The man was kind of small, but to a five-year-old, he was a giant. Cherry-scented smoke from Grandpa’s pipe kept the hungry mosquitoes at bay. Now and again, he blew a smoke ring and laughed as I tried to target the hole with my finger.
We sat side by side on the old wooden stairs that hot summer evening, watching the traffic, counting cars and trying to guess the color of the next one to turn the corner. We watched the sun go down behind the old Texaco service station across the busy street, which I was never allowed to cross unless accompanied by an adult.
My grandfather was baby-sitting while my mother, father and grandmother went out. While my two baby brothers slept inside the house, my three older siblings (兄弟姐妹) played with friends around the corner, where I was not allowed to go. I stayed with Grandpa, and that was okay with me. “Thirsty?” Grandpa asked, never removing the pipe from his mouth. “Yes,” was my reply. “How would you like to run over to the gas station there and get yourself a bottle of Coke?” I couldn’t believe my ears. On my family’s modest income, Coke was not a part of our budget or diet. “Okay,” I replied shyly, already wondering how I would get across the street.
He stretched his long leg out straight and reached his huge hand deep into the pocket. Opening his fist, he exposed several silver coins. He instructed me to pick out one. After he deposited the rest of the change back into his pocket, he stood up. “Okay,” he said, helping me down the stairs and to the curb (马路沿儿).
“I’m going to stay here and keep an ear out for the babies. I’ll tell you when it’s safe to cross. You go over to the Coke machine, get your Coke out and come back. Wait for me to tell you when it’s safe to cross back.” My heart pounded. Excitement took my breath away.
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。
Grandpa held my hand tightly.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My heart pounded wildly as I approached the Coke machine.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Researchers have developed a new soft robot design that conducts itself with three behaviours at the same time: rolling (翻滚) forward. turning like a record and following a path that goes around a central point. The equipment, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing soft robots that can be used to AA-head and map unknown environments.
The new soft robots are called twisted ring-bots (扭曲环机器人) . They are made of something like the ribbon (缎带) and then joined together at the end to form a ring.
When the robots are placed on a surface that is at least 55 degrees Celsius, which is hotter than the surrounding air, one part of the ribbon touching the surface becomes smaller, while one part in the air does not. This induces a rolling movement: the warmer the surface, the faster the robot rolls. “The ribbon rolls on its horizontal axis (横轴) , giving the ring forward strength,” says Jie Yin, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
The twisted ring-bot also turns along its central axis. And as the twisted ring-bot moves forward it travels in a path around a central point, basically moving in a large circle. However, if the twisted ring-bot meets a boundary- like the wall of a box-it will travel along the boundary.
The twisted ring-bots are examples of equipment whose behaviour is governed by physical intelligence, meaning their actions are determined by their structural design and the materials they are made of, rather than being directed by a computer or human.
“Soft robotics is still a relatively new field.” Yin says. “Finding new ways to control the movement of soft robots in a repeatable and engineered way moves the field forward. And advancing our understanding of what is possible is exciting.”
1. What makes the robot roll faster and faster?| A．The ribbon. | B．The central axis. |
| C．The shape and material. | D．The higher surface temperature. |
| A．By explaining the robot’s working ways. | B．By quoting experts’ opinions. |
| C．By making some comparisons. | D．By offering reasons and results. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Favourable. | C．Negative. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．The New Soft Robots | B．Ribbons and Their Rolling |
| C．Three Creative Movements | D．Twisted Rings and the Axis |
3 . Phonetic (语音) information—the smallest sound elements of speech - is considered by researchers to be the basis of language. Babies are thought to learn these small sound elements and add them together to make words. But a new study suggests that phonetic information is learnt too late and slowly for this to be the case. Instead, rhythmic (有韵律的) speech helps babies learn language and is effective even in the first few months of life.
Researchers from the Trinity College Dublin investigated babies’ ability to process phonetic information during their first year. Their study, published in the journal Nature Communications. found that phonetic information wasn’t successfully encoded (编码) until seven months old, and did not occur very often at 11 months old when babies began to say their first words. From then individual speech sounds are still added in very slowly—too slowly to form the basis of language.
The researchers recorded patterns of brain activity in 50 babies at four, seven, and eleven months old as they watched a video of a primary school teacher singing 18 nursery rhymes (童谣) to a baby. They found that phonetic encoding in babies appeared inchmeal over the first year of life, beginning with labial sounds (e.g. “d” for “daddy”) and nasal sounds (e.g. “m” for “mummy”), with the “read out” progressively looking more like that of adults.
“The reason why we use nursery rhymes is because that is the best way for babies to discover and connect sounds with language, so we are teaching them how to speak,” said Giovanni Di Liberto, lead author of the study at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. “Parents should talk and sing to their babies as much as possible or use baby-directed speech because it will make a difference to language outcome,” she added.
1. What should babies learn in the first few months of life according to the new study?| A．Small sound elements | B．Rhythmic information. |
| C．Phonetic information. | D．Individual words. |
| A．The poor phonetic encoding in babies. | B．The advantages of phonetic information. |
| C．The babies’ great ability to learn language. | D．The babies’ growing process in the first year. |
| A．Gradually. | B．Suddenly. | C．Successfully. | D．Occasionally. |
| A．When Babies Are Able to Say Their First Words |
| B．How Phonetic Information Changes Over Time |
| C．Why Phonetic Is Better Than Rhythmic for Babies |
| D．Why Babies Need Nursery Rhymes for Language Mastery |
My Amazing Brother
Mark was the most popular boy in his class. He had top grades, was a star athlete and was everyone's friend. He was so perfect. He also happened to be my little brother.
My brother and I had always been close, yet I had long felt inferior(自惭形秽) to him. He just seemed to have everything, I, on the other hand, was shy with relatively few close friends, I was sure 95 percent of the class had no idea I even existed,
High school started. Mark and I were at the same school; he was a freshman, and I was a senior, We got closer than ever that year, I didn't know whether it was the rides to school when we sang along to the songs on the radio, or the fact that we were both on the swim team,
I helped him with his math problems, and he read my papers and made sure that they were A+ quality, We listened to CDs every night and danced on the floor. We joked about our parents. We even hung out with each other at the movies.
One night, my brother and I were discussing the upcoming semi-formal dance, Mark, of course, would attend it, I hadn't even planned on going. I never had a friend for anything and I accepted that nothing was likely to change that. When Mark asked who I wanted to go with, I was shocked.
"What do you mean you're not going? You have to go, It's your senior year!" Mark didn't understand why I wasn't going.
"Well, there's not one person who would want to go with me, " I told him, using the reasoning I'd repeated to myself over and over.
"You're joking, Care.There isn't anyone in the whole school that would turn you down. ""How do you know?" I asked, wondering where my brother got such silly ideas.
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。
"Because you're the coolest girl in the world, " Mark answered.
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The rest of the year went by in excitement.
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The library was typically so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. But on this Wednesday afternoon, there was a roar of laughter that spread through the halls. It was coming from a table in the back. Books were piled so high that one could barely see the source of all the noise. Brian and Josie were hiding behind the mountain of history texts, their faces bright red from laughing.
Mrs Cane, the librarian, followed the laughter and then approached the table. As she cleared her throat and looked over the piles of books, Brian and Josie looked up to meet her gaze. Mrs Cane looked at the books, then at the kids. “And what is it you two are supposed to be working on?”
Brian hesitated a moment, and then answered, “We’re working on a paper for our history class.”
“I see,” Mrs Cane said harshly. “Perhaps one of the private reading rooms would be a better place for you to concentrate and study. Quietly.”
The kids collected their books and their backpacks and followed Mrs Cane down a long hallway until they got to a dark row of doors. Mrs Cane pulled out a ring of keys from her pocket and unlocked a door. She turned on the light, which shone brightly overhead. The kids placed their books on the dusty table and reluctantly (不情愿地) climbed into the chairs. Brian and Josie shrugged (耸肩) and opened their books, finally focusing on the project at hand.
Time was ticking away. After what seemed like hours, Brian and Josie decided to take a break and when Josie opened the door of the room, Brian’s eyes opened wide. The library was completely dark. Looking at his watch, he let out a gasp. “It’s 9:30! The library closed an hour ago!”
Paragraph 1:Brian looked through his backpack for his cellphone.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
They heard a noise that sounded like a telephone ringing.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What do we know about the woman’s father?
| A．He felt lonely. | B．He got sick. | C．He fell over. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Unsure. | C．Disapproving. |
| A．54 years old. | B．57 years old. | C．60 years old. |
| A．To make friends. | B．To enjoy professional services. | C．To live in a pleasant environment. |
7 . If you’ve never had hot pot, you’re absolutely missing out. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also a fantastic meal to share with friends or family. But it also generates a lot of waste oil. In fact, hot pot is reportedly responsible for 12,000 tons of waste oil per month just in the Chinese city of Chengdu alone. Instead of just throwing away that oil, one company decided to turn it into jet fuel (航空燃料).
Bloomberg recently published a great article about Sichuan Jinshang Environmental Technology, a company that began exporting hot pot waste oil to be turned into biofuel that can power planes. It’s not exactly a perfect solution to the greenhouse gas emissions that the aviation (航空) industry is responsible for, but it’s a step in the right direction. “Our mission is to make waste oil fly to the sky,” Zhong Guojun, the company’s vice president, told Bloomberg.
Based in Chengdu, Sichuan Jinshang Environmental Technology takes waste oil from around the city and refines it into something called industrial mixed oil. The refined oil is then exported to be turned into jet fuel or biodiesel (生物柴) by companies such as BP or Neste Oyj, the biggest producer of sustainable jet fuel in the world. And with new requirements for airlines to use more biofuel in their planes, there’s a lot of demand despite the fact that it’s still more expensive than regular jet fuel.
“When there is a demand, the supply will catch up, and the demand is already here,” said Chong Cheng Tung, Associate Professor at the China-UK Low Carbon College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University told Bloomberg. “So either you switch your fuel to green fuel, like bio-jet fuel, or you have to meet additional payments for travelling.”
Last year, Neste announced plans to spend more than $2 billion expanding its capacity to produce sustainable jet fuel. By 2026, it hopes to be able to produce 1.2 million tons of the stuff. Other companies such as Chevron, BP. and Total Energies are producing it on a smaller scale (规模) but also plan to increase their output soon.
1. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．Purify. | B．Add. | C．Pack. | D．Ruin. |
| A．Sichuan Jinshang Environmental Technology is the biggest producer. |
| B．Airlines are required to use more of it or they will be fined. |
| C．It is cheaper than regular jet fuel. |
| D．Greenhouse gas emission can be greatly reduced by it. |
| A．tell us the plan of several companies |
| B．show the popularity of this bio-jet fuel |
| C．call on more companies to follow the trend and produce green jet fuel |
| D．prove this green jet fuel is a perfect solution to greenhouse gas emission |
| A．Chinese company helps turn leftover hot pot oil into jet fuel |
| B．How was the hot pot oil turned into green jet fuel |
| C．A new way to produce jet fuel was discovered |
| D．Environmental protection calls for eco-friendly jet fuel |
When I was young, we lived in a small town. Everyone knew Roy as he was a top student in the town. He was of my age, but he lost his parents in an accident at the age of 8. So he lived alone and delivered newspapers to support himself and his education.
Every time he delivered newspapers to our home, he wore a broad smile on his face and greeted my mom gently. My mom was greatly surprised when she knew his daily routine. He got up every morning by 5 o’clock and walked 5 kilometers from where he lived to the newspaper office to collect the newspapers. By 6:00, he carried 50 pieces of newspapers — more than 5 kilograms and walked 3 kilometers back. After sending the newspapers, he rushed another 3 kilometers home to cook a simple breakfast before hurrying to school.
This morning, seeing he left hurriedly in a strong wind, my mom and I decided to do something for him. After school, I waited for him at the school gate and told him that my mom would like to invite him to our home. When he asked why, I replied, “You will know soon!” Thinking for a short while, he followed me to my home nearby. It was possible that he assumed my mom would continue to subscribe to the newspaper.
注意：1. 续写词数应为100个左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My mom stood at the door, waiting for us.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Seeing the bike in front of him, he couldn’t hold back his tears.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One sunny Friday morning, the school hallways were filled with excitement. The yearly school project was just a week away, and the students were busy preparing their presentations. Among the students, two friends, Lisa and Emily, found themselves in a heated argument.
“I can’t believe you’re proposing that boring topic, Emily!” Lisa shouted, her eyes wide with anger. “We need to come up with something special, something that will make us stand out!” Emily rolled her eyes,” But Lisa, I’ve been working on this idea for weeks. It’s not about being special, it’s about doing something meaningful.“
Lisa crossed her arms, “Well, if you say so. But I still think we should go for something more flashy.’
As the disagreement continued, their voices grew louder, catching the attention of their classmates. Soon, other students started to gather around, adding their opinions and suggestions.
The once peaceful hallways were now filled with unpleasant voices, each one voicing their own ideas and concerns.
Then their teacher, Mr. Thompson, approached them. “What’s all the argument about?” he asked calmly. Lisa and Emily turned to him, still arguing.
Mr. Thompson held up his hand, silencing them.” Listen, “he said,”I know you both want to do your best and make a lasting effect. But remember, it’s not about being the most special or flashy. It’s about coming up with a topic that matters to you and making a difference in someone’s life.”
Lisa and Emily looked at each other, realizing their mistake. They had been so focused on impressing others that they had forgotten the true purpose of their project.
“You’re right, Mr. Thompson,” Lisa admitted softly. “We shouldn’t let ourselves be limited by what’s popular or what others expect us to do.”
Emily nodded in agreement, “Yes, we need to focus on something that truly matters to us.” With newfound determination, Lisa and Emily decided to work together again and choose atopic that aligned with their passions and interests. They spent the next week researching and planning their presentation, ensuring that it would be both engaging and informative.
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:
The day of the school project finally arrived, and Lisa and Emily stood behind their table with a renewed sense of purpose.
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Paragraph 2:
As the judges deliberated over(评出)the winners, Lisa and Emily felt a sense of pride and satisfaction.
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10 . The Feynman Technique(费曼学习法)is a powerful method that you can use to learn anything faster because it forces you to actively think about the problem instead of passively reading or listening to someone else talk about it. You can take the following five simple steps to study better.
·Find out the topic you want to learn.
·Explain the topic as if teaching a sixth-grader. This step is the heart of the FeynmanTechnique—
.Identify areas of improvement in your explanation. You’ll need to critically(批判性地)review the explanation you cane up with in Step Two
·Improve and optimiez(优化) your explanation. Think about all the knowledge gaps and other areas of improvement you found before.
· Repeat the steps until you’ve achieved mastery of the topic. Keep going through each step you're fully satisfied with your explanation.
| A．Use those to improve your explanation |
| B．To do so, take a critical look at your explanation |
| C．Make sure that your explanation is interest-based |
| D．Your explanations need to be short and to the point |
| E．The Feynman Technique works best with a repeat |
| F．It’s important that you clearly know the topics you’re trying to learn |
| G．Explaining the topic simply enough to be understood by a sixth-grade student |
