No amount of begging (乞求) would change my father’s mind about getting a pet. No matter how desperately I begged, his answer was "No! " Finally, I accepted that he was not going to change his mind. I did the only thing that I could. I spent as much time as possible around other people’s pets and I often spent time at a place called Best Friends, an animal shelter near my house. Animals ended up there when their owners could no longer care for them.
Whenever I visited the shelter (收容所), I dreamed about taking one of the dogs home with me. One day after school, I stopped off at Best Friends like I usually did. Suddenly, I saw a large, shaggy, yellow dog standing in the corner, and when he saw me, he wagged his tail and began whining (哀鸣).
“That’s Fenway,” Renee, the woman at the desk, said. “He whines continuously. His owners brought him here when they moved overseas.”
“He must be lonely,” I suggested.
“Your parents won’t let you have a dog?” Renee asked. I didn’t answer, but my look must have said everything, because then she said, “That’s too bad. These dogs need good homes and good people to take care of them.” On my way home, I had an idea to assist shelter pets like Fenway. I wrote a touching story as if Fenway were writing it. I told all about his family and why he had no home, shedding light on (解释) his longing for a loving family. With the shelter director’s approval, I proposed sharing more stories in newspapers and online to attract potential adopters.
The next weekend, the shelter was flooded with families who wanted pets. They were all drawn by the heartfelt stories of animals like Fenway. Fenway’s tail wagged so fast that I was afraid it might fall off. I stood with Fenway as people admired him. His playful nature and hopeful eyes won over many visitors` hearts, leading to a rise in adoptions.
注意:1. 续写词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly, I saw my parents walking into the shelter towards Fenway.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was confused why my father changed his mind.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . It was dinner time, yet I hadn’t finished my work for the day. Cheery people who were enjoying their holiday time buzzed around me. But with my head down and headphones in, I had interacted with very few of them. The day passed more like a fast-forwarded video than something that I actually fully experienced.
This was my first week living the digital nomad lifestyle. I had left my corporate role and found freelance (自由职业的) writing work online to afford me the freedom to travel.
I had prepared excitedly, surfing online about digital nomadism.
But that’s not all that’s waiting for new digital nomads.
A.And my surroundings looked different. |
B.But this wasn’t at a tiring nine-to-five office job. |
C.This was a typical day back in my office I managed to escape. |
D.New surroundings may also make you fully engaged in your work. |
E.Should you choose to become a digital nomad, your environment will change. |
F.You’ll still wake up with emails in your inbox and to-dos begging to be handled. |
G.Yet somehow I unknowingly over-consumed expectation and under-consumed realism. |
3 . A role shift—whether a promotion, a move to a new organization, or a fresh challenge in your existing job—can be a huge boost to your career and a chance for you to succeed. You know the drill heading in: Apply your experience and talents to the position, make sure you are accepted by the hierarchy (高层), and get a few big wins in the first couple of months to demonstrate what you can do.
But in today’s hyper-collaborative and dynamic workplaces, successful moves aren’t as easy as they once were, even for the most qualified and hard-working people. Too often, transitional managers and employees don’t live up to their organizations’ expectations. Gartner surveys indicate that a full 49% of people promoted within their own companies are underperforming up to 18 months after those moves, and McKinsey reports that 27% to 46% of transitional executives are regarded as failures or disappointments two years later. They have the right skills and experience. They understand the company’s goals. So why didn’t they quickly excel in their new roles?
We analyzed employee relationships and communication patterns across more than 100 diverse companies and interviewed 160 executives in 20 of them. Our research points to one overlooked prerequisite (先决条件) for transition success: the effective use of internal networks. The people who are the most productive, innovative, and engaged in new roles — the “fast movers” — are those who establish extremely broad, mutually beneficial, uplifting connections from the start. Specifically, they surge rapidly into a broad network; identify how they add value, where they fall short, and who can fill the gaps; create scale; and shape their networks for maximum thriving.
In most cases, individual managers must do these things on their own. Only 43% of people surveyed said their organizations ensured that transitional employees were offered guidance and support. Only about a quarter said their employers encouraged them to build connections early or create networks to address skill gaps. But that should not be the case.
1. What does the author say about job moves in today’s society?A.They are a boost to our career. | B.They require ability demonstration. |
C.They may not produce good results. | D.They need to be guided by managers. |
A.They are inexperienced. | B.They lack the needed skills. |
C.They misunderstand the company’s goals. | D.They fail to use internal networks effectively. |
A.By using exact numbers. | B.By conducting surveys. |
C.By making contrasts. | D.By listing examples. |
A.It’s common. | B.It’s unexpected. |
C.It’s acceptable. | D.It’s unsurprising. |
I was confident at the audition (试演) for the school play and felt pleased to get a role. It just felt good to be in the play, even if I had only four or five lines. I worked hard at perfecting those lines. I repeated them over and over again. I put in the emphases and intonations (语调) that my drama teacher had suggested and, because I was on stage much longer than for just four or five lines, I had many actions to rehearse (排练) and perform. “Do them in front of a mirror,” my drama teacher had advised me. “Watch how you look; practice and rehearse as often as you can.” I did just that. I worked and worked at it. It was fun and exciting rehearsing.
Then finally the big night came. Suddenly, things felt different. The theater was full of people. As I dressed, I could hear the chattering and noises of the audience-something that hadn’t been there during rehearsal. I looked around at the other more experienced actors and saw that the confidence they’d shown at rehearsal seemed to have disappeared. Everyone was on edge (紧张不安), anxious, and worried. Had they got their makeup right? Was the costume done up correctly? What if they forgot their lines? The more people talked about their anxiety, the more edgy everyone became. The worries bounced from one person to another-like a baton (接力棒) being passed in a relay race-until the whole of the backstage area seemed to be buzzing with tension and worry.
I was on stage early, at first performing my non-spoken role in the background with several other guys around the same age. When, suddenly, I heard my cue (出场提示), the lights were bright in my eyes; I couldn’t see the audience but knew there were hundreds of people out there all watching me. The words that had flowed so easily when I stood in front of a mirror in my bedroom didn’t want to come, and when they did I found myself hurrying into them. I tried to slow down my thoughts and my words.
Para1: But I suddenly realized I had missed a sentence.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Para2: No one commented on my missed sentence-apart from my drama teacher.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6 . On a chilly autumn morning in the Italian countryside near Larderello, Tuscany, the misty landscape reminded me why the area is nicknamed the Devil’s Valley. The land here is a web of natural cracks in the rock that let a mix of steam and gases reach the surface.
Unlike the rolling hills and cypress-lined roads of other parts of Tuscany, the landscape here is covered with dozens of grey cooling towers puffing white vapors. The deafening roar of a turbine (涡轮机) at the Valle Secolo geothermal (地热的) plant breaks the quietness, but its violent spinning transforms steam rising from underground into energy for 150,000 families in the region. About 30% of Tuscany’s electricity comes from this energy source. After producing electricity, the leftover steam heats water for nearby districts.
This underground energy has recently proved a vital resource. Italy greatly depended on Russian fossil fuels and in 2023 Italians bore the world’s highest household electricity bills. Factories cut down production and households had to turn down their heaters. But residents of the Larderello area spent the winter in warm homes, thanks to the local geothermal plants working 24/7.
Bruno Della Vedova, president of the Italian Geothermal Union, hopes that in the future other Italian regions could benefit from such a resource, which is extremely important when the whole world looks to transition to renewable energy.
While countries like Iceland and Kenya are taking advantage of their geothermal resources, the industry’s growth has made slow progress in Italy. High set-up costs and difficulties in extraction present significant barriers. And new plants often run into opposition from nearby communities over health concerns.
Italy sits on a geothermal sweet spot. Especially below Larderello, as Della Vedova says. A vast reservoir (储备) of steam and water is trapped between Earth’s inner heat and a layer of clay-heavy rocks. High temperatures lead to the formation of steam directly inside the reservoir, providing a significant source of energy.
But while heat from Earth’s core is practically endless, the water it heats within the planet are not. So Della Vedova says restoring underground water supplies and using them sustainably is critical for the future. “We can’t take advantage of a geothermal resource at will,” he says.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?A.The landscape in the countryside. |
B.The introduction to a geothermal plant. |
C.The application of geothermal energy in Tuscany. |
D.The process of turning underground steam into heat. |
A.People near new plants object to it. |
B.Geothermal plants cut down their production. |
C.There is very little underground water and steam. |
D.People use less electricity by turning down heaters. |
A.Unfavorable. | B.Unclear. | C.Optimistic. | D.Cautious. |
A.Where does geothermal energy lead Italy? |
B.Is the heat from Earth’s core really limitless? |
C.Can energy from underground help power Italy? |
D.How can geothermal energy be used scientifically? |
7 . Working with ARIA Research, a startup developing vision for the blind, Phoebe Peng is using technologically advanced human echolocation (回声定位) that enables blind users to perceive their surroundings in precise detail.
The process uses event cameras which, unlike normal cameras that take complete images of a scene, track changes in an image over time, making them ideal for the observation of small objects like table tennis balls. The images are then processed into sound using a specialised algorithm (算法). This is then communicated back to the player via a lot of loudspeakers, ultimately with the aim of allowing players to track the ball and movements using sounds.
According to Peng, table tennis makes a perfect test case for the kind of technology being developed by ARIA Research. “Table tennis has been played for decades as a more accessible version of tennis. The sport is beginner-friendly while maintaining a rich level of competitive play. However, like many sports, it remains difficult for people who suffer vision loss or have low vision,” said Ms Peng, who will soon complete a Bachelor of Engineering in Software Engineering.
“The small size of the ball and table, along with the movement of the ball in 3D space, are things that make table tennis difficult to play for those with low vision and complete blindness,” said Peng, who is completing the work for her degree. “Making this sport more accessible while also exploring the potential of event cameras were my two biggest motivators,” she said.
In one study, using two perfectly positioned cameras, Ms Peng was able to identify and track a ball in three dimensions in real time. She then fed that data into an algorithm controlling the loudspeakers standing along the sides of the table, which created a sound field matching the position of the ball.
While the results are promising, more experimentation will be needed before the system will be ready for actual play. “There are limitations on how accurately people can perceive sound localisation. What type of sound should be used? Should the sound be continuous? This is what we’ll be tackling in the next stage of development,” said Ms Peng.
1. How are event cameras different from normal ones?A.They can have sounds located. |
B.They are linked with loudspeakers. |
C.They constantly follow image changes. |
D.They take complete images of a scene. |
A.Its unique feature. | B.Its fierce competition. |
C.Its technical complexity. | D.Its beginner-friendliness. |
A.Its inspiring results. | B.Its promising future. |
C.Its practical applications. | D.Its technological challenge. |
A.Technology Opens up Blind Table Tennis |
B.Blind People Work Wonders in Table Tennis |
C.Event Camera Reshapes Future for the Disabled |
D.Algorithm Helps Translate Imagination to Sound |
I was never “that girl” — the one who had charming appearance, and who enjoyed a colorful social life. I was another girl entirely, one who was considered “nice girls”, and the top student in class. Not that I didn’t care about friends or fun, I just didn’t think it was worth putting lots of time and effort into changing how I looked, how I acted, even as I started high school.
Marissa was “that girl” — fun to be around, good to know. We are different, but our friendship began the first time we met at an exciting soccer match, on the second day of freshmen year. The excitement of the game and our shared interest in soccer connected us, I was deeply impressed with her enthusiasm, while she admired my calm. Our conversations went smoothly, and our relationship quickly turned into a close bond.
However, as the school year progressed, Marissa’s outgoing personality began to conflict with my reserved nature. She stood out in social situations, constantly asking me to attend parties and social events. While I appreciated her efforts to include me, I felt awkward and uncomfortable to be forced into unfamiliar surroundings. Our once harmonious friendship started to crack, I tried to turn down her invitations, but in vain.
One evening, Marissa persuaded me to attend a large party at a classmate’s house. Surrounded by loud music and strange faces, I felt uneasy and upset. Marissa was the queen of the party, leaving me feeling extremely lonely. Her personality attracted others to her, creating a barrier between us.
注意:1.续写词数应为150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
At that moment, I realized the growing divide between us.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Since then, we worked together to find a balance of our personalities.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Alvin Bamburg, 66, was deep in the woods in Grand Cane, Louisiana, last December when something caught his eye. Among the fallen branches and leaves, it looked like litter. But Bamburg was attracted and picked it up.
“God just told me,” he later recounted.
As he drew closer, he saw that it was a broken balloon. Attached was a piece of paper decorated with sparkly star stickers. It was a child’s Christmas wish list.
“Dear Santa,” the handwritten note read. “My name is Luna. I am four years old. I live in Liberal, Kansas. This year I have been nice. I would like candy, Spider-Man ball, Frozen doll. With love, Luna.”
Bamburg’s heart hammered in his chest. Ever since he was a child, he had dreamed of this very scenario. “Years ago,” he says, “classes at school released balloons with notes. I’ve always wanted to find one.”
He believed this was his childhood wish coming true. And he knew he was going to make Luna’s wish come true too.
However, the task seemed impossible, as Liberal, Kansas, is more than 650 miles from Grand Cane, Louisiana. But Bamburg’s wife, Lee Ann Bamburg, didn’t mind the distance. As an enthusiastic Facebook user, she had seen other people find all sorts of connections through the site and thought it might help her husband find Luna.
The next day Alvin posted a photo of the balloon and the Christmas list on his Facebook page, asking for help locating the sender.
At first, he wasn’t confident the strategy would work. But as he saw the number of shares and comments on his post climbed into the hundreds, his hope grew into expectation. “I knew we were going to find Luna.” Alvin said.
And indeed, they did.
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。
One day Luna’s mother came across the post.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When they arrived at Luna’s home, the entire family was surprised.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . We place a great deal of importance on our history, but how important is it really?
A famous writer from the 20th and 21st centuries, Michael Crichton, once said, “if you don’t know history, you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a
History tells us where we come from, what we did right, and what we
As we head into the future together, it’s crucial to know not only our own history but also the history of our
We have
So, join us on a journey around the world and through time. Take a quick but condensed trip through the entire history of England, from its
A.book | B.tree | C.history | D.world |
A.optimistic | B.ambiguous | C.realistic | D.negative |
A.nothing | B.everything | C.something | D.anything |
A.miracle | B.tragedy | C.tale | D.friction |
A.difference | B.mistakes | C.choices | D.decisions |
A.did wrong | B.did differently | C.did the same | D.did the mess |
A.hopes | B.signals | C.predictions | D.warnings |
A.regret | B.confidence | C.gratitude | D.knowledge |
A.rivals | B.friends | C.alliances | D.neighbors |
A.culture | B.government | C.people | D.faith |
A.brought up | B.brought back | C.brought together | D.brought about |
A.collect | B.post | C.recommend | D.rewrite |
A.reflecting on | B.digging into | C.depending on | D.appealing to |
A.oldest | B.latest | C.earliest | D.farthest |
A.ocean | B.continent | C.skyline | D.globe |