Shelly was a teenage girl full of energy and curiosity. She found herself in a familiar yet exciting situation as New Year’s Eve drew near. Her parents, busy doctors in the emergency department, were eager to spend the festive occasion with family at her grandparents’ house. Jason and Judy, Shelly’s loving grandparents, were excited to host the joyous celebration.
In the midst of the busy preparations, Shelly found herself alone in the attic(阁楼) , filled with old trunks and forgotten relics. As she searched through the dusty relics in the attic, her eyes caught a bronze item among the forgotten treasures. It was a Scout badge(童子军徽章) , her father’s from his youthful days as a Scout. This badge held a profound meaning, symbolizing her father’s adventurous spirit and dedication to service.
Eager to share her find, Shelly carefully put the badge into her pocket and rejoined the celebration. As the evening progressed, she proudly showed off the badge to her friends in the neighborhood, sharing tales of her father’s Scouting adventures. However, time flew by with laughter and joy. It was then that the badge slipped unnoticed from her grasp, disappearing into the dark night.
Panic stricken and heartbroken, Shelly quickly searched for the lost badge, checking every corner she had been. But the badge was nowhere to be found. Tears streamed down her face as she knew how disappointed her father would be if he knew she had lost his precious Scout badge. The loss of the badge was not just a physical loss, but a symbol of the connection she felt with her father and his past. Shelly’s world felt incomplete, and she prayed that somehow, she would find the badge and restore the broken bond. She decided to search the neighborhood again.
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。
But as time passed, Shelly’s hope of finding the badge began to fade.
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Together, father and daughter set out for the search.
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2 . In a highly technical world, there is something quite magical about the timelessness of the public library. And the impact and importance of libraries extends across decades, centuries even, dating back to 4th century BC in Athens.
A study by Pew Research Center found that 94% of Americans agreed that having a public library improves the quality of life in a community, and 95% said that libraries give everyone a chance to succeed and promote a love for reading.
Libraries promote education.
Beyond the free access to books and computers, many libraries also offer valuable services including tutoring, learning camps, and homeschooling resources. Many libraries host STEAM events for kids where they get to experience life as an astronaut, learning about the solar system and working together to build robotic, space-related projects.
Libraries build a sense of community.
Original documents are digitized and maintained at libraries. This helps preserve the nation’s cultural heritage, as well as provide an opportunity to better understand others’ points of view. If you ever get the chance, visit the New York Public Library to explore its database of over 1,800 newspapers, magazines, and journals, all published between 1740 and 1940.
| A．Libraries preserve history. |
| B．Libraries restore valuable documents. |
| C．Also they can work well for homeschooling families. |
| D．But the impact of public libraries is greater than expected. |
| E．Libraries are gaining popularity among young people today. |
| F．Libraries can break down barriers and bring people together. |
| G．Over time, libraries have developed into what we know them as today. |
3 . Barbara Spiecke, now a research scientist at the University of New Hampshire, is deaf. As an undergraduate, she was surrounded by a mix of deaf and hearing colleagues. Luckily, she could use American Sign Language (ASL) - English interpreters provided by the university. It was a crucial support, but not without its challenges. ASL signs for complicated scientific topics don’t exist or haven’t yet been widely adopted. So, during her presentation, a large part of her focus was devoted to signing in a way that was most likely to avoid translation errors. The result was an accurate but awkward presentation.
Spiecker hopes other deaf scientists won’t have to go through the same thing. So, she co-founded an organization, Atomic Hands, in 2018 to light “wonder and curiosity” in STEM. She had a goal: to create videos teaching scientific concepts using both ASL signs and English closed captioning (字幕). Along the way, Atomic Hands and other organizations have boosted the visibility (可见度) of STEM-related signs, promoting community involvement to improve, and standardize them.
Since the foundation of Atomic Hands, a newer set of ASL signs for states of matter that visually explain the connections between them has gained broader acceptance. Atomic Hands did not create the signs—they came from the community—but the organization is sharing them via its online videos.
Spiecker encourages other scientists to experiment with new signs and to offer feedback, good and bad. “When I teach, I constantly remind them that the new signs I show them are not concrete,” Spiecker says. “If they don’t like it, let me know, and I’ll use a different sign.”
Spiecker’s goals also go beyond ASL. At last year’s Ecological Society of America conference, she presented a lecture on opportunities to diversify science communication, such as improving virtual access to conferences or creating audiobooks alongside printed products. Too often, she said, organizers only offer accommodations when it benefits the majority.
1. What troubled Spiecke as an undergraduate?| A．How to communicate with her deaf colleagues. |
| B．How to find a good ASL-English interpreter. |
| C．How to understand those complicated topics. |
| D．How to make her presentations get across. |
| A．Create accessible STEM content. |
| B．Promote the quality of education. |
| C．Involve people in scientific research. |
| D．Invent a sign language for STEM study. |
| A．She is open to advice on the signs. |
| B．She loves teaching the deaf STEM. |
| C．She is doubtful about her present work. |
| D．She plans to adopt a new sign language. |
| A．Caring and creative. | B．Humorous and ambitious. |
| C．Generous and smart. | D．Determined and proud. |
4 . On these dark winter evenings, I find myself daydreaming of summer. I think of the one activity and place that quiets my mind: clamming (挖蛤) on Cape Cod.
Before I had kids, it was a much-needed active outing after days of vacation-level eating. But when I went with kids, the experience took a turn from relaxation to devotion. The bay became part of the world I was trying to build for my children. The act of clamming became an unexpected escape,a moment when I wasn't thinking about 20 different things, when I wasn’t really thinking at all.
This year, for the first time, my children joined in the clamming. I kept yelping (尖叫) when my children almost raked (用耙子耙) my feet. But there was joy in having something to teach them, to connect them not only to a generational tradition but also to the history of the land. And when they raised their basket and it wasn’t a rock for the hundredth time, but rather a shining clam, it was a richer moment than if they had struck gold. Seeing a child holding up a clam with an expression of success on his face does more for the heart than any meditation (冥想) ever could.
I hope that one day my children will view clamming as the relaxation that I do. They are not there yet.At this point, it is more adventure than getaway. At the end of our clamming morning, my 6-year-old refused to leave, insisting she needed one more clam. When she finally caught one more clam, she laughed, pride written all over her face. To be fair, perhaps what she needed to get from clamming was not what I needed. Perhaps what she needed was to have a tiny bit of control over this wild world, one in which she has little say. In that moment, she was victorious, if not in calm, then in clam.
1. Why did the author go clamming before having children?| A．To get together with her friends. | B．To spend quality time with her family. |
| C．To escape the responsibility as an adult. | D．To enjoy relaxation after overeating. |
| A．The experience of clamming. | B．The benefits of meditation. |
| C．The change of a generational tradition. | D．The necessity of exploring the land. |
| A．Demanding and boring. | B．Complicated and tiring. |
| C．Adventurous and rewarding. | D．Painful and disappointing. |
| A．They are successful in removing stress. | B．Clamming is the most interesting to them. |
| C．They refused to leave the bay. | D．Clamming has different meanings to them. |
5 . Right now you probably spend most of your time in school. Do you wonder what you are going to do after high school? Will you continue to go to school? Will you learn a trade? Perhaps it is time to think about your choices and to prepare for them. Some day work will be a big part of your life.
What kind of job would be right for you? Think about your interests and your skills. You may like to listen to music, dance, play basketball, or work with computers. You may know how to drive a car or how to get along with people. Knowing both your interests and skills will help make a better plan for your career.
To get an idea of what work you would like to do, make a list of your interests and a list of your skills. Think about what you have done to be successful in your interests. After that, brainstorm a list of career choices that might match your interests and skills. You can later keep your lists with the projects and documents (文件) that can help you achieve the career you want.
They can help you know more clearly about your achievements in school and in the world of work. Roberta Zhan, an art designer, finds her work satisfying because it allows her to use her interests and skills. She enjoyed imagining something in her minds eye while she was in school. She took art, design, and computer lessons, and also learned about taking photos on her own.
Here is what she says about the meaning of work: “If you have a job you like, work means much more than just making money. It means using your talents, making a contribution (贡献), and getting a real sense of satisfaction from doing a job.”
1. The passage is most probably written to________.| A．students | B．teachers | C．parents | D．designers |
| A．listing facts | B．giving examples |
| C．asking questions | D．explaining differences |
| A．singing songs | B．creating pictures |
| C．playing basketball | D．playing computer games |
| A．the real meaning of work | B．the importance of interests and skills |
| C．the journey of Roberta’s life | D．the way of preparing for the future |
6 . I wanted to buy something today — until I figured out the cost versus the benefit. At that point I knew it was a completely stupid idea.
What I wanted to buy was an older car to have in addition to my four-year-old Smart Car that I absolutely like. So you wonder, why would I want to have another car as well? The reason is ... grandkids. I have several and in the Smart Car I can only have one passenger (It’s a two-seater). Besides, one of my daughters-in-law does not trust the Smart Car as a vehicle for her daughter Lily to ride in, so that’s one little girl I can’t take anywhere at all. My husband also has a car -- and a truck.
So that’s why I had the stupid idea to buy an old Toyota I found on the lot of an honest used car salesman. Thank heavens I came to my senses before I spent $ 8000 to buy it, $ 80 or so to license it and probably $ 500 to insure it for a year. It would be senseless to buy that car.
My grandkids just have to continue to come with me one by one. I can’t take two girls out to lunch or two girls shopping or pick up the brother and sister that live in the same house. As for the little one that’s not allowed to ride with me ... well, Grandpa will have to pick her up. As for me, I didn’t get money in my savings account by being totally stupid. Sure, doing things with the kids is fun, but spending that kind of money to put two or more of them in a group — which would probably drive me crazy anyway — is really dumb. Sometimes temptation can prove that you still have a little sense.
1. The author’s little grandkid Lily ______.| A．refused to stay with her |
| B．was not allowed to take her car |
| C．was always picked up by her husband |
| D．thought it was dangerous to drive a Smart Car |
| A．it was a used car |
| B．she couldn’t afford it |
| C．there was no need for it |
| D．the salesman was unreliable |
| A．difficult | B．stupid | C．reasonable | D．amazing |
| A．Look before you leap. |
| B．Better late than never. |
| C．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
| D．Every advantage has its disadvantage. |
1. What kind of transportation do local people prefer to use in Nairobi?
| A．Buses. | B．Taxis. | C．Minivans. |
| A．Plastic straws. | B．Plastic carrier bags. | C．Reusable water bottles. |
| A．They don’t like being photographed without permission. |
| B．They love to participate in public activities. |
| C．They are hard to get along with. |
| A．Tips for traveling to Kenya. |
| B．An adventurous experience. |
| C．A tour arrangement. |
1. What is the man doing?
| A．Writing a report. | B．Doing the dishes. | C．Dusting the furniture. |
| A．The speakers’ daughter. | B．The woman. | C．The man. |
| A．Return a book. | B．Buy a bottle of wine. | C．Pick up the guests. |
The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is an
The holiday’s roots go back thousands of years to the indigenous people, who believed death is a natural part of the cycle of life. They celebrated the occasion for a month with burial ceremonies and shrines. When the Spanish
The most familiar
The festivities begin at midnight on November 1st. It is believed that this is
Families visit the graves of their ancestors, cleaning and decorating them
