Birthdays were a huge deal at my workplace. Co-workers went above and beyond to shower the person of honor with food, decorations, affirmations, love and, yes, embarrassment on their special day. As one who preferred to go unnoticed and felt embarrassed at being the center of attention, I was horrified to walk in on my birthday to see my desk decorated with glittery streamers, and a hot pink sash (饰带) with the words, “Kneel! I’m the Birthday Princess”. I was forced to wear for the duration of the day.
Although embarrassed by the display, I felt extremely loved. I thoroughly enjoyed the pleasant flowers and delicious chocolate cake my co-workers gave me.
Several months after my birthday celebration, our office welcomed Laura, a new member, to the team. Hired as our office manager’s assistant, Laura was also tasked with establishing a human resources department. Possessing an ambitious vision and receiving trust from our manager, she immediately made major changes — which were not well received. Gradually, Laura became the centre of gossip (闲言碎语).
When Laura’s spring birthday neared, it was evident that no one wanted to celebrate. I understood why no one wanted to go all-out in celebrating Laura’s birthday, but it bothered me nevertheless. As an extremely shy and introverted (内向的) individual, being left out or ignored was nothing foreign to me, and it pained me to think of the deliberate effort to ignore her birthday. Although she drove me crazy, too, I knew her time in our office had not been easy.
Stopping by our local grocery store, I selected some rosy-pink tulips and a birthday card in which I wrote a heartfelt note highlighting some of Laura’s qualities I admired, such as her ambitious spirit, creativity, and strong inner drive. Arriving an hour early to work the morning of her birthday, I transformed her corner of the office just like what my co-workers did for my birthday.
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 watched Laura spot her decorated work area when she arrived.
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The friendship between Laura and me began since the lunch and continued to grow over the years.
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2 . One day, Joyce Chancellor purchased an old diary at auction. She was
The inside front cover had the name and address of Mattie Leola. The diary chronicled (按事件发生顺序记载) events in a young professional woman’s life over a five-year period, including her college
Eventually the diary provided an important clue about Mattie’s possible descendants: an/a
After several
“Returning the diary to Mattie’s son was a/an
| A．attracted | B．challenged | C．assigned | D．shocked |
| A．identity | B．origin | C．family | D．ancestor |
| A．graduation | B．admission | C．application | D．employment |
| A．Pictures | B．Backgrounds | C．Dates | D．Clues |
| A．mistakes | B．history | C．money | D．preparations |
| A．belief | B．climate | C．recognition | D．support |
| A．lecture | B．context | C．edition | D．journal |
| A．forgive | B．inspire | C．marry | D．leave |
| A．located | B．contacted | C．changed | D．delivered |
| A．attempts | B．movements | C．appointments | D．events |
| A．deal | B．call | C．debate | D．meetup |
| A．secrets | B．diaries | C．promises | D．records |
| A．touched | B．impressive | C．anxious | D．addicted |
| A．tough | B．confusing | C．rewarding | D．awkward |
| A．solution | B．arrangements | C．effect | D．mark |
Jim dreams of becoming a famous artist to help lift his family from poverty. However, an illness in the family forces Jim to give up everything he worked so hard for.
Jim used to draw skyline on the roof of the school building, with a broken piece of pencil lead he’d found in a rubbish can. His drawing was close to perfect except for some color. His family lived from hand to mouth so Jim could only rely on himself. He had to help out on the local farm after school and saved some of the money for paints.
One day Mom fell seriously ill and was rushed to hospital at once. While the rest of his family were still at the hospital waiting, Jim ran back home to get the household emergency money. But his heart sank when he saw the pitiful money. It’d never be enough to pay for Mom’s medical treatment. He ran into his bedroom and reached for his savings.
“Goodbye, paints and brushes,” Jim said as he added his to the emergency money.
One night on the way home, thinking of Mom in hospital he wanted to do something for her. He bent down beneath a streetlight and put his fingers in the dirt on the roadside. Before he knew it, he drew a portrait (肖像) of Mom.
He found red dust and mixed it with mud to add shadow, then picked up some grass and turned it into some kind of paint. He used this to add definition around Mom’s nose, eyes and hair.
When he was finished, Jim stood back up to study his work. The linework and shading were fine, but the colors…
“It’s still no good,” Jim shook his head.
“I disagree.”
Jim turned around and found a stranger standing behind him. He gave Jim a friendly smile and introduced himself as Mr. Finn.
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 am an editor for an art magazine.” Mr. Finn continued.
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With the payment from the magazine, Jim could not hide his joy.
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It was an afternoon on the eve of Thanksgiving. The sky was thick with clouds. I had finally finished my month-long business trip to San Francisco and was on my way to the airport to get home for the Thanksgiving dinner with my parents. After what seemed like hours, I finally arrived the airport. It began raining, witch made me even more anxious to get home and enjoy the warmth from my family.
I walked into the hall of terminal(航站楼) and found it surprisingly crowded. Shortly after, I heard the airport announcement that many flights were delayed(延迟) due to bad weather. And there was no certainty as to how long the delay would be. As soon as this announcement was made, the hall was filled with the sound to express their disappointment and helplessness. And it quickly turned the noises from people making a call, probably to tell the person on the other end of the line about the flight delay.
There was a sense of anxiety and worry in the air. I thought many people here were just like me, looking forward to the festive reunion with their families and afraid of missing it due to flight delay. But there was nothing to do but wait.
I just had to seat myself and wait patiently for the arrival of the good news that the flight was resuming(继续)．Shortly after I sat down, a group of graceful men sitting opposite me drew my special attention. What they had in common was that they all had a musical instrument with them. It seemed like they were an orchestra(管弦乐队).
Everyone waited for a long time feeling down, and the atmosphere was not relaxing a bit. Then I saw one of them, an elegantly mannered man, stand up. One by one, he said something to his partners in a low voice. Each nodded as he listened. After that, they rose up and walked out of the crowds. I didn’t pay any more attention to where they were going.
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。
Suddenly, out of nowhere came the beautiful music.
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The performance won the applause(掌声) of everyone.
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5 . Liao Wentao, a pet undertaker, put the body of 2-year-old Garfield on a small bed surrounded by flowers. Then he let the cat’s owner say a last goodbye before cremation (火化). “We send off 400 to 500 pets each year, and there’s a great demand for pet funerals,” he told China News.
Keeping pets has become a trend for young people in China and people are more than willing to pay for whatever their pets need. From 2019 to 2021, China’s pet market grew by almost 18% and hit 348.8billion yuan in value in 2021, according to a report by Research Consulting Group.
As the pet economy develops, animal lovers’ various needs have boosted the emergence and development of related businesses such as bathing, pet food, pet beauty and healthcare.
In addition to basic services, pet owners are increasingly paying for many new services, such as training, pet funerals, insurance, photography and entertainment. The growing pet market has also given birth to a large number of new pet-related jobs, noted CCTV News.
Liu Wei, 33, is a famous pet detective in Shanghai. He and his team work on finding families’ lost pets. “We have successfully helped find more than 1,000 pets. Besides cats and dogs, there are other pets like birds, lizards and hamsters,” Liu said. “In many big cities, cats and dogs have become an important part of many families and are taken good care of. So what we look for are not just pets, but family members.”
Apart from pet undertakers and detectives, some people work as pet food testers, pet sitters and pet trainers. According to Tu Di, secretary—general of the Hunan Pet Industry Association, the booming pet market shows people’s improved living standards.
However, there are also problems with the industry, for example, the high fees of taking pets to the vet (兽医). Many pet owners have called for stricter pricing regulations for pet medical services, reported Global Times.
1. Why is Liao’s story mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To teach readers a lesson. |
| C．To sum up the main idea. | D．To involve readers in a story. |
| A．By introducing an argument. | B．By telling some true stories. |
| C．By giving numbers and examples. | D．By focusing on basic pet—related services. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The low quality of services. | B．The rapid growth of the industry. |
| C．The lack of related regulations. | D．The various needs of animal lovers. |
An ordinary toy animal might not mean much to an adult. But for a child, it could mean the world. When first spotting the toy panda in the supermarket, 10-year-old Leon Ashworth fell in love with it. He couldn’t tear his eyes from it until he noticed the price tag: 25 dollars! That’s too much for his family. But he still wanted to have a try.
Running back home, he begged his mother, “Please, Mom, I really want that panda in Asda supermarket!” His mother Debbie Ashworth, who made living as a cleaner, responded, “Sorry, my dear, but I can’t afford to buy it now.” Seeing the disappointed look on his face, she added, “Maybe you can wait until next month when my salary comes in on June 15th. Is that OK?” “Of course!” Leon’s face lit up with excitement.
So he rushed back to the supermarket, smiling and skipping along. He wrote a note and put it on the toy’s box. On the note, he begged other shoppers not to buy it until his mom could. He was willing to wait until he could bring the panda home.
Two days later, the store’s staff found Leon’s note on the toy’s box. What the boy said on the note touched them and they decided to do something thoughtful. They placed the toy in a nice box. Then they tried their best to reach the boy. But it was too difficult to find a person in such a big city with only a small note. Eventually, they turned to the Internet, which turned out to be powerful and helpful.
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。
They posted the note and the phone number of the supermarket online.
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The staff invited Leon and his mother to return to the supermarket.
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7 . Newcastle University research is helping to prepare for and relieve storm damage before extreme weather occurs. Climate experts and engineers have created a new model to predict the damage caused by extreme weather. This new framework for “consequence forecasting” enables first responders to effectively target resources before an extreme weather event comes, such as Storm Eunice.
The pre-event decision-making model works by first developing relationships between wind speed and faults on the electricity network. The relationships are then used to estimate faults of electricity networks and potential customer interruptions. This model can be used as early as 24 hours before extreme weather events.
Published in the journal Climate Risk Management, the study findings can enable effective first response to manage infrastructure (基础设施) systems smitten by dangerous weather. Having the forecasting tools to predict and prepare for storm damage will reduce the social consequences of extreme weather, including power loss for customers and fines for electrical distribution companies.
Dr Wilkinson said, “Our model has the potential to change the way we manage weather and climate risks to our infrastructure networks. While electricity network operators already prepare extra resources when a storm approaches, predicting how many power lines may be blown down and where these are likely to be located will allow them to better target the necessary resources to more quickly repair any damage. This is likely to become even more important in the future as our changed climate is predicted to produce more frequent and more intense storms and some of these may be beyond the experience of the people tasked to deal with them.”
Study co-author, Professor Hayley Fowler, of Newcastle University’s School of Engineering, added, “This consequence forecasting is so important for planning emergency response in fast-evolving storms like Eunice. Our model could be used to regularly update energy companies and other infrastructure operators on the potential consequences of approaching storms as forecasts are updated in real-time.”
1. What can the new framework do?| A．Prevent extreme weather from happening. |
| B．Help rescuers effectively find resources before extreme weather. |
| C．Rid people of the possible extreme weather. |
| D．Help climate engineers create more models. |
| A．Attracted. | B．Inspected. |
| C．Attacked. | D．Impressed. |
| A．The significance of the model. | B．The potential risks of the model. |
| C．The downsides of the model. | D．The working principle of the model. |
| A．Prevent extreme weather occurring frequently |
| B．Provide electricity network operators extra resources |
| C．Update energy companies and other infrastructure operators |
| D．Predict and prepare for the impact of approaching storms |
8 . The fish eggs, all 200 of them, were settled and ready to go. The ground crew had counted the eggs carefully, and sealed them tightly within a plate filled precisely to the edge with seawater.
The countdown, and then—ignition (点火)! For two full minutes, the precious eggs suffered a violent shaking as the rocket’s engines exploded to life, and then rise to the heavens. These eggs were on their way to low Earth orbit. Next stop: the moon.
Well, they haven’t actually left yet. But after a recent simulation (模拟) designed to re-create the intense shaking of a typical takeoff, researchers in France found that the eggs survived. It’s a crucial discovery in the progress of the Lunar Hatch, a program that aims to determine whether astronauts could successfully raise fish on a future moon base.
Finally, Cyrille Przybyla, an aquaculture (水产养殖) researcher at the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea who led the research, dreams of designing a lunar fish farm that uses water already on the moon to help feed residents of the future Moon Village set to be established by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Przybyla’s hope is to offer lunar residents fresh, inviting, protein-rich fish—not just packets of freeze-dried food. “I proposed the idea to send eggs, not fish, because eggs are very strong,” he says.
Besides, Przybyla suggests there will be other benefits for astronauts who may one day find themselves raising animals in space. “From the psychological point of view, it’s better to have a reminder of Earth–you have a garden; you have a tank with fish,” he says.
Designing self-contained and self-supporting systems for food production beyond Earth will be crucial for future space exploration programs, says Luke Roberson, a researcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. And he says Przybyla’s study is “a great first step” toward showing that aquaculture is a practical part of that future.
1. What is Paragraph 2 writing about?| A．An experience. | B．An experiment. |
| C．An imagination. | D．An adventure. |
| A．To offer eggs to astronauts as food. |
| B．To test whether the eggs are strong. |
| C．To promote aquaculture on the moon. |
| D．To see the possibility of raising fish on the moon. |
| A．It can get rid of loneliness. |
| B．It diversifies the space food. |
| C．It gives astronauts something to do. |
| D．It helps astronauts remember the Earth. |
| A．How to Send Eggs to The Moon |
| B．A Great First Step towards Future |
| C．The Plan to Raise Fish on The Moon |
| D．A Practical Approach to Aquaculture |
I had always prided myself on my sharp tongue and brilliant response whether in class debates or casual arguments. Thus, when I was selected to represent the school in the national debate series, I was naturally extremely confident of myself.
All the members in my team were good speakers. We had an experienced teacher who trained us well. But I was undoubtedly the most outstanding speaker. In each of the rounds that I debated in, all the judges selected me as the best one. This meant that my confidence was the highest by the time we found ourselves with one week to train before the finals. I had every reason to believe that I would be voted the best speaker for the debate series.
I began to be self-important about the whole business and started behaving that way with my team-mates. I would laugh at Eton’s poor debating style. I would complain of Vivian’s slow response. I saw myself as the natural debater who would be disappointed by their bad performance.
As the finals drew near, I became more and more dissatisfied with my team. I began missing practices. My teacher was worried. My teammates were panicked. However, they had no choice but to rely on me to win the finals. Even if they would love to remove me from the team they could not because there was no replacement good enough.
The day of the finals finally came. I was very excited that I was able to finally show off my debating skills. Everyone was expecting my performance.They knew that I was praised to be the one most likely to win the best speaker for the debate series.
注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Paragraph1:
But the reality was not something that I had ever imagined.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Suddenly,a comforting hand from behind held mine.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Thinking about the past week, did any of you forget where you put your phone? Did you have a word stuck on the tip of your tongue? You couldn’t remember the name of the movie a friend recommended? What is going on here? Is your memory failing?
It’s not.
The other has something to do with stimulus(刺激物). For example, the tip of the tongue is one of the most common experiences of memory failure.
So when you walk into a room and suddenly don’t know why you’re there, you’re not going crazy or getting Alzheimer’s disease, and your memory isn’t terrible. Go back to the room you were in before you landed in this one and imagine the clues that were there.
| A．One necessary factor is attention. |
| B．It’s doing exactly what it's supposed to do. |
| C．These imperfections are simply the factory settings. |
| D．Our brains tend to remember what is meaningful and forget what isn’t. |
| E．You’re trying to come up with a word, but you cannot find it in your memory. |
| F．It will instantly deliver what you were completely confused about a moment ago. |
| G．Memory is amazing and is essential for the functioning of almost everything we do. |
