1 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.

But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.

Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.

Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.

In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.

Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To tell about true friends.	B．To start a discussion.
C．To encourage online friendships.	D．To summarize(总结) the text.

2. What does the underlined part “in the flesh” mean in paragraph 3?

A．In any case.

B．In public.

C．In person.

D．In advance.

3. What is Katie’s attitude toward online communication?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Positive.

C．Worried.

D．Confused.

4. Which of the following is the Rosen’s view?

A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships.	B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life.
C．It’s wise to turn to friends online.	D．Social media help people stay closely connected.

2 . African countries have retrieved some historic heritage, which directly reflects (反映) the important development of human society, from European countries. Recently, Germany signed a deal for the return of hundreds of valuable artworks from the Kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century, in what is today Benin.

But many artifacts (手工艺品) are still unluckily missing and some are on their way back. One such object is an eight-legged seat from the old kingdom in Uganda. The important arti- fact now sits at a museum thousands of kilometers away in Britain. The wooden seat is housed at the University of Oxford. It is one of at least 279 objects there taken from the Bunyoro- Kitara Kingdom.

Apollo John Rwamparo is a deputy prime minister of Uganda. He really values the country’s cultural heritage. He requested the British to return the artifacts. Uganda officials are preparing to meet with the University of Cambridge in Britain about the return of such historical artifacts. The school has an unknown number of artifacts from Africa. Through many efforts, an artifact was recently to its home.

The British Museum holds a large collection of artifacts from Africa. Rose Mwanja said Uganda’s commission had been trying hard on it and believed it could have some good effects. She is Uganda’s commissioner for museums. She added she could start with those that are more willing to cooperate.

Many of the artifacts from Africa cannot even be found. That led to an organization star- ted by late Congolese art collector Sindika Dokolo. The organization offers to buy African art from collections in foreign countries. By 2020, when Dokolo died, his group had successfully recovered 15 items. However, for African governments, the recovery of artifacts remains a struggle and will take much time.

1. What does the underlined word “retrieved” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Reduced.

B．Taken back.

C．Given up.

D．Recommended.

2. Where is the artifact of the eight-legged seat at present?

A．In Benin.

B．In Uganda.

C．In Germany.

D．In Britain.

3. What is Uganda officials’ attitude to their country’s cultural heritage?

A．Curious.

B．Concerned.

C．Uncaring.

D．Confused.

4. Which word best describes the recovery of artifacts?

A．Frightening.

B．Doubtful.

C．Effortless.

D．Challenging.

3 . 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。

I sat in the breakfast corner with my four-year-old son, Matthew, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach. I was still recovering from a surgery. I hoped for strength and happiness. But the future seemed so hopeless.

Matthew jumped up from his spot on the kitchen floor. “Bird!” he shouted, rushing to the sliding door. Sure enough, there was a white dove seated on a rubber tree. It sat there a few moments, and then flew away. I’d never seen one in our neighborhood before.

When I dragged myself to the kitchen the next morning, the dove was back. This time it was with a mate carrying twigs (嫩枝), “Look, Matthew,” I said, pointing to the tree. “They’re going to make a nest.” The doves flew in and out of the courtyard all week, building on the top of the rubber tree. Matthew could hardly contain his excitement. Every morning, he’d run into the kitchen and take his spot by the sliding glass door, talking to the birds while they worked. As much as I was grieving (感到悲伤), I couldn’t help but look forward to the doves’ visits too. We watched their progress as if it were a real-life soap opera unfolding before us. Gradually, my pain disappeared, replaced by joy.

Then it all went wrong. The courtyard was a safe enough spot for a nest, but the rubber tree’s broad, thin leaves were far from stable. One night, a strong wind blew through, throwing the doves’ nest to the ground. I heard the twigs break apart. Nothing good ever lasts. I wouldn’t blame the doves if they never came back. But they returned. And they paid no attention to the pi le of sticks that had once been their nest. They started again from scratch, though the wind destroyed all their hard work. The next day, and the next, they renewed their efforts, as if nothing had 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。

Paragraph 1: I knew I had to do something for the poor creatures.

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Paragraph 2:“The birds were back!” Matthew announced.

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6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What happened to Sandy?

A．He was fired.

B．He failed to get a job.

C．He got lost in the museum.

2. What can we learn from the conversation?

A．The woman is quite selfish.

B．The man is disappointed with Sandy.

C．Sandy has applied for a job in Los Angeles.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the man doing?

A．Giving advice to his mother.

B．Asking permission from his mother.

C．Telling his mother about his school life.

2. What do we know about the man?

A．He often helps his mother in the kitchen.

B．He wants to take some dancing lessons.

C．He will not live with his parents soon.

8 . What will the woman probably do next?

A．Talk to a police officer.

B．Tell the man what happened.

C．Wait for the man to call back.

9 . What does the man probably mean?

A．He enjoyed the beginning of the movie.

B．He didn't enjoy the movie.

C．He didn't watch the movie.

10 . What will the man do next?

A．Give the woman some medicine.

B．Examine the woman.

C．Find the doctor.