In our weekly staff meeting, our editor Ashley was not pleased with the quality of our reporting. “Our readership is way down. We need better stories for this Thursday’s school newspaper. Does anybody have any ideas?” she said.
I handed her my article about our basketball team beating Deerfield High School the previous night by one point. “Sports stories are fun,” she said, “but not good enough for the front page. We need something to really get people ‘s attention.”
After our meeting, we left the newsroom together and heard someone screaming, “Perry is missing!” Perry was a big red parrot and had been our school mascot (吉祥物) for ten years. He played an important role in students’ lives, both in and out of class. He had also been a constant presence at school events, inspiring a sense of unity among students.
Everyone gathered around Perry’s empty cage, heartbroken. Suddenly, a student from the crowd came over and showed me a photo. “You’re a reporter for the school paper, right? I happened to take this yesterday,” he said. In the photo was a Deerfield High School basketball player with something large hidden under his shirt around the size of a parrot.
“He must have stolen Perry to get back at us for winning the game!” Ashley cried. We hurried back to the newsroom, agreeing to run the photo on the front page with the headline “Deerfeld Stole Perry.” “This is just the story we need. Everyone will read it,” Ashley said confidently.
After she left, I took a closer look at the photo. The clock in the background read 4:15 pm, but our game against Deerfield hadn’t started until 4:30 pm. Why would the boy have taken Perry before we even played? An uneasy feeling came over me that we might have falsely accused someone.
I went to Perry’s usual caretaker to ask if he knew Perry was missing. ”He’s not missing. He’s retired. He’s ready for some quieter days,“ he said. Learning the truth, I immediately told Ashley and suggested writing a story to say goodbye to Perry.
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。
To my surprise, Ashley insisted on reporting the “Deerfield Stole Perry” story.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Thursday, the paper came out with the headline “Bye-Bye, Perry” on the front page.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Juju was the star dancer at school. She had a smile that would light up the room and movements as if she was creating the music. But when she was away from her high school dance class, she was more quiet, a little bit cautious — something the group of girls in her class noticed.
In fact, Juju’s real name is Julie. Raised up as an orphan (孤儿), she experienced a lack of familial support, which contributed to her sense of loneliness. More often than not, she hid behind the nickname, creating a bright character that covered up the pain she was experiencing. Julie kept schoolmates at a distance but let Juju out when the music was on. Though as an excellent dancer, her biggest regret was that none of her family ever came to watch her performances. She would watch sadly as other students were greeted with flowers and hugs from parents after the performances.
Observing Julie’s closed nature outside of the dance room, Corrina, one of the other dance students, sensed her need for companionship. When she found her at lunchtime sitting alone, Corrina would invite Julie to join her table with other dance kids, including her as a member of their extended “family”. At first, they talked about dance and music. As the conversation turned to family, Juju would quickly shift the subject back to dance.
Despite this initial hesitance, trust between the girls gradually developed, and then a sister-like bond. They started spending more time together, not just in dance-related activities but also in their personal lives.
As their high school years ended, the closing night performance for graduation was around the corner. While everyone was filled with excitement, Corrina sensed Julie’s anxiety as curtain time approached. She knew Julie feared the post-show loneliness of having no family to celebrate with. So she took it upon herself to ensure that Julie didn’t feel alone on this important night.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 100 左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Determined to plan a surprise for Julie as a “family”, Corrina gathered other girls.
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3 . Do you have a favorite sport? Are you passionate about sewing or reading? Typically, you engage in these activities simply because you enjoy them. Would you be taken aback to know the overjustification effect that when you are rewarded for your beloved activities, your desire to participate in them diminishes?
Edward Deci, a psychology professor, conducted a series of experiments, in one of which Deci divided the participants into two groups: one was paid to complete a puzzle, and the other was not paid to. After money was removed, the group that was previously paid to play showed less motivation to complete the task than the group that was never paid and only did the puzzle for enjoyment. The outcome demonstrated the overjustification effect, which occurs when an external stimulation decreases a person’s internal motivation to perform a behavior or engage in an activity.
According to the self-determination theory, three conditions are essential for people to feel internally motivated and perform at their best: autonomy, freedom from external restrictions; competence, the need to feel capable, and relatedness, the need to feel connected with others. In Deci’s experiment, money acted as a tie, which reduced participants’ autonomy, a crucial component of internal motivation, discouraging them from experiencing the freedom of external restrictions. The pressure to perform for the money lessened the pleasure and freedom felt by those who were doing the puzzle merely for fun.
But if external stimulation is tied to performance, the overjustification effect is less influential. For example, being rewarded for studying is unlikely to decrease internal motivation because the grade depends upon actually doing well rather than just going through the motions.
While the overjustification effect can reduce motivation, some strategies can lower its impact. One is to focus on providing feedback and recognition rather than concrete rewards. For instance, praising an individual’s effort or acknowledging their accomplishments can maintain their internal motivation. Additionally, allowing individuals to have autonomy and control over their tasks also works. By giving them the freedom to choose how they complete tasks, individuals are more likely to be internally motivated and experience a greater sense of satisfaction and engagement.
1. What does the underlined word “diminishes” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Remains. | B．Weakens. | C．Ceases. | D．Solidifies. |
| A．By interpreting a concept. |
| B．By presenting an argument. |
| C．By making a comparison. |
| D．By describing a phenomenon. |
| A．The skills needed for a puzzle. |
| B．The core elements of inner drives. |
| C．The impact of autonomy on competence. |
| D．The theoretical basis for the overjustification effect. |
| A．Speaking highly of a pupil’s hard work. |
| B．Rewarding a kid with candy for playing the violin. |
| C．Offering a clerk financial bonuses for daily routines. |
| D．Promising an employee a decent position for doing his duty. |
It was a hot summer day when my world turned upside down. The sun shone brightly and the sky seemed to be painted in an endless shade of blue. Little did I know that this particular day would become rooted in my memory forever.
I woke up with a sense of excitement; it was the first day of the summer camp. I had been looking forward to this day for weeks, imagining the adventures, new friends, and endless fun that awaited me. I quickly dressed in my favorite camp T-shirt and shorts, my backpack filled with snacks and a water bottle, eagerly anticipating the day ahead.
As I arrived at the camp, the energy was contagious (有感染力的). The air was filled with laughter, chatter, and the promise of an unforgettable summer. I quickly made friends with Sarah, a girl with a contagious smile, and we became really close over our shared love for adventure.
The camp was a wonderland, with activities ranging from sports to arts and crafts. I felt like I was ready to absorb every bit of knowledge and experience that came my way. The day went by quickly as we laughed through games, amazed at nature hikes, and cheered each other on during various sports activities. The sun seemed to run against the clock, reminding us to enjoy every moment before it was too late.
However, the day took an unexpected turn when a teacher announced an unexpected activity-a team-building exercise involving a high ropes course. I had always been afraid of heights, but the excitement of the challenge mixed with the encouragement from my newfound friends pushed me to give it a try.
Standing at the base of the towering structure, my heart raced like a runaway train. Each step up the ladder felt heavier. A sense of panic gradually began to catch me.
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。
As I reached the top and looked down, I froze.
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Little by little, I made it to the other side.
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Tim and his father were sailing at sea. He tried to remember all the sailing knowledge his father taught. However, it wasn’t easy for him. He could only master the skills to tie ropes and wear a life jacket in case of emergency.
Tim pulled in the sail (帆) of the boat over his head successfully. He looked back at his father, hoping for a smile or a nod. But his dad was looking up at the sail, not at him. Tim enjoyed sailing with his father, but he also felt nervous and different from his confident father.
Suddenly, the wind was blowing angrily. He put on his life jacket nervously. By comparison, his father never wore a life jacket, for he had been swimming and sailing for his entire life .
“Tim, can you take the helm (方向盘) for a minute?” his father asked, “Just keep it going straight. I’ll run up to the back of the boat to check something.” Considering the changing weather, Tim hesitated, but he didn’t want to see the familiar disapproving look on his father’s face. “Uh, sure,” he replied and went to hold the helm tightly.
Suddenly, the wind shifted direction and the boat heeled (倾斜) so sharply that it might turn over. Tim knew he had to let some air out of the sail to help right the boat, but he would have to let go of the helm to do that.
He looked back for his father, but the sail blocked his view. “Dad!” he called, but the wind swallowed his voice. His heart was pounding in his ears. The boat began to heel more. Tim knew he had to act fast. He held the helm with one hand and used the other hand to reach for the mainsail line, trying to loosen it. After a few attempts, he managed to let the air out of the sail. The boat quickly righted itself.
Tim gave a sigh of relief. Then he looked around for his father. But there was no sign of him.
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, he saw a flash of something in the water.
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His father finally climbed back into the boat with Tim’s help.
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Emily is a sixth-grade student in a small American town. She is a curious and adventurous girl who always dreams of exploring new places. Last summer, her dream came true when she got selected for a student exchange program to visit China.
Emily was super excited, but she knew that going to a different country with a brand new culture might not be easy. When she arrived in China, she had an open heart and lots of hope, but the cultural differences, the language barrier, and the unfamiliar surroundings made her feel a bit overwhelmed.
On her first day at a Chinese school, she felt like she was in a completely different world. The students spoke a language she couldn’t understand, and the way things worked in the classroom was very different from back home. During lunchtime, poor Emily sat all by herself in a corner of the cafeteria, feeling lost and lonely. Just then, a friendly Chinese girl came up to her with a warm smile and said, “Hello, my name is Li Shanshan. I noticed you’re new here. Would you like to be our friend?”
Emily was so relieved and thankful for the friendly offer. “Thank you,” she replied with a big smile. “I’m Emily, and I’m really happy to meet you.”
Shanshan introduced Emily to her group of friends, and they all welcomed her with open arms. They helped Emily with her Chinese language, taught her about Chinese customs, and shared their favorite Chinese foods. Slowly but surely, Emily started to feel more comfortable and understand the Chinese culture better.
One day, as the English teacher was planning her class schedule, she came up with an idea. She decided to assign each student in the class to do a presentation about their hometowns the next week. She believed this could be a great way for the students to learn about different cultures and improve their public speaking skills.
注意：
1．所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2．续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Emily was glad to do this but she didn’t know how to prepare.
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The day finally came and it was Emily’s turn to make the presentation.
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7 . Even when you have confidence in yourself, your goals will sometimes seem out of reach. When that happens, get hold of the people who
When I was younger, I
Early in my
Even now, I
| A．refer to | B．depend on | C．learn from | D．believe in |
| A．quit | B．struggled | C．regretted | D．argued |
| A．responsibilities | B．dreams | C．opportunities | D．doubts |
| A．stopped | B．admitted | C．allowed | D．considered |
| A．tracked | B．recommended | C．accompanied | D．encouraged |
| A．serious | B．possible | C．hard | D．necessary |
| A．request | B．unwillingness | C．inability | D．attempt |
| A．difficulties | B．options | C．aims | D．standards |
| A．career | B．experiment | C．business | D．recovery |
| A．foolishly | B．simply | C．wisely | D．bravely |
| A．original | B．familiar | C．typical | D．positive |
| A．looking into | B．taking down | C．dealing with | D．pointing out |
| A．introduce | B．remind | C．guarantee | D．warn |
| A．experience | B．describe | C．compare | D．limit |
| A．probably | B．fortunately | C．obviously | D．importantly |
8 . Lay eggs and make noises — that’s it? Anyone involved in chicken farming knows that the animals are capable of much more. Researchers have found evidence that roosters (公鸡) could recognize themselves in a mirror. Whether this is successful, however, depends on the experimental contexts.
Whether animals can recognize themselves and thus have self-awareness is one of the central questions in behavioral research. The mark test, a classic test for self-recognition came to the scientists. In the test, if an animal stands in front of a mirror and begins to explore the colored mark placed on its body, this is considered proof that it recognizes its reflection as itself.
“However, our goal was to conduct the mirror test in an environment that is better adapted to the ecologically relevant behavior of the roosters,” says Sonja, a researcher from the University of Bonn. She came up with the idea of using a natural behavior of roosters for the experiment.
Initially, the researchers set up a test area and placed a net to separate two compartments (隔间), through which the roosters could see each other. Then a picture of a fox was placed onto the ceiling of one compartment. Faced with the predator, the roosters let out 77 alarm calls in the presence of a partner, but only 17 when they were alone. The result shows that most roosters, faced with a fox, do alarm partners, which is the perfect illustration of the animals’ self-awareness. The next step was to place a mirror between the two compartments instead of the net. In all, only 25 alarm calls were let out. “The result indicates that the roosters don’t mistake their reflection for a partner, and possibly recognize themselves in their mirror image,” says Sonja.
For comparison, the team also performed the classic mark test. Here, the roosters didn’t recognize themselves in the mirror. The research team sees clear evidence that the classic mirror-mark test produces more reliable results when the behavior of the particular species is included in an ecologically relevant context. “In the classic situation, a rooster may not show self-recognition,” says Sonja. “But when a fox threatens him, it becomes clear that his reflection is not another rooster, but himself.” Further research on animals’ self-awareness is needed so as to better understand animal rights and animal welfare.
1. What is the purpose of the mark test?| A．To explain why animals show certain behavior. |
| B．To discover what behavioral research focuses on. |
| C．To tell whether animals can identify their mirror image. |
| D．To reveal how animals get used to the natural environment. |
| A．Enemy. | B．Partner. | C．Researcher. | D．Reflection. |
| A．To present the experiment result. | B．To change the experimental condition. |
| C．To replace the experiment subject. | D．To simplify the experimental process. |
| A．Animal behavior draws researchers’ attention. |
| B．Animal welfare deserves more human efforts. |
| C．Roosters’ self-recognition works in classic mark tests. |
| D．Roosters’ self-awareness improves in threatening contexts. |
9 . AI could make it less necessary to learn foreign languages. That is good news for travelers, bad news for soulful connection.
Travel has long been a motivator for study — unless people start to feel AI tools offer a good-enough service. Some are concerned that apps are turning language acquisition into a dwindling pursuit. Douglas Hofstadter, a writer, has argued that something important will disappear when people talk through machines. He describes giving a hesitant, difficult speech in Mandarin, which required a lot of work but offered a sense of achievement at the end. Who would show off taking a plane to the top of Mount Everest?
Others are less worried. Most people do not move abroad or have the kind of sustained contact with a foreign culture that requires them to put in the work to become fluent. Nor do most people learn languages for the purpose of humanizing themselves or training their brains. On their holiday, they just want a beer and pizza.
As AI translation becomes a more popular labour-saving tool, people will divide into two groups. There will be those who want to challenge their minds, put themselves in other cultures or force their thinking into new pathways. This lot will still take on language study, often aided by technology. Others will look at learning a new language with a mix of admiration and confusion, as they might with extreme endurance (忍耐力) sports: “Good for you, if that’s your thing, but a bit painful for my taste.”
But a focus on the learner alone misses the fundamentally social nature of language. It is a bit like analyzing the benefits of close relationships to heart health but overlooking the inner value of those bonds themselves. When you try to ask directions in broken Japanese or make a joke in hesitant German, you are making direct contact with someone. And when you speak a language well enough to tell a story with perfect timing or put subtle (微妙的) shading on an argument, that connection is still deeper.
1. What does the word “dwindling” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Growing. | B．Lasting. | C．Declining. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Using AI tools to do the translation. |
| B．Doing the work that gives you satisfaction. |
| C．Making effort to learn a new language. |
| D．Studying a language aided by technology. |
| A．People should stretch their minds in life. |
| B．AI translation tools offer a good service. |
| C．Extreme endurance sports are worth trying. |
| D．Language learning builds deep connection. |
| A．Language learning benefits learners alone. |
| B．Language learning is of value to human health. |
| C．We should reflect on language learning methods. |
| D．We should adopt a new angle on language learning. |
