The fourth graders’ school day was coming to an end. Wilson was filling his backpack when a voice came out of the loudspeaker. “Good afternoon, students. This is a reminder that the All-City Math Contest will be in two weeks. The contest is open to fifth and sixth graders, and the top prize is fifty dollars. Please speak to your teacher if you’d like to participate.
“I am confident that I could excel in that contest,” Wilson thought to himself. Determined to participate in the competition, he rushed to his teacher’s desk and told her that he wanted to enter that math contest.
Ms. Jones looked up from her papers and said, “That’s wonderful, Wilson, but I’m afraid that this contest is for fifth and sixth graders only. Besides, our class has not yet covered some of the topics that will be tested.”
Wilson was not ready to give up. He knew he had a natural talent for math. “But you know that I’m good at math!” Wilson protested. “I do math problems with my brother all the time - and he’s in sixth grade! I think I could do really well!”
“You are a very good math student, Wilson, but rules are rules. I’m sure that you can enter next year.”
Wilson came home frustrated and disappointed, stormed upstairs without saying a word to his mother, and slammed the door to his room shut. His mother quickly appeared at his door, knocked, and came in. “Dear, did something happen today?” She was concerned.
Wilson was quiet for a minute, then it all came out. In a burst of emotion, he told his mom about the contest, how excited he was to enter, and how angry he felt when his teacher told him that he wouldn’t be allowed to do so this year. “It’s just not fair, Mom,” he complained. “I know I could really do well on it. Why won’t they let me?”
Wilson’s mother put her hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes, son,” she said softly, “people follow rules even when they don’t make sense. Perhaps you can persuade your teacher to make an exception for you.”
Wilson perked up: he had an idea.
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。
The next day, Wilson went straight to Ms. Jones’ office.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Forty minutes later, he finished Ms. Jones’ test and handed it to her.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . The past three weeks have witnessed the dramatic rise and fall of a new candidate for the materials science: a superconductor (超导体) that works at room temperature. On July 22th 2023, a team of researchers in South Korea reported their findings on a substance they called LK-99, claiming that its discovery was a “brand new historical moment”. A hit of online physics discussions followed, only to fall flat two weeks later. LK-99, it seemed, was a bubble (泡沫).
Whenever electrical power runs through a transmission (传送) line, some is lost as waste heat, a common tax forced by the laws of nature. The huge potential of superconductors is that they carry electricity over large distances with perfect efficiency, having the greatest impact on energy generation, transmission and distribution. If we ever figure out how to produce them cheaply and make them work at room temperature rather than only at hundreds of degrees below zero, it would revolutionize our economy and help save the environment.
Superconductors can also achieve things like powerful magnetic (磁场的) fields in mid-air, enabling new electronic devices, computers and modes of transportation. This technology has been in development in Japan for decades, with maglev trains originally projected to open to the public in 2027, running at speeds up to 375 miles per hour between Tokyo and Nagoya.
The pull of a room-temperature superconductor grows as our economic and environmental picture darkens. It’s the kind of miracle material that could slow climate change while driving global economy, realized new technologies seen in science fiction.
We still don’t know whether the field of superconductivity research will benefit from the new paths opened up by the LK-99 in the last few weeks. It’s a field where theory and experiment have often challenged each other, and our expectations of what is possible have frequently been questioned by what has been observed. Although public interest will no doubt fade for now, an obvious promise remains: a superconducting golden age might be just over the horizon, and the role of science is clear-to find a way to get us there.
1. What can we learn about electricity from the text?| A．We should pay the tax using electricity. |
| B．The law of nature regulates the electricity tax. |
| C．Electricity loss during transmission is unavoidable. |
| D．Electricity loss can be reduced to zero by superconductors. |
| A．The electricity bill will become a huge burden. |
| B．The issue of climate change will be dealt with. |
| C．The economy and environment will start to fade. |
| D．The new modes of transportation are more available. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Doubtful. | C．Confident. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Bubble Burst: Where Is Superconductor LK-99 Going. |
| B．Superconductor: Why It Sends Scientists Heart Racing. |
| C．Material Science: How It Booms with Superconductors. |
| D．Superconductor: How It Becomes the Commander of Technology. |
In the little village of Meadowbrook, surrounded with rolling hills, lived two curious and adventurous twins, Sarah and Sam. At the age of twelve, the inseparable twins were always seeking new adventures.
One morning, Miss Harper, their favorite community service teacher, was introducing community volunteer work. Sam suddenly caught sight of the hill behind the schoolyard and was instantly inspired with the idea of climbing to the top.
“Sarah, ”whispered Sam, “Wouldn’t it be splendid if we climbed to the top of that hill today?It’s said to hold breathtaking views of our beloved village. ”
Hearing that, Sarah’s face lit up with excitement, her heart filled with eagemess. “Oh, Sam, that sounds great!But we promise Papa and Mama we will save our pocket money and not spend a single penny unnecessarily. ”With determination in their hearts, the twins worked out a plan. They decided to bring homemade snacks and refreshing drinks from their own kitchen, ensuring they wouldn’t spend a penny.
The twins set off on their journey, their backpacks filled with sandwiches, cookies, and bottles filled with cool, clear water from the village well. As they walked along the path, they noticed colorful trash scattered (散落) about, which ruined the natural beauty surrounding them.
A brilliant idea flashed into Sarah’s mind. “Why don’t we pick up the litter along the way?We could clean up our beloved countryside and maybe even earn a few coins by recycling the materials. ”
Excited by the idea, the twins eagerly collected the scattered items. As they reached the foot of the hill, their bags heavy with the collected waste, they came across a recycling center. With excitement, they exchanged their findings for shiny coins. With newfound treasures in their pockets, they climbed up the hill.
When they reached the top, they were greeted by a breathtaking view of their village. “It’s so beautiful!”Sam burst out,” We must share our adventure with Miss Harper and our classmates!”
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。
The next morning, Sarah and Sam returned to school, eager to meet Miss Harper.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The following weekend, the entire class started to clean up their beloved village.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Every comer of the small bedroom was filled with summer heat. Hot air snaked across my chest and made my already labored breathing more difficult. At nearly ten years old, I thought I was too old to have the croup(哮吼). The bad cough told a different story.
Earlier that morning, fever and congestion (鼻塞) had been my greatest enemies. I became angry because of the mix. As the excited voices of my sister and two cousins came upstairs, I squeezed deeper into the soft bed. The closing of the front door, followed by the noise of my uncle’s old car threw me further into disappointment. They went off on an afternoon adventure, while I was stuck in bed. Again.
I complained, which only served to fuel my anger. Worn out by the bad cough and the heat, I fell asleep. When I awoke, my grandmother was sitting in a chair next to my bed, shelling peas into a big pot.
She looked at me and smiled. “Good. Harriet, you’re awake.” She reached over and pressed her hand against my forehead. “Better. In a few days, you’ll be up and running around.”
“Not soon enough,” I said unhappily.
Her hands stilled for a moment, several peas held in her fingers. “Ah, the trip.”
I hit the bed hard with my fist (拳头). “They could have waited. I’m stuck here and they’re off having a good time. It’s not fair.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I spoke.
My grandmother remained silent. Her hands again moved smoothly, continuing to shell peas as if they had a life of their own. When she finally spoke, her voice had an edge to it. “So, who told you life was fair?”
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。
I straightened up, surprised at her words, and asked, “What do you mean?”
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Then my sister and cousins raced into the house and said, “We got these strawberries for you.”
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When I was in middle school, my social studies teacher asked me to enter a writing contest. I said no without thinking. I did not love writing. My family came from Brazil, so English was only my second language. Writing was so difficult and painful for me that my teacher had allowed me to present my paper on the sinking of the Titanic by acting out a play, where I played all the parts. No one laughed harder than he did.
So, why did he suddenly force me to do something at which I was sure to fail? His reply: “Because I love your stories. If you’re willing to apply yourself, I think you have a good shot at this.” Encouraged by his words, I agreed to give it a try.
I chose Paul Revere’s horse as my subject. Paul Revere was a silversmith (银匠) in Boston who rode a horse at night on April 18, 1775 to Lexington to warn people that British soldiers were coming. My story would come straight from the horse’s mouth. Not a brilliant idea, but funny; and unlikely to be anyone else’s choice.
What did the horse think, as he sped through the night? Did he get tired? Have doubts? Did he want to quit? I sympathized immediately. I got tired. I had doubts. I wanted to quit. But, like Revere’s horse, I kept going. I worked hard. I checked my spelling. I asked my older sister to correct my grammar. I checked out a half dozen books on Paul Revere from the library. I even read a few of them.
When I handed in the essay to my teacher, he read it, laughed out loud, and said, “Great. Now, write it again.” I wrote it again, and again and again. When I finally finished it, the thought of winning had given way to the enjoyment of writing. If I didn’t win, I wouldn’t care.
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。
A few weeks later, when I almost forgot the contest, there came the news.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I went to my teacher’s office after the award presentation.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . Self-forgiveness has been defined as the process by which you become aware of any damage you’ve caused, seek to repair it, and eliminate or reduce your feelings of self-condemnation and guilt.
Forgiving yourself entails experiencing feelings of self-condemnation.
Self-forgiveness involves changing the way you think about your past mistakes. It’s of vital importance to stop interpreting them as sources of shame and regret.
The ability to forgive yourself also implies your firm belief that change is possible.
Finally, the last dimension of self-forgiveness is the awareness that you’re only human, hence, not perfect. Consequently, you’re capable of failing at any point in your life. Recognizing yourself as part of humanity can also help you to be more compassionate towards others.
| A．Self-forgiveness goes beyond feelings of self-pity. |
| B．This doesn’t refer to ignoring the fault you committed. |
| C．Self-forgiveness promotes your justice and reparation to others. |
| D．These are later replaced by the feeling of need to repair your mistakes. |
| E．You need to regard them as part of the process of becoming who you are. |
| F．Realizing this may be the first step you need to better face your future mistakes. |
| G．This means you’ll be more understanding and flexible in the face of others’ mistakes. |
Outside the Box
The Harvestfest contest was falling on Friday and everyone in school was talking about it. All the students would show up in their self-made costumes and a winner would be chosen by the principal.
“Do you have your costume for the Harvestfest contest?” Alice asked. “I’m going as a chocolate bar. My mom and I have been working on it all week.”
“Yeah, I have a costume,” said Jordan Eastman, popping up the two front wheels of his wheelchair as he waited for his dad to pick him up. “But it’s boring.”
“Why? What is it?” Alice asked.
“MaxMag the superhero, but Danny, Tom and Izzy are all going as MaxMag too.” Jordan shook his head. “That’s too many to stand a chance at winning the contest.” He waved to his dad, who had just pulled up in front of the school.
Jordan rolled his wheelchair toward his dad, and Alice walked with him to the minivan.
“Maybe you should go as something else.”
“The contest is Friday night.” Jordan sighed. “It’s too late to change costumes.”
“Jordan, you have to think outside the box. Look around your house and see what you have. There’s hidden potential in everyday items.” She took a sip of her drink, and told Jordan that her chocolate-bar costume was made from old fabric her mom had lying around and recycled plastics.
On his way home, Jordan was quiet. He kept thinking about Alice’s words: Think outside the box. There’s hidden potential in everyday items. When he got home, he found his mum handling with some wooden pieces. She was putting a new desk together. On top of the desk was the huge empty cardboard box the pieces had come in. Mom smiled at Jordan, pointing at the desk, “What do you think?”
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。
Jordan’s eyes fell on the box and he smiled, “It’s perfect . … with my wheelchair.”
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Soon it was Friday night, and Jordan couldn’t wait to show his costume.
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8 . The brown paper bag hit the ground. A Michelin engineer picked it up and opened it, revealing a cracked, leaking egg. The third graders at A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School were disappointed when they saw the runny mess.
It was engineering week at A.J. Whittenberg, a public primary school in Greenville, South Carolina. One week per month, engineers from local industries visit the classrooms and talk to students about their careers.
Greenville is now introducing the idea of a career path to students in primary school and giving students the option to follow those programs to middle and high schools. Each primary school focuses on a specific technical skill. The district allows students to attend schools outside of their attendance boundaries as long as space is available, which means students can choose to continue to follow their chosen career pathway at a middle school with corresponding programs.
The effort in Greenville is part of a growing national trend in which school districts partner with local industries to develop curriculum (课程) and expose students to specialized careers at a young age.
Some education experts worry the focus on industry qualifications has resulted in schools taking on responsibilities that should fall to businesses, like training workers for specific job duties, damaging a more comprehensive education in schools. “Schools are to not just prepare people for work and strengthen the economy, but also a place where students should experience art, music and think creatively,” said Jack Schneider, a professor of education at the University of Massachusetts.
A teacher from Greenville, however, said, “Career exposure has a big impact on kids. We’re not really wanting them to make a decision—‘I’m in the second grade and now I’m locked in to being whatever when I graduate from high school in 10 years.’ We just hope students walk across the graduation stage with plans for a career in mind.”
Modern times need modern solutions. When students leave school, they need to be already down their road to college, if that’s what they’re going to do, or schools need to give them something that allows them to get to work and earn a living. Just getting out with a high school degree doesn’t do that.
1. Why were the third graders disappointed?| A．Their test failed. | B．The bag missed the target. |
| C．Engineers disturbed them. | D．They had to clean the ground. |
| A．Design more career paths. | B．Invite engineers to their schools. |
| C．Adopt the open enrollment policy. | D．Offer more courses for them to choose. |
| A．People’s employment. | B．Students’ overall development. |
| C．The nation’s economy. | D．The school’s innovative education. |
| A．Modern solutions are hard to find. |
| B．More students need college education. |
| C．Greenville’s practice is not acceptable. |
| D．A high school degree is not enough for jobs. |
“Why are we bringing groceries for Mrs. Killinger?” Bobby asked his mother, Anna, as they walked back from the supermarket with a few extra bags for their elderly neighbor. He enjoyed helping his mother with these tasks, but they had never bought anything for any neighbor before.
“Honey, Mrs. Killinger is now having trouble walking around, so I offered to bring some things from the market,” Anna explained as they climbed up the wooden steps to Mrs. Killinger’s house and rang the doorbell.
“Ok, but she could get a wheelchair and move around,” the boy commented as if it was the most straightforward solution in the world.
“You know, Bobby. Mrs. Killinger doesn’t have the money to buy one right now.
They can get expensive.” Anna explained, and Bobby pursed his lips in thought.
Mrs.Killinger answered the door, smiled, and invited them for some coffee and cookies. Bobby noticed how slowly she moved, and an idea formed in his mind. He told the older woman and his mother all about it, and they grinned at him indulgently (宽容地笑).Neither of them thought Bobby would do it.
That’s why Anna was surprised the following day when Bobby had made several ads. “Mom, can you add your phone number here, so people can call me with work?”
“Oh, honey. This is very sweet. But I don’t know if it’ll be enough to raise the money she needs to buy a wheelchair,” Anna explained. She loved that her son had such a big heart, but he didn’t want him to be heartbroken if no one called or he couldn’t raise the money.
“Well，at least，I can say that I tried to help，” Bobby chirped (欢快地说)with his bright smile and eager eyes. Anna nodded and added her phone number to the ads. In his ad, Bobby offered his “services” which included helping with shopping, mowing lawns, keeping company, and walking dogs. He also left the price of his services, which made Anna smile. He honestly just wanted to help.
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。
Anna helped him put up the ads around the neighborhood.
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Two weeks later, Bobby still hadn’t raise the amount of money he wanted.
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10 . In August, Jason M. Allen’s piece “Theatre D’opéra Spatial” — which he created with Al image generator Midjourney — won first place in the emerging artist division’s “digital arts photography” category at the Colorado State Fair Fine Arts Competition. The definition for the category states that digital art refers to works that use “digital technology as part of the creative process”.
Allen’s award-winning image has led to debates about what, exactly, it means to be an artist and whether AI can truly make art. “It felt bad for the exact same reason we don’t let robots participate in the Olympics,” one Twitter user wrote. “This is the literal definition of ‘pressed a few buttons to make a digital art piece’,” another tweeted.
Yet while Allen didn’t use a paintbrush, there was plenty of work involved, he said. First, he played around with phrasing that led Midjourney to generate images of women in elegant dresses and space helmets, in an attempt to mix Victorian-style costuming with space themes. Over time, with many slight changes to his written prompt (提示符), he created 900 different versions of what led to his final image. Then he improved its resolution through Gigapixel AI and finally had the images printed.
Allen is glad the debate over whether AI can be used to make art is attracting so much attention. “Rather than hating on the technology, we need to recognize that it’s a powerful tool and use it for good so we can all move forward,” Allen said.
Cal Duran, one of the judges for the competition, said that while Allen’s piece included a mention of AI, he didn’t realize that when judging it. Still, he sticks by his decision to award it first place. “I think the AI technology may give more opportunities to people who may not find themselves artists in the conventional way,” he said.
1. Why has Jason’s work led to debates?| A．It was a copy of a photograph. |
| B．He challenged the older artists. |
| C．It was created with the help of AI. |
| D．He broke the rule of the competition. |
| A．Cooperative. |
| B．Energy-consuming. |
| C．Straightforward. |
| D．Imagination-lacking. |
| A．It is a double-edged sword. |
| B．It attracts conventional artists. |
| C．It strikes art judges as no surprise. |
| D．It may open a new world to artists. |
| A．A trend to be AI artists. |
| B．An AI-generated art contest. |
| C．Responses to a winning AI artwork. |
| D．Curiosity about an image generator. |
