1 . 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。

Over 50 Indian youths on Thursday attended a dialogue with Chinese astronauts     1     board the orbiting Chinese Tiangong space station.

The event “Tiangong Dialogue-SCO students talk with astronauts of Shenzhou-15 spaceship”     2     (organize) by China’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Committee. Teachers and students from SCO member countries were invited     3     (attend) the interaction through virtual mode. During the dialogue, Chinese astronauts at the Tiangong space station answered questions of the participants, including those     4     (raise) by Indian youths.

The Indian young people were welcomed into the dialogue by Ma Jia, an officer of the Chinese Embassy in India. She introduced achievement s of China’s space industry while     5     (note) that India has made great progress in     6     field of space.

India is the sixth country in the world to launch a satellite in geosynchronous orbit on its own, the first in Asia and the fourth in the world to     7     (successful) explore Mars. It shocked the world with its record-breaking launch of 104 satellites on one rocket.

Ma said that both China and India are committed to the national     8     (develop) and rejuvenation (复兴). She added that the two countries have great potential for exchange and cooperation in     9     (vary) fields including space science, and     10     the youth from the two neighbouring countries can promote the exchange among civilizations for a bright future for all.

2 . It is reported that about 14 percent of Americans aged over 12 have trouble in hearing. And hearing loss increases dramatically to 50 percent or more for those aged over 70. It often comes on so gradually that many ignore it. Only an estimated 15 to 25 percent of adults would use hearing aids, and the use is lowest among people who have less access to health care.

However, recent research has revealed that even mild or moderate hearing loss in older adults is associated with cognitive (认知的) decline. Older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia (痴呆), and the likelihood increases with the severity of the loss.

In July, Frank R. Lin, a professor from Johns Hopkins University, presented results from a first-of-its-kind randomized clinical trial. Participants are 977 adults aged between 70 and 84, including those who have more risk factors for developing dementia and those who are relatively healthy. They received best-practice hearing care, including hearing aids. Three years later, hearing aids did make a difference to the participants in cognitive decline. Especially for those who were at the higher risk for dementia, a 48 percent cut in risk of cognitive decline could be made if they got hearing aids.

When hearing loss is untreated, the brain’s organization changes, says Anu Sharma, an auditory neuroscientist of the University of Colorado Boulder. In adults with mild hearing loss, studies show a decrease in gray matter (灰质) in brain. Sharma found early signs that vision and touch areas of the brain cover and change underused hearing areas. Adults with hearing loss also show more activity in working memory areas. They need to make extra efforts just to listen, Sharma says, which may exhaust cognitive reserves.

Hearing loss is also associated with more falls, higher health-care costs, and increased loneliness and social isolation. “Hearing is fundamental to healthy aging,” says Nicholas Reed, who worked with Frank R. Lin on the cognitive-decline study.

1. What can we learn from the figures in the first paragraph?

A．Americans pay special attention to their hearing.

B．Americans are unaware of danger of hearing loss.

C．Many Americans with hearing loss stay untreated.

D．Most Americans are suffering serious hearing loss.

2. What did Frank R. Lin’s clinical trial reveal?

A．Hearing aids helped reduce cognitive decline.

B．Hearing aids worked on healthy people.

C．Cognitive decline could result in hearing loss.

D．Cognitive decline was unrelated to age.

3. What is paragraph 4 centred on?

A．What sign will appear before losing hearing.

B．How hearing loss impacts cognitive decline.

C．Why hearing loss is left untreated by people.

D．How our brain discourages cognitive decline.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Hearing loss—a new factor connected with dementia

B．Cognitive decline, caused by more than hearing loss

C．Dementia—an incurable but preventable disease

D．Hearing loss, having limited access to healthcare

4 . Humans have made the world less friendly to birds in many ways. One obvious example of this can be found in metal spikes (尖刺), or anti-bird spikes in buildings to prevent birds from landing and even nesting. However, a handful of birds have struck back.

Auke-Florian Hiemstra, a biologist researching animal architecture at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands, studies how wild animals use materials made by humans. He has seen nests that include some unusual materials—things like plastic flowers and sunglasses. But he was surprised when seeing a picture of a magpie (喜鹊) nest, the top of which had anti-bird spikes.

Researchers had learned that the smart species, magpies and crows (乌鸦), were stealing anti-bird spikes as a nest-building material. The two species appeared to use the anti-bird spikes in slightly different ways. For the crows, the spikes seemed purely structural, a material used to fashion a solid foundation. But for the magpies, there was an additional layer of intention: They appeared to use the spikes like humans do-rounded covering over their nests to keep other birds from landing.

One recent study reported that nests with man-made materials have been found all over the world and that the man-made materials include all kinds of man-made materials, including knitting needles, candy wrappers, spiky wires, and cigarette ends. Although magpies and crows haven’t been documented doing this, other birds have. Scientists aren’t sure if birds are using artificial materials because they’re better, or simply because they’re easy to find. What is noteworthy is that human-made materials in bird nests can cause injuries. For example, anti- bird netting, often placed over garden plots, is known to be dangerous for birds, which often end up being entangled in it.

For Hiemstra, while the new discoveries are fascinating, he also highlights a broader issue: the unfortunate popularity of anti-bird spikes. “It’s kind of sad to keep fighting against nature instead of accepting it as part of the city,” he said.

1. Why was Hiemstra surprised when seeing the photo of a magpie nest?

A．A magpie decorated its nest with plastic flowers.

B．Magpies and crows are as intelligent as humans.

C．Magpies and crows cooperated to build the nests.

D．The magpie nest was equipped with metal spikes.

2. How do magpies and crows differ from each other in using anti-bird spikes?

A．Crows use them for fashion.

B．Magpies use them for defence.

C．Crows use them to keep off other species.

D．Magpies use them to strengthen the nests.

3. What does the underline word “entangled” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Discovered.

B．Frightened.

C．Released.

D．Trapped.

4. What does Hiemstra intend to do in the last paragraph?

A．Support birds’ using man-made materials.

B．Accept anti-bird spikes as part of the city.

C．Disapprove of humans’ using anti-bird spikes.

D．Stress the popularity of anti-bird spikes in birds.

5 . The stands were always filled with family members to support their favorite players. I attended each of my son’s games. His father worked nights for years, and missed out on most of his games. My son Jorden knew if his dad could, he would be there sitting right beside me.

When Jorden was younger, some family members would occasionally come to watch. But gradually they stopped showing up. Never once did Jorden lead me to believe that this bothered him, but apparently it did. It wasn’t until when he was asked to give a speech at his baseball event that he made it very clear not only to me but a room filled with over 150 people just how important it is to have extra fans in the stands.

His speech was anything but like I thought it would be. It wasn’t short and bittersweet. It wasn’t his quick thank you to his coaches and teammates. He poured his heart out, saying he seldom had grandparents, aunts or uncles coming to support him. He was grateful that his teammates’ family members showed up to support not just their own loved ones but the entire team of boys. Clearly Jorden desired more than just me. Never did I ever think my son would be hurting inside as he looked out to the bleachers to see only me at each and every game.

As he struggled to get each word out through tears, I promised I would attend as many events of the children around as I possibly could. There was no way I could allow another child to feel what my son was feeling. This small simple gesture would mean so much to any child. Neither Jorden nor I was upset with those who never attended his games. Jorden just wanted someone else besides me to witness his craft in action. I understand all of our lives become complicated and that everyone is busy with their own children and jobs that may not allow them as much free time as they’d like.

1. What do we know about Jorden’s father?

A．He had long been misunderstood by Jorden.

B．He had few chances to attend Jorden’s games.

C．He managed to be with Jorden in every game.

D．He had made excuses to miss Jorden’s games.

2. What was Jorden’s speech about?

A．His ambition to win the championship.

B．His gratitude to his mother and coaches.

C．His complaint about his family members.

D．His desire for support from more people.

3. What does the author think of Jorden’s speech?

A．Depressing.

B．Complicated.

C．Astonishing.

D．Absurd.

4. How did the author respond to Jorden’s speech?

A．She tried to be actively involved in children’s games.

B．She promised not to miss out on games of every child.

C．She offered to invite many relatives to Jorden’s games.

D．She decided to lead Jorden to trust his family members.

6 . Animals being extinct from the Earth is a serious issue. When this happens in order to use their fur or skin for fashion, it is even worse, since it’s not even for a matter of human survival. That’s why a London zoo decided to make a powerful statement at the Siamese crocodile enclosure (鳄鱼围栏).

When visitors come in expecting to see a crocodile, they’re greeted with the handbag instead, making a very effective and powerful point about illegal wildlife trade and the harm it takes on the species involved.

A sign by the enclosure reads, “This bag used to be found swimming in slow-moving rivers and streams across Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Over the last 75 years, more than 80% of Siamese crocodiles have disappeared. Many, like this one, were hunted for their skins as part of the illegal wildlife trade.”.

Native to parts of Southeast Asia, Siamese crocodiles are critically endangered and have become virtually extinct in the wild. Due to hunting as well as habitat loss, they are now absent from nearly 99% of their original range. A huge part of the decline of population is due to humans using their wetland habitat for rice farming, and things only took a turn for the worse when large-scale hunting for their skin for commercial purposes began in the 1950s.

The particular handbag that is on display at the zoo was confiscated at a UK airport, according to Benjamin Tapley, leader of reptiles and amphibians at ZSL London Zoo.

Tapley told The Huffington Post, “We made this exhibit, within ZSL London Zoo’s Reptile House, to draw visitors’ attention to the destructive impact the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is having on species around the world. At ZSL, we are working globally with governments and local communities to protect wildlife, support law enforcement (执法) that targets illegal trade networks, empower local communities affected by IWT and reduce demand for threatened wildlife.”

1. Why does the sign say this handbag used to swim?

A．It is made of a crocodile’s skin.

B．It is made into a crocodile shape.

C．It is light enough to float on water.

D．It was kept in flowing river at first.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Wildly hunting of Siamese crocodiles.

B．Destruction of Siamese crocodiles’ habitats.

C．Commercial value of Siamese crocodiles.

D．Causes to make Siamese crocodiles endangered.

3. What does the underlined word “confiscated” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Seized.

B．Sold.

C．Found.

D．Stolen.

4. What does Tapley’s words focus on?

A．The importance of wildlife protection.

B．The crisis endangered animals are facing.

C．The purpose to show the handbag.

D．The harm IWT caused.

10 . 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。

A co-worker invited my husband and me to his son’s wedding reception. We’d worked in the same office with the gentleman for several years. Although neither of us had met his son, we felt like we knew him from listening to his dad talk about him so often.

We arrived at the dinner center and walked into a gorgeously decorated ballroom. I glanced around for fellow co-workers, hoping they’d saved us a seat, but didn’t recognize a soul. Scanning the room again, I zeroed in on the gift table and a small white box for wedding cards. I walked over and put my envelope into the box before joining my husband at the open bar to enjoy a big meal.

The wedding party danced in, and the happy couple greeted guests as they made their way to the head table filled with beautiful flowers. The bride groom shook hands with us and thanked us for sharing their special day. My husband remarked, “You sure look like your dad.” I nodded in agreement and added, “Same personality, too.” The bride groom smiled knowingly. “That’s what they all say.”

We found two seats at an empty table and then joined the long buffet (自助餐) line that stretched past an open doorway. I looked up just as a woman from our office and her husband walked by. Stepping out of line, I stretched my neck and watched them enter the ballroom down the hall. In a slight panic, I told my husband that we were at the wrong reception and we had to go. He asked, “What about the card?”

We shyly made our way to the gift table. My eyes looked left and right, waiting for nobody coming close. Hands shaking, I tried to lift the metal clasp (搭扣) on the small box. It wouldn’t move. I leaned in closer and knocked over a tall, thin box covered with bright silver paper, causing it to turn over forward. From out of nowhere, a man appeared by my side and caught the present before it hit the floor.

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。

He asked in a cold voice, “What can I do for you?”

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After what seemed like forever, I found the envelope.

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