1 . 假定你是李华，你的美国好友Susan下周要参加国际中华思想文化演讲比赛（International Speech Contest on Chinese Thought and Culture），给你发来邮件表示焦虑、紧张。请你就此给她回封邮件，内容包括：
1.表示宽慰；
2.提出建议；
3.给予鼓励。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.格式已为你写好。
Dear Susan,
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Best wishes,
Li Hua
2 . How to Design a Small Garden
Even if you don’t have a large area in your yard, you can still make a beautiful garden that maximizes the space you have by following tips.
Plan the layout for your garden by drawing the outline on the paper. Start by sketching longer rectangles（矩形）for your garden beds so they’re to scale for the actual size you want them.
Arrange your design so there are focal points. Aim to have several aspects of your garden design unique so they stand out from the rest of your plants.
Put similar plants across from one another to create rhythm and symmetry(对称). Rather than put different plants in each of your garden beds, choose to use the same plant or ones that have similar textures or colors so they’re across from one another.
| A．And avoid any inconvenience caused by difficult access |
| B．Try to position smaller plants in between larger ones |
| C．Pick a place where you can easily get to your garden |
| D．You may still be able to measure the length of the rectangles |
| E．Then divide the rectangles into smaller sections for different plants |
| F．This could be a statue or a fountain placed in the center or on either side |
| G．That way, when you look at your garden, it will look inviting and make the area feel more balanced |
3 . Atomic shapes are so simple that they can’t be broken down any further. Mathematicians are trying to turn to artificial intelligence (AI) for help to build a periodic table of these shapes, hoping it will assist in finding yet-unknown atomic shapes.
Tom Coates at Imperial College London and his colleagues are working to classify atomic shapes known as Fano varieties, which are so simple that they can’t be broken down into smaller components. Just as chemists arranged element s in the periodic table by their atomic weight and group to reveal new insights, the researchers hope that organizing these atomic shapes by their various properties will help in understanding them.
The team has given each atomic shape a sequence of numbers based on its features such as the number of holes it has or the extent to which it bends around itself. This acts as a bar code (条形码) to identify it. Coates and his colleagues have now created an AI that can predict certain properties of these shapes from their bar code numbers alone, with an accuracy of 98 percent.
The team member Alexander Kasprzyk at the University of Nottingham, UK, says that the AI has let the team organize atomic shapes in a way that begins to follow the periodic table, so that when you read from left to right, or up and down, there seem to be general patterns in the geometry (几何) of the shapes.
Graham Nib lo at the University of Southampton, UK, stresses that humans will still need to understand the results provided by AI and create proofs of these ideas. “AI has definitely got unbelievable abilities. But in the same way that telescopes (望远镜) don’t put astronomers out of work, AI doesn’t put mathematicians out of work,” he says. “It just gives us new backing that allows us to explore parts of the mathematical landscape that are out of reach.”
The team hopes to improve the model to the point where missing spaces in its periodic table could point to the existence of unknown shapes.
1. What is the purpose of building a periodic table of shapes?| A．To gain deeper insights into the atomic shapes. |
| B．To create an AI to predict the unknown shapes. |
| C．To break down atomic shapes into smaller parts. |
| D．To arrange chemical elements in the periodic table. |
| A．Its holes. | B．Its bends. |
| C．Its atomic weight. | D．Its properties. |
| A．Design. | B．Help. | C．Duty. | D．Threat. |
| A．Thanks to AI, new atomic shapes have been discovered. |
| B．Mathematicians turn to AI to create more atomic shapes. |
| C．AI helps build a relationship between chemistry and maths. |
| D．A periodic table of shapes can be built with the help of AI. |
4 . Fresh fish should have a mild smell. Strong fishy smells are the first signs to go bad. How do the fishy smells come from?
It can be several days from when the fish are caught to when they reach the supermarket. In that time, bacteria that grow naturally in fish start to consume a substance called trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO)in fish. These bacteria change TMAO into trimethylamine (TMA), the substance responsible for the fishy smells. Bacteria in fish can also change lysine(赖氨酸)into cadaverine(尸胺), a substance that’s associated with breaking down the fish once they are caught and giving off fishy smell.
Chemical reactions can also lead to fishy smells. This happens through the oxidation(氧化)of fat. Fish are an important source of omega-3 fatty acids. When these fats are exposed to oxygen, they oxidize and break down into the substance that you can smell.
To slow down the fishy smell, what is beyond question is that the less time between when the fish are caught and when they reach the kitchen, the better. But today, fish are often flown across the globe. To keep smell-producing bacteria at bay, the fish must be frozen or kept at the low temperature possible as soon as they are caught and cleaned.
Controlling fat oxidation can function as well, especially for fattier fish species. While freezing slows bacterial growth, it does not stop fat oxidation. This reaction will occur as long as oxygen is present. Fatty fish are usually not frozen because, despite the cold temperature, they’re going to oxidize pretty fast unless they are stored in a low oxygen container. That’s why those species are often canned.
It’s also important to remember that smell is not always an indicator of safety, especially in processed fish products. “What you might consider the fishy smell may be a delicacy in another culture,” said Carl A. Batt, a professor of food science at Cornell University.
1. Which of the following has the fishy smell?| A．Fish fat. | B．TMAO. | C．Cadaverine. | D．Lysine. |
| A．Drying them in the air. | B．Storing them in closed containers. |
| C．Carefully cleaning them. | D．Exposing them to rich oxygen. |
| A．Objective. |
| B．Negative. |
| C．Acceptable. |
| D．Unclear. |
| A．Topic—Example—Conclusion. | B．Topic—Comparison—Opinion. |
| C．Question——Cause——Solution. | D．Question—Effect—Opinion. |
5 . Fortunately, the days of being spread on thick baby oil and lying in the sun to get you skin yellowish-brown—or more likely burnt—are long over. Many sunscreens work by filtering (过滤) the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays to keep them from reaching skin cells and causing the DNA damage that can lead to wrinkles and skin cancer. But in recent years, the safety of some of those filtering chemical ingredients, particularly oxybenzone (氧苯铜), has been in question.
A 2019 study published in JAMA found evidence that oxybenzone is absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to concerns about whether it might affect functions of our body. Oxybenzone has also been detected in breast milk for newborn babies. Because of concerns about higher intake in children, doctors from the American Academy of Pediatrics advise against sunscreen with oxybenzone for kids.
The Environmental Working Group, an activist organization that monitors chemical safety, has called for a ban, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers sunscreens with oxybenzone safe. “It’s uncertain,” says Deborah S. Sarnoff, president of the U.S. Skin Cancer Foundation. “Just because you’re absorbing the chemical doesn’t mean it’s dangerous.” Further study is required.
But oxybenzone is a risk to coral reefs. Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands have banned the sale of sunscreens with oxybenzone. In a 2022 study published in Science, researchers found that some certain sea plants, when exposed to sunlight, turn oxybenzone into energy or something needed in a way that damages and kills corals.
Some companies have been trying to stop using oxybenzone gradually in stages, and many big brands offer oxybenzone-free options. For anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, or simply looking to avoid these chemical filters, Dr. Sarnoff recommends mineral sunscreens, which contain mainly physical barriers.
1. What is the advantage of sunscreen?| A．It gets your skin yellowish-brown. | B．It stops wrinkles and skin cancer. |
| C．It keeps UV rays from harming you. | D．It prevents skin cells from DNA damage. |
| A．They don’t want children to absorb more oxybenzone. |
| B．They don’t want oxybenzone to hurt babies’ functions. |
| C．They know oxybenzone can affect children’s bloodstream. |
| D．They know oxybenzone has been found in newborn babies. |
| A．Coral reefs in Hawaii were damaged or killed by sunscreens. |
| B．More research is needed to prove the danger of oxybenzone. |
| C．Some organizations have already banned the use of sunscreens. |
| D．Mineral sunscreens are much safer than those with oxybenzone. |
| A．The findings about sunscreens with oxybenzone. |
| B．Questions on safe use of oxybenzone raised by doctors. |
| C．Discussion on safety of oxybenzone between organizations. |
| D．Effects of sunscreens on humans and plants in recent studies. |
1.自我提升的必要性；
2.分享一种自我提升的方式；
3.说明你喜欢这种方式的理由。
注意：写作词数应为80左右。
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A small boy was packing his school bag in his room, a room filled with books. Many were novels and some were short stories; many were new and some were yellowed with age; many were detective stories and some were fairy tales. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The small boy called Frank turned his wheelchair (轮椅) to his right and slowly opened the door. As usual it was his mom, who wanted Frank to get ready for school. Frank had his breakfast, said goodbye to his mom and started his travel to the school in his wheelchair. Frank had lost his leg when he was eight in an accident. He had to spend the rest of the life in the wheelchair. But the accident did not take away his trust in life, and he wanted to be a writer. His mother also supported his dream. Frank had not wanted to go to the school for the handicapped (残疾人). So he had joined an ordinary school.
On the way to school, he met his loving and kind-hearted friend, Lawrence. Lawrence wheeled his friend quickly and talked with him happily. He told Lawrence that there would be a story competition next week. Lawrence encouraged him to take part in it. Lawrence said, “Trust yourself. You can make it!” They reached the school in thirty minutes. Lawrence said bye to Frank and they both went to their classes.
Slowly days passed, and the Formative Exams started. They ended within a week. “Frank, the score is 100,”said the class teacher cheerfully. Frank was very happy because he had scored full marks. He wheeled his chair and again met Lawrence on the way. This time both stopped on the side and Lawrence said, “Try to take part in the story competition.” “OK, thank you, Lawrence,” said Frank excitedly. He rushed home, and wrote something on a piece of paper. His mom was very happy to see her son cheerful and excited. Actually he was going to write a short story to take part in the competition. But he didn’t know how to finish it.
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。
Just then, his mother entered and told him that Lawrence was coming.
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As all the judges (评判员) read Frank’s story, they were amazed by his brilliance (才华).
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1.预订酒店；
2.租用车辆；
3.雇佣导游。
注意:
1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Chris,
Welcome to China in the coming winter vacation,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,
Li Hua
A cross between dinner and performance art, Dining in the Dark is a new trend where diners enjoy a meal with one of the key senses removed in order to strengthen your other senses, such as taste. Many of these restaurants are operated by the blind in order to offer a chance into their world and a unique experience on the world around you. The very first dine in the dark restaurant was opened in 1999 in Zurich, Switzerland, and is called Blindekuh (Blind man’s Buff). Since then, they have grown in popularity and popped up on nearly every country.
Encouraged by online reviews, my husband and I found Nox, a dine in the dark restaurant in Singapore and we booked a dinner in the dark , all ready to challenge my taste buds and table manners. We started in the entrance and had a glass of wine with the manager who explained the process. First, we put phones, watches, and anything that could reflect or provide a light source into a secure locker. Before entering the dark room, we were seated in a lighted room and given some starters while reviewing the drinks menu. Soon after, we were introduced to our waiter who was visually impaired. He was responsible for guiding us up to the second floor of the restaurant (the dark room) and bringing us to our table. There were 2 other couples with us and we were requested to form a single line and rest our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us as the waiter guided all of us up to the room.
Paragraph. 1
My first response to stepping into a completely dark room was
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Paragraph.2
This experience had instead given me a much-needed attitude towards life.
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1. 介绍你校现在开展的体育活动；
2. 你最喜欢的一项运动及理由。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Tim,
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Yours,
Li Hua
