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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Nuclear pollution is a serious global
When nuclear accidents occur in coastal areas, the
Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, efforts to cool the reactors by pumping in seawater resulted in the
This
| A．change | B．opportunity | C．concern | D．possibility |
| A．caused | B．posed | C．created | D．increased |
| A．resulted in | B．led to | C．brought about | D．caused |
| A．terrestrial | B．aquatic | C．marine | D．atmospheric |
| A．balancing | B．regulating | C．considering | D．stabilizing |
| A．heightened | B．raised | C．decreased | D．lifted |
| A．minor | B．slight | C．substantial | D．insignificant |
| A．accumulation | B．storage | C．deposition | D．buildup |
| A．Therefore | B．Despite | C．However | D．Hence |
| A．from | B．by | C．of | D．in |
| A．residents | B．citizens | C．inhabitants | D．dwellers |
| A．issue | B．measure | C．release | D．disposal |
| A．web | B．chain | C．network | D．system |
| A．urgent | B．immediate | C．pressing | D．critical |
| A．address | B．tackle | C．solve | D．resolve |
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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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.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
His father finally climbed back into the boat with Tim’s help.
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5 . A recent study from psychologist Sarah Kucker at Oklahoma State University suggests shyness can influence a child’s performance in language tests, depending on the level of social interaction (互动交流) required to complete the test.
Shy children tend to keep quiet in everyday life, including communicating with others. The study points out that the behavior can make judging a child’s language abilities more challenging since shy children find it harder to verbally engage with testers (that’s when children are required to speak out) than during less socially demanding tests.
The research by Sarah Kucker was published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, and involved 122 children between the ages of 17 and 42 months. Each child underwent a series of three language tasks that required different levels of social interaction: a looking task, a pointing task, and a verbal task. In each, the children were asked to find a known object from a set of pictures. Parents reported their child’s shyness in an early childhood behavior survey.
The results showed significant differences in children’s performance across the tasks depending on shyness. Shyer children did worse in the verbal task than the less-shy children of the same age. However, all children performed well in the pointing task independent of their shyness level. The looking task produced more complicated results, meaning that shyer children were occasionally more accurate (精确的) but less likely to respond.
“A child’s shyness could strongly impact how they will behave in language tasks,” said Kucker. “When children are given language ability tests, testers should take into account the child’s shyness level, perhaps using tasks that are less socially demanding for them, such as pointing tasks instead of verbal ones.”
Kucker believes recognizing the impact of shyness will help to ensure language tests are more effective and provide a better understanding of a child’s language development.
1. What does the underlined word “verbally” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．In written forms. | B．With chosen pictures. |
| C．In spoken words. | D．With hand gestures. |
| A．The children took one of three language tests. |
| B．The children were asked to speak in each test. |
| C．Shyer children did worse in most of the tests. |
| D．Shyer children did well in less interactive tests. |
| A．Language test results are not accurate. |
| B．The level of language tests is too high. |
| C．The child’s shyness level is to be tested. |
| D．It’s unnecessary to take a language test. |
| A．Shyness Slows Down Children’s Language Development |
| B．New Study Suggests Language Tests Should Be Changed |
| C．Children Find it Challenging to Communicate with Testers |
| D．Shyness Impacts Children’s Performance in Language Tests |
6 . The Cheongsam, also known as Qipao, evolved from the Manchu female’s changpao of the Qing Dynasty. The Manchu ethnic people were also called the Qi people by the Han people in the Qing Dynasty, hence the name. The history of this clothing reflects the rise of the modern Chinese women in the twentieth century.
In 1920s, the cheongsam flourished in Shanghai. Through the 1930s and 1940s it constantly changed, highlighting the femininity（女子气质） of Chinese women in metropolitan cities. The dress got more fitted and body-hugging, with some daring designs featuring side slits （开衩） that reached up to the thigh. It’s customary to pair the dress with high heels. Women tried different fastenings, pipings, and collars, as well as short sleeves, long sleeves, and sleeveless cheongsams. Traditional silks were replaced with cheaper, contemporary textiles. In terms of design, the traditional flower patterns remained widespread, but geometric and art deco patterns also gained popularity.
The cheongsam has heavily influenced designers in high fashion. The Metropolitan Museum of Art did a whole exhibit in 2015 on how Chinese culture influenced world fashion called “Through the Looking Glass”. Elements of cheongsam were even seen in the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Celebrities such as Anne Hathaway and Grace Kelly have been seen wearing a cheongsam.
Today Chinese people seldom wear a cheongsam in their daily life. It is used as a uniform at restaurants and hotels and on airplanes in Asia. Formal occasions such as weddings, parties or banquet dinners, and seasonal celebrations such as Lunar New Year are appropriate times to wear a cheongsam. And the dress is a frequent choice of wear during diplomatic visits.
In 2018, a white girl in a high school in Utah wore a cheongsam to her ball and posted photos online that caused an uproar in the US for cultural appropriation （文化挪用）, opening a huge debate on cultural appreciation versus appropriation. However, netizens in China had a different viewpoint. “I am very proud to have our culture recognized by people in other countries,” said a user on WeChat, “She looks beautiful in it!” they said.
1. What can we know about the cheongsam in the Qing Dynasty?| A．The traditional flower patterns were popular then. |
| B．There were different fastenings to go with it. |
| C．There were side slits reaching up to the thigh. |
| D．It was more body-hugging than today’s cheongsam. |
| A．It influences world fashion. | B．It is a symbol of Chinese culture. |
| C．It is popular with foreigners. | D．It is a regular outfit of urban women. |
| A．The case of the girl in Utah warned against wearing cheongsam in America. |
| B．The popularity of cheongsam shows the rise of modern Chinese women. |
| C．Cheongsam didn’t highlight femininity initially as much as it does now. |
| D．Grace Kelly was seen wearing cheongsam in the 2016 Victoria’s fashion show. |
| A．To display the cultural value of cheongsam. |
| B．To introduce the influence of cheongsam on fashion. |
| C．To review the history of cheongsam. |
| D．To present an overall introduction to cheongsam. |
7 . 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. |
It was time for the annual Potato-Salad Contest in Russet Park. After trying for the third time, Alexis shook her head sadly. There was no way she would win the Golden Potato again because Grandpa wasn’t here this year.
Memories of how Grandpa taught her to make potato rose in her mind. She sighed and missed Grandpa so much.
Alexis cut the potatoes and mixed the boiled potatoes, some sauces and a little salt and peppers in a bowl. But it didn’t taste right. Alexis tried a bite of the salad mixture, wondering what was missing. Seeing her frown, Mom suggested, “What about something spicy? Your Grandpa loved spicy things.”
“You’re right! Maybe he put a jalapeno pepper in it,” Alexis said, cutting up a bright green jalapeno and adding it to the bowl.
It was closer, but it still didn’t taste right. Alexis was drooping her head, disappointed. “Should we look in a cookbook?”
“Grandpa was never one to follow a recipe,” Dad entered the kitchen and said.
It was true. People loved Grandpa’s potato salad because it was one of a kind. Alexis remembered posing with Grandpa for a photo while they were making the salad.
Photo! That gave her an idea. Alexis hurried to the bookcase and found an old photo album. She immediately flipped it open, expecting to find clues in the photos there. Lots of photos showed Grandpa and Grandma cooking together. Dad laughed, “He and Grandma loved to tease each other but he always called her Honey.”
“Do you think he put honey in the potato salad?” Mum asked.
“It is worth a try,” said Alexis. She stirred some honey into the bowl.
But it still wasn’t quite right. Alexis’ heart sank, on the verge of giving up. Dad kept flipping the album. At the end of the album was the picture of Grandpa and Alexis making the salad together.
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。
It looked like Grandpa was crying in the photo.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With hesitation, the family tasted the potato salad with onions in it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It’s a great pity that I had not put forth the amount of effort required. I had spent too much time playing with my friends instead of improving myself. I had let down my teacher, who was the kindest, sweet, and prettiest one I had ever known. She laughed often, and never threatened any of us, yet she was able to “read” the children, control the class, and teach effectively. Miss Pratt put a lot of herself into her work. Every day near the close of school, she would read to us, or even better, tell us stories about when she was a little girl. Most importantly, she made us feel that she cared about us and that we were important.
Because of a serious car accident when I was three and a half years old, I had a scar below my nose that was the result of a torn upper lip. Everything else had healed up without any after effects physically, but my emotions remained scarred. Meanwhile, having been called “Chief Running Nose ”and “Scarface” by many insensitive children, my confidence had suffered. Although my parents and relatives referred to me as pretty, I did not see myself that way.
Focusing on my scar, I could not appreciate any redeeming features (可取之处). At the end of one school day, I remained in my classroom, waiting for the arrival of my mother, who was coming to take me to an appointment close to the school. Miss Pratt sat at her desk with a fellow teacher and chatted.
I glanced at the clock and realized it was time to get ready to leave. I put on my wool coat and hat. The teachers looked at my clothes and seemed to admire it. I was able to read their lips a little and my ears perked up to hear, “Who is she? She really is cute.” My teacher Miss Pratt answered, “I agree; Bernice is quite adorable.”
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。
“Adorable” was exactly what grabbed me since it was almost my favorite word.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________About two months later, Miss Pratt announced that I got first place in the final exam.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . The Netherlands is the only country in the world with more bicycles than residents. By 2022, the Netherlands has had a total of about 23 million bicycles, with an ownership rate of 1.35 bikes per person. One study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that in the Netherlands cycling prevents about 6,500 early deaths each year, and that Dutch people have 1.5 years longer life expectancy (预期寿命) due to cycling.
“The time spent cycling was about 74 minutes per week for Dutch adults aged 20 to 90 years old. The time was fairly stable over adulthood and reached its apex in the early days of retirement, in one’s 60s. The death rate reduction, which was a direct result of the average time spent cycling for a certain age group, was therefore also the highest among the seniors who just retired,” said Jeremy Smith, an expert from NIH.
What is it that makes cycling so beneficial? Obviously, cycling is a form of exercise. It is a great form of cardio (有氧的) exercise, which gets your heart pumping and helps strengthen the heart muscles. Doing cardio exercise may also help lower your blood pressure.
Furthermore, solid evidence proves the link between cycling and better thinking skills. Even younger adults claim that a bike ride helps shift their thinking to a higher level — and research backs them up. In one small study, young men are required to cycle for 30 minutes every day for 3 weeks. They also completed a series of cognitive (认知的) tests before and afterward. After cycling, they scored higher on memory, reasoning and planning, and they were able to finish the tests more rapidly than before.
Besides all the benefits mentioned above, cycling, as many Dutch put it, is a way of life. In their simplest form, bikes are tools for travelling. But they’re so much more. They are cognitive improvement, environmental protection, satisfaction and an expression of freedom. They bring people of the same passion together and connect them to a greater journey of life.
1. Why does the author list figures in paragraph 1?| A．To compare the number of residents and bikes. |
| B．To illustrate the link between health and cycling. |
| C．To indicate the urgency for green transportation. |
| D．To emphasize the accuracy of the study by NIH. |
| A．Target. | B．Peak. | C．Destination. | D．Potential. |
| A．It justifies the mental benefits of cycling. |
| B．It teaches practical skills about cycling. |
| C．It improves the critical thinking of young men. |
| D．It compares cognitive levels among different people. |
| A．Netherlands: A Country With Better Health |
| B．Netherlands: The Bicycle Capital of the World |
| C．Cycling: An Activity Bringing People Together |
| D．Cycling: An Activity Improving Your Health and More |
