1 . A recent story on TikTok showed how two neighbors found companionship during the lockdown because of the pandemic (疫情), thanks to a shared love of the piano.

The story started when Giorgio Lo Porto heard his neighbor playing the piano through their dividing wall. Lo Porto, an Italian living in London, decided to reach out to his neighbor and left a note asking him or her to play My Heart Will Go On. The mystery neighbor agreed, leading Lo Porto to send another note suggesting they play a duet (二重奏) together from the comfort of their own homes. The mystery neighbor started playing the piano at 2:00 pm, and when he stopped after finishing a part of a song, Lo Porto continued. Over time the duets between the two complete strangers became a regular weekend appointment.

Weeks later, the pair finally met and it was better than expected. The mystery pianist happened to be a 78-year-old Polish man named Emil, who was living in temporary accommodation until his house was sold. He lost his wife in December due to COVID-19 and all he had left was the piano. And the reason why he played at 2: 00 pm every weekend was that he and his wife used to do that.

The pair finished a final duet together — Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata — before Emil moved out at the end of February.

While this is heartwarming in itself, the story has a heartbreaking ending: On March 14, Lo Porto shared that his old neighbor had passed away in his sleep. He said, “Now he is reunited with his wife.”

While saying goodbye to Emil, Lo Porto wrote, “Dear Emil, I knew very little about you, but you changed my life. You gave me back my passion, and we shared that with the world. You’ll be in my heart. I’ll keep playing, thinking of how powerful music can be. You said I was your light, but you’ve been mine, too. Bye, Emil.”

1. What happened after Lo Porto left the second note for Emil?

A．They composed a new song based on a classic.

B．They reached out to neighbors to cheer them up.

C．They shared their playing skills with TikTokers.

D．They performed music together through the wall.

2. Why did Emil play the piano at a special time?

A．To upload his updates.	B．To remember his wife.
C．To advertise his house.	D．To comfort strangers.

3. What is the sad part of the story in the author’s opinion?

A．Emil's passing away.	B．Lo Porto’s departure.
C．The pair’s final performance.	D．The unfamiliarity between the pair.

4. What does Lo Porto mainly convey at last?

A．He admired Emil’s ambition.	B．It is easy to say goodbye.
C．Emil positively influenced him.	D．Music is a universal language.

2 . 阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

In China, Tree Planting Day falls on March 12, but more often people plant trees during Qing Ming Festival in early April. Newly-planted trees can survive more easily with a     1     (warm) climate and frequent spring rainfall at that time.

China set March 12     2     the National Tree-Planting Day in 1979 to memorize Sun Yat-sen (孙中山),     3     died on March 12, 1925. Sun had called for planting trees.

Since 2013, President Xi Jinping has joined Beijing citizens in tree planting activities for nine years in a row. President Xi called on the public     4     (stick) to the tradition of planting trees in spring. “Students should establish an awareness of protecting     5     environment and cherish the green plants,” Xi said in 2017 when     6     (attend) a tree planting activity in Chaoyang district of Beijing.

China has seen a remarkable     7     (grow) in forest resources and afforestation(造林) projects. Nationwide voluntary tree planting campaigns in China over the past four decades     8     (see) increased participation by members of the public and nearly 79 billion trees have been planted. The campaign has made China the country with the largest increase in forest resources and the largest area of     9     (plant) forests.

In the future, China will launch more effective     10     (measure) to fulfill the country’s climate commitment to peak (达到峰值) carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality (碳中和) before 2060.

3 . 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。

We believe that acts of kindness can change the world for the     1     (good). On April 28,       2     (country) across the world will unite with one common goal:to stand for kindness together. Pay It Forward Day helps conduct a series of goodness     3     (feel) across the globe.

Pay It Forward Day, a worldwide celebration of kindness,     4     (create) in 2010 in the United States, working hard to bring forward     5     concept of paying it forward to the world at large. We are excited that we now have over 80 countries     6     (participate)   in Pay it Forward Day with over 100 state and city proclamations.

Of course,     7     we all hope is that people pay kindness forward every day and make each day a little bit brighter. We believe that small acts, when multiplied by millions of people can     8     (definite) have a deep impact on the world—and on April 28th we’ll set out to prove it! For this year's international Pay it Forward Day(PIFD)we are aiming to inspire over 10 million acts of kindness around the world. Imagine the     9     (different) that would make! Join us     10     paying it forward and help spread the word about this important day!

4 . Scientists have discovered how plants manage to live alongside each other in places that are dark and shady. Plants in the deep darkness of a thick forest, where natural supplies are not very great in amount, won’t attempt to top their neighbors in growth as those in moderate (中度的) shade do. In deep shade conditions, it would be a waste of energy and harmful to survival because green shoots would never be able to top their larger neighbors in growth.

So how do plants prevent such growth in deep shade conditions? The secret lies in the clocks insides them, say scientists from the John Ines Centre and the University of Bristol.

They have discovered that when plants notice deep shade, this changes the expression of genes parts of the circadian clock (昼夜节律时钟) — the inner daily timer found in plants and other things. These clock parts perform an additional role in preventing plants from lengthening and overtopping neighbors.

The work identifies a previously unknown role of the circadian clock in controlling plant development and the findings may have possible effects on both natural plant populations and crops. Professor Antony Dodd of the John Innes Centre said, “The biological clock of plants plays a big part in their development and fitness. This work casts new light on a new role of the circadian clock in adapting plants to competition with other plants in their environments.” “It also gives us new insights into how plants adapt to very deep shade, where resources are very limited,” said Professor Kerry Franklin at the University of Bristol.

This work provides evidence for the firmness of the circadian clock in stressful environments, and information that may be useful in developing new generations of crops in a challenging climate.

1. What do plants normally do in moderate shade?

A．Struggle to preserve energy.	B．Compete for limited resources.
C．Try to outgrow their neighbors.	D．Depend on each other to survive.

2. How does the circadian clock affect plants?

A．By changing their gene expression.	B．By making them realize light change.
C．By helping them adapt to the darkness.	D．By controlling their growth in deep shade.

3. Why does the author write the text?

A．To share a new discovery about plants.	B．To introduce the role of the circadian clock.
C．To explain plants secret of living in forests.	D．To compare plants living in certain condition.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How plants face a challenging climate

B．Why plants respond to different shade levels

C．Why the circadian clock is vital to plants' growth

D．How plants become good neighbors in times of stress

5 . 除了发布博客、拍照片和写关于大堡礁的文章，本还多次在电视上露面号召保护大堡礁。（汉译英）

6 . Life on earth evolves (进化) through the passing on of genes. How does culture evolve?

The evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, coined the term “meme” in his book The Selfish Gene. According to Dawkins, while genes are the pieces of biological information from our parents which determines our appearance and how we grow, memes are units of cultural information — ideas and beliefs — that “pass from brain to brain”. Like genes, memes must compete for survival — if a meme cannot gain our attention. it disappears.

Basically, any shared idea related to culture is a meme. Myths, for example, are memes. Every society has its own stories that have survived, with some variations, for hundreds or thousands of years. The mythological dragon in Chinese culture is an idea that has been successfully passed among people for generations and is therefore also a meme.

Historically, memes have spread very gradually by word of mouth. Within Internet culture, though, a successful idea can be shared among millions of people within a few hours. Internet memes (which may for example, take the form of an image, a video or a website) may not last long, but they are particularly catching. They are shared “liked” copied and thus rapidly grown.

Then why do some ideas succeed in gaining our attention while others fail to attract us? It’s difficult to say, but humor is generally a factor. People are most likely to forward something to their friends if they think it is funny and the easier it is to digest the further the meme travels. Other memes may gain ground because they are something out of the ordinary. Aside from pure entertainment. Internet memes have a commercial aspect. Given their mass appeal, it is no surprise that advertisements turn up alongside them.

1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “coined” in Paragraph 2?

A．Accepted.

B．Preferred.

C．Invented.

D．Understood.

2. What do we learn about memes?

A．They are genes passed down from our parents.

B．They are cultural units that spread among people.

C．They belong to myths in different cultures.

D．They determine the development of the Internet.

3. How does a meme within Internet culture differ from one in history?

A．It spreads faster and wider.	B．It takes fewer forms.
C．It’s harder to digest.	D．It lasts longer.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The distance a meme can travel.	B．Achievements of Internet memes.
C．Reasons for the success of some memes.	D．The uniqueness of a meme.

7 . People who possess high self-esteem are able to commit better and produce a greater bond in relationships with others. Dr. Douglas feels that most people do not value themselves, but with love and self-respect anyone can be above normality and grasp success with the family, the office, or others.

We have become too reliant on intelligence, beauty, and money for our own self-esteem. The loss of esteem reduces the will and ability to set and reach goals. In a series of readings Douglas teaches how to avoid negative statements, how to change them into self-facing behavior, and how to take charge of your mental attitude. Where other motivational and self-help works stop with the theoretical plan for success, Douglas takes everyday examples and puts them into his books. From raising children who believe in themselves to using self-esteem to help bridge the gap in the workplace, he gives readers concrete solutions to the problems that might ruin their interpersonal relations.

Self-esteem building comes from filling your thoughts with positive affirmations (肯定) and learning to react to failures with motivation instead of self-destruction. These lessons are valuable for anyone who feels that life is even slightly out of control. People who feel they have adequate esteem can learn to use it to make their success grander, faster, and more beneficial for others. Douglas approaches this process of self-development as a means of more than creating good things for the individual but also for setting up keys for influencing good things for others.

For more than thirty years, Dr. Douglas has addressed more than two million people on topics from time management to speaking effectively to raising drug-free children. He is the author of fifteen books, including How to Make a Habit of Succeeding.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?

A．Most people behave well enough.	B．Self-respect means being above normality.
C．Self-esteem matters much.	D．Committing better equals greater success.

2. Why does Douglas put everyday examples into bis books?

A．To be reliant on self-esteem.	B．To set and reach goals.
C．To avoid negative thoughts.	D．To offer concrete solutions.

3. What does the author advise those whose life is slightly out of control to do?

A．Learn to be positive.	B．Face it unmotivatedly.
C．Admit self-destruction.	D．Ask for help.

4. What’s the most important to be self-development?

A．Influencing the individual.	B．Influencing more people.
C．Gaining more benefits.	D．Speaking more effectively.

8 . A double chin occurs when a layer of fat around your neck sags (下垂). Overweight and aging are closely related to double chins.     1     But don’t worry if you fear you’re at risk, there are exercises you can do to strengthen your neck muscles.

Pout (撅嘴)

    2     It can be done seated or standing. Simply stick the bottom lip out as far as possible to form a pouting face. Hold this position for three seconds, and then begin to tilt (倾斜) your head towards your chest while keeping your lower lip out. Hold for another three seconds. You should aim to do this 10 to 20 times, as if taking a selfie.

    3    

It sounds a little odd, but stretching your head up to whistle at the ceiling can help strengthen your muscles. Tilt the head back and look at the ceiling while sitting.     4     Then hold for 10 to 20 seconds.

Chew gum

Not only is chewing gum a small exercise for the facial muscles, but it can also help you lose those extra pounds to rid you of your double chin. Studies have found that people who chewed gum felt more satisfied after their meal and were less likely to snack. By resisting the urge to snack, you’re reducing the amount of calories in the diet.     5    

A．Whistle at the ceiling

B．Stretch your neck forwards

C．Close your lips into the whistling position.

D．This will help you lose the fat causing your double chin.

E．This is an effective way to strengthen the jaw and neck muscles.

F．A bad posture can also weaken the muscles around the neck and the chin.

G．Doing facial exercises is a natural way to make your face look younger.

9 . Golden Generation

A national team, mostly consisting of teenagers, pushed China to its biggest-ever medal achievement at the Winter Olympics. At the same time, a series of breakthroughs at the Games _________ the country’s emergence as a much more well-rounded force on the ice and snow.

_________ the heroics of teenage sensation Gu Ailing and seasoned aerials(空中技巧滑雪)masters Xu Mengtao and Qi Guangpu, China _________ four gold to top the freestyle skiing medal standings for the first time after its Winter Olympic debut in 1980.

Gu Ailing also became the first athlete _________, and the youngest _________, to win three medals(golds in Big Air, halfpipe and silver in slopestyle)in three different freeski _________ at the Olympics, throwing her to international super-star reputation as the _________ of Beijing 2022.

Needless to say, another teenager star, Su Yiming, also became a _________   name by winning China’s first snowboarding gold medal in Big Air after claiming a silver in slopestyle. Su’s _________ helped the host finish a highest-ever third on the Games’ overall medal standings, ____________ nine gold, four silver and two bronze-its biggest-ever medal achievement at the Winter Games. China’s ____________ best was a tally of 11, including five gold, at the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

“The ____________ of the new generation on the Olympic stage, even seeing the emergence of teenagers, ____________ a great future for winter sports in our country,” said Li Yang, manager of China’s Big Air, slopestyle and halfpipe national programs.

“With winter sports becoming popular in our country amid the fast social and ____________ development, I believe more and more young people will ____________ skis and snowboards to enjoy the sport, just as young as Su and Gu did when they were little, which will ____________ expand the talent pool for our future national programs,”Li said.

The Beijing Winter Games also ____________ the first time that China’s snow sports teams outperformed the country’s traditionally strong ice sports squads in the medal numbers, securing investment in high-performance training programs and ____________ the foundation for even better results at the next Winter Games in Italy.

“____________ we keep the tendency going, I believe we will ____________ a stronger performance in four years' time at the next Olympics in 2026,” said Yang Yang, China’s first Winter Olympic gold medalist, in women’s short-track speed skating at the 2002 Games.

1.

A．specializes

B．signals

C．swallows

D．subscribes

2.

A．Thanks to

B．In addition to

C．Regardless of

D．In terms of

3.

A．confirmed

B．concludes

C．clarifies

D．claimed

4.

A．in detail

B．in history

C．by nature

D．with pride

5.

A．ever

B．never

C．already

D．yet

6.

A．incidents

B．events

C．affairs

D．issues

7.

A．access

B．start

C．face

D．popularity

8.

A．civilization

B．teenage

C．household

D．education

9.

A．performance

B．knowledge

C．concept

D．ambition

10.

A．on

B．at

C．of

D．with

11.

A．typical

B．fortunate

C．relevant

D．previous

12.

A．rise

B．profession

C．convention

D．explosion

13.

A．accounts

B．represents

C．estimates

D．recommends

14.

A．agricultural

B．historical

C．economic

D．natural

15.

A．hold up

B．break up

C．get up

D．pick up

16.

A．deeply

B．greatly

C．thoroughly

D．countlessly

17.

A．signed

B．allowed

C．followed

D．marked

18.

A．lying

B．shaking

C．laying

D．rocking

19.

A．As long as

B．If only

C．As far as

D．In that

20.

A．focus

B．impress

C．witness

D．observe

10 . A wildfire kills most things in its path, but despite the flames and intense temperatures, rarely is everything reduced to ashes -and that plays a key role in a forest's regeneration. Just one year after the fire, the survivors dominate the forest, and grasses replace the burnt ground. Wildflowers are abundant bushes and small trees have started to grow, and Jack Pine returned. So, it's an amazing ecological system of creating new forest life when it appears that all is lost, one that has evolved throughout the ages, where fire has always played a vital role.

What does the underlined word "one" in the last paragraph refer to?

A．A fire.

B．A life

C．A time.

D．A system