4 . My boss is waiting for the report, so I can’t leave here ______ I finish it.

A．since

B．until

C．though

D．if

5 . I had been eating and cooking typical Midwest meals for years, and I have to say there weren’t many different kinds of food at dinner. After I married, my husband told me it was time I _________ my comfort-food comfort zone.

When he _________ to take me to dinner at a nearby restaurant that served a grand buffet (豪华自助餐), I accepted happily. I thought I couldn’t go wrong, and _________ yards and yards of comfort foods.

We gave the server our drink order and then _________ the other hungry people choosing the buffet. I turned left, and he went right. I filled my dish with salad, topped with my _________ dressing (调料) and returned to our table. Then my husband returned with a dish filled with crab (蟹) legs.

He smiled across the table at me. “Let’s eat the crab legs,” he said.

I _________ my head. I had _________ crab legs before. On crabs. In pictures. However, I wasn’t _________ the crab legs before me. This was not comfort food.

“Come on. Just have a taste. It’ll be good for you to try something new.”

I lifted a crab leg, and then _________ it. It smelt strange. I looked around, __________ someone would save me, but no one __________. They were too busy with their own crab legs.

Again, my husband told me that trying something new was a good thing. He __________ me how to crack the shell, and then reach inside with the tiny fork to get the crabmeat.

At last, I took the courage to give the crab legs a try. I managed to break the shell and cut my finger on the shell. I painfully __________ using the tip of my knife to dig bits of meat out of the shell. I’d never had to work so __________ for a meal. __________, it tasted good. I enjoyed the rich, sweet taste.

1.

A．found

B．left

C．kept

D．tested

2.

A．agreed

B．began

C．happened

D．offered

3.

A．cooked

B．suggested

C．imagined

D．remembered

4.

A．treated

B．followed

C．encouraged

D．joined

5.

A．usual

B．private

C．healthy

D．new

6.

A．raised

B．cleared

C．shook

D．nodded

7.

A．seen

B．received

C．experienced

D．chosen

8.

A．free from

B．prepared for

C．satisfied with

D．afraid of

9.

A．lost

B．took

C．forgot

D．dropped

10.

A．hoping

B．believing

C．realizing

D．promising

11.

A．returned

B．refused

C．noticed

D．answered

12.

A．asked

B．showed

C．helped

D．trained

13.

A．talked about

B．worried about

C．gave up

D．ended up

14.

A．easily

B．carelessly

C．hard

D．well

15.

A．Surprisingly

B．Naturally

C．Secretly

D．Unluckily

7 . Dragons, a famous imaginary beast born from fantasy, are often present in stories in the west and east. In both cultures, dragons are generally recognized as massive creatures capable of flight. They have great power and are often associated with magical abilities. However, due to their different cultural roots and images, there exist significant differences in the way dragons are regarded in the west and east, particularly in China.

Chinese dragons most resemble snakes, and have four claws and no wings. They often have features of other animals, including carp, tigers, and eagles. In the contrast, Western dragons look like huge lizards with big claws and large bat-like wings, and are often shown with spines or rough scales.

In traditional Chinese culture, a dragon is a symbol of luck, power and high status. They can cause weather changes and bring rainfall to the fields to ensure rich harvests. They are considered divine (神圣的) creatures, which hold an important position as the head of the four spirits. Therefore, to symbolize their power, ancient Chinese emperors decorated their clothes with dragon patterns. These clothes are known as dragon robes. Many Chinese view the dragon as a national symbol, proudly referring to themselves as “descendants of the dragon”. In the west, however, a dragon symbolizes an evil creature that spreads violence and terror throughout the land. They are believed to be transformed by the devil, with the ability to breathe fire or spit poison. Many western tales show dragons being defeated and killed to protect people from danger.

Today, dragons continue to evolve, exceeding traditional boundaries and finding new significance in global culture. They are no longer associated with evil or good, but rather as complex characters with their own unique personalities and motivations. For example, Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon begins as a dangerous dragon but evolves into a misunderstood being with love and compassion. This challenges the idea of dragons as naturally evil, presenting them as complex beings with emotions and motivations.

1. What do western dragons and eastern dragons have in common?

A．They have rough skin.	B．They are huge and powerful.
C．They are in the shape of snakes.	D．They have big claws and wings.

2. What do we know from paragraph 3?

A．Western dragons are a symbol of authority.

B．Dragons in China can protect people from danger.

C．Chinese dragons can control rainfall and breathe fire.

D．Dragons are believed to cause chaos in western culture.

3. What is new about dragons in today’s global culture?

A．They are regarded as adventurous creatures.

B．They are closely associated with evil or good.

C．They have more diverse emotions and personalities.

D．They tend to represent human spirits facing challenges.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Dragon Elements in Global Culture

B．The Origin of Dragons in Chinese History

C．The Magical Animals in Different Countries

D．The Images of Dragons in Western Traditions

8 . New research concludes people may struggle to differentiate between medical advice given by chatbots (聊天机器人) and human health care providers. Findings indicate chatbots, like ChatGPT, could be valuable tools in assisting healthcare providers in communicating with patients.

ChatGPT is trained to predict the most probable next word in a conversation using vast amounts of Internet data. It responds to user enquiries, learning from human feedback. However, it’s not without limitations. ChatGPT, like other large language models（LLMs）, can sometimes produce biased information and lacks the ability to perform true reasoning.

The research had 392 participants aged 18 and above who were presented with ten patient questions. Half of the responses to these questions were given by humans, while the other half came from ChatGPT. Participants then had to identify the origin of each response and rate their trust in the chatbot’s answers from “completely untrustworthy” to “completely trustworthy”. Participants could only correctly identify chatbot-given responses 65.5% of the time. Participants displayed the most trust in chatbots when handling the matters, such as scheduling appointments or addressing insurance enquiries, with an average trust score of 3.94. Preventative care questions, like cancer screenings, came next at 3.52. However, trust decreased for diagnostic (诊断) and treatment advice, registering scores of 2.90 and 2.89 respectively.

The study’s results indicate the potential chatbots possess in aiding patient-provider communications, especially in areas like administrative tasks. But scientists have something to say regarding chatbots assuming more clinical roles. “Providers should exercise picky judgment when it comes to chatbot-given advice due to the limitations of AI models,” researchers said in a statement.

The use of AI into healthcare is no longer a distant possibility but a rapidly evolving reality. This study offers a glimpse (瞥见) into the ways we can expect to see AI platforms team with medical clinics. It also shows us improvements that are needed so that new technologies become effective aids and tools for both doctors and patients. These include the following.

1. Which is closest in meaning to “biased” in paragraph 2?

A．Inaccurate.

B．Indirect.

C．Unnecessary.

D．Unusual.

2. What affected the participants’ level of trust in chatbot responses?

A．Their answers to chatbots’ questions.	B．Their then physical conditions.
C．The origin of each response.	D．The nature of the enquiry.

3. What’s the scientists’ attitude to chatbots taking on clinical medical tasks?

A．Disapproving.

B．Unclear.

C．Conservative.

D．Positive.

4. What might the author continue talking about regarding the study?

A．Possible reasons for its findings.	B．Its major limitations in reality.
C．Its influences on healthcare.	D．Explanations of its methods.

9 . It was a normal morning in March. Sondra Artis had just _______ the last student on her route.

As heading towards the school, Sondra noticed a burning smell. She _______ the bus window to see if it was fogging up from condensation（凝结）or if it was _______ . When a student asked her what was _______ , she did her best to hide her growing _______ .

Sondra pulled into a parking lot and turned to face the 20 students on _______ . She reminded them of the evacuation（疏散） _______ they once performed and directed them to leave through the doors.

“I told the kids that, ‘You know, we _______ at the beginning of the year, but this is going to be _______ , so I need you to be calm,’” said Sondra.

The students hurried to the ________ as smoke began to fill the bus. They were ________ , but Sondra remained calm. When they were out, she went back onto the bus to make sure everyone left ________ .

Seconds after they all ________ , the bus caught fire. Another bus came to the ________ to take the children away, and Sondra was left ________ that everything worked out okay.

The bus can be ________ , but human life cannot. The parents were incredibly ________ for her grace under fire. She's being considered as a ________ , and many of her students would like to see her ________ for her heroism.

“Sondra is a very good bus driver，”said a student. “She ________ a reward.”

1.

A．sent away

B．turned down

C．seen off

D．picked up

2.

A．repaired

B．wiped

C．tapped

D．opened

3.

A．steam

B．smoke

C．fog

D．dust

4.

A．wrong

B．lucky

C．necessary

D．urgent

5.

A．anger

B．curiosity

C．embarrassment

D．worry

6.

A．duty

B．guard

C．board

D．vacation

7.

A．advantages

B．drills

C．signals

D．secrets

8.

A．met

B．separated

C．promised

D．practiced

9.

A．early

B．amazing

C．real

D．new

10.

A．exits

B．teacher

C．windows

D．lifesaver

11.

A．excited

B．tired

C．scared

D．optimistic

12.

A．hurriedly

B．safely

C．firstly

D．actively

13.

A．hid

B．landed

C．sat

D．escaped

14.

A．scene

B．school

C．park

D．destination

15.

A．searching

B．studying

C．thanking

D．counting

16.

A．replaced

B．exchanged

C．burnt

D．controlled

17.

A．eager

B．famous

C．grateful

D．qualified

18.

A．student

B．leader

C．driver

D．hero

19.

A．rewarded

B．excused

C．apologized

D．forgiven

20.

A．offers

B．deserves

C．demands

D．establishes

10 . When high school students spend time memorizing and reciting a poem, they develop confidence by engaging deeply with language. Here are my five Cs-things I’ve observed from several years of teaching students through Poetry Out Loud, from selecting a poem to performing at the state competition.

Choice.    1     Students learn how to search for poems, and they have complete discretion (判断力) over the poem they will perform. Students often gravitate (被吸引) to poems that fit their reading level and also match a personal interest or philosophy, which is great. But there are also lots of unexpected mismatches that end up stretching students’ skills in ways a teacher could not work out.

Concrete learning task. Learning just one poem well gives students a finite and concentrated experience with language.     2     I’ve seen students with all manner of challenges get up and do something they thought was impossible, in large part because it involves a single, repeated exercise.

Continuing learning. Students learn a poem that will likely stay with them for years, if not forever. Poems contain mysteries and complexities that reveal themselves slowly- and sometimes even suddenly-over time.     3    

Confidence. Recitation is the perfect introduction to public speaking skills. All students need to be able to speak effectively in front of others.     4    Students learn elements of physical presence, voice, speed, volume, and tone without having to present their own work, which is more frightening for most students.

    5    Students are not asked to memorize much anymore, yet many of them take pleasure in the act of repetition and remembering. They like testing themselves and realizing that they can in fact recall lines. For English language learners, many autistic students, and other exceptional learners, reciting poetry is an especially powerful way to understand language and build confidence. For our kids who need small victories, mastering one poem is a welcome relief.

A．Practice memorizing poems.

B．Challenging memory and recall.

C．This is the first step of the exercise.

D．Performing a poem is a bit like acting.

E．And every student can learn one poem.

F．Therefore, it is a lasting course to learn poems.

G．As a result, it is beneficial for students to learn poems.