1 . Tears, often associated with human emotions, have sparked curiosity regarding their presence in nonhuman animals. While humans have long been recognized as the only species to produce tears in response to emotions, recent studies delve into the possibility of similar occurrences in other creatures.

Tears serve various purposes across species. The primary function of tears can maintain eye health, while reflex tears combat external irritants. Emotional tears, however, remain a subject of debate. Historically, societies deemed emotional crying as uniquely human, association it with expressions of sadness or vulnerability.

Although scientific consensus still favors emotional tears as a human trait, recent investigations suggest otherwise. A study published in 2022 observed tear secretion in dogs during positive emotional encounters, such as reuniting with their owners. This phenomenon, triggered by the hormone oxytocin, potentially strengthens the bond between humans and dogs.

Moreover, observations of domestic pigs and rats have revealed tear-like secretions when in a state of tension, indicating a possible emotional response. These findings challenge the notion of emotional tears being exclusive to humans.

Despite anecdotal evidence of animals displaying signs of sadness, such as elephants, gorillas, and wolves, scientific backing remains rare. Professionals working with animals have reported no instances of emotional crying. Anecdotes often lead to anthropomorphism, attributing human behaviors to animals without solid evidence. The viral video of a “crying” bison gained widespread attention, yet experts suggest a more reasonable explanation, such as irritation from dust or wind. While ancient depictions, like the bi son painting in the Chauvet cave, hint at tear-like imagery, concrete evidence is lacking.

In conclusion, while emotional tears remain primarily associated with humans, emerging research suggests the possibility of similar phenomena in certain animal species. Further studies are needed to uncover the complexities of emotional responses across the animal kingdom.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．A topic of tears and human emotions.	B．A topic on tears in nonhuman animals.
C．Human tears and those of other creatures.	D．The emotional significance of human tears.

2. Which animals exhibit tear-like secretions during stressful conditions?

A．Dogs.	B．Bison.
C．Domestic pigs and rats.	D．Elephants and gorillas.

3. Why is the viral video of the “crying” bison mentioned Paragraph 5?

A．To suggest that animals are capable of emotional crying.

B．To emphasize the importance of viral videos in scientific research.

C．To highlight the need for further investigation into the behavior of bison.

D．To illustrate how anecdotes can lead to misconceptions about animal behavior.

4. Which can be the best title of the passage?

A．Why Do Animals Possess Emotional Tears?

B．Whether Do Animals Possess Emotional Tears?

C．Why Do Animals Possess Emotional Responses?

D．Whether Do Animals Possess Emotional Responses?

2 . My 10-year-old son and two friends attended a 2-hour fantastic basketball camp on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A few minutes before the session ended, there was a shooting contest. Only a few kids were chosen to compete, and my son was not one of them. The contest winners received prizes and recognition, as did a few kids chosen as “all-stars” for effort, skill and participation. Again, my son was not selected.

My son was struggling to deal with his disappointment.

At the camp, he played a basketball game with kids he had never met, guarded them fiercely and took shots easily against them. As his mom, I was thrilled that he spent the day without his iPad. All in all, the day felt wonderful. The last thing I wanted was for these awards to ruin the experience.

I decided to simplify it for him. I did the math and figured out the shooting contest and awards were about 6% of the total camp. The rest of the camp, the parts that he enjoyed, were 94% of the day. Even though the kid loves math, it was hard for him to see the contests and awards as a small part of his day.

My son once told me about a negative situation that played out at recess (课间休息). The way he explained it felt like the disagreement lasted hours, but it turns out it was only the last few minutes of recess.

Now is the time for me as the parent to help my kids think more positively. If my son leaves a half-day camp and most of the day was great — that’s a win. If our family is able to go to Florida over winter break and enjoy time together, away from the everyday headaches, that’s also a win. We can acknowledge the aspects that disappoint us, as long as we are willing to then focus on the bigger picture.

It starts with me and my husband. Our kids will model the behavior we show. They need to see us thinking positively and not hyper-focusing on the negative 6%.

1. Why did the author’s son become so disappointed?

A．He spent the day without his iPad.	B．He missed out on a basketball contest.
C．His mother didn’t turn up in a contest.	D．He didn’t gain awards in a shooting contest.

2. What is the author’s purpose in citing those figures in Paragraph 4?

A．To help her son to think positively.	B．To arouse her son’s interest in math.
C．To emphasize the disappointing aspects.	D．To simplify the process of the shooting contest.

3. What will the author do next probably?

A．Do the math.	B．Set an example.
C．Start a project.	D．Learn from other parents.

4. What can be concluded from the text according to the author?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Every coin has two sides.
C．The bigger picture matters.	D．Adversity makes a wise man.

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。

Chengde Mountain Resort

Chengde Mountain Resort lies in the north of Chengde City, Hebei Province in the north of China and covers an area of 5,640,000 square meters. First     1     (build) in the 42nd year during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, the whole construction of Chengde Mountain Resort     2     (last) a total of about 90 years. The resort is mainly composed of Palace Zone and Garden Scenery Zone.

Located in the south part of the resort, Palace Zone comprises rows of buildings in a perfect layout,     3     look like those in the Forbidden City in Beijing.     4     buildings fall into four groups: Central Palace, Pine and Crane Studio, Valleys and Pines, and East Palace.

Garden Scenery Zone is divided into the lake area, the plain area and the mountain area.     5     (lie) in the west and north of the plain area, the mountain area has an area of 4,435,000 square meters, accounting for four     6     (five) of the total area of the resort. The towering peaks seem as if they are natural blockades preventing the bitter wind from entering the zone and that seems to be     7     the weather here is regulated.

Unlike other royal gardens, Chengde Mountain Resort is a perfect     8     (combine) of quintessence of both the south and north gardens that follow the natural terrain and suit measures to conditions of mountains and waters for construction. It is an outcome of inheriting (继承) and     9     (far) expanding the architectural philosophy of Chinese classical gardens. It is a milestone of pride in Chinese garden history and a masterwork of Chinese classical garden art, claimed     10     the largest existing royal garden in the world.

4 . 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。

“Dear Jenny, I am really sorry to tell you that you didn’t get the position this time. The interviewers had a discussion about you. You have a very good experience, but you are not qualified for this position. The journalist we want is to communicate with people from walks of life, so you should be more sociable and more energetic. So, sorry.” Actually, such was not quite new to Jenny and this was the third time that she had been rejected for a job position after her graduation from university as a top student.

Overwhelmed (淹没) with sadness, she lifted her hands to cover her face. Her heart was broken with self-doubt whether she was never good enough to fit in with the highly competitive adult world. It seemed that the excellence she displayed at school was nothing but illusion. “Maybe I should quit applying for that demanding job,” Jenny whispered to herself.

Sensing something wrong, Jenny’s father, James, said to his daughter, “Congratulations on your graduation, and time to enjoy your youth. In celebration of your new life, I’d like to give you something special. Here is a car that I acquired many years ago. But before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them you want to sell it and see how much they offer you.”

Unwilling as Jenny was, she went to the used car lot and they offered her only one thousand dollars because the car looked very worn out. With that offer, she returned back to her father and out of her expectation, this time her father told her to take this car to a pawnshop (当铺). Confused, Jenny went to the pawnshop where they should have offered her ten thousand dollars as her father’s car looked a little bit old to them. “Maybe it is a perfect deal!” thought Jenny. But then, the father advised his daughter to keep trying and go to a car club and show them the car. The daughter took the car to the club, and then, breathtakingly, something magic happened.

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。

People there willingly offered one hundred thousand dollars for the same car.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wearing a satisfied smile, James said, “They identified it as an expensive car.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Writing a successful English speech can be a challenging task, but with the following tips, you can create a powerful and engaging speech.

    1    

The first step in crafting a convincing speech is to know who will be listening. Consider the interests and knowledge level of them. Tailor your language, examples and tone to resonate with them and make a connection.

Organize your speeches

    2    . Start with a strong opening that grabs the audience’s attention, introduce your main points in the body of the speech, and end with a memorable conclusion that strengthens your message. Use transitions to smoothly guide your audience from one point to the next.

Make your speeches persuasive

To make your speeches persuasive, use powerful and convincing language. Choose words that evoke (唤起) emotion, imagery or action. Use rhetorical devices (修辞手法) like repetition, parallelism and metaphors to enhance your message and make it memorable.     3    .

Practice and get feedback

The key to delivering a successful speech is practice. Rehearse your speeches multiple times to improve your delivery, timing and confidence.     4    . Seek feedback from peers or teachers to get different perspectives and identify areas for improvement.

With these tips, you can deliver a wonderful speech.     5    . Remember, the more you improve your skills, the better you will become at delivering attractive speeches.

A．Understand your audience

B．Collect relevant information

C．Persuade your audience to listen carefully

D．It will leave a lasting impression on your audience

E．A well-structured speech has a clear beginning, middle and end

F．Consider recording yourself in front of a mirror to observe your gestures

G．Support your arguments with examples to add credibility to your speeches

8 . Since the African Union first launched Great Green Wall in 2007, the initiative has struggled to make headway. Made up of local efforts across 11 countries, it has reached just 16% of its overall goal. But last month, the project, which analysts estimate will cost at least $30 billion, got a major boost: a total of $14 billion in funding over the next 5 years from a union of international development banks and governments.

Environmental restoration and community development specialists welcomed the news. But many are also apprehensive. In recent years, research by ecologists and social scientists has shown that many forestry projects in Africa have failed because they didn’t adequately address fundamental social and ecological issues.

The project leaders often planted species in places where they didn’t belong, and did little to help the young trees survive. “Tree planting is often viewed as the simple act of digging a hole,” forest scientist Karen Holl said. “But this short-term view has resulted in large quantities of money being spent on efforts that have failed almost entirely.”

In Africa, the adoption of one approach called Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), is credited with regreening a notable portion of the Sahel. The low-cost restoration technique took off in Niger in the 1980s and has since spread to other nations. It relies on farmers to protect and nurture trees that grow from existing root systems and seeds in the soil. Over decades, FMNR has led to greater tree cover and other ecological benefits, such as higher soil carbon content, researchers have found.

But many efforts, particularly those not led by local communities, stumble (蹒跚而行). Newly planted trees can die of neglect when planners don’t engage communities from the start in discussions about which species to plant, as well as whether residents are willing and able to provide the water, fertilizer, and protection from grazing animals that trees need. “The farmers are often busy and have their own priorities; they will not manage trees that they do not value,” forest specialist Abayneh Derero wrote in a study.

1. What is the good news for Great Green Wall?

A．It will get more funds.	B．It will be completed soon.
C．More countries will build it.	D．More scientists will study it.

2. What should the forestry project leaders do to get success?

A．Address their own issues properly.

B．Help young African people survive.

C．Act according to the local conditions.

D．Learn how to dig holes and plant trees.

3. Why is FMNR mentioned in the text?

A．To analyse a different reason	B．To offer a practicable solution.
C．To present a social background.	D．To explain a similar phenomenon.

4. What does the last paragraph stress about the forestry project?

A．It’s vital to protect trees from animals.

B．The farmers have their own priorities.

C．The residents’ abilities need developing.

D．Local people’s involvement is important.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where are the speakers?

A．In a car.

B．In an airport.

C．In a hotel.

2. What is the man like?

A．Old and beardless.

B．Young and black-haired.

C．White-haired and bearded.

3. What does the man always carry on business trips?

A．A big bag.

B．A backpack.

C．A suitcase.

4. What is the man allowed to do according to the woman?

A．Drive the car.

B．Change the room.

C．Move to another hotel.