1 . Now that we have briefly explored the history of the short story and heard from a few of its creators, let us consider the role of the reader. Readers are not empty vessels that wait, _______ raised, to receive a teacher’s or a critic’s interpretation. They bring their unique life experiences to the story. With these_______ , the best readers also bring their attention, their reading skills, and most importantly, their_______ to a reading of a story.

My students always_______ me to discuss, analyze, interpret, and evaluate the stories we read without destroying the excitement of being beamed up into another world. For years I _______with one response after the other to this challenge. Then one day I read an article by a botanist who had explored the beauty of flowers by x-raying them. His illustrations showed the rose and the lily in their_______ beauty, and his x-rays_______the wonders of their construction. I brought the article to class, where we discussed the benefits of examining the internal structure of flowers, relationships, current events, and short stories.

A short story, _______ , is not a fossil to admire. Readers must ask questions, guess at the answers,_______what will happen next, then read to discover. They and the author form a partnership that brings the story to life. Awareness of this partnership keeps the original excitement alive through discussion, analysis, interpretation, and ________. Literary explorations allow the reader to admire the authors’________ as well as their artistry. In fact, original appreciation may be enhanced by this x-ray vision. The final step is to appreciate once again the story________— to put the pieces back together.

Now it is your turn. Form a partnership with your author. During your________in reading, enter into a dialogue with the published scholars featured in Short Stories for Students. Through this________with experts you will revise, enrich, or________your original observations and interpretations.

During this adventure, I hope you will feel the same as the listeners that surround the neck of my Pueblo storyteller.

1.

A．hands

B．sails

C．flags

D．lids

2.

A．considerations

B．explorations

C．associations

D．interpretations

3.

A．imagination

B．eagerness

C．determination

D．affection

4.

A．begged

B．supported

C．encouraged

D．challenged

5.

A．dealt

B．struggled

C．fought

D．engaged

6.

A．external

B．artificial

C．classical

D．traditional

7.

A．ensured

B．analyzed

C．revealed

D．delivered

8.

A．however

B．furthermore

C．therefore

D．besides

9.

A．interpret

B．anticipate

C．predict

D．tell

10.

A．conclusion

B．evaluation

C．summary

D．appreciation

11.

A．craftsmanship

B．intentions

C．depth

D．character

12.

A．by itself

B．in vain

C．in question

D．as a whole

13.

A．observation

B．involvement

C．experiment

D．adventure

14.

A．journey

B．process

C．dialogue

D．contact

15.

A．recall

B．confirm

C．identify

D．cancel

2 . 传统节日端午节越来越近了。假如你是李华，请你以“Rice Dumplings: a taste that is out of this world!”为题写一篇文章放到你的微博上。内容包括：
1、粽子的种类与制作；
2、与亲人们制作粽子过程的美好时刻。
注意：词数100字左右
参考词汇：芦苇叶 reed leaf；粽子 make rice dumplings

Rice Dumplings: a taste that is out of this world!

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3 . I have frequently taught Research Methods and Design to college students at several institutions. I love teaching this course. One reason, of course, is that I enjoy thinking about research methodology (方法学) and sharing it with others. The other reason, however, is the obvious impact that it has on students. Every term, one (if not more) student tells me how taking this course has affected him/her: “I used to just read articles and believe what they said, but now I find myself asking ‘Is this true? How do they know? Is this a well designed study?” That is what I want the students to achieve in this course.

This brings to mind something written by Dorothy L. Sayers in 1948. One of her books, The Lost Tools of Learning speaks to Sayers’ thoughts on education. “By teaching our young men and women to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed words. By the invention of the film and the radio,we have made certain that no dislike for reading shall protect them from the constant battery of words, words, words. They do not know what the words mean: they are victims to words in their emotions instead of being the masters of them in their intelligence.”

We are well past the 1940s, but her observation is still relevant. Sayers’ point is well taken. In the world of 24-hour news and social media that often resembles (类似) the Wild West, the ability to carry out evaluations has never been more important. In order to resist the distortions with which we are constantly bombed in the media, as well as be able to present a persuasive argument, we must be able to reason well, and think and give a judgement carefully.

When my students begin the Research Methods and Design course, they are generally not content to read all those research article I give. However, by the end of the course, they are excited about their newly obtained abilities.

1. What is the author’s course goal for her students?

A．Thinking critically.	B．Reading deeply.
C．Designing studies well.	D．Questioning themselves.

2. What did Sayers imply about education?

A．It was boring.	B．It was worrying.
C．It was conventional.	D．It was useless.

3. What does the underlined word “distortions” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Popular news.	B．Various evaluations.
C．Persuasive arguments.	D．Misleading information.

4. Why does the author write the text?

A．To review a book.	B．To introduce a writer.
C．To suggest a practical skill.	D．To criticize social media.

4 . Wholesale prices for gas and electricity are increasing suddenly across Europe,raising the possibility of increases in already-high utility (公共事业）bills and further pain for people who have taken a financial hit fromCOVID-19.

Governments are struggling to find ways to limit costs to consumers as scant natural gas reserves present yet another potential problem, exposing the continent to even more price increases and possible shortages if it’s a cold winter.

In the U.K., many people will see their gas and electricity bills rise next month after the nation’s energy regulator approved a 12% price increase for those without contracts that lock in rates. Officials in Italy have warned that prices will increase by 40% for the quarter that will be billed in October.

There are multiple causes for the price increases, energy analysts say, including tight supplies of natural gas used to generate electricity, higher costs for permits to release carbon dioxide as part of Europe’s fight against climate change, and less supply from wind in some cases.

Analysts at S&P Global Platts say electricity prices have risen due to strong demand from places like data centers and electric cars, but above all because of the rise in the price of natural gas used in generating plants. Utility companies’ exposure to natural gas prices has increased as high-emission coal plants have been retired, while utilities face higher costs for carbon allowances required by the European Union’s emissions trading system, which is aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

The tight gas market could bite even more sharply if there’s an unusually cold winter. That’s because European distributors did not refill reserves reduced during last winter as they typically had done in summer months. In March 2008, when the freeze named “the beast from the east” hit Europe, industrial users in the U.K got a notice that there was a risk of interruption, although it didn’t come to that.

Could Europe run out of gas? “The short answer is Yes, this is a real risk,” said James Huckstepp, an analyst at S&P Global Platts. “Storage stocks are at record lows and there isn’t currently any spare supply capacity that is exportable anywhere in the world.The longer answer is that it’s hard to predict how it will play out given that Europe has never run out of gas in two decades under the current distribution system.”

1. What does the underlined word “scant” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Total.

B．Additional.

C．Limited.

D．Regular.

2. What has actually led to the rise of electricity prices?

A．The closure of some coal plants.

B．The great demand for electric cars.

C．The competition between utility companies.

D．The change in the emissions trading system.

3. Why could an unusually cold winter make the gas market tighter?

A．More natural gas will be needed for industrial use.

B．European distributors don’t make good preparations.

C．It is not easy to fill reserves during the cold weather.

D．Utility companies work can be easily interrupted.

4. What can we learn from James Huckstepp’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Europe is expected to seek help from other countries.

B．It is hard to control the gas price in Europe at present.

C．Europe might face a serious shortage of gas in the future.

D．There’s something wrong with Europe’s distribution system.

5 . 假定你是李华，受学校英文报的约稿，写一篇关于我国2021年6月17日神舟十二号航天员（聂海胜、刘伯明和汤洪波）进入太空并在太空执行为期3个月的飞行任务的英文报道。内容包括：
1. 新闻概要；
2. 太空生活和工作；
3. 意义。
注意：1. 词数应为80左右
2. 可适当增加情节使行文连贯。

Shenzhou-12 China launched first crew to new space station

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6 . 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。

The Principal and the Popcorn Popper

Spring was approaching. Principal （校长）Peters was wandering in the empty part of the huge school yard when the students^' request flashed through his mind again. It couldn't be better to eat the cabbages, carrots, or eggplants planted by themselves. But how to raise money for seeds and tools?

The topic came up at the teachers' meeting. Teachers suggested various means of collecting money with enthusiasm； one teacher suggested, “We have a popcorn popper （爆米 花机）in the teachers' lounge （休息室）.How about kids making popcorn to sell?”

When the popcorn proposal reached the students, they jumped with joy. Agreement was reached -every Thursday, in their labor course, by selling popcorn for 25 cents a bag, they could enjoy a snack while raising money to buy seeds and tools for their garden.

Soon the first Thursday came. Principal Peters got to his office as usual just right next to the teachers' lounge. Hearing popping sound, he smiled, for it meant the promise of the potential garden. But it was REALLY loud. He wrapped a scarf around his head to block his ears. When the first Thursday was over, he breathed a sigh of relief. But the next Thursday, popping sound happened again. This time, he had brought earplugs. The day, it seemed, would last forever. But for the kids' garden dream, he put up with it willingly.

The following Thursdays witnessed Principal Peters attempting to pile gym mats against his office walls and asking the fifth grade to practice for their concert in the hallway outside his office. The "unbearable" popping sound seemed to have taken root in his head! But for the kids' vegetable garden dream, he put up with it willingly.

On the 11th Thursday, he went to the teachers' lounge again to see how much money was still needed. Seeing the Principal coming with a hard-hidden painful expression, the students responded cheerfully, “Only with 41 dollars our garden dream will come true.” Hearing this, Principal Peters left without saying anything.

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。

Shortly afterward, Principal Peters came back with 41 dollars.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“POPCORN", the cute students answered the Principal's question jokingly.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . As the world seeks to slow the pace of climate change and preserve wildlife, trees undoubtedly hold a major part of the answer. Yet the mass destruction of trees--deforestation-continues, sacrificing （牺牲）the long-term benefits of standing trees for short-term gain.

    1    Since humans started cutting down forests, 46 percent of trees have been logged. About 17 percent of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the past 50 years, and losses recently have been on the rise.

So, what are the factors leading to deforestation? Farming, animal raising, mining, and drilling combined account for more than half of all deforestation.    2    Plus logging operations, which provide the world^? s wood and paper products, cut down countless trees each year. Some loggers acting illegally even build roads to access more and more remote forests--which leads to further deforestation.

    3    Some 250 million people living in forests depend on them for survival and income—many of them among the world's rural poor. Eighty percent of Earth's land animals live in forests and deforestation threatens many species.    4    The South American rainforest, for example, influences regional and perhaps even global water cycles, which is key to the water supply in Brazilian cities and neighboring countries.

Luckily, a movement is under way to preserve existing forest ecosystems and restore lost tree cover. Organizations and activists are working to fight illegal mining and logging. As consumers, it makes sense to look for sustainably produced sources.     5    

A．Yet the effects of deforestation reach much farther.

B．Globally, forests are disappearing at an alarming rate.

C．Wildfires and urbanization also account for a small part,

D．Deforestation affects people and animals and even the wider world.

E．With these joint efforts, many conservationists see reasons for hope.

F．Deforestation is responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

G．Some deforestation is caused by a combination of human and natural factors.