1. What has the dragon traditionally symbolized in Chinese culture?
| A．Wealth and wisdom. | B．Power and mystery. | C．Peace and harmony. |
| A．Tang and Song Dynasties. | B．Yuan and Ming Dynasties. | C．Ming and Qing Dynasties. |
| A．Guardians of the ancient palaces. |
| B．Representations of annual festivals. |
| C．Parent and babysitter. |
2 . The quote“ There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” is often attributed to Ernest Hemingway.
The first part of the quote,“ There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man,” stresses the idea that the pursuit of superiority over others is not internally noble. Often, people are driven to compete, compare, or advocate dominance over their peers.
Hemingway suggests that this form of superiority, achieved at the expense of others, lacks true nobility. It can lead to bighead, division, and a sense of emptiness.
What is the concept of self- improvement? It implies a commitment to self- awareness.
In essence, Hemingway’s quote invites us to reevaluate our priorities and values. It encourages us to shift our focus from external comparisons and competitions to the inner journey of self- improvement and growth. True nobility lies not in outshining others but in outgrowing our former selves.
| A．It’s the pursuit of personal goals and values. |
| B．Self- discipline is an essential aspect of human existence. |
| C．The quote also offers an alternative perspective on nobility. |
| D．They believe it to be a mark of success or a good reputation. |
| E．The quote explores the concept of nobility and personal growth. |
| F．That will truly help us become the best versions of who we can be. |
| G．So try to find alternative solutions and adjust the exceptions accordingly. |
People say there seems to be so much negativity in this world, but there are good people out there and sometimes we are made aware of them when we least expect it.
My family had been planning a yard sale for several weeks. Our five-year-old son, Braxton, asked if he could set up a lemonade (柠檬水) stand during the yard sale. He wanted to make a little money and save up to buy a set of Lego bricks, which might add up to $100. “I will earn it myself!” he declared proudly. He had been talking about it almost non-stop and couldn’t wait for the day to finally arrive.
Two days ago, we put up the sign “Yard Sale” in front of the driveway, telling neighbors about the time and items. On the very day, Braxton woke up early at 6:00 am and couldn’t hide his excitement. After setting everything out for the yard sale, he made the lemonade and baked some cookies to begin his business adventure.
After about an hour or more, we had several customers, but Braxton still had not sold any lemonade. He was a little sad. Then a young woman walked up with her baby to browse the items. While making small talk, we told her about Braxton’s plan to save his money for his little dream. She then selected a couple of baby toys for just $6 and paid with a $10 bill. “Keep the change, boy!” she said gently. Braxton offered to give her the lemonade and cookies he made. He couldn’t have been happier to receive his first little bit of money for the day.
The woman left with the baby toys, the lemonade and some cookies. We didn’t give it much thought after that, but the story didn’t end there.
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Several minutes passed and the woman returned.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Holding the envelope and the bill, we were so moved.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After a week’s hard work, Jack went camping with his friends at the weekend. They longed to fully experience nature’s beauty and enjoy a good time with friends. Arriving at the mountain’s base, they discovered a house, in front of which Zac and his father had just finished loading a boat onto Zac’s truck. Jack went up to them and asked for the best place to camp. As a native who knows the mountain very well, Zac enthusiastically recommended that they head to the top and affirmed that the scenery would not disappoint them.
Parking their car next to Zac’s truck and carrying their camping equipment, Jack and his friends set off on the winding road. The mountain is high but the scenery is beautiful. Tall green trees on one side, a flowing stream on the other, the road eventually led them to a breathtaking clearing dotted with colorful wildflowers. They were shocked by the beauty and eagerly anticipated a delightful camping experience. So after a short rest, everyone began to put up their tent.
Just as they were preparing everything and making plans to cook, suddenly the sky became cloudy and it seemed that a storm was coming. They hurried into their tents and soon heard the rumbling of thunder, followed by a downpour of rain. Heavy rain enveloped the surroundings, making it impossible to see anything. They had no choice but to patiently wait it out.
It was raining harder and harder, from afar, the earth like hanging out with a tremendous bead curtain. After what felt like a century, the rain ceased. For safety reasons, they planned to go down the mountain. Without delay, they immediately packed up their gear (装备) and went down the mountain. However, they were worried and afraid when they found that a small stream they had previously crossed had turned into a wide and impassable river after heavy rains. With no cellphone signal, they were trapped without a means of seeking help. To make matters worse, darkness was approaching.
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Suddenly, they heard the sound of a vehicle from across the river.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jack and his friends boarded the boat.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was 24 years old, I made the life-changing choice to move to America, leaving my homeland that was 11,000 kilometers away. This courageous decision came with its own difficulties, especially the challenging task of fitting into a new and unfamiliar place. Besides, working from home increased my loneliness, as I was cut off from social interactions.
However, as fate would have it, an unexpected opportunity changed everything for me. I decided to dedicate my time and energy to volunteering at a local animal shelter, hoping to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need.
Upon arriving at the shelter, I was drawn to a small, grey and white dog named Luna immediately. Found abandoned and scared of humans, Luna hid in the corner of her small cage, her tiny body shaking with fear. Every part of her was tense, ready to run if she needed to. Her tail was wrapped around her, like a blanket to keep her safe. Luna’s ears were flat against her head, showing how scared she was. Her lonely green eyes filled with a deep sense of loneliness and fear seemed to mirror my own sense of displacement in this foreign land.
From that moment on, I made it my mission to gain Luna’s trust and help her adjust to her new surroundings, just as I was trying to do in this foreign land. I patiently spent countless hours sitting by her side, offering gentle care and unconditional love. Firstly, I made sure Luna had a comfortable and safe place to sleep, with enough food to eat, fresh water to drink, and fun toys to play with. As Luna gradually opened her heart to me and the surroundings, I knew it was important for Luna to socialize and rebuild her faith in humans. I slowly let Luna meet others in the house, always watching to make sure everyone was nice.
Slowly but surely, Luna began to respond, stepping out of her shell and allowing me into her world.
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As days turned into weeks, Luna and I developed a bond.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My time at the shelter provided a valuable understanding of settling down in a new country.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Chase counted his gifts for Valentine’s Day one more time as he put a robot-shaped eraser into each envelope.
“Twenty, twenty-one.”
“Do you have one for everyone in your class?” Mom asked.
“Yep!” Chase said. “I’m ready for the party tomorrow!”
When Chase got to school the next day, he saw a new girl in his classroom. She stood near Ms. Robins and looked around shyly. “This is Eva,” said Ms. Robins. “Will someone volunteer to show her around today?” Chase raised his hand. He liked showing the new kids around and helping them feel welcome. “Thanks, Chase,” Ms. Robins said. “Now let’s get busy with our work so we’re done in time for the party.”
That’s when Chase realized he didn’t have a gift for Eva. No one else would have one either. Chase pictured his classmates’ desks covered with gifts while Eva’s desk was empty. He felt a sad lump in his stomach.
After class, he was careful not to mention the party as he showed Eva around the playground. At lunchtime, he walked Eva to the lunchroom, still worried about what would happen at the party. Eva had brought a packed lunch, so Chase showed her where she was supposed to sit and introduced her to some of the kids at her table. Chase picked up a tray and joined the rest of his classmates in the lunch line. As the lunch server placed a heart-shaped cookie on Chase’s tray, Chase suddenly remembered that kids often included candy hearts or other treats with the valentines they exchanged. An idea popped into his head as he sat down round the table. He whispered it to the kids around him. Soon everyone at the table was nodding and whispering. When they were back in the classroom after lunch, Chase told Ms. Robins about their plan and asked for a piece of red paper. Ms. Robins smiled. “That’s very thoughtful,” she said. “Let’s go for it.”
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Eva didn’t know a surprise was waiting for her.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, they passed out their valentines at the party.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . Max Du emerged victorious at the Canada-Wide Science Fair with his innovative project: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to assist individuals experiencing cardiac arrests. His ingenuity was sparked during the Christmas recess of the preceding year. “I received a recreational drone as a gift from my parents, yet I was unable to operate it aloft due to the snowy conditions,” Max recounted. “Consequently, I experimented with it indoors, which led me to contemplate the potential for a drone to serve as an automated indoor apparatus that could render assistance to people in need.”
Approximately 35,000 Canadians succumb to cardiac arrests annually, with the majority of these incidents occurring beyond the confines of a hospital, resulting in a survival rate of less than 10 percent. Max was convinced that a drone could provide more expeditious assistance and expedite the delivery of vital medical treatments, but to validate this hypothesis, he was compelled to construct the device himself.
The process of refining his drone spanned a period of six months, during which Max’s parents had to tolerate the persistent buzzing and crashing of the machine within their domicile. With each innovative feature he devised, such as a telescopic appendage, the drone’s overall mass increased, leading to frequent disassembly. This necessitated the procurement of an entirely new set of components. Max persevered, experimenting with more lightweight construction materials until he achieved a more harmonious equilibrium in his design.
Through a methodical process of iterative refinement, the 14-year-old prodigy ultimately perfected his invention. His drone is now capable of manipulating a door handle, navigating through the air, and alighting gently on the ground. An innovative, extendable arm can be deployed to either administer an injection or deliver a life-saving pharmaceutical to a patient. Additionally, an integrated camera facilitates real-time communication with an emergency response team, enabling remote monitoring of the patient’s condition.
Max is intent on pursuing the acquisition of a patent to forge alliances within the healthcare sector and bring his invention to fruition. He dedicated his summer to the study of artificial intelligence at Stanford University in California, where he was one of only 32 young scholars chosen globally. Subsequently, he will proceed to the University of Pennsylvania to enroll in a collegiate-level robotics course before resuming his high school studies in September.
1. Why did Max Du design a drone by himself?| A．He had sympathy for those with heart attacks. |
| B．He had nothing to do in Christmas holidays. |
| C．He wanted use it to help his parents. |
| D．He tried to make it fly in the snow. |
| A．Most of the people with cardiac arrests in Canada can survive. |
| B．Max’s parents were unwilling to help during his drone design. |
| C．It’s very important to control the balance of the drone. |
| D．Max’s design of the extendable arm is very smooth. |
| A．The instructions for using the drone. | B．The reason for applying for a patent. |
| C．The process of Maxˈs success. | D．The functions of the new drone. |
| A．Considerate and brave. | B．Talented and creative. |
| C．Clever and honest. | D．Helpful and loyal. |
8 . The rejuvenating effects of a restorative nocturnal repose are widely recognized; it can engender a state of enhanced well-being. Academics in the field posit that the excellence of one’s slumber may indeed be instrumental in the prolongation of one’s lifespan.
Male subjects who enjoy a state of somnolent tranquility could potentially extend their existence by a span of nearly five decades in comparison to those bereft of such repose. The female counterparts stand to gain an increment of two decades. Additionally, it has been observed that youthful individuals who adhere to salutary somniferous routines are less susceptible to a premature demise. However, the mere quantity of repose is insufficient to reap the potential healthful dividends; the caliber of one’s slumber is equally pivotal.
The parameters of commendable slumber were delineated by a quintet of distinct criteria. These encompassed an optimal duration of seven to eight hours of repose per nocturnal cycle; experiencing difficulty in the initiation of sleep no more than twice per hebdomadal period; similar challenges in maintaining somnolence no more than twice weekly; abstaining from the consumption of any soporific pharmaceuticals; and awakening with a sensation of invigoration on no fewer than five days per septenary cycle.
The conclusions derived from the study intimate that approximately 8% of fatalities, irrespective of their etiology, could be imputed to inadequate somniferous patterns. Dr. Frank Qian, a resident physician specializing in internal medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, America, remarked, “A distinct proportional response relationship was discerned. Consequently, an increase in the beneficial elements pertaining to the quality of sleep correlates with a progressive diminution in mortality from all causes.”
The research collated data from a populace of 172,321 individuals with an average age of 50, of which 54% were female. These participants were engaged in the National Health Interview Survey, spanning the years 2013 to 2018, which sought to scrutinize the well-being of the American populace, inclusive of inquiries into their somniferous habits.
The subjects were tracked for a mean period of 4.3 years, during which 8,681 succumbed to death. Of these fatalities, 2,610 (30%) were attributable to cardiovascular afflictions, 2,052 (24%) to oncological disorders, and 4,019 (46%) to a miscellany of other causes. Among the male and female participants who reported adherence to all five indices of quality sleep (an optimal quintile score), the expectancy of life was augmented by 4.7 years for males and by 2.4% for females, in contradistinction to those who possessed none or a solitary factor.
Further scholarly endeavor is warranted to elucidate the raison d’être for the dichotomy in the enhancement of life expectancy, with males exhibiting twice the increment observed in females despite equivalent somniferous quality.
A caveat of the study lies in the reliance on self-reported somniferous habits, which were not subjected to objective quantification or verification.
1. Who is most likely to have a good sleep?| A．Alice, who falls asleep as soon as she touches the pillow after taking a sleeping pill every day. |
| B．Betty, who falls asleep quickly and has a nightmare at least 3 times a week. |
| C．Candy, who feels refreshed after sleeping tight weekdays. |
| D．David, who counts sheep and has a sound sleep every day. |
| A．The sleep habits in the study were reported by the test subjects. |
| B．Quantity of sleep was enough to achieve the health benefits. |
| C．Men had double the life span compared with women. |
| D．Poor sleep pattern caused 8% of deaths from all causes of cancer. |
| A．By referring to another study. |
| B．By consulting the authoritative agencies. |
| C．By interviewing the professionals. |
| D．By conducting data analysis. |
| A．Ambiguous | B．Objective | C．Indifferent | D．Doubtful |
Cooper looked at his mom in disbelief. She was wearing his video game headset and staring at the TV screen. There was a vein in the side of her neck that he had never noticed before. It was pulsing. And the most terrifying was what he heard from her.
“Yesss!” she hissed proudly. “I got the emerald sword! I’m coming for you, Dunder Dragon!”
“Dunder Dragon? Mom, when do you know Dunder Dragon? And who are you talking to?” His brain was full of questions. However, his mother just ignored him, playing as if he hadn’t even spoken.
Cooper backed away from the disturbing scene in the living room. “Daaaad!” he called, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. He walked into the kitchen and stopped dead. The screen of his dad’s phone showed Candy Crunch.
“What are you doing, Dad?” Cooper whispered.
“I don’t know how to tell you this dude, but your old man is pretty OP at this game.”
Dude? OP? Cooper leaned back against the wall, afraid that he might sink to the ground without its support. He looked around the room desperately. His eyes landed on a bright yellow leaflet, which read: Feeling disconnected from your kids? Sick of losing them to screens? Cyber-Parent has the answer. Order your solution on our website today.
He tore down the leaflet and peered into the living room. His mom was working the controller violently while boasting about killing the Dunder Dragon. As her thumbs flicked the buttons, he noticed a bright yellow band on her wrist. His dad also wore one.
Cooper raced to his computer and typed in the Cyber-Parent website. He now knew why his parents were acting so strangely, but he didn’t know how to fix it. Would removing the wristbands be enough? And what if his parents didn’t want to take them off? He returned to the homepage and saw a tab “Taking care of your wristband”. He clicked it and scrolled down until he read “Never expose your wristband to water”.
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Cooper said to himself, “I need to wet the wristbands.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Later, Copper’s parents woke up, confused about the controllers and headsets in their hands.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Laura Mulvihill felt the ride was probably very unusual when she picked up 89-year-old Ronald Dembner from the Veteran’s Hospital in Henry County, Georgia. It was obvious that he was struggling and in bad shape. But it wasn’t until they arrived at his home that her worst doubts were confirmed. Expecting to be greeted by family members, she was greeted by something out of a nightmare (噩梦) episode of Hoarders instead.
Mr. Ronald’s home was covered with rubbish. The counters, carpets, and walls looked dirty. The room smelt absolutely terrible. Because all of Ronald’s family members had passed away, he had no one to assist him. Even the home care nurses had stopped coming to visit as a result of the extremely awful living conditions. He was completely alone, except for his dog, Homer, who had taken to pooping in the house. Unable to clean up after himself or Homer but terrified of losing his home and his dog, Mr. Ronald was too afraid to reach out for help.
Mulvihill, however, was not. Horrified by what she witnessed, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She spent hours on the phone, contacting the fire department, adult services, the Chamber of Commerce and Habitat for Humanity. No one could offer any help. “Everyone said, mentally he’s fine, he’s just older. So nobody will help,” she said.
Finally, with all other resources running out, she posted a call to arms on social media, creating the group. Helping Mr. Ronald. She explained the situation. She wrote in part, “I drove him home and he asked me to help him inside. He lives alone and cannot keep up with his pet. The house is terrible.” She went on to explain that “the main issues are dog poop (1 dog) and general disrepair (no railing on the stairs, soiled carpet and furniture, etc)”. She knew it would take an army to make things right. Luckily, she had found one,2000 strong. The army was formed.
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2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dozens of volunteers came forward to help, with a desire to make a difference.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mr. Ronald was deeply moved by what Mulvihill and the volunteers had done
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