I entered my freshman year of high school with a clear goal: work hard, stick to whatever I could succeed at and graduate with great achievements. I wouldn’t waste my time where I didn’t perform as strongly. And this belief served me well. My academic standards were high. I was the star player of all the teams I joined. My friends would joke about my pursuit of perfection, but in my eyes, it was the only sure path to success.
In the second term I joined the cross-country running club. When I came to the first practice, I was filled with the desire to make the varsity (校队) team. But as the distance we ran each practice gradually increased from three, to four, to six miles, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I was one of the slowest on the team. This realization disappointed me. And the pain in the muscles following every practice was unbearable. I wanted to quit! What was the point of putting myself through so much pain and being the slowest racer?
Then we had our first cross-country race. When we got off the bus, the sight of the other teams warming up made my hands sweaty. When we started the race, I felt the enormous pressure of expectations sink onto my shoulders. It was a challenging course, consisting of a series of winding and rocking hills.
After a while I stopped running and struggled up the last hill. The steps under my feet felt as heavy as thousands of pounds, mirroring the weight of my despair. With every racer passing me, frustration washed over me-I would never win honor for my team. I’d just be letting them down.
注意：
1.续词为150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
With every passing second, my ambition fell apart.
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My team’s support encouraged me to move on.
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3 . A blind fish living within a Mexican cave system’s deep, enduring darkness still maintains some ability to sense light. As the cave fish no longer seem to rely on an internal daily cycle and some sleep very little, biologist Inca Stein-dal and her colleagues were keen to see if their bodies can still regulate cyclically through time. Most animals on Earth have an internal clock for this the circadian rhythm (昼夜节律) that uses light levels to make our bodies fit in with our planet’s day and night cycles. This rhythm is then used to cycle through different biological processes that can influence our behaviour, such as our hunger cycles.
The Mexican blind cave fish live in a complex of over 30 isolated caves, within which they have each independently adjusted to the dark. Their bodies are extra sensitive to vibrations (震动), allowing them to sense changes in water currents for navigation (导航) in compensation for their limited or complete lack of sight. This adaptation occurred despite the fish from each cave evolving from the same species with fully functioning eyes. This ancestral group still lives in the surface waters in the El Albra region of Mexico and some parts of the Southwestern US.
Steindal and her team took tissue samples from the blind cave fish, from three isolated caves, and their surface relatives and tested the cells in different conditions. They detected the activation of several molecular (分子的) clock mechanisms when the cells were exposed to light, even in the cave fish cells. “Non-visual light detection is maintained at a fundamental cell-based level,” the researchers explain,although the cave fish cells did not respond as strongly as those cells from surface fish. While there were some similarities between the fish from the different caves compared to their surface relatives, there were also differences that confirm their biological clock changes each evolved independently of one another via different molecular mechanisms.
“We have provided proof that despite being blind, cells from the Mexican blind cave fish can detect light and make their clocks fit in with a light/dark cycle,” Steindal and her colleagues conclude. The team hopes these can help us learn more about the circadian rhythm and provide an easier way to study animal adaptations to dark environments.
1. As to the cave fish, what did Steindal and her fellows try to find out?| A．If they have a circadian rhythm. | B．If they rely on an internal daily cycle. |
| C．If they need to sleep. | D．If they are able to sense light. |
| A．The Mexican cave fish’s ancestors had normal vision. |
| B．The Mexican cave fish’s home is in the dark deep sea. |
| C．The Mexican cave fish have adapted to darkness. |
| D．The Mexican cave fish have trouble navigating. |
| A．Cave fish’s unique molecular structures. |
| B．Non-visual light detection in cave fish cells. |
| C．The cave fish’s adjustment t0 molecular clock mechanisms. |
| D．Biological clock changes evolved independently. |
| A．Why Do the Mexican Cave fish Live in the Darken“ |
| B．A Blind Cave fish Can Still Perceive Light. |
| C．How Can the Mexican Cave fish Fit in with the Day Cycles? |
| D．The Biological Clocks of the Life in the Sen Are Constantly Changing. |
“SAI BABA! Sai Baba! Sai Baba! Hahahaha!”
“Today is Shimla’s big day! We have a celebrity visiting our city! Hahahaha!” Rani’s cheekcs burned with embarrassment and tears stung her eyes as she elbowed her way to the exit through the crowd of teasing boys in the packed school bus. It wasn’t the first time she’d been called Sai Baba, after the famous Hindu holy man (印度圣人) she’d seen on TV with his trademark afro (爆炸式卷发) towering over his head.
But this time had to be the worst. Rani jumped off the school bus, angry thoughts hovering inside Rani’s head as she marched home in the drizzling rain. Why did her hair have to curl like a giant cotton candy balloon just when she wanted it to behave? Why, why. why, fumed Rani as she turned the back door key.
“Rani, is that you?” Mama called from the family room. Suddenly Rani’s cousins, Amit and Sumit, came charging toward her. “How many eggs does Rani have in that nest on her head?” screamed Amit. “Let me get that wig (假发) off Rani’s head!” shouted Sumit. Before she could think, Rani had fled out the door and went back up the road she’d walked down minutes before. Halfway up, she slid unseen behind a green curtain of bamboo. Tearing through the wild growth, she made her way down a narrow mud path into a clearing (空地). She threw her schoolbag on the ground and breathed hard.
“I hate my hair!” she cried. Collapsing on her schoolbag, she bitterly remembered the time she’d spent trying to smooth her hair in vain. Before long, she fell into a fitful sleep.
“RANI! RAA-AANI!”
Rani woke up to Mama’s calls. She sounded anxious. “I’ll never go home,” she promised herself darkly. Mama let Amit and Sumit make fun of me. Papa would never have done that. He would listen to me and stand by my side. The minutes wore on. Alone in her secret hideout, Rani watched the shadow of Mamna get longer and begin to disappear as dusk fell.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, leaves rustling, someone or something was making its way into the clearing.
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The next moment Papa was sitting beside her.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Online training is one of the fastest growing parts of the fitness industry. If you’re considering joining the online fitness community, consider these benefits and drawbacks.
One of the most popular reasons for working out following an online video is that it offers ultimate convenience. No need to roll out of bed at 5 a. m. to attend that 6 a. m. boot camp class, which may end up being full when you arrive.
Online training also has broad offerings. When you head online, you have instructors from around the globe, all ready and willing to help you master your favorite moves.
All these are undoubtedly positive-online training provides fitness resources to general consumers wherever they are, without requiring access to a gym or fitness studio.
Very few online fitness programs enable the instructor to see you, check your form, and offer corrections based on your performance.
| A．Another is the price. |
| B．But it’s not without problems. |
| C．The same goes for different types of exercise. |
| D．However, online personal training isn’t for everyone. |
| E．Instead, you can turn it on at home at your convenience. |
| F．That being said, online workouts aren’t perfect when it comes to safety. |
| G．This means you could perform exercises wrongly, or even unsafely, without knowing it. |
6 . Some people prefer to have a bite to eat before hitting the gym, known as a fed workout. Others would like to wait until after exercising to refuel their bodies, called a fasted workout.
If you want energy and strength for an ideal workout, you need fuel. A fed workout will provide your body with power. Eating before exercise may help you sustain longer sessions and lift heavier weights.
Many fitness enthusiasts are not on board with this idea. They report feeling sick and inactive while trying to exercise after eating. With a fasted workout, you may not get the usual indigestion. Experts for fasted workouts further claim that eating afterwards makes your body use its fat reserves for energy, meaning you will burn more fat.
Deciding when to eat for an ideal workout is a personal choice. Both fasted workouts and fed activities have their benefits and shortcomings.
| A．However, a fasted workout might not work for you. |
| B．How your body will respond is based on your workout intensity. |
| C．These benefits can result in burning more fat and shaping a slimmer body. |
| D．To eat or not to eat, that is the question on many fitness enthusiasts’ minds. |
| E．Think thoroughly and discuss with your fitness instructor before taking a choice. |
| F．Knowing what to eat for an ideal workout is just as important as knowing when to eat. |
| G．A person doing a 30-minute session a day may not have a problem with fasted workouts. |
7 . “Can we eat this one, Dad?” my four-year-old daughter, Alicia, asks. We’re on one of our Thursday adventures, searching the nearby woods for eatable mushrooms. She’s pointing at a bright-red cap covered with white dots. I pull out my handy mushroom-identification app, which notes that Amanita muscaria, while eatable if prepared properly, is also a known hallucinogen (致幻剂). I have a firm “tell them the truth and be as precise as possible” philosophy and explain what the app says, and that I don’t think our Thursday adventures are ready to get quite that adventurous yet.
Watching your kids learn new skills is extraordinarily rewarding, but I’ve experienced more personal growth than I have at any other point in my life.
Last year, after a winter of practicing skiing on the green tracks for beginners each week, Alicia was french-frying her way down blues and even attempted her first black. That month also witnessed me visiting the mountain more times than in the 15 years combined and I’ve got myself a partner for life.
It’s not all easy—but sometimes that’s the point. Alicia practices the violin every day, and although she enjoys it, even 15 minutes of practice can upset her. The trick, I’ve found, is to let her watch me try to get better at something, too. I start taking piano lessons at 41 years old with the idea that if she sees me struggling as I practice and then improve, she’ll understand that things don’t come easy, even for grown-ups. I know there’s going to be a time when I’ll end up on the sideline cheering her on as she finds her own passions. I’m okay with this, and I’m hoping that by then she’ll carry the joy of practice and knowledge through life.
1. What does the father imply by saying “I’ve got myself a partner for life.”?| A．It is rewarding to learn new skills. | B．Skiing has become his lifelong hobby. |
| C．He will explore more with his daughter. | D．His daughter will accompany him forever. |
| A．To prove it is never too old to learn. | B．To set a good example for his daughter. |
| C．To experience the joy of piano practice. | D．To share with his daughter musical knowledge. |
| A．Rigid and humorous. | B．Cautious and inspiring. |
| C．Creative and thoughtful. | D．Ambitious and patient. |
| A．The Thrill of the Skill | B．Practice Makes Perfect |
| C．Like Father, Like Daughter | D．The Power of Knowledge |
1. What kind of videos are the most popular?
| A．Videos about animals. | B．Videos about cooking. | C．Videos about music. |
| A．By copying famous stars. |
| B．By consulting their friends. |
| C．By uploading at least 10 videos. |
| A．Twice a week. | B．Every day. | C．Every other month. |
| A．To instruct. | B．To advertise. | C．To entertain. |
9 . Alan Mathison Turing was born in England in 1912. Like many talents who go on to great things, Turing showed his incredible intelligence from a very young age. In fact, by the time he was halfway through primary school, Turing’s teachers had already realized he was a mathematical genius. He could do complex calculating in his head even though he had never been taught about it.
Fortunately, Turing was the opposite of Hawking, and he absolutely loved school. Proof of this is the extreme lengths he would go just to get to class. For example, on one occasion when there was a train strike, Turing even cycled 60 miles to attend. Now that’s devotion!
However, in spite of Turing’s scholarly attitude and his obvious genius, his teachers had their concerns about his future. This is because well-known schools in Britain like the ones Turing attended regarded the Classics, such as Latin and Greek as the most important, not subjects like maths and science. Turing’s proud teachers even wrote letters to his parents asking them to convince the young man to focus more on the Classics. Imagine how different the world might be if the young Turing had listened to his teachers! Thankfully, his love for all things scientific and mathematical meant there was no chance of that.
After finishing secondary school, Turing completed a degree in mathematics at King’s College Cambridge, and then obtained his PhD from Princeton University in the USA. It was during these university years that he invented the Turing Machine, which is considered by many people to be the earliest version of a computer processing unit. It sounds unbelievable that anybody could have invented something which was similar to a computer in 1936. But that just shows how far ahead of his time Alan Turing was, even when he was still a young man.
1. What can be inferred about Turing according to paragraphs 1-2?| A．He maintained interest in the Classics. |
| B．He rejected attending famous schools. |
| C．He showed a strong desire for schooling. |
| D．He ignored parents’ advice on course selection. |
| A．He argues it’s still limited in many functions. |
| B．He thinks it’s influential in computer history. |
| C．He doubts if it is truly invented by a young man. |
| D．He considers the construction of such machines impossible. |
| A．To indicate the link between genius and success. |
| B．To illustrate the invention of the Turing Machine. |
| C．To stress the impact of teachers’ guidance on Turing’s life. |
| D．To introduce Turing’s genius, scholarly attitude and achievement. |
| A．Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. |
| B．Ordinary people hope, while talented people create. |
| C．Contented with little, yet wishing for more. |
| D．Chances favor the minds that are prepared. |
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。
“Daddy, where’s Teddy?” 6-year-old Naomi called from the back of the minivan (小客车). “Tm sure he’s here somewhere,” Ben Pascal said, and pulled off the highway to search for his daughter’s beloved furry pal.
While his wife, Addie, enjoyed some alone time, the Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Dad had taken their three kids to visit family friends Terri and Paul Hayden in Big Fork, Montana. The group had spent the October 2020 day at nearby Glacier (冰川) National Park.
“Are you sure she had Teddy?” Terri asked after they’d searched the minivan without finding the bear she carries him everywhere, “Ben said. Ben and Addie had given Teddy to Naomi before they even met her.
“This is for you,” an orphanage (孤儿院) worker slipped the stuffed bear into 6-month-old Naomi’s bed.“Your new mom and dad want you to know they love you and are coming as soon as they can.”
It took a year to complete the adoption process, but finally, in July 2016, they brought Naomi home Teddy held in her arms.
At the thought of never seeing him again, Naomi cried herself to sleep that night and the next. Terri called the lost and found department and left her phone number, but no one had turned him in. “I know the odds are against finding him,” said Addie. She posted a request on a Friends of Glacier Facebook group asking for help. One woman had actually seen Teddy sitting on a rock and had even taken his picture. But kids were nearby and she thought the bear belonged to them. People promised to keep a lookout and others offered to buy Naomi a new bear. But no bear could ever replace Teddy in the little girl’s heart.
Meanwhile, as fall gave way to winter and the park prepared to close for the season, park ranger (护林员) Tom Mazzarisi began checking paths-collecting rubbish and pulling up signs.
Suddenly, he caught sight of something in a puddle (小水坑). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One day, Terri received a call from the park.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
