1 . Caring 17-year-old Lauren Schroeder was inspired to help bring healthy food to needy families in her community. Volunteering at a food shelter when she was 14 , and tasked with helping fill boxes for households in need with canned and packaged food, this Iowa teen felt that something was missing from the donated groceries: fresh vegetables. So she shared with her parents her desire to start a garden on their own farm to supply local families in need with fresh produce.

Coming from a farming family, Lauren had some familiarity with agriculture, and had helped raise rabbits and lambs, but had never tried vegetable cultivation at scale, though the Schroeders plant soybeans and corn each year on their 150-acre farm.

The work involved in realizing Lauren’s plan was no walk in the park. Initially, while proud of her daughter’s vision, her mother, Katie Schroeder, admitted to some foreboding about the work involved: “I was wondering, ‘Oh my gosh, how much work is this going to be?’ I wasn’t sure whether this would work.” This was one young change-maker, however! Lauren researched plants online, checking which species needed more shade, how much water was required, and when to harvest each crop. During Iowa’s hot summers, she had to water her crops by hand for around 2 — 3 hours daily. She also checked daily for weeds, and bent down to pick her green bean crop. Thanks to her diligence, Lauren planted half an acre of land, with 15 varieties of vegetables in 2022, harvesting her first crops.

In an interview with a local media channel, Lauren says, “I wanted to have something that’d impact people. I want to impact community members. Many people help you out, but it makes more difference when you help others out. That’s what makes me most happy.”

1. What inspired Lauren to start a garden on her family’s farm?

A．Her parents’ encouragement.

B．Her interest in farming and agriculture.

C．Her desire to become a professional gardener.

D．Her experience volunteering at a food shelter.

2. Which of the following words can replace the underlined word “foreboding” in paragraph 3?

A．Satisfaction.

B．Concern.

C．Anger.

D．Pride.

3. How did Lauren research the plants for her garden?

A．She consulted professional gardeners.

B．She studied books and manuals on gardening.

C．She conducted online research on plant species.

D．She attended agricultural courses and workshops.

4. What is the central theme of the article?

A．The Schroeders’ family farming traditions.

B．The importance of volunteering at a food shelter.

C．The challenges of starting a vegetable garden on a large scale.

D．Lauren Schroeder’s project to provide fresh vegetables to needy families.

2 . 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。

It was an extraordinary day in the heart of the Nepalese Himalayas, where nature’s grandeur unfolded in every direction. The sun shone high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the grand mountain range. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the smells of pine and earth, while the views were breathtaking, with snow-capped peaks towering above us and thick green forests spreading out below.

Our group, a band of adventurous souls bound by friendship and shared enthusiasm for exploration, walked excitedly along the winding trails, all eager to explore the unknown and embrace the challenge of the mountains. We were making our way through the forest, the sun shining through the leaves cast dancing patterns on the ground, when we heard a scary cry for help. Our hearts skipped a beat, and we quickly followed the sound, our footsteps becoming more urgent as we realized the seriousness of the situation. We soon found a young woman struggling on the edge of a steep cliff. She had slipped and was hanging insecurely by a branch, her face filled with terror and desperation.

Without hesitation, I rushed to her side, ignoring the danger that lay before me. Grabbing a rope from my backpack, which I had fortunately prepared before, I tied it securely around myself and handed the other end to my friends, whose hands locked tight, forming an unbreakable human anchor. I carefully edged my way down the cliff, feeling the sharpness of the rocks beneath my feet.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

Reaching the woman, I promised her that we would get her back to safety.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Once on solid ground, we all hugged and celebrated our successful rescue.

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5 . On a summer evening in 2014, my wife and I encountered a sad scene during our trip to the grocery store. A man, who was incapable of ________ mental function, wrapped himself with an old advertisement banner (横幅) as________in the bad weather. Although he seemed unresponsive to our inquiries, his circumstance________us deeply, inspiring my wife’s suggestion to buy him_________.

We bought some bread and returned, but he wasn’t there. We felt disappointed. Soon we found that he had________ a family of migrant laborers who were camping nearby. To our surprise, the family did not ________ his presence but warmly treated him like one of their own. They________their humble meal around an open fire, ensuring that the man’s plate remained________. Observing this act of genuine________and compassion, we felt________ for having missed the chance to directly________ the man ourselves, but________ the selfless nature of the migrant family. Poor as they were, they demonstrated________ by sharing everything they had with someone in need.

Moved by their actions, we________the loaf of bread near the man and departed, realizing that true giving is about more than________ needs; it’s about extending empathy and solidarity (团结) to others, regardless of personal wealth or status.

1.

A．normal

B．actual

C．foolish

D．deep

2.

A．amusement

B．protection

C．medicine

D．treatment

3.

A．encouraged

B．defeated

C．touched

D．angered

4.

A．food

B．clothes

C．water

D．toys

5.

A．left

B．joined

C．supported

D．discovered

6.

A．appreciate

B．mind

C．evaluate

D．observe

7.

A．cooked

B．ordered

C．watched

D．shared

8.

A．full

B．healthful

C．available

D．reachable

9.

A．cruelty

B．distance

C．kindness

D．patience

10.

A．satisfied

B．annoyed

C．relieved

D．disappointed

11.

A．help

B．protect

C．inform

D．comfort

12.

A．protested

B．admired

C．reflected

D．recommended

13.

A．diligence

B．patience

C．responsibility

D．generosity

14.

A．picked up

B．checked out

C．put down

D．showed off

15.

A．political

B．mental

C．material

D．financial

6 . Find the learning style that suits you best

To succeed academically, you need to be productive. To be productive, you need to find a suitable learning style. Whether it’s for everyday learning or revising for exams, the learning style that helps you achieve maximum productivity will be crucial.     1    

Note-taking

Note-taking can include copying out passages of books or summarizing concepts on notecards.     2     The problem with note-taking is that it’s all too easy simply to copy out what someone else says without really taking it in.

    3    

Sometimes you might find that you learn things more easily if you have to explain a concept to someone else. This is because in order to explain something clearly to someone else, you have to have a thorough grasp of it yourself. For example, giving a presentation to fellow students will require you first to have an excellent understanding of the topic and then to put together materials from which the others can learn.

Learning by doing

This method means that rather than reading things in books, try to experience things in real life.     4     Experiencing things practically gives your brain something concrete to remember, so you will absorb the information more easily.

Tests and mock exams (模拟考试)

    5     If you’re the sort of person who benefits from these sorts of challenges, you could try asking your teacher, parents or study buddies to set a mock exam to test what you’ve learned on a particular topic.

A．Explaining to others

B．Diagrams and mind maps

C．If so, visual methods of learning might suit you best.

D．Here are some common learning styles and choose one that suits you best!

E．Some people like them because they provide strong motivation to succeed.

F．It’s a classic learning method, but may not be the best way for everyone to learn.

G．For example, you could conduct a scientific experiment or observe how a chemical reaction works.