1 . The cotton harvest is about to get underway in the Texas High Plains, the windswept region that grows most of the crop in the nation’s top cotton-producing state. But Barry Evans, a third-generation cotton grower, has already walked away from more than 2,000 acres (英亩) of his bone-dry fields. “It just didn’t come up. We hardly had anything,” said Evans.
Extreme heat and a lack of rainfall have severely damaged much of this year’s cotton harvest in the U.S., which produces about 35% of the world’s crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that more than 40% of what U.S. farmers planted in the spring would be abandoned because of drought. Nowhere is this more apparent than the flat, dry stretch of Texas. The USDA says Texas cotton farmers are likely to abandon nearly 70% of their spring planting. That has been the worst harvest since 2009.
The region normally receives around 18 to 20 inches of rain per year, but saw less than three inches of rain from August through the summer, as nearly all of Texas baked under drought. Much of the cotton grown in the region needs rain. Even those with irrigated (灌溉的) fields are expecting low yields (产量) this year.
The losses in cotton could cost the Texas High Plains $1.2 billion after farmers receive federal (联邦的) crop insurance payments, estimates Darren Hudson, director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. That leaves out others who depend on the crop, such as cotton gins (轧棉机) and storehouses. “Any time you have a bad year in cotton, it has a role to play in the overall economy,” Hudson said.
Fortunately, most cotton farmers in this part of Texas plan to use cotton seed varieties that can resist drought. Varieties are continuously developed and will be adjusted to generate high yields if dry conditions continue. “Even though it’s drought resistant,” Hudson added, “we still have to have a little bit of help from Mother Nature.”
1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The impact of extreme weather on U.S. farmers. |
| B．The world’s cotton distribution. |
| C．USDA’s measures to address drought. |
| D．The amount of U.S. cotton harvest in 2009. |
| A．Texas is unfriendly to cotton farmers. | B．Cotton is vital to the American economy. |
| C．Farmers depend much on Mother Nature. | D．Cotton gins are unaffected by cotton losses. |
| A．Build effective irrigation systems. | B．Apply for federal crop insurance. |
| C．Switch to growing a different crop. | D．Use further improved cotton seeds. |
| A．Drought pushes cotton prices to a new high. | B．The world’s cotton supply keeps falling. |
| C．Texas cotton takes a hit during drought. | D．Drought impacts the quality of cotton. |
2 . “When we watch TV shows or football games, we’re watching that information evolve over time, uncertain about how it’s all going to end,” said Abby Hsiung, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.” I wondered if higher curiosity would push people to seek, or to avoid, getting an immediate ‘spoiler (剧透)’.”
Hsiung drew inspiration from short cooking videos that are popular on Instagram and TikTok, “These videos manage to develop a description and cliffhanger, so that you’re interested and curious about how food materials will all come together.” So Hsiung made a series of 30-second cartoon line-drawing videos that, like the cooking videos, eventually ended up as something highly recognizable, like a dog.
More than 2,000 adults from across the U.S. then watched 25 of these short line-drawing videos online. Participants in Hsiung’s study were asked along the way how curious they were, how they felt, and to guess what the drawing would become. Viewers also had a “spoiler” button to skip ahead to see the final drawing. Hsiung and her team were surprised to find that when people were curious, they avoided hitting the “spoiler” button and kept watching the drawings unfold. It was when people were less curious that they tended to opt for an instant answer. Curiosity didn’t just motivate getting answers, but increased the value of the journey itself.
The study also found that curiosity increased at different stages of watching these videos. Higher curiosity during moments where it seemed like the drawing could tun into anything and also when participants were starting to really home in on a single answer. Curiosity also inspired people’s feeling of joy, explaining why people kept watching the line-drawing video even when they could just hit a button to get the answer right away. This helps explain why people often avoid spoilers. Knowing the end of a new TV series, for example, can remove the enjoyment of watching the plot develop.
Researchers suggest that inspiring curiosity might also help raise motivation in the classroom to potentially improve learning. Increasing curiosity can improve memory by readying the brain for new information and strengthen persistence throughout a learning journey, which is often needed for deep understanding.
1. What is the purpose of Hsiung’s study?| A．To find the relation between curiosity and answer. |
| B．To find better ways to get information in TV shows. |
| C．To find the effects cooking videos have on audience. |
| D．To make a series of 30-second line-drawing videos. |
| A．Creation. | B．Uncertainty. | C．Imagination. | D．Appreciation. |
| A．Viewers would hit the “spoiler” button when they were curious. |
| B．Curiosity did nothing but drive viewers to find out answers. |
| C．As the drawing was taking shape, people gradually lost interest. |
| D．People refused to know answers in advance to enjoy the process. |
| A．It can shorten learning time. | B．It reduces learning difficulty. |
| C．It is good for deep learning. | D．It changes learning approaches. |
Mark was seated at the window, watching the other flats. He thought of his father, who had been in the hospital looking after Mark’s sick grandfather. “I’ll do my best to help my mother when you’re away,” Mark promised.
Next to him was his younger brother, Paul. “Mark, when will we have a Christmas tree?” Paul asked. “I’m looking forward to decorating it with Mom’s straw birds.” “This year we won’t have a tree, Paul.” “Why not?” “Too many bills with Grandpa’s sickness. Mom said we couldn’t buy one.”
There was a knock at the door of their flat, and they rushed over to find out who it was. It was Jack from downstairs. He was admitted into the flat, and he glanced about. “You don’t have any trees? I helped to place the artificial tree last week. It’s up to the ceiling. There are only two more days until Christmas! I don’t think you’ll get a tree.” Paul was unconvinced by Jack’s words. “Definitely not! We’re going to buy a genuine(真正的) Christmas tree, a genuine one!” Jack shrugged his shoulders and walked away.
Mark made his way back to his bedroom, shaking his piggy bank. That was only $7 in it. With school out, he thought, he would be able to make enough money in the next couple of days to get a tree and give Mom a surprise.
On the second day, Mark was busy transporting goods to assist the customers. When he was gone, he make another $6 in his pocket. It was his lucky day, and he had expected to spend $13 purchasing(购买) a little tree.
He whistled all the way to the tree lot(场地). But even the smallest one cost $15 or more. There would be a lot of shopping tomorrow, and he would make the extra dollars. He said to the seller in the tree lot, “Would you please help me keep this tree?” “ I cannot,” the seller said, “but come back tomorrow. Maybe it’s still here.” “I’ll return.” Mark waved his hand and ran away.
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。
On the following day, when Mark and Paul came to the tree lot, they saw a much smaller tree.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________They went to a shop nearby and purchased some ornaments(装饰品) with the spare money.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This summer I travelled from noisy Beijing to Wuzhen, a beautiful village in Zhejiang Province. Unfolded before me was
However, what impressed me most was not the natural scenery,
I shared the photos and my
According to a survey
Wouldn’t
5 . As we all know, swimming is great fun. But it often comes with
Griffin Emerson, a 6-year-old child, swam in an apartment block’s pool. He enjoyed the pool’s
However, one young man, Noah, did find Griffin in the pool. He told his friend Weston to call 911 at once. And Noah
Noah made it to Griffin, caught him and
| A．challenge | B．attention | C．danger | D．limitation |
| A．curious | B．ordinary | C．powerful | D．experienced |
| A．prevent | B．identify | C．protect | D．suffer |
| A．quiet | B．narrow | C．shallow | D．separate |
| A．run | B．move | C．jump | D．climb |
| A．recognize | B．notice | C．seek | D．persuade |
| A．struggle | B．complaint | C．adventure | D．escape |
| A．side | B．center | C．bottom | D．corner |
| A．hurried | B．regretted | C．continued | D．assumed |
| A．catch up with | B．keep track of | C．come across | D．check on |
| A．tied | B．directed | C．held | D．pulled |
| A．recall | B．describe | C．perform | D．explain |
| A．Strangely | B．Fortunately | C．Obviously | D．Surprisingly |
| A．familiar | B．patient | C．generous | D．grateful |
| A．paid forward | B．brought in | C．looked into | D．settled for |
6 . Predicting extreme weather events is a challenging business. Changing climate conditions have increased the frequency of severe storms, floods, and heatwaves, along with larger wildfires. As a result, scientists are using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for more accurate forecasts that help to reduce damage and save lives.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have worked together with meteorologists (气象学家) to analyze more than 50,000 weather satellite images to quickly identify storms. They found comma-shaped (点状) cloud formations that often lead to severe weather such as high winds and thunderstorms. Computers were then taught using computer vision and machine learning to automatically detect these clouds from satellite images, with almost 100 percent accuracy, in less than a minute.
By refocusing meteorologists' attention on potential storm cloud formations the AI tool helped predict 64 percent of severe weather events and beat established detection systems. Senior meteorologist Steve Wistar said it let forecasters find storm formations in a sea of cloud data. “ The calling of our business is to save lives and protect property, ” he said. “ The more advance notice we give to people that would be affected by a storm, the better we're providing that service.”
Using AI techniques generates highly accurate and inexpensive forecasts for hours or days ahead. Negative impacts from climate change on weather are being felt everywhere. The US National Climate Assessment says frequent severe events will affect communities across the nation. There were 20 billion dollar weather disasters in 2021 alone, including wildfires, winter storms, floods, and tornadoes. “And average costs associated with extreme weather events in the United States have increased steadily since 1980,” said Renny Vandewege, a company's vice president of weather operations. “ These have costly impacts on cities’ basic services, housing, human livelihoods, and health. AI helps us to calculate that risk and can be used as a preventive measure.”
1. Why do scientists use AI techniques for extreme weather forecasts?| A．To prove AI techniques' accuracy. | B．To prevent the occurrence of disasters. |
| C．To obtain weather satellite images. | D．To reduce impacts of disasters and save lives. |
| A．Most cloud formations can lead to severe weather. |
| B．Computers can finish its predicting task in less than a second. |
| C．Established detection systems help forecasters find storm formations. |
| D．The AI tool has better predictive power than established detection systems. |
| A．City services should be improved at all costs. |
| B．AI may help people reduce the cost of living. |
| C．The US spends most on dealing with extreme weather. |
| D．AI is the only measure to predict natural disasters. |
| A．The Future Will See More Uses of AI |
| B．AI Has Entered Every Corner of Our Life |
| C．AI Helps to Predict Extreme Weather and Save Lives |
| D．Extreme Weather Will Claim More Lives in the Future |
7 . Each food product in the United States must show a “best before” date on its container. The goal is to tell the buyer when the food will be at its freshest. Most people believe it is unsafe to use the food product after that date. But some observers say “best before” labels have nothing to do with safety. They worry that the information will lead consumers to throw away food good to eat.
Some food sellers in Britain recently removed “best before” labels from prepackaged fruit and vegetables. The European Union may soon announce changes to its labeling laws. It may even end the requirement to include a date.In the US, there is no similar effort. Some big food store owners and food companies are pushing for the US Congress to pass new laws on the subject.
Studies have found as much as 35% of available food goes uneaten in the United States.That adds up to a lot of wasted energy. It also means more greenhouse gases coming from landfills. 7% of US food waste comes from people’s misunderstanding of “best before” labels. That percentage is equal to about 3. 6 million tons each year.
Richard Lipsit owns a store called Grocery Outlet in Pleasanton, California. He said we can safely eat canned goods and many other packaged foods for years after their “best before”date. People should look for changes in color, thickness, or feel to learn if foods are all right to eat. “Our bodies are very well equipped to recognize the signs of decay,” Lipsit said. “We’ve lost trust in those senses and we’ve replaced it with trust in these dates.”
If new laws are approved in Congress, food could be donated to food rescue organizations even after its quality date has passed. Food rescue is making efforts to find uses for outdated food. Currently, at least 20 states ban the sale or donation of food after its quality date has passed.
1. What do most people think of the food out of “best before” date?| A．It is a threat to their health. | B．It is still fresh enough. |
| C．It should be donated to food rescue organizations. | D．It should be sold at a lower price. |
| A．To point out the mistake they have made. | B．To show the necessity for US to take similar measures. |
| C．To stop US Congress from passing new laws. | D．To praise their efforts on the subject. |
| A．There is an energy crisis in US nowadays. |
| B．Food industry is polluting the country. |
| C．The misunderstanding of “best before” labels is one cause of waste. |
| D．People know nothing about “best before” labels. |
| A．Food that has gone bad. | B．Food that is out of date. |
| C．Food that is not expensive. | D．Food that has a rare color. |
8 . It was the first night of a tiring seven-day 250 km race across the Gobi Desert a year ago. Mr. Leonard
“Cute, but I’m not giving you any,” Leonard thought. Like all
The next day, at the starting line, the dog
The pair went on to finish the seven-day race, with Gobi
As Leonard was preparing to get Gobi home,she was missing. With a group of local volunteers coming to his
| A．treated | B．adopted | C．spotted | D．recognized |
| A．entertain | B．water | C．feed | D．impress |
| A．hikers | B．competitors | C．explorers | D．climbers |
| A．course | B．plan | C．day | D．camp |
| A．chance | B．desire | C．right | D．mood |
| A．bothered | B．stopped | C．welcomed | D．approached |
| A．Meanwhile | B．Nevertheless | C．Therefore | D．Otherwise |
| A．came out | B．carried on | C．kicked off | D．wound up |
| A．managed | B．expected | C．afforded | D．begged |
| A．keeping | B．setting | C．covering | D．extending |
| A．remark | B．decision | C．choice | D．difference |
| A．sponsored | B．identified | C．challenged | D．changed |
| A．assistance | B．mind | C．rescue | D．defense |
| A．sight | B．way | C．hand | D．reach |
| A．gradually | B．eventually | C．routinely | D．occasionally |
9 . Children with strong family connections are associated with a high likelihood of flourishing in life, a study found. “What is different about this study is that it shows that family connection is associated with thriving and not just surviving or avoiding harm,” said lead study author Dr. Robert Whitaker.
Researchers surveyed over 37,000 children in 26 countries. In the study, family connection was determined by a mean score of five categories: care, support, safety, respect, and participation. Flourishing was determined by a mean score of six categories: self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth, environmental mastery and autonomy. The essence of family connection is children feeling that they are accepted and cared for at home, which allows them to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are in a safe environment as they are building their identity,Whitaker said.
Children with the greatest level of family connection were over 49% more likely to flourish compared with those with the lowest level of family connection, according to the study. The highest scores in both family connection and flourishing came from children who said they lived with both parents, had enough food or never had their family worrying about finances. Researchers then controlled the data for families’ poverty levels to remove the effect they might have had on the numbers. After controlling the data, the strength of family connection still impacted how much children flourished.
According to Whitaker, adults have a very powerful influence on the emotional climate in the home, so it’s important to create a space where children feel seen and heard. A great opportunity to strengthen family bonds is around the dinner table. Adults should create an environment where children feel comfortable speaking freely. While they are talking,grown-ups should show that they have a genuine interest in what their children are saying. Silence is also another powerful form of communication, Whitaker said. Children and parents spending time together in silence or even doing chores can create a connection.
1. What is the study mainly about?| A．The importance of family connection to children’s survival. |
| B．The relationship between family connection and children’s success. |
| C．The factors affecting children’ self-acceptance. |
| D．The impact of poverty on children’s development. |
| A．Children who live with a single parent. |
| B．Children who have enough food and money. |
| C．Children who know of their strengths and weaknesses. |
| D．Children who have a whole family and economic security. |
| A．Family income. | B．Parents’ educational level. |
| C．Children’s age and gender. | D．The number of people in the family. |
| A．By showing respect when children are talking. | B．By talking about their own problems. |
| C．By keeping silent when disagreements arise. | D．By backing children’s opinions forever. |
10 . Last year, Doctor Steve Lome came to truly understand what it means to be at the right place at the right time. During a half-marathon, he found himself in the position to
Gregory had just reached the peak and was
The rest of the race itself was
“I never expected something like that would happen to my life, let alone in the same
| A．defeat | B．encourage | C．sponsor | D．save |
| A．rapidly | B．evidently | C．smoothly | D．randomly |
| A．unwell | B．disabled | C．familiar | D．excellent |
| A．worried | B．confused | C．relieved | D．surprised |
| A．expected | B．remembered | C．approached | D．demanded |
| A．tell | B．predict | C．decide | D．imagine |
| A．removed | B．confirmed | C．stated | D．reported |
| A．formal | B．fair | C．uncompetitive | D．uneventful |
| A．lesson | B．drug | C．device | D．help |
| A．caught up | B．broke down | C．fell down | D．sat down |
| A．place | B．race | C．hospital | D．peak |
| A．timing | B．setting | C．opportunity | D．background |
| A．agreed | B．failed | C．prepared | D．paused |
| A．proving | B．meaning | C．indicating | D．realizing |
| A．ending | B．recording | C．solution | D．review |
