As I went home, my heart was filled with excitement. I had earned a perfect score of 100 on my math test! Mom had promised that a big cream cake would be my reward for such a performance. Bursting through the door, I couldn’t wait to share my great news.
“Mom, Mom!” I waved the test paper. “I did it! I got a perfect score!”Mom’s face beamed (发光) with pride as she took the test paper. To my surprise, her expression darkened, but she quickly regained her smile. With a gentle smile, she said, “Oh, that’s wonderful, honey! I’m so proud of you.” “Can we get the cake now?” I asked eagerly. “Of course,” Mom said. “I’ll just go to the store and pick one up.”
As Mom left, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I switched on the TV, watching my favorite cartoons. Time seemed to fly by as I eagerly awaited Mom’s return. When she finally arrived, we divided the cake, enjoying every bite. The sweet cream melted (融化) in our mouths. It was so delicious.
The following day in class, as we exchanged answers with classmates, I noticed something was wrong between my paper and the answer key. Puzzled, I went to Miss Johnson after class. “Excuse me, Miss Johnson,” I said. “I think there might be a mistake. My answer to question number 15 doesn’t match the answer key.”
Miss Johnson took my test paper and examined it carefully. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, my goodness, you’re right!” she said. Miss Johnson compared my answer with the correct answer key and discovered that I had made an error on question number 15. My actual score was 95. A wave of embarrassment washed over me. “I’m so sorry, Miss Johnson,” I lowered my head. “I didn’t realize that I had made a mistake.” Miss Johnson smiled gently. “Don’t worry about it, honey. Mistakes happen.”
Though Miss Johnson decided that she wouldn’t change my grade, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should tell Mom the truth.
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。
Later that evening, as I got home, Mom was preparing dinner.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________To my surprise, Mom burst out laughing, saying, “Oh, honey, I already knew that.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . The Walt Disney Company turns 100 this year, and the whole world celebrates its stories, characters and imagination—but only Philly’s Franklin Institute houses the official Disney 100: The Exhibition (展览).
Making its world debut(首映式) right here in Philadelphia, the exhibition takes guests behind the scenes and puts them into the magic of Disney at what’s sure to be one of the must-see exhibitions of this year.
When to Visit
From February 18 to August 27.
What to Expect
The exhibition features 10 large, themed galleries (主题画廊) that tell the history of Disney from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Strange World.
What can guests expect? Items from the Walt Disney Archives (档案馆), as well as more than 250 of Disney’s “Crown Jewels”. That includes seldom seen original artworks and behind-the-scenes collection. A couple of the items on view include a steamboat whistle (汽笛) from Steamboat Willie(which marked Mickey’s film debut).
Admission & Tickets
Guests have several options when it comes to experiencing the exhibition.
People who visit in the daytime (9 a. m. to 5 p. m.) can buy timed tickets for $45(adults) and $41(children aged 3—11). The best part: General museum admission to the rest of the Franklin Institute is included in the cost.
Looking to save on tickets? Consider visiting during the exhibition’s evening hours, which run from 5 to 8 p. m. Tickets run $25 per person and do not include admission to the rest of the museum.
Lastly, consider picking up Flex Time Tickets, which allow exhibition access for any time. These run $61 a person and must be bought over the phone.
Location & Contact
The Franklin Institute 222 N. 20th Street Philadelphia
(215) 448-1200
1. What can we know about the exhibition?| A．It’s the first exhibition in Philadelphia. | B．It opens to the public in early February. |
| C．It’s really worth seeing for people. | D．It picks up visitors for free. |
| A．A very old whistle. | B．A Disney original model. |
| C．A wonderful debut film. | D．A beautiful steamboat. |
| A．They include general museum costs. | B．You can visit Disney 100 flexibly. |
| C．You can buy them over the phone. | D．They are cheaper. |
As the warm summer sun shone down on us, my dad and I stood in front of our house. “Would you like to go see Rhys and take him for ice cream?” my dad asked. I froze on the spot. I love my younger brother dearly, but it had been well over a year and a half since I had been in public with Rhys. The thought made me feel anxious.
Rhys is 14 and severely cognitively impaired (认知能力受损的). He was diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation (突变) at birth. When I was young, I accompanied my mom or dad to pick him up from his new long-term care home at the end of our busy weekends to spend some time with him, normally at our home.
After picking Rhys up and taking the short car trip, we arrived at the ice cream store. I held onto Rhys in his chair while Dad placed our order. Rhys loves to grab things. He grabbed a woman walking by. I apologized immediately, full of embarrassment.
After getting our ice cream, we sat outside. At this point, I was upset and just wanted to go home. Dad could tell that I was upset. He silently understood and let me be. But then I saw a father and a daughter walking along the road toward the ice cream store. The girl’s movements seemed strangely familiar. I noticed she was excited, behaving similarly to Rhys.
Watching those two changed my thinking completely. I realized I wasn’t the only one in this situation: out in public with a family member with special needs. I smiled as I watched the father and the daughter just enjoying their day and not focusing on what others’ thought. They acted just like every other “typical” family. It occurred to me that I shouldn’t let what others think about Rhys ruin our time together. My days of being embarrassed by his actions had to come to an end.
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。
I grabbed some ice cream with a spoon and playfully held it in front of Rhys.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Seeing Rhys’s smiling face, I decided to take Rhys out more often.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We Survived Getting Swallowed by a Whale
Respect and revere (敬畏) nature. I’m Julie, 56 years old, living in San Luis Obispo, California, about four miles from the beach. Every few years, the humpback whales come into the bay for several days while migrating.
In November 2020, the whales were around, so I took out my yellow double kayak (皮划艇) to watch the wildlife. I paddled out the pier (长堤) and saw seals, dolphins, and about 20 whales feeding on silverfish. They sprayed through their blowholes. Each one is huge, about 15 metres long. Sometimes they turned side fins as if waving at me. It was incredible.
At the time, my friend Liz was with me. We had met 28 years earlier. I asked Liz if she wanted to see the whales. I really wanted to share the magnificent experience with her.
“No way,” she said. She’s terrified of whales and sharks. I promised that the craft was stable and safe enough. Moreover, humpback whales couldn’t swallow down kayaks for their throats were tight even though they had enormous mouths and white-wall-like internal mouth structures, not to mention that we got paddles and life jackets. After some persuasion, Liz finally agreed.
We set off at about 8:30 the next morning. There were already about 15 other kayakers in the bay. One hour later, I spotted two whales right past the pier, swimming toward us. We were in awe, feeling amazed to be so close to a creature that size.
When whales swam down after breaching (跃身激浪), they disappeared in ripples. I figured if we paddled there, we’d be safe since they’d just left. We followed them at a distance—or what I thought was a distance. I later learned that it’s recommended to keep 90 metres away, or about the length of a football field. We were probably 18 metres away.
All of a sudden, a swarm (群) of fish started jumping out of the water into our kayak. Their movement sounded like crackling glass. Now I knew we were too close. I was terrified. Then our kayak was lifted out of the water—about two metres—and tipped back into the ocean. I figured the whale was going to drag us down somehow, and I had no idea how deep.
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。
I didn’t realize that Liz and I sitting in the kayak were in the whale’s mouth.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Thankfully, the whale spitted us out, people paddling to help, shooting videos.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . A gene variant (变体) that causes the “alcohol flush (脸红)” reaction increases the risk of heart disease by causing inflammation of blood vessels (脉管), especially in drinkers. Around 8 percent of the world’s populations has a gene variant called ALDH2*2 that impairs the body’s ability to break down alcohol and causes unpleasant symptoms such as flushing soon after people drink. Now, researchers have shown why this change also raises the risk of heart disease.
“We are trying to understand why ALDH2*2 is associated with a higher risk of coronary arte (冠状动脉) disease at a cellular (细胞的) level,” says Hongchao Guo at Stanford University in California.
The ALDH2*2 gene encodes one version of the enzyme (酵素) alcohol dehydrogenase (脱氢酶), which breaks down the toxic acetaldehydes (乙醛) produced when alcohol is metabolized (代谢), and also mops up other harmful substances known as free radicals.
The gene variant also impairs the growth of new blood vessels. “That means that when there is a heart attack, when there is a need of blood vessel growth, carriers have less ability to generate new blood vessels,” says Guo.
The team found that an existing diabetes (糖尿病) drug called empagliflozin may reduce these harmful effects in people with ALDH2*2 who drink a lot of alcohol. But for Wu, the take-home message is clear. “If you’re missing this enzyme, try not to drink,” he says. “If you drink consistently, you are at much higher risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.”
Given its many negative consequences, there has been debate about why this change spread and became common, today being found in more than a third of people of cast Asian origin.
“My only explanation is that if you are missing this enzyme, you tend to drink less and there’s therefore less chance of you becoming alcoholic,” says Wu.
1. Which of the following may be caused by “alcohol flush”?| A．Heart disease and high blood pressure. | B．A gene variant called ALDH2*2. |
| C．Inflammation of blood vessels. | D．Diabetes and cancer. |
| A．Exiting diabetes drug can help people witALDH2*2. |
| B．People with ALDH2*2 shouldn’t drink alcohol. |
| C．People with ALDH2*2 have less chance of becoming alcoholic. |
| D．Drinking alcohol can bring about diabetes and cancer. |
| A．Diabetes drug can free people with ALDH2*2 of alcohol flush. |
| B．If you are missing this enzyme, you will easily become alcoholic. |
| C．People with ALDH2*2 tend to suffer from cancer. |
| D．More than a third of people of cast Asian origin may be affected by ALDH2*2. |
| A．To explain the impact of genetic variant causing the “alcohol flush”. |
| B．To introduce ways to stop drinking alcohol. |
| C．To introduce dangers of drinking alcohol. |
| D．To persuade people to get rid of drinking alcohol. |
Jane was still sleeping when the phone rang in the living room. She opened her sleepy eyes and looked at the clock on the table. It was already nine o’clock! Although Jane was still very sleepy, she knew she had to get up because her mother was working in her office and she couldn’t expect her younger brother Tom, who was sleeping like a pig, to answer the Phone. She quickly put on a coat and ran to the living room. When she picked up the receiver, on the other end came the warm greeting, “Good morning!”
It was from her father, who was a seaman and rarely came back. Suddenly, Jane’s sleepiness disappeared.
Born in a not-so-rich family, Jane and Tom felt the stress of life, but they were happy to enjoy the family atmosphere. At school, they were straight-A students and took part in various after-school activities. They were the pride of the family.
“Good morning, Dad. Why do you call us so early on the weekend?” Jane said and pretended to be annoyed. “Tom and I have been very nice recently.” “My dear, today is your mother’s birthday, and I have ordered a cake online and it will be sent to our home late in the afternoon. Do remember to take the cake. It is my surprise for your mother.”
Hearing her father’s words, Jane felt a little ashamed. How could she forget her mother’s birthday?!
While she was chatting with her father, Jane looked around the room and saw a lot of dirty clothes on the sofa. The floor hadn’t been cleaned for a few days since her mother had to work all this week.
She looked at the clock again and was sure that she still had enough time to prepare a surprise for her mother.
“Well, Dad, now I’m going to wake Tom up. We will give Mum a surprise, too!” Jane said and hung up the telephone.
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。
Jane hurried to Tom’s room and shared her plan with him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Happy birthday, Mum!” Jane and Tom shouted when their mother opened the door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . Robert Chmielewski has had quadriplegia (四肢瘫痪) since his teens. Sensors implanted (植入) in his brain read his thoughts to control two robotic arms, which helps him to perform daily tasks. Now he can use one robotic arm to control a knife and the other a fork.
Modern technology can reach inside someone’s head and pull out what he is thinking. Maybe he intends to move a robotic arm or type something on a computer screen. Such thought-controlled devices can help people who aren’t able to move or perform different tasks and promote the well-being of the disabled.
Decoding (解码) thought usually requires placing sensors directly on or in someone’s brain. Those implanted sensors can catch the electrical signals passing between the person’s brain cells, or neurons. Such signals carry messages that allow brains to think, feel and control the body.
Using brain implants, researchers have picked up electrical signals in the brain linked to certain words or letters. This has allowed brain implants to transform thoughts into text or speech on a computer. Likewise, brain implants have transformed imagined handwriting into text on a screen. Implanted sensors have even allowed scientists to turn the signals they caught that are associated with a song in someone’s head into real music.
In a recent study, scientists decoded full stories from people’s brains using MRI scans (磁共振成像扫描). This did not require any brain implants. But building the thought decoder did require many hours of brain scans for each person. What’s more, the system only worked on the person whose brain scans helped build it and only when that person was willing to have their mind read.
So devices that might let someone secretly read your mind from across the room are still a long, long way off. Still, it’s clear that mind-reading tech is getting more advanced. As it does, scientists are thinking hard about what it would mean to live in a world where not even the inside of your head is completely private.
1. What does the text begin with?| A．A suggestion. | B．A comparison. | C．An argument. | D．An example. |
| A．What principles a thought decoder should follow. |
| B．How MRI monitors the work of the implanted sensors. |
| C．What’s used to catch signals passing through the brain. |
| D．How robotic arms are designed to satisfy different needs. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Confident. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Mind Reading is Stealing Our Privacy | B．Mind Reading is Hard, but not Impossible |
| C．Mind Reading—Good News for Musicians | D．Mind Reading—a Brain-scanning Technology |
David and George were best friends at school. They sat together in the same school classroom, shared sandwiches during lunch breaks, and had countless adventures together,
As George’s birthday approached, David noticed something that concerned him. It was George’s shoes, the soles (鞋底) of which were nearly worn through. They were no longer as comfortable as they should be, and David could tell that George needed a new pair of shoes and he decided to do something special for his friend on his birthday.
David’s thoughtful plan started with a conversation with his mum. He explained how much he cared for his friend George and how he wanted to gift him a pair of shoes for his birthday.
His mum, a kind and wise woman, agreed that it was a wonderful idea. She also wanted to teach David an important lesson about earning and giving. So, they discussed a plan together. “David,” his mum said, “I think it’s a lovely idea to buy shoes for George. But how about this? I can give you some money for doing extra housework around the house. You can earn the money you need to buy the shoes. What do you think? “David’s eyes lit up, and he smiled widely. “That’s a great idea, Mum! I want to do it. ”
David became a whirlwind (旋风) of activity around the house. He swept the floor, watered the plants, washed the clothes, and even helped his mum with the dishes. His determination to earn enough money for George’s gift shone through his every action.
As days turned into weeks, David saved penny by penny. His mum was impressed by his hard work. She knew that her son’s surprise for George would not only make his friend happy but would also teach David the joy of giving.
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。
Finally, George’s birthday came and David invited George to his home celebration.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________George was so moved by the gift he received.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Holidays are not necessarily for fun or rest. Doing something meaningful can also gain special pleasure. When the final bell rang, the students were reminded that there was no school on Monday—the Labor Day. “Enjoy your extra day off” said the teacher to her class.
An extra day off unsuited Kayla just fine. She loved breaks. She wanted to go out to play with her friends. When the school bus dropped Kayla off, she ran into the house happily.
“How was school, Kayla?” asked her mom.
“It was great, Mom. I am excited about no school on Monday.”
“You just started back to school two weeks ago. Already in need of a break, huh?” asked Kayla’s mom with a laugh.
Kayla slept in the next morning. Saturday was her favorite day of the week. I trained most of the day, so Kayla enjoyed playing videogames inside. On Sunday, her friends came over and they played basketball for several hours.
Then it was Labor Day, you know, the extra day off that Kayla was so looking forward to. But Kayla was awakened early that morning by her dad. He told Kayla that in honor of Labor Day, the family would be cleaning both inside and outside the house. Kayla couldn’t believe it. This was a holiday. A day when she was supposed to be enjoying freshly squeezed lemonade while playing in her tree house. As Kayla wiped here yes, she began to wonder if this was just a bad dream.
“Kayla, your breakfast is ready. We have a lot of work to do today. Let’s get a move on,” said Kayla’s mom. As she sat down at the kitchen table, Kayla asked her parents，
“Are you serious about working today? Isn’t Labor Day a holiday?”
“Yes, Kayla. It is,” replied her dad. “But your mom and I thought working hard today would make you appreciate why Labor Day was observed in the first place.”
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At first Kayla felt disappointed at her parents’ plan for the holiday.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But things began to change as she was doing the chores.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In my high school years, I tried not to be anybody’s best friend and avoid going to birthday parties or weekend trips with my peers (同龄人). That was not because I was too shy but because I couldn’t afford the expenses. My parents did odd jobs to support the family and our income was low and unstable. As the oldest of the three kids in my family I had started to take part-time jobs on weekends and during vacations to help improve the family economic conditions. However, in my heart I did have a best friend, Joseph. I never said that to him and I guessed he didn’t know it.
Joseph came from a very different family from mine. His parents were both senior executives (管理人员) of high-tech companies, who provided him with the best of everything and he had many friends around him. We did school projects together, had discussions about interesting topics and enjoyed our time together. But I never joined him in anything outside the school. I liked him but I knew I didn’t have much to offer.
I had decided to go to college after graduation from high school, so I needed to have excellent academic performance in all subjects to be qualified for scholarships. I worked hard and was doing well in everything except math. I knew math was important to me but there seemed to be no way out. I was struggling when Joseph came to my help. He was considered one of the smart boys by the math teacher, who gave us monthly tests and awarded best performance with chocolates and best progress with Skittles (彩虹糖).
Joseph was a frequent holder of the best performance award. I appreciated his help because he had great ways to get me thinking and guide me to solve problems. I was making progress in math and Joseph knew it. He encouraged me to go for best progress award first and then best performance.
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。
Those awards seemed really big goals for me, but I decided to go all out.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Three months later, my first goal was achieved.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
