1 . In this globalized era, it has become more and more common to work, live, befriend, and even create families with people of diverse backgrounds. In this sense, understanding how to bridge cultural gaps among various diverse groups is important. The better we understand each other, the less misunderstanding would occur.     1    .

Recognize cultural differences.

Be as open-minded as possible. Recognize cultural differences among the people you are communicating with.    2     before you know the person more in depth. It is a way to respect their differences.

Show respect.

    3    . Some cultures show it more physically, like bowing in Japan. Others are less physical, but more on the verbal level, like in most Western cultures. Respect the way people express respect.

Speak clearly.

Speaking clearly means using concrete words, not abstract words, which can often confuse those who speak English as a foreign or second language. Use a calm and soft intonation as well, as people tend to take in information better when listening to a calming tone.

    4    .

With awareness and understanding of cultural differences, asking for clarification should not be hard. Offer clarification as well, so the person would feel you are doing your best to communicate meaningfully.

In short, bridging cultural gaps requires a respectful and honest communication where clarifying and asking for clarifications should come naturally.     5    . So is the final quality of the results.

A．Clarify and ask for clarification.

B．Here are some suggestions which help.

C．These points not only decide on the topic.

D．People tend to show respect with polite words.

E．The way you communicate is of great importance.

F．Every culture has a very special way to show respect.

G．Know that the behaviors are based on cultural backgrounds.

2 . “You can get a kitten,” I promised my daughter Cali after her father and I divorced (离婚). After _________ in our new apartment, we headed to North Bay Animal Services.

One orange-and-white kitten drew Cali’s _________.

“_________, we’ve got two of those,” said the attendant. “They are _________, Caramel and Butter.”

“Can we take them both?” Cali _________.

“We have to follow the _________ of our new apartment,” I said. “Only one cat, remember?”

“I know,” Cali _________.

We brought Caramel home. Caramel seemed _________ without his twin and Cali cried for it. Two weeks later we drove back to the _________, hoping our landlord wouldn’t realize there were two of them because they looked __________.

However, we were told Butter was __________ four days ago.

Two years later I had a new boyfriend Brain. The first time I went to his home, I saw a flash of orange and white. Caramel? I thought, __________.

“That’s my daughter’s cat Butter,” Brian said.

After comparing the adoption papers, I __________ Butter was Caramel’s twin!

“They might not __________ each other after two years,” Brian said. But when brought together, Caramel and Butter nuzzled (依偎) each other with __________.

Today Caramel and his brother are inseparable. As are Brian and I, and our daughters after our marriage.

1.

A．cooling down

B．lying down

C．settling down

D．slowing down

2.

A．expectation

B．attention

C．strength

D．response

3.

A．Instantly

B．Merely

C．Roughly

D．Actually

4.

A．sisters

B．partners

C．twins

D．neighbors

5.

A．doubted

B．demanded

C．opposed

D．begged

6.

A．rules

B．strategies

C．theories

D．concepts

7.

A．relieved

B．sighed

C．wondered

D．resisted

8.

A．hesitant

B．energetic

C．distant

D．lonely

9.

A．shelter

B．hospital

C．apartment

D．nursery

10.

A．familiar

B．ordinary

C．identical

D．common

11.

A．sold

B．adopted

C．attacked

D．stolen

12.

A．amused

B．shocked

C．ashamed

D．satisfied

13.

A．interpreted

B．defended

C．exposed

D．confirmed

14.

A．approve

B．contact

C．remember

D．distinguish

15.

A．affection

B．concentration

C．ease

D．courage

3 . Do you remember that cold you had when you were 10? No? Well, your body does. Each time you faced some viruses, and after you fought them off, your body stored a memory to recognize these threats if they appeared again. It is the memory of cell in your immune system (免疫系统).

The immune system is so adaptable and long-lasting that it might be able to help our bodies to become immune to viruses we’ve never met, or even give us universal immunity. But how does it do the job?

Our first level of defense is physical, like your skin. If something goes through skin, your second line of defense comes into action. White blood cells will search your body for these dangers and attack them. They’ll call in helpers to kill the dangers, and start an alarm system called inflammation (发炎). This is your body’s innate (先天的) immune system at work.

But it isn’t always enough, especially if a more serious threat appears. Some viruses can double in your body every 20 minutes. This can quickly defeat that innate immune system, but luckily, we’ve developed a more complicated line of defense to stop these terrible enemies: the adaptive immune response.

This army of cells is like your body’s special army, and its best soldiers are antibodies (抗体). Each antibody carries a unique area with a special shape that allows it to latch onto one particular enemy, just like a key fits into its lock. When one antibody catches its enemy, it can work together with all your body’s defenses to fight this enemy. And your immune system learns from this fight so it can attack even more strongly if you ever meet that enemy again in the future. That’s called being immune to something.

1. What is the function of our memory of cell?

A．It works as a warning of our health condition.

B．It strengthens our immune system as we grow older.

C．It helps to identify the bacteria our body has met before.

D．It stops us suffering from the same disease again and again.

2. What do we know from Paragraph 3?

A．Inflammation is a preventive response.

B．The first level of defense is easy to break.

C．White blood cells often work independently.

D．Helpers may build an alarm system against enemies.

3. What does the underlined phrase “latch onto” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Seize.

B．Free.

C．Monitor.

D．Suspect.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．How the viruses try to get into our body.

B．What we should do to keep from new illnesses.

C．How the immune system helps us fight diseases.

D．What our minds do to store the sickness memory.

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。

My dad was always building and repairing things. When he was six, he sawed (锯) the legs of the dining-room table in half so he could sit at it more comfortably. By the time he was ten, he’d formed a bicycle from useless parts. He did the same in his 20s with a used car. Building taught him the value of solving a problem with his own hands.

I was almost seven when one day Dad and I walked by a toy store window. There in the corner was the most unusual doll house I’d ever seen. Little egg-shaped windows were cut into it, with tiny balconies.

“Oh, Daddy,” I said, “isn’t it beautiful? Can you buy it for me as a birthday gift?”

My father looked at the price — $100 — too much in those days. “I think we can’t afford this house,” he joked. I was quite disappointed at the reply and angry. “But I will build one for you,” Dad then added.

Though I had known about Dad’s building skills, I cast a doubtful eye on him and fell into complete silence.

Days later, after the doll house was almost forgotten, Dad, despite all the unfinished projects at home, started making one for me. Night after night, Dad would come home from work very tired, yet he’d always find time to work on the doll house. He cut, sawed, painted, and did all that was necessary. In those days, the small yard was occupied by various instruments that Dad needed and things that Dad produced for later use. Our ears had got used to all the noise. Every morning, I was greeted by something new that Dad had made the previous night. I was so excited. Dad even added a tiny path to the front door.

The doll house was the greatest gift a child could ask for and it kept me company for over ten years.

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。

One day, when getting ready for college in another city, I accidentally dropped it on the ground.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On Christmas day, entering my room, I was truly amazed by what I saw.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . In a fast developing world, many old-fashioned skills seem to be disappearing. It’s hard to find people who know such skills as sewing, but a few decades ago, it was common for every person to learn them.

Now many would think sewing isn’t as useful today. The garment (服装) industry is producing clothing that is cheaper, faster and more fashionable than ever, making it possible to buy a suit for less than $10 at home.

However, that doesn’t mean clothing isn’t indestructible (破坏不了的). Garments with simple tears that could be fixed in seconds with a needle are just thrown away. This causes more than 26 billion pounds of garbage and millions of dollars wasted because of a tear. Even dirty or worn clothing that still has plenty of usable cloth is being thrown away.

The ability to create hand-made clothes doesn’t only reduce waste. It is also tailor-made just for you. Most buy clothes made for a general body type, and to get it tailored by a professional is expensive. So why not do it yourself?

Perhaps the greatest problem of sewing is simply the time involved. Buying a skirt online takes a few seconds. Making a skirt can take weeks. But learning to sew doesn’t always involve complicated projects. Instead they might just be simple adjustments to help the garments fit or match your style.

Schools could easily teach sewing. Yet, they focus more on college preparations, ignoring traditional skills. Actually sewing is a valuable skill to be used in daily life. It wouldn’t take much time to teach children how to sew.

So, instead of letting old things die in this new age of the Internet, how about learning some of the lost skills that helped us for so long?

1. Why do some people think the sewing skill is less useful?

A．Because cloth is too expensive.

B．Because sewing is a bit boring to learn.

C．Because hand-made things are easily broken.

D．Because clothes are cheaper and convenient to buy.

2. Which benefit of sewing is talked about in Paragraph 3?

A．It contributes to creativity.	B．It’s environmentally-friendly.
C．It pushes the garment industry.	D．It gives costumers a typical look.

3. How do schools treat traditional skills?

A．They make the skills easy to learn.	B．They set the skills as basic subjects.
C．They make every effort to teach the skills.	D．They fail to give the skills enough attention.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to the old-fashioned skills?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncaring.

D．Opposing.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are they talking about?

A．Their favorite subjects.

B．Their performance in class.

C．Their preparation for the coming exam.

2. How does the woman feel about organic chemistry?

A．It is beyond her ability.

B．It is difficult to understand.

C．It has too much to memorize.

3. According to the man, what is a good way to improve English reading comprehension?

A．Practising a lot.

B．Understanding the rules.

C．Memorizing more words.

7 . Do you feel lonely? The World Health Organization (WHO) recently addressed loneliness as a pressing health threat. It called for countries and organizations to make social connections a priority.

Loneliness is a state of mind marked by feelings of isolation (孤独) despite wanting social connections. So, people who are lonely usually experience the emotional pain of not being connected with others. Solitude (独处), on the other hand, is voluntary. People who enjoy spending time by themselves continue to maintain positive social relationships that they can return to when they want connection.

Social isolation impacts the health and well-being of all age groups across the world. According to the WHO, one in four old people experience social isolation. Among adolescents, between 5 and 15 percent experience loneliness, but the numbers are likely to be underestimations, said the organization.

In terms of teenagers, social disconnection can lead to poorer education outcomes since young people who have experienced loneliness in high school are more likely to drop out of university.

Lack of social connection carries a risk of early death equivalent to other better-known risk factors such as smoking, obesity and air pollution, or potentially even greater. Loneliness has a far-reaching impact comparable to smoking up to 15cigarettes a day, according to a 2017 study.

Previous studies have shown that loneliness has been linked to anxiety and depression and can increase the risk of heart disease by 30 percent. A 2015 study looked at the immune systems of its participants who were identified as lonely. It showed that they tend to have more inflammation (炎症) and less immunity, which can be a result of feeling stressed due to loneliness.

To tackle this crisis, the WHO launched the Commission on Social Connection, which held its first leadership meeting from Dec. 6 to 8 to outline solutions to build social connections at scale.

1. What can we learn about people experiencing loneliness from the text?

A．They prefer solitude over social interaction.

B．They feel lacking in social connection.

C．They feel other people isolate them on purpose.

D．They struggle to maintain social relationships.

2. How does loneliness affect people of different ages, according to the WHO?

A．It is harder for older people to get rid of it.

B．Teenagers are usually not influenced by it.

C．People can suffer from it regardless of their age.

D．Adults experience it primarily due to workplace stress.

3. How does the author explain the impact of loneliness on health?

A．By citing previous studies.	B．By asking the readers some questions.
C．By quoting lonely people.	D．By comparing it with other diseases.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A．To raise awareness about loneliness.

B．To give advice on how to prevent social isolation.

C．To stress the need for mental health evaluations.

D．To warn people of diseases related to loneliness.

8 . Your guide to a no-spend challenge

A no-spend challenge isn’t about total deprivation (剥夺) or freezing your bank account.     1    . The most common form of the challenge is to purchase only necessities and restrain from buying wants and impulse desires.

Assessing and prioritising needs

Before delving (深入探究) into the no-spend challenge, take the time to assess and differentiate your essential needs from your wants. Identify recurring bills, necessary expenditures and essential items. Distinguish them from free spending on non-essential products and services. This initial step lays the foundation for a realistic and sustainable challenge.     2    .

Creating a realistic budget

A successful no-spend challenge is rooted in the development of a well-crafted budget that reflects your financial reality.     3    . Allocate specific amounts for variable expenses such as groceries and bills, enhancing accountability and providing a clear roadmap for responsible spending during the challenge.

Support system

    4    . A firm support system that understands and respects your financial goals creates a positive environment, fostering motivation and solidarity. Share tips, experiences and celebrate milestones together, turning the challenge into a shared journey towards financial consciousness.

    5    

As your challenge concludes, take enough time to reflect on the entire experience. What insights did you gain into your spending habits and priorities? Identify positive changes you want to maintain and integrate them into your long-term financial strategy.

The no-spend challenge is not merely a temporary exercise; it serves as a catalyst for enduring financial wellness. Embrace the journey, learn from the experience and watch as your financial goals transform into realities.

A．Establishing long-term habits

B．Understanding the no-spend challenge

C．It ensures that crucial aspects of your life remain unaffected

D．Begin by outlining your income, fixed expenses and any upcoming financial goals

E．Share your commitment with friends and family, encouraging them to support your effort

F．The no-spend challenge serves as an opportune moment to cultivate mindful spending habits

G．It represents a conscious decision to redirect your financial focus and control your spending habits

9 . With a fragrance (芳香) through the bedrooms of older adults for two hours every night for six months, memories skyrocketed. Participants in this study by University of California, Irvine (UCI)neuroscientists gained a 226% increase in cognitive capacity compared to the control group. The researchers say the finding transforms the long-known tie between smell and memory into an easy, non-invasive technique for strengthening memory and potentially preventing dementia (痴呆).

The project was conducted through the UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory. It involved men and women aged 60 to 85 without memory impairment. All were given seven small containers, each containing a single and different natural oil. People in the enriched group received full-strength oils. Control group participants were given the oils in tiny amounts. Participants put a different container into their room each evening prior to going to bed, and it activated for two hours as they slept.

People in the enriched group showed a 226% increase in cognitive performance compared to the control group, as measured by a word list test commonly used to evaluate memory. Participants also reported sleeping more soundly. The researchers say the results from their study bear out what scientists learned about the connection between smell and memory.

Scientists have long known that the loss of ability to smell, can predict development of nearly 70 neurological and psychiatric diseases. These include Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Parkinson’s and alcoholism. Researchers have previously found that exposing people with moderate dementia to up to 40 different smells twice a day over a period of time improved their memories and language skills, eased depression and improved their sense of smell.

The team would next like to study the technique’s impact on people with diagnosed cognitive loss. A product based on their study and designed for people to use at home is expected to come onto the market this fall.

1. What field may the findings be applied to?

A．Controlling sleep.	B．Exploring smells.
C．Developing skills.	D．Promoting memory.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Research results.	B．Research process.
C．Research methods.	D．Research purpose.

3. How did researchers assess the performance of the participants?

A．By giving the participants a test.

B．By scanning the participants’ brain.

C．By observing the participants’ actions.

D．By asking about the participants’ feeling.

4. What will the researchers focus on in future?

A．Developing a smell product.

B．The impact of cognitive loss.

C．Application of research results.

D．Doing market research for their product.

10 . A year after he died at 17, a young man’s love of helping others lives on through a foundation. The Benjamin Canlas Courage to be Kind Foundation gives away bikes to Filipinos who are struggling to hold on to jobs in a country undergoing difficult times.

Benjamin Canlas was always warm-hearted. One time, he saw a food seller riding an old bicycle. Its pedals were missing. To help, Benjamin let the man ride his bike and used his own savings to send the seller’s bike to a bicycle shop for restoration.

After Benjamin’s death, his parents George and Glennda Canlas created the foundation in memory of the young man and his kindness, seeing it as a way to connect donors with those in need. In the Philippines, many jobs have been lost this year. This has left thousands of Filipinos taking odd jobs. With restricted public transportation, many people have to walk for hours to do these jobs.

The Canlases had the idea to give away bikes to individuals nominated (提名) by their peers or loved ones. When the giveaway contest was announced on social media, they did not know how much interest there would be and planned to give away seven bicycles at first. But they received over 50 nominations. “We didn’t expect that, uncertain whether what we do is of any practical value,” said Glennda. “But now we’re determined.” One bike owner is Camilla, a mother of a 2-year-old. When her husband’s work was put on hold, she started selling and delivering food. Camilla said the bike was a big help and she was “so happy” that she didn’t have to walk so far anymore.

Even as the contest ended, nominations continued to pour in. The foundation said there are people still in need. Now it is working on launching more sustainable projects that will help more while also inspiring others to pay it forward. “We live in a world where it takes courage to be kind,” said Glennda. “Our goal would be from ‘courage to be kind’, and create a world where kindness does not require courage—it is simply the thing we all do.”

1. What did Benjamin do after seeing the seller riding an old bike?

A．He sent money to the seller.	B．He had the old bike repaired.
C．He gave his own bike to the seller.	D．He bought a new bike to the seller.

2. The Canlases set up the foundation to ______.

A．continue their son’s wishes	B．memorize Benjamin Canlas
C．connect donors with the poor	D．help the unemployed get jobs

3. Why does the author mention Camilla?

A．To show impacts of the country’s tough situation.	B．To appeal for attention to the people in need.
C．To illustrate being kind does require courage.	D．To state the difference made by the good deed.

4. What is the foundation aimed at now?

A．Providing more bikes to the people in need.	B．Encouraging everyone to be courageous.
C．Initiating other sustainable organizations.	D．Turning kindness into a usual thing.