The cool morning air was filled with the hustle and bustle (喧嚣忙碌) typical of a weekday. “Jordan! Julia!” I called out. “Get dressed right away—we’re late!”
It was another one of those mornings where everything could go wrong. I hadn’t been a single mom for all that long, but with the approach of the new year, I was filled with a renewed sense of optimism. This year, I thought, things would be different. We would be more organized, more on time, and less chaotic (混乱的). Or so was the plan.
Jordan, my thoughtful twelve-year-old, was the first to emerge from his room, looking slightly untidy but ready for the day. “Sorry, Mom,” he said in a low voice, adjusting his glasses. “I couldn’t find my science project.”
Julia, who was only eight years old, was not far behind. “I’m not wearing this!” she protested, holding up a dress I had laid out for her. “It’s a bit worn!”
I took a deep breath, trying to be patient. “Okay, quickly find something else. We really have to go!”
Breakfast was some piece of bread and milk, but somehow, we managed. As we rushed out the door, I couldn’t help but feel a bit defeated. Wasn’t the new year supposed to bring about change? Yet here we were, the same chaotic conditions, running late as ever.
In the car, Jordan broke the silence. “Mom, you’re doing great,” he said, a serious look in his eyes. It was moments like these that reminded me of the maturity he possessed beyond his years. Julia cut in, saying, “Yeah, Mom. We love you, even when we’re late.” Her words, though a bit simple and sincere, warmed my heart.
As I dropped them off at school, their cheerful goodbyes and “I love yous” filled me with a sense of purpose. Maybe it wasn’t about being perfect or having everything under control. Maybe it was about these moments of love and comfort, of overcoming daily obstacles (障碍) together.
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。
Picking up the kids after school, I was greeted with their excited talking about their day.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” I asked them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Huishan Ancient Town in Wuxi, East China’s Jiangsu province, is known as one of the four best spots in China
Two emperors in the Qing Dynasty visited Huishan seven times
The town’s 1,600-year-old Huishan Temple is home to a 600-year-old tree,
3 . Driving through a West Haven crossroads, a young man named Rhett and his friends encountered something extraordinary. There, in the middle of the road, was a box filled with envelopes. But these were no
The rightful owner of the money, who had reported it lost, was informed of its
The owner’s reaction to getting his money back was one of disbelief and enormous gratitude. He planned to meet the young men to thank them
Their actions
| A．thick | B．ordinary | C．stamped | D．official |
| A．amounting | B．referring | C．sticking | D．contributing |
| A．recording | B．blessing | C．recalling | D．picking |
| A．unavoidable | B．unconfirmed | C．uneventful | D．unexpected |
| A．Instead of | B．Owing to | C．In addition to | D．In spite of |
| A．integrity | B．patience | C．tolerance | D．generosity |
| A．eye-catching | B．decision-making | C．time-saving | D．mind-blowing |
| A．survival | B．progress | C．recovery | D．application |
| A．imperfect | B．immeasurable | C．impractical | D．impure |
| A．warned | B．doubted | C．applauded | D．advocated |
| A．vividly | B．frequently | C．casually | D．personally |
| A．victory | B．investment | C．response | D．reminder |
| A．carry away | B．consist of | C．serve as | D．rely on |
| A．recognized | B．benefited | C．honored | D．alarmed |
| A．matter | B．arise | C．disappear | D．remain |
4 . More than 100 dolphins were found dead in the Amazon River during a severe drought and record-high water temperatures. The conditions in which the animals were found have caused fears that the rising global temperatures may be passing the tolerance level for vulnerable (易受伤害的) species.
The dead bodies of animals appeared at Lake Tefé, a branch of the Amazon River, alongside thousands of dead fish. Experts believe that the low river levels, added to the unbearable water temperatures, contributed to the dolphins’ death.
The Amazon River dolphin is native to South America. It is also known by the locals as boto, and can be pink or gray. Scientists noted that roughly eight of every 10 deaths are pink dolphins, which could represent 10% of their estimated population in Lake Tefé.
“The past month in Tefé has seemed like a science-fiction climate-change description,” Daniel Tregidgo, a British researcher living in the area, told The Guardian. “To know that one has died is sad, but to see lots of dead bodies, knowing that this drought has killed over 100 dolphins, is a tragedy.” The International Union for the Conservation of Nature classifies botos as endangered, and there are only six existing freshwater dolphin species left in the world.
The effects of the drought are also felt by the populations living on the edges of the river. The level of the Amazon River has fallen by 30 centimeters each day over the past two weeks. Since most food and fuel supplies are transported by boat, there are concerns that this could drive up prices and cause food insecurity. The drought has also impacted fishing, an activity that provides food and income for many families in the region.
The Amazon has historically been known for its biodiversity, as it is home to 10% of all the wildlife species we know about. Sadly, it now seems to be front row to the effects of global warming, affecting both endangered species and vulnerable communities. Now, the community is preparing for more droughts over the next couple of weeks, which could result in more animal deaths and further hardships for the region.
1. What’s the function of the figures in paragraph 3?| A．To call for urgent rescue. |
| B．To present the research result. |
| C．To show the severe situation. |
| D．To analyze the types of dolphins. |
| A．The disaster was really a shock to him. |
| B．The locals took no measures to tackle the drought. |
| C．Removing dead dolphins put researchers in trouble. |
| D．The massive deaths mainly resulted from high temperatures. |
| A．Food shortage. | B．Dolphins’ sickness. |
| C．Rising demand for food. | D．Work-family conflict. |
| A．Dolphins Are in Danger of Extinction |
| B．Dolphins Can’t Survive High Temperatures |
| C．The Death of Dolphins Alarms the Public |
| D．A Severe Drought Kills over 100 Dolphins |
5 . During winter in the Northern Hemisphere(半球), many countries have experienced freezing temperatures. Some have claimed that the cold weather can endanger the electricity supply—namely, in the form of wind turbine(涡轮机)failure. But as long as they’re weatherproofed, that isn’t the case.
People started kicking off loudly about wind power and winter back in 2021 when Texas experienced historically low temperatures, and with them, a massive power failure. Blame was quickly placed on iced-over wind turbines—and it turned into quite the political debate about the use of renewable energy—but the problem wasn’t with wind power itself. The turbines simply weren’t prepared for such low temperatures.
“The primary issue with the wind turbines in Texas is that such extreme cold weather was not expected based on the historical record of weather, and therefore the developers didn’t weatherize the wind turbines,” Michael Howland, MIT professor of environmental engineering, said. “Wind turbines operate in much colder locations than Texas, and dealing with icing is very straightforward and common through weatherization.”
According to international design standards, wind turbines should be able to operate down to temperatures as low as -20℃. However, wind farms operate successfully in places where it can get much colder than that, like the North Sea, Finland, and Sweden, the latter of which recently experienced a less-than-mild -41.6℃. In countries such as these, wind turbines are designed with what’s known as “cold-weather packages”.
Swedish power company Skellefteå Kraft has created one such package that’s designed to stop ice from even getting a chance to stick to the blades(叶片). “It involves covering the wind turbine’s blades with a thin layer of carbon fibre which is heated when necessary to prevent ice from forming,” the company website explains. “Ice sensors then detect when there is a risk of ice formation and start the de-icing system.”
Thanks to these features, turbines can keep on running in temperatures that would certainly put the rest of us off work. The events in Texas suggest that, with the recent small increase in super cold winters, specialized weather packages might end up being a more widespread necessity.
1. What do we know about Texas in 2021?| A．It lacked enough wind turbines. |
| B．It valued the renewable energy more. |
| C．It prepared well to fight low temperatures. |
| D．It experienced a great failure of electric power. |
| A．Developers weatherized turbines. | B．Wind power had limitations. |
| C．The weather was unexpectedly cold. | D．Turbines were designed for warmth. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. | C．Optimistic. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Culture. | C．Business. | D．Technology. |
6 . Nick Dunlap, a 20-year-old sophomore (大二学生) who plays golf for the University of Alabama, won the American Express tournament at the PGA West golf course in La Quinta, California.
Dunlap’s score was one stroke (杆) better than South African professional Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who finished second. But despite defeating a host of pro-golfers, he won’t be able to take home the $1,512,000 prize because he is an amateur golfer. Instead, runner-up Bezuidenhout will receive the first-place prize. The three players who tied for third place will be paid as if they finished in a three-way tie for second place.
“I’ve learned so much today, and I’m so grateful to be here,” Dunlap said in an interview posted by the PGA Tour page on X, formerly Twitter. “To see some of the people rooting for me was really special.”
Dunlap is the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since 1991, when a young Phil Mickelson won the Tucson Open. Dunlap is also the youngest amateur to win a tour event since 1910. Dunlap’s big win is just the latest in a string of successes that indicate a bright future for the golfer from Huntsville, Alabama.
With his win in the US Amateur championship last year, Dunlap joined Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win both that famous tournament and the US Junior Amateur championship, which Dunlap won in 2021.
The win also qualifies Dunlap to turn professional at any point and join the 2024 PGA Tour with automatic membership through the 2026 season. If he retains his amateur position through the conclusion of the 2024 tour season, he has 30 days after the end of the 2024 season to declare himself a professional for the 2025 season, or 30 days after the end of the 2025 season to declare himself a professional for the 2026 season.
1. What made Dunlap fail to win the big prize?| A．His age. | B．His skill. | C．His fame. | D．His identity. |
| A．His fame starts to rise. | B．He has a promising future. |
| C．His victory means a lot. | D．He has priority over other players. |
| A．To present the other amateurs. | B．To demonstrate Dunlap’s strength. |
| C．To introduce another great golfer. | D．To state Woods’ role as a role model. |
| A．Obtains. | B．Keeps. | C．Reveals. | D．Switches. |
7 . New Space Missions in 2024
ESA’s Hera mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch its Hera spacecraft in October on a mission to return to an asteroid (小行星) system visited by NASA’s DART spacecraft in 2022. Hera is designed to collect data on the targeted system, called Didymos. The spacecraft is expected to closely examine the physical properties of Didymos and measure detailed effects of DART’s crash.
Europa Clipper
NASA hopes to launch its Europa Clipper mission in October. This orbiter is designed to carry out close examinations of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Specifically, the mission will look for signs that the icy moon might hold the right conditions to support life. NASA says the orbiter will fly in orbit around Jupiter and perform repeated close flybys of the icy moon.
Boeing’s Starliner test flight
NASA and Boeing have said they plan to launch the first crewed test flight of the company’s Starliner spacecraft. NASA says it is targeting May 2024 to have Starliner ready for flight. The launch date is to be set later.
The spacecraft completed its first unscrewed flight test to the International Space Station (ISS) last May. But Boeing has experienced several technical difficulties with Starliner during the mission and has worked with NASA to fix the problems as it prepares for the planned crewed flight.
SpaceX Starship test
SpaceX, another NASA’s partner, has been successfully using its rockets and spacecraft to transport astronauts and materials to the ISS since 2020. But the company will be seeking a successful test flight in 2024 for its super-heavy Starship spacecraft.
SpaceX experienced two failed Starship tests in 2023 — one in April and the other in November — which resulted in explosions. The April explosion caused major damage to the launch structure in the state of Texas. SpaceX has said it has been examining the issues related to the explosions and plans to carry out another test of Starship as soon as possible. But it will have to wait until the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completes its investigation of the launch site damage and approves a new test.
1. Which of the following plans to collect data about Didymos?| A．NASA. | B．FAA. | C．SpaceX. | D．ESA. |
| A．In April. | B．In May. | C．In October. | D．In November. |
| A．The date for its third test flight is unclear. |
| B．It has succeeded in sending astronauts to the ISS. |
| C．The reason for its first failure has been identified. |
| D．Its second test flight damaged the launch structure. |
Bonnie raised her granddaughter alone after the girl’s parents died. She hated her granddaughter’s art and wanted her to stop drawing. But everything changed when Mr. Henderson, a famous cartoonist, appeared at her doorstep.
One day, Bonnie called out to Amy as she took the chicken out. “Dinner is ready, honey! Come soon!” But Amy didn’t answer.
Bonnie finished setting the table and served them dinner, but she still didn’t hear a response from Amy. “Amy? Honey, your dinner is getting cold! Are you coming?” she asked her 10-year-old granddaughter again.
When Amy didn’t respond, Bonnie climbed the stairs to the girl’s room and pushed the door open. Amy sat at her desk, with her headphones on. At first, Bonnie thought Amy was studying, but then she noticed the drawing sheet on the table in front of Amy. Bonnie frowned (皱眉) in anger.
“Amy!” Bonnie screamed, and the girl turned around and removed her headphones.
“Granny? I… I was just…” Amy said.
Bonnie stormed up to Amy’s desk, and the little girl tried to cover the drawing, but it was too late.
“Did you finish your math homework, little girl? Mrs. Warren called me today. And she told me you’ve been ignoring her assignments!” Bonnie said angrily.
“I’ll finish the homework,” Amy said. “I was planning on doing it once I finished the sketch (素描) I was working on, Granny.”
“I’m tired of that hobby of yours, Amy! You’re no longer doing those drawings!” Bonnie went on. “Those things you draw are not going to help you in the future! You finish your dinner, and then you’ll be doing your homework. You’re not leaving the house to play with your friends until you finish your homework. Am I clear?” Bonnie said and stormed out of Amy’s room.
Minutes later, Amy walked into the kitchen and quietly sat at the table. They began eating dinner in silence. Bonnie was already in a terrible mood, so she didn’t ask about Amy’s day like she usually did. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Amy answered the door and was surprised to see Mr. Henderson.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Bonnie hesitated for a long time and decided to ask Mrs. Warren for advice.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A total of 99 traditional culture enthusiasts, mostly in their 20s and 30s,
Initiated by Shandong Radio and Television Station in
The show invited four famous
Meng Man, a professor at the Minzu University of China, quoted some of
10 . Earlier this week, a mother called Meems posted a video online asking users to help her with a task.
This was the first time that her daughter had
Last week, Dr Hanson, a conductor and assistant professor of music at Seattle Pacific University, invited Meems and her daughter to attend the National Association for Music Education’s Northwest Division Conference where he
Feeling
| A．Laughing at | B．Throwing away | C．Adapting to | D．Pointing to |
| A．wrote | B．heard | C．spread | D．found |
| A．recognize | B．teach | C．play | D．change |
| A．allowed | B．tried | C．suggested | D．imagined |
| A．curious | B．humble | C．honest | D．conservative |
| A．letter | B．report | C．video | D．advertisement |
| A．showed | B．received | C．recorded | D．estimated |
| A．highlight | B．noise | C．news | D．decision |
| A．behavior | B．homework | C．plan | D．composition |
| A．conducted | B．criticized | C．praised | D．interrupted |
| A．frightened | B．surprised | C．stressed | D．disappointed |
| A．forgot | B．thanked | C．refused | D．cheated |
| A．light | B．mind | C．life | D．market |
| A．accident | B．business | C．view | D．response |
| A．friendship | B．hope | C．music | D．knowledge |
