1 . Scientists have long considered the question of whether and how plants communicate. For years, the topic sparked controversy. Books like 1973’s The Secret Life of Plants suggest that plants grow well if you sing or play classical music. Such statements were later debunked: Any evidence that music helps plants grow is not convincing at all. Still, researchers firmly believe there is some sort of communication going on between plants.

Plant communication is a complicated topic. What we do know is that plants have a wide range of mechanisms for communicating with each other and their surroundings. “It’s quite clear that plants are not just unresponsive victims, but that they are very aware of nearby things,” says Richard Karban, an entomologist at the University of California. “And they respond to reliable information.”

When a plant sends out chemicals in the air in response to a perceived threat, other sensitive leavcs on that same plant, as well as the leaves of their neighbors, perceive those signals and subsequently increase their own defenses. Karban’s research, for instance, shows that plants sound the alarm when they’re attacked by pests, so that other plants respond by growing faster and stronger. Even other species, like tobacco, can sense and react to the alarm.

In a study published in the journal Cell this March, Lilach Hadany, a professor at Tel Aviv University, put tomato and tobacco plants in an isolated box and then recorded ultrasonic (超声的) sounds. They experimented with, cutting stems or leaving them without water to simulate drought. The researchers found that the plants emitted (popping and clicking sounds at around 60 decibels in response, approximately as loud as human chatter. These sounds were at an ultrasonic frequency that humans can’t naturally hear, however. Hadany’s team even matched different sounds to the plants’ environment. And each type of stress could be matched with a specific, identifiable sound.

“We don’t know if they’re using the sound, or if the sounds are emitted in a completely passive way due to physiological changes,” Hadany says. “But we do know they are in the air, and they contain information.”

1. What does the underlined word “debunked” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Confirmed.

B．Ignored.

C．Disproved.

D．Promoted.

2. What does Karban’s research indicate about plant communication?

A．Plants can make no response to their attackers.

B．Chemicals are sent by plants to attack the perceived threat.

C．Plants rely little on their neighbors’ information to survive.

D．The alarm sounded by one plant travels beyond plants and species.

3. What can we learn about the sounds emitted by plants from Hadany’s study?

A．The sounds are loud enough to scare away pests.

B．The sounds are produced when plants are in danger.

C．The sounds can be heard by man without equipment.

D．The sounds can be matched to the human environment.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To inform readers.	B．To compare things.
C．To warn readers.	D．To advertise things.

2 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Jason was a 10-year-old football player who lacked a little speed, yet he made up for it through his good attitude. Jason never missed a practice, even though he was a substitute (替补队员) on my team and had few chances to attend the game. Even so, Jason was never discouraged, and always made a sincere effort.

One day, he didn’t come to practice. When he didn’t show up on the second day, as his coach, I called his home to check on him. One of his out-of-town family members informed me that Jason’s old grandfather had passed away and that the family was making funeral (葬礼) arrangements. When his grandfather was alive, he never could see Jason play; it made Jason feel bad. Now his grandfather had gone; I felt sorry for Jason.

Two weeks later, Jason returned to my team, ready for practice. Only three days of practice remained before our next game. This was an important game because we were against a very strong team. And we only had a one-game lead over them. This was a critical game at a key point in the season.

When the big day rolled around, my top players were ready to rush onto the field. It was a summer evening and the sky was filled with beautiful shiny stars. Before the game, Jason and other players lay on the grass to relax. Jason, who lay beside me, stared at the sky all the time. Suddenly, he whispered to me with excitement, “Coach, look at that shiniest star! My grandpa is on it. He said he would be on the shiniest star in the sky after he was gone.” Touched, I said, “Sure, boy!”

Minutes later, the game started and my top players ran to the field. Jason together with me and a few other substitutes watched on the bench. To my disappointment, my team didn’t perform well.

注意：
1.续写词数应为 150 左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。

When the other team scored two goals while my team scored none, I was so anxious.

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Motivated by Jason, my team played with more enthusiasm.

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3 . Of course, Baoyu had seen this new cousin earlier on and _______ that she was the daughter of his Aunt Lin. He made haste to bow and, having greeted her, took a seat. Looking at Daiyu closely, he found her _______ from other girls. Her dusky arched eyebrows were knitted and yet not frowning; her _______ eyes held both merriment and sorrow; her very weakness had _______. Her eyes sparkled with tears; her _______ was soft and faint. In rest she was like a lovely flower _______ in the water; in motion, a pliant willow swaying in the wind. She looked more sensitive than Bi Gan, more _______ than Xi Shi.

“I’ve met this cousin before,” he _______ at the end of his scrutiny (审视).

“You’re talking nonsense again,” said his grandmother, laughing.

“How could you possibly have met her?”

“Well, even if I haven’t, her face looks _______. I feel we’re old friends meeting again after a long separation.”

“So much the better.” The Lady Dowager laughed. “That shows you’re ________ to be good friends.”

Baoyu went over to sit beside Daiyu and once more ________ fixedly at her…

Then, to the confusion of them all, he asked Daiyu if she had any jade (玉).

________ that he had his own jade in mind, she answered, “No, I haven’t. I suppose it’s too rare for everybody to have.”

This instantly put Baoyu into one of his frenzies (狂暴). ________ the jade, he threw it on the ground.

“What’s rare about it?” he ________. “It can’t even tell good people from bad. What ________ understanding has it got? I don’t want this annoyance either.”

1.

A．decided

B．recognized

C．observed

D．guessed

2.

A．distant

B．free

C．different

D．absent

3.

A．wondering

B．speaking

C．hesitating

D．pleasing

4.

A．love

B．terror

C．charm

D．trick

5.

A．gesture

B．figure

C．movement

D．breath

6.

A．bathed

B．mirrored

C．planted

D．dropped

7.

A．delicate

B．precious

C．aggressive

D．reserved

8.

A．assumed

B．explained

C．declared

D．interpreted

9.

A．common

B．familiar

C．pretty

D．similar

10.

A．matched

B．committed

C．intended

D．meant

11.

A．grasped

B．checked

C．aimed

D．stared

12.

A．Realizing

B．Doubting

C．Imagining

D．Admitting

13.

A．Setting off

B．Tearing off

C．Wearing off

D．Cutting off

14.

A．stormed

B．threatened

C．identified

D．criticized

15.

A．romantic

B．complex

C．spiritual

D．typical

4 . Earlier this month, Bob Dylan released The Philosophy of Modern Song, a collection of 66 songs, detailing their status in music and, sometimes, explaining what a given track might mean or do. The book reminded me of the Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, in which Smith intelligently summarizes each song's narrative arc as if it were a newspaper headline. Dylan is less direct and more tends to allegorical (讽喻的) long speeches.

Dylan has always had a slightly tense relationship with the writers and journalists who grammatically analyze his songs for meaning, and, while reading The Philosophy of Modern Song, there were moments when I grew slightly red-faced, worried that the book might be an purposeful joke, making fun of all the drooling (垂涎) critics who have gone thrilled trying to illustrate the greatness and beauty of his work. Yet the pattern and rhythm of his descriptions will be quite familiar to anyone who listened to “Theme Time Radio Hour”, the Sirius XM show that Dylan hosted from 2006 to 2009.

Ultimately, both projects repeat, in a serious way, just how difficult it is to study, investigate, and evaluate something as indescribable and brain-scrambling (烧脑) as popular music.

The Philosophy of Modern Song picked a limited number of songs, for Dylan to define the masterpieces that defined him, and he did so determinedly. Much like Smith’s Anthology, Dylan’s book is deeply personal, despite its sweeping title. It’s obvious that Dylan did not adjust his preferences to suit a cultural narrative or to play down his age. Yet that the book contains only four songs performed by women is both depressing and astonishing. This might lead readers to question Dylan’s character and, more worrying, to wonder about the limits of his musical knowledge.

1. What do the two books, The Philosophy of Modern Song and Anthology of American Folk Music, have in common?

A．The writing style.	B．The writers’ career.
C．The books’ subject.	D．The creation background.

2. Why might the author feel slightly red-faced?

A．Because he was on bad terms with Bob Dylan.

B．Because he failed to listen to Dylan’s radio program.

C．Because he was laughed at for his comments on Dylan’s book.

D．Because he may be among those critics taking advantage of Dylan’s works.

3. What do we know about the book The Philosophy of Modern Song?

A．It presents a whole history of American folk music.

B．It offers a review on Bob Dylan’s personal music albums.

C．It suggests a possible lack of attention to women’s music.

D．It follows the example of Anthology of American Folk Music.

4. What’s the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To question Dylan’s expertise in folk music.

B．To introduce the newly-published book by Bob Dylan.

C．To blame Dylan for his underestimating female musicians.

D．To compare the two books of Philosophy and Anthology.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

In a small village located amidst rolling hills, there lived a boy named Arjun. Arjun came from a family of farmers who worked day and night to make ends meet. Despite their poor circumstances, Arjun had a fire within him that burned brightly with dreams of a better life.

From a young age, Arjun displayed a natural curiosity for knowledge. He was a dreamer, and his dreams were vast and limitless. However, education was something that seemed out of reach for Arjun. His village lacked proper schools, and his family could barely afford to feed themselves, let alone pay for his education. But Arjun’s spirit remained unbroken. He knew that education held the key to unlocking his dreams, and he was determined to find a way. With the support and encouragement of his parents, Arjun started a challenging journey. He walked for miles each day to reach a school in a neighboring village. There, he would sit on the ground, carefully absorbing every bit of knowledge that came his way.

Arjun’s hunger for education caught the attention of the teachers. They recognized his potential and did everything in their power to support him. Arjun excelled in his studies, doing better than even the richest students. As he advanced in his education, Arjun faced new challenges. The lack of resources and opportunities in his village limited his growth. But he refused to let such things define his future.

Arjun’s determination paid off. He secured a scholarship to a famous school in a nearby town. Leaving behind his family and his familiar home, he welcomed this new chapter in his life with gratefulness and a burning desire to succeed.

Life in the town was in great contrast to the simplicity of his village. Arjun encountered challenges he had never faced before. The fast-paced environment, the pressure to excel, and the distance from loved ones weighed heavily on him.

注意：
1、所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2、请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

However, Arjun’s journey took an unexpected turn when he discovered a love for scientific research.

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As Arjun’s achievements grew, he never forgot his roots.

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6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who first made the nickname “The Big Easy” popular in the early 1970s?

A．A newspaper writer.

B．A crime novel writer.

C．A politician.

2. What is the way of life in New York City?

A．Gentle and slow.

B．Easy-going.

C．Quick and busy.

3. Why is New Orleans called “Mardi Gras City”?

A．For its yearly music festival.

B．For its wild celebrations each year.

C．For its shape.

4. Which of the following is not a nickname of New Orleans?

A．NOLA.

B．The Crescent City.

C．The Birthplace of Rock and Roll.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When should you arrive when invited to a party at 8:00 in America?

A．From 8:00 to 8:30.

B．From 8:30 to 9:00.

C．From 9:00 to 9:30.

2. What will be provided at a party besides alcohol and food?

A．Music.

B．Cigarettes.

C．Games.

3. What would probably be served at midnight during a party?

A．Beer.

B．Wine.

C．Cookies.

4. What do we know about the man?

A．He will attend a party.

B．He has never been to a party.

C．He is good at dancing.

8 . If you look at the dynamic “Global Temperatures” map on NASA’s website, you can see the historic temperature change over time across the planet as the timeline goes from 1880 to the modern day. By 2019, the entire planet is in red, orange, and yellow colors, indicating temperatures much higher than the historical average in every country and human inhabitance.

If the timeline went to 2023, the map would look even worse. That’s because the summer of 2023 was the hottest ever, according to ocean monitors. July was the hottest month in recorded history. Next July could be worse. Unless we do something quickly, we face dealing with more and more dangerous and expensive natural disasters in the future.

Forest fires sent smoke from Canada across the North American continent, causing New York City to have the worst air quality in its recorded history. Heavy rainstorms fell on Vermont and the Northeastern United States in just a couple of days in the middle of July, which exceeded the amount that area would usually receive in two months and caused extreme damage to homes and businesses. Around the same time, flash flooding in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — north of Philadelphia — killed nearly a dozen people.

Erich Fischer, a researcher specializing in climate studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is concerned that natural disasters could get much worse in the future—and in ways we cannot predict. He called for a “strike for climate justice,” which actually took place on Sept. 15, 2023. “The strategy needs to be twofold (双重的) . We need to decrease carbon emissions as much as realistically possible. That is already happening with people using electric cars and other green technologies. At the same time, we also need to find ways to predict the risk of natural disasters ahead of time,” said Erich Fischer.

1. Why does the writer mention the data on NASA’s website in paragraph 1?

A．To explain a concept.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To provide a solution.	D．To make a prediction.

2. What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The severity of natural disasters.	B．The worst air quality in New York City.
C．The extreme damage by flash flooding.	D．The cause of the forests fires in Canada.

3. What did Erich Fischer suggest to deal with the current situation?

A．He advocated a twofold strategy.

B．He suggested forbidding carbon emissions.

C．He required people to use more electric cars.

D．He emphasized the awareness of climate changes.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Hottest Month in History	B．Natural Disasters in the World
C．Extreme Weather Could Get Worse	D．Green Technology Would be Needed

9 . In America, the “Big Dig”, a highway project that resulted in a mess of traffic in the centre of Boston for years, came in five times over its initial budget. Even the Germans get huge projects wrong. Conception to operation of Berlin Brandenburg Airport has taken 30 years, with seven missed opening dates. The airport ended up costing $8.2 billion. However, the original estimate was about $2.7 billion.

Huge projects like Berlin Brandenburg Airport are the subject of an amusing new book called How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner. Mr. Flyvbjerg sets up a database of over 16, 000 projects and data analysis reveals that only 8.5% of the projects meet their initial estimates on cost and time, and 0.5% of them achieve what they set out to do on cost, time and benefits.

Over-optimistic time and cost estimates originate from both psychological and political perceptions: the reliance on intuition (直觉) rather than data, and a problem that Mr. Flyvbjerg calls “strategic misrepresentation”. This is when budgets are intentionally reduced in order to get things going. And once the projects are under way, they will not be stopped, because money spent on them will thus be wasted.

Mr. Flyvbjerg speaks highly of Pixar’s methodical approach to developing and testing films in great detail before they go into production. He also tells the story of how Frank Gehry’s well-developed architectural models helped ensure the success of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Narrowing down the producing window of a project before it is actually carried out reduces the probability of unexpected events.

Big customized projects are particularly likely to run into trouble. However, the more a project can be divided into standardized processes, the better its prospects are. Projects run into problems for specific reasons as well as general ones: Britain’s trouble is not something that China has to worry about, for instance. But the iron law is that if you plan strictly and standardize where possible, you are less likely to dig yourself into a hole.

1. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage?

A．By making a contrast.	B．By giving an explanation.
C．By presenting examples.	D．By showing an experience.

2. What message does Bent Flyvbjerg’s data analysis convey?

A．Projects’ success rates can be estimated.

B．Projects’ desired outcome can’t be achieved.

C．Most projects suffer overspending and delays.

D．Most projects lack comprehensive data analysis.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Failures in decision-making.	B．Methods of reducing massive costs.
C．Strategies for getting work done.	D．Reasons behind inaccurate estimates.

4. What is the key to preventing projects getting into trouble?

A．Planning thoroughly in advance.

B．Analyzing specific and general reasons.

C．Focusing on efficiency of projects.

D．Drawing lessons from former experiences.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why did the speaker go on the tour?

A．It was the prize of a competition.

B．John asked her to go with him.

C．It was her travel plan.

2. What did the speaker dislike about the hotel?

A．The drinks.

B．The food.

C．The waiters.

3. What did the speaker think of the trip to the museum?

A．Disappointing.

B．Amazing.

C．Terrible.

4. What did the speaker do in the second week?

A．She rode an elephant.

B．She went to the mountains.

C．She relaxed in the hotel.