1 . 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。

As night falls, the sound of drums fills the air as an 8-meter fish-shaped lantern swims through the streets of Wangmantian village, Huangshan, in East China’s Anhui province.

Within the crowd, Wang Lijun — a 27-year-old villager who serves     1     the “head fish” — leads the procession, sometimes cheering on those behind her. Traditionally     2     (hold) by respected elders, the position of “head fish” has attracted younger participants to take on the role     3     (voluntary).

Every year between     4     13th and 16th of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, villagers hold fish-shaped lantern     5     (parade). In old times, the mountain village,     6     (consist) of a lot of wooden structures, faced the risk of frequent fires. Therefore, villagers used to gather to parade with fish-shaped lanterns,     7     symbolic meaning is “water overcoming fire”.

With a history of over 600 years, the fish-shaped lantern     8     (recognize) as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in 2022. Villagers in Wangmantian have established     9     (profession) fish lantern performance teams. These teams have gone to cities such as Shanghai and Nanjing, Jiangsu province     10     (give) performances.

As fish-shaped lanterns continue to benefit local tourism and related industries, the future looks brighter than ever.

2 . Love has no borders when it comes to children’s birthday wishes. Zack Winton was ________ in his farm near the border between the US and Mexico when he came across a ________ site. A red balloon was caught in the grass and a note was ________ to it.

On it was written one word — Myra — ________ inside, was a numbered list of things, which was a list of birthday gifts she ________. Zack guessed that the balloon had been ________ from the neighbour city, Nogales, in Mexico. As a soon-to-be grandfather, he ________ hoped he could do something for Myra.

He ________ the information on the Internet hoping to see if anyone would respond to it but drew a ________ there. With Myra’s birthday drawing near and time running out, Zack got in touch with the local radio station in Nogales, which then played the information out ________. Within 24 hours, the radio station ________ Zack back.

With the radio station ________ for the two to meet the next morning, Zack took the day off from work, rushed to a ________, and bought the items on the list — clothes, art supplies, and a doll — and some ________ stuff as well after finding that Myra had a 4-year-old sister.

Zack and his wife packaged all the ________, drove across the border and arrived at the radio station, carrying presents for two ________ girls. The couple watched the young children happily ________ the gifts. Myra’s parents thanked them for their amazing act of ________.

Although there is a 20-foot wall at the border which ________ the two cities, Zack and his wife prove that when it comes to a child having her birthday wishes ________, love has no borders.

1.

A．waiting

B．wandering

C．camping

D．chasing

2.

A．beautiful

B．steep

C．curious

D．familiar

3.

A．attached

B．connected

C．applied

D．committed

4.

A．once

B．while

C．although

D．if

5.

A．obtained

B．meant

C．shaped

D．desired

6.

A．bought

B．provided

C．ordered

D．sent

7.

A．passively

B．casually

C．desperately

D．rarely

8.

A．posted

B．added

C．updated

D．removed

9.

A．case

B．voice

C．notice

D．blank

10.

A．on air

B．on earth

C．on water

D．on fire

11.

A．invited

B．welcomed

C．called

D．followed

12.

A．arranging

B．preparing

C．searching

D．hoping

13.

A．farm

B．border

C．store

D．station

14.

A．expensive

B．helpful

C．new

D．extra

15.

A．lists

B．supplies

C．gifts

D．balloons

16.

A．disappointed

B．thrilled

C．embarrassed

D．moved

17.

A．tear off

B．shake down

C．turn over

D．knock on

18.

A．bravery

B．gentleness

C．kindness

D．will

19.

A．extends

B．separates

C．builds

D．completes

20.

A．afforded

B．identified

C．challenged

D．fulfilled

3 . I turned 65 this February, a big milestone. The last 12 months has indeed been a time of profound thinking for me, but not for the reasons you may think.

Recently our culture has started to acknowledge that a perfect woman image is totally unrealistic. I suppose there are a small minority of women born with incredible genes. But for most of us, short of starving ourselves, having plastic surgery, or airbrushing our photos, perfection is an unattainable goal.

I applaud many celebrity women who have come forward recently and said, “Hey, you see that picture of me on the magazine cover. This is what I really looked like before specialized hair and makeup and the magic of Photoshop.” I am so happy that our daughters and granddaughters are being raised with a much more realistic concept of what beauty is.

Being a woman of a certain age, that old message of feminine (女性的) perfection took hold long ago and has been hard to shake. My legs, waist and stomach are bigger than the charts say they should be. I would avoid looking for too long in the mirror. A swimsuit always required a cover-up to be worn over it. I had been very successfully taught to be ashamed of my imperfect body.

However, after a pretty serious health issue last year, I started to have a different feeling about my body. This body has given me two incredible children and endured too many surgeries. My belly, back, feet and knees are marked with countless scars but finally I see what they truly are — my battle scars. My extra pounds are the result of countless dinners I have made and enjoyed with those I love. My scars remind me of all the talented and kind doctors and nurses who have looked after me.

My body has allowed me a wonderful life thus far. I thought my body was not ideal, but now I thank it for being a source of strength, endurance and pleasure. At 65, I finally realize it is truly beautiful.

1. Why did the author mention celebrity women in Paragraph 3?

A．To show perfection is difficult for celebrities to achieve.

B．To indicate the concept of beauty is becoming more realistic.

C．To suggest only a minority of women are born with incredible genes.

D．To prove a perfect body image requires a strict diet and much exercise.

2. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．The body parts that the author felt unsatisfied with.

B．The body image that a woman should keep at a certain age.

C．The tricks that the author used to avoid facing her imperfect body.

D．The effect that the traditional feminine perfection had on the author.

3. What made the author feel different about her body?

A．A severe health problem.	B．The impact of celebrity women.
C．The social concept of beauty.	D．Encouragement from her family.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?

A．To tell us what a perfect woman image should be.

B．To express her gratitude to the doctors and nurses.

C．To share her understanding of beauty after going through a lot.

D．To compare the beauty standards between the past and the present.

4 . “I spilled soup all over the table, but it wasn’t my fault”. “I got into trouble at school, but it wasn’t my fault.” Such statements are often heard. “It’s not my fault” is actually a common response for so many people and especially teenagers. Parents complain that they’re tired of the “excuses”.

The reason why variations of “it’s not my fault” are so popular is that they get us out of guilt, blame and anger. Those emotions may come from others’ reactions or our own self-talks. In the case of adolescents, they are often trying to escape responsibility and punishment for mistakes.

Some teens would benefit from decreasing their self-blame. Those who blame themselves for things that they can’t control tend to be highly self-critical and are more likely to be anxious.

Many teens overly rely on “it’s not my fault”. However, overuse of the phrase can result in feelings of helplessness to control their own lives. Besides, “it’s not my fault” focuses a teen’s attention on what is done as opposed to what needs to be done. In trying to get them to assume responsibility, many parents attempt to convince their children that something is their fault, but the approach tends to be ineffective. A more effective approach is to face up to drawbacks to find solutions to the drawbacks actively.

People may not have caused all their problems, but they have to solve them anyway. Getting stuck in sharing blame often keeps people from moving forward effectively. What does one do if he is pushed into a deep lake? One could certainly stay in water, yelling, “It’s not my fault.” However, that is not going to get him out of water. At some point, he needs to swim to shore, regardless of the fault.

Like most things in life, freeing ourselves from blame has its advantages and disadvantages. The question isn’t what is “right”, but what is most effective in moving forward.

1. Who is likely to rely on “it’s not my fault”?

A．A highly self-critical teenager.

B．A teenager unwilling to admit a fault.

C．A teenager facing up to his responsibilities.

D．A teenager anxious about uncontrollable things.

2. What is the author’s advice on getting teens to assume responsibility?

A．Letting them focus on what is done.

B．Persuading them to admit their fault.

C．Making them correct the mistake actively.

D．Helping them analyze the reason for the mistake.

3. Why does the author raise such a question in Paragraph 5?

A．To put forward a new solution to drawbacks.

B．To show handling problems should come first.

C．To explain why teenagers get stuck in sharing blame.

D．To analyze what kind of problem is caused by others.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this text?

A．To help teenagers out of self-blame.

B．To tell parents how to educate children.

C．To help teenagers face mistakes properly.

D．To tell children to do self-talks consciously.

5 . With the ocean covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said scientists and researchers had depended on sonar (声呐) technologies to understand and map the sea floor which had charted only about 10% of the world’s ocean. For the ocean and coastal waters in the US, the number is just around 35%.

We know less about our planet’s ocean than what we know about the far side of the moon or the surface of Mars. Part of the reason for the lack of observation is the challenge of powering an underwater camera. Researchers have used ships to recharge cameras or observed with a camera tied to a ship to solve the issue, which is expensive and unsuitable for long-term observations.

Recently, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have taken a major step to iron out this problem by developing a battery-free, wireless underwater camera that could harvest energy underwater on its own for long periods.

To keep power consumption as low as possible, the researchers used off-the-shelf, ultra-low-power imaging sensors. The device takes color photos, even in dark underwater environments, and sends image data wirelessly through the water.

The camera is powered by sound. It changes mechanical energy from sound waves traveling through water into electrical energy that powers its imaging and communications equipment. After getting and encoding image data, the camera also uses sound waves to send the data to a receiver that reconstructs the image. Those sound waves could come from any source, like a passing ship or marine life. As it doesn’t need a power source, the camera could run for weeks on end before getting it back, enabling scientists to search remote parts of the ocean for new species.

Now that researchers have demonstrated a working prototype (原型), they plan to enhance the device so it is practical in real-world settings. For future application, these cameras may be used to take images of ocean pollution and create more accurate models to monitor climate change to better understand how climate change impacts the underwater world, and advance various undersea scientific fields.

1. What do the data in paragraph 1 mainly show?

A．Undersea exploration is poor in the US.

B．Much of the planet’s ocean remains unexplored.

C．The mapping of the sea floor is time-consuming.

D．Technology development matters a lot to sea observation.

2. What limits the researchers’ undersea exploration according to the text?

A．The complexity of the sea environment.

B．The concern about potential sea pollution.

C．The shortage of investment in ocean exploration.

D．The inability to effectively power underwater cameras.

3. What does the underlined phrase “iron out” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Overcome.	B．Face.
C．Analyze.	D．Illustrate.

4. Which of the following can best describe the MIT underwater camera?

A．Secure and stable.	B．Expensive but effective.
C．Impractical but advanced.	D．Self-sufficient and energy-saving.

6 . Humor can help you connect with other people and make unpleasant situations more bearable. There are things you can do to make yourself and others laugh.

Read more

Get your hands on everything that is funny.     1    . Hopefully, reading good jokes might inspire you to start making up your own jokes. When reading them, try to analyse the elements that make them good jokes.

Be observant

While knowing a lot can increase your ability for humor, there’s no substitute for seeing a lot. Look for the humor in everyday situations.     2    .

Learn from funny people

Whether they’re professional comedians, your parents or your friends, learning from funny people in your life is a key step to being funny yourself.     3    . Keep a note of some of the funny things they say or do. This will help you develop a toolbox of techniques you can use to be funny.

    4    

Different things make different people laugh. When you’re in a group of people you don’t know, listen to what subjects they’re talking about and what’s making them laugh. The better you know them, the easier it will be to make them laugh.

Trust in your inner sense of humor

Being funny doesn’t come in a “one-size-fits-all” package. What makes you funny is unique to you and the way you observe the world. Trust that you do have a funny bone.     5     — you just need to bring it out.

A．It’s already in you

B．Know your audience

C．Make different people laugh

D．Look for what you admire most in them

E．There are a lot of funny things in comedies

F．You’ll become funnier by reading and practicing jokes

G．The unnoticed humor right before your eyes often has the most effect

7 . Though it’s common that new scientists get international experience as part of their postdoctoral work, acquiring international exposure during one’s PhD study is less common. But it can be rewarding.

I’m in the final year of my PhD course in experimental physics. The PhD program is based at Loughborough University, the UK, but a big part of my experimental work is at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Coming from England just after my bachelor’s degree in physics was a big step and somewhat risky. I wasn’t sure if it would help my career or suit my personal style. I was faced with a number of questions.

My supervisors (导师), one in England and one in Germany, gave me great freedom to pick research topics and carry out my research at another institute.

I was excited about going to the Max Planck Institute. Once the long road of the PhD is complete, I hope to have the confidence to compete in an increasingly multinational field in order to secure postdoctoral positions. Although moving abroad means reduced contact with my home university and research community, attending conferences in Britain has helped me network and develop a sense of community.

It took some time to settle down, find an apartment, and get used to the local life, surroundings and a different language. In the lab, a simple task was complicated by the language barrier. Still, with persistence, it was an enriching experience both personally and professionally. The Max Planck Institute provided not only an exciting environment, but enough funding that helped expand the output of my research considerably. I had access to equipment and resources hard to find at many institutions.

Thus far, I have no regrets. Doing a PhD abroad has improved my knowledge of physics and clarified my career aspirations (抱负).

1. How does the author find doing PhD study abroad?

A．Very useful.

B．Pretty common.

C．Extremely difficult.

D．Absolutely necessary.

2. What happened to the author when he first studied in Germany?

A．He chose a difficult research topic.

B．He had a hard time finding friends.

C．He made some mistakes in his study.

D．He became confused about his study and life.

3. How did the author’s experience in Britain help him adapt to the new life?

A．By making him confident.

B．By teaching him to socialize.

C．By pulling him out of his comfort zone.

D．By helping him find his passion for life.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Seeking a PhD Abroad

B．Following the Desired Career Path

C．Finding a Place to Further PhD Study

D．Breaking through the Language Barriers

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. During which season did the speaker’s journey take place?

A．Winter.

B．Fall.

C．Summer.

2. What is the speaker’s biggest challenge?

A．Traveling alone.

B．Challenging weather conditions.

C．Overcoming physical difficulties.

3. What did the family do for the speaker?

A．They taught him a new language.

B．They invited him to their house.

C．They taught him how to ride a horse.

4. Why did the speaker first begin his trip?

A．To have more materials for his book.

B．To visit the host family.

C．To make new friends.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why is the woman so upset?

A．She has a problem with handling the attitude of her friends.

B．She isn’t confident about her recent schoolwork.

C．She had a disagreement with her father.

2. What is the man like according to the woman?

A．Strict.

B．Positive.

C．Knowledgeable.

10 . 假定你是李华，最近学校很多同学都以学习为由不参加班级大扫除等劳动，你认为这种行为存在问题，决定在下周的集会活动上发表演讲，请为此写一篇演讲稿，内容包括：
1.说明问题及其影响；
2.提出建议。
注意：
词数100左右；
可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
开头已为你写好，不计入总词数。

Good morning, everyone! Today, I want to talk about something that’s often overlooked by students: labor education.

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