat to reduce overpopulation.

3. What do the last two ideas have in common?

A．They are fixed in the house.

B．They aim to reduce pollution.

C．They are good for saving rainwater.

D．They relate to making use of water.

9 . What are the health benefits of root vegetables?

Root vegetables are good for your digestion. The recommended daily fibre intake in the UK is 30g. Here’s where root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, onions, turnips, parsnips and swede come in — they’re rich in fibre.     1    

Orange-coloured vegetables boost your immunity. These foods, known as carotenoids (类胡萝卜素), are a great source of vitamins A and C.     2     Otherwise, you will catch a cold easily.

Carrots can protect against the sun.     3     But did you know they also offer your skin some protection against sunburn? According to a meta-analysis of seven studies, beta-carotene supplementation over ten weeks appeared to have a protective effect. But don’t use them as a substitute for a high SPF sunscreen!

    4     In a study spanning eight European countries, people who ate the most root vegetables had a 13 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who consumed the least.

These vegetables are good for heart health. High cholesterol (胆固醇) can lead to heart problems. Studies have shown garlic can reduce cholesterol.     5     Root vegetables’ high fibre content also helps lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol.

A．It’s a truth that carrots are good for eyes.

B．They could reduce your pressure in daily life.

C．The flavors of the root vegetables are various.

D．Root vegetables could reduce your risk of diabetes.

E．These support your immune system and help prevent cell damage.

F．Fibre helps us maintain a healthy weight and might even protect against bowel cancer.

G．Another shows eating 200g of raw carrot each day for three weeks reduces it by 11 percent.

10 . Reading a new story alone is often a great way to relax. However, sometimes you just want to discuss what you’ve read with another person to bring those ideas off the page and into the world.     1    

First, find members. When you begin searching for your book club members, look in the places in your life that feel most natural to you.     2     Then, maybe it’s posting a notice on the bulletin board of your local library or bookstore. If you’re looking to “get a range of perspectives” from your club, you may want to consider looking for a diverse range of ages and genders. They can bring their varied world views to discussions.

    3     Will your time together be spent largely focusing on the novel at hand, or will refreshments ultimately be the most important? There’s the typical friends gathering at someone’s apartment and having cheese and wine approach. But oftentimes, people will be frustrated because they just turn into a social event rather than focusing on the book. In order to make sure your new group is all on the same page, take the time to discuss what you want to get out of regular club gatherings before your first official meeting.

Picking books may seem like the trickiest part. Books that work really well are ones that allow you to reflect on self. They have a lot of entry points for people so they probably have a good setting. The pacing is solid. There’s great character development and the language doesn’t get in the way of the story.     4    

Before your meetings, list some discussion questions. Remember to come up with questions depending on your book’s genre: romance, mystery, thriller and so on.     5     For example, you may ask which scene has stuck with them the most or whether there are any standout sentences.

A．It is necessary to set some group guidelines.

B．Here’s a look of four of our favorites below.

C．To start, reach out to your friends who love to read.

D．There are also general questions you can start out with.

E．You can never go wrong with the bestseller list to get the ball rolling.

F．Choose something with that criteria and you can please all kinds of readers.

G．If you’ve ever had the urge to start a book club, it’s easier than you might think.