1 . Some Old Truths to Help You Overcome Tough Times
Life is not a bed of roses and we are going through life facing sad experiences. Hard times may hold you down at what usually seems like the most inopportune (不合时宜的) time.
Most of your fears are unreal. Fear is both useful and harmful. This normal human reaction is used to protect us by signaling danger and preparing us to deal with it.
You are not alone.
Pave your own unique path. Today many people find it difficult to trust their own opinion and seek balance by gaining objectivity from outside sources.
| A．Luckily, they won’t last forever. |
| B．Think about the present moment. |
| C．There are many things to be grateful for. |
| D．Furthermore, these losses make us mature. |
| E．This way you show that you are incapable of managing your own life. |
| F．No matter how lonely you might feel, you should always remember that. |
| G．Unfortunately, people create inner barriers with a help of exaggerating (夸大) fears. |
2 . Qiang embroidery (羌绣) has a long and rich history, dating back to the Han Dynasty when it was adopted for use on clothing. It makes use of many kinds of stitches (针法). The Qiang people adore nature, so they embroider plants and animals on clothing. Flowers, grasses, fruits, vegetables, animals and human figures are used as inspiration for the embroidery’s most common patterns. This type of embroidery features a bold use of brilliant colors. Qiang embroidery is usually practiced by women. A pair of embroidered shoes can take as long as ten days to produce, making the practice a test of both skill and patience.
Fifty-something Chen Yunzhen, from Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County in Sichuan Province, is a master of Qiang embroidery. As the local tourism industry began to develop, Chen decided to promote the embroidery as a brand to attract more tourists. Many local women, encouraged by Chen, began to earn their living through Qiang embroidery. As part of her efforts to stop the endangered technique from disappearing, Chen began visiting the surrounding regions to teach embroidery. In 2014, she set up a Qiang embroidery workshop that has since provided free training to over 20,000 people. Over 500 local embroiderers make a living through the workshop.
To breathe new life into Qiang embroidery, Chen has continued to keep an open mind, introducing new products like personal accessories (配饰), notebooks and bags in addition to the traditional clothes. Chen’s two daughters returned to their hometown to help support her efforts after graduating from university. With her daughters’ youthful sense of innovation (创新), Chen has combined metalwork and Qiang embroidery to create earrings, rings and necklaces that are popular among young consumers. She is also considering live streaming to promote her handmade products.
According to Chen, the Qiang people do not have a written language, so Qiang embroidery must be well preserved and developed as part of efforts to sustain (传承) its culture. For Chen, Qiang embroidery is much more than a piece of art to appreciate. “If you allow it to convey its real value, it will improve more people’s lives and drive rural revitalization (乡村振兴),” she said.
1. What do we know about Qiang embroidery?| A．It costs a lot of money to produce. |
| B．It includes all kinds of elements from nature. |
| C．It adopts light colors with unique stitches. |
| D．It is the most ancient embroidery art in China. |
| A．She takes the lead in carrying forward Qiang embroidery. |
| B．She trains young students in embroidery skills at a school. |
| C．She improves her living conditions by running a workshop. |
| D．She is devoted to preserving various endangered techniques. |
| A．The popularity of Qiang embroidery in China. |
| B．Chen’s efforts to innovate Qiang embroidery. |
| C．The difficulties of passing on Qiang embroidery. |
| D．Chen’s achievements in creating handmade products. |
| A．A symbol of Qiang culture. |
| B．A mirror of Qiang history. |
| C．A great work of Chinese traditional clothes. |
| D．An effective tool for improving Chinese economy. |
It was a soccer match
At the Village Super League finals in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, Saturday night, very few people were concerned about the final score. It was the passion and sportsmanship of these amateur players and the cheerful, warm and relaxing atmosphere on the field
“The match itself is more important than its result,” said Dong Yongheng,
Dong runs a snack bar in the village but has loved soccer since he
All the players in the Village Super League come from different
For spectators who have traveled from across the country
4 . The largest living land animal in Asia, Asian elephants once roamed grasslands and rainforests across the continent. Prior to the 1700s, habitats for the now-endangered animals were relatively stable (稳定的). But a new study shows that more than 64% of historic suitable elephant habitat across Asia has been lost.
Researchers found there was a rapid growth in habitat loss of Asian elephants from the year 1700, which is related to the expansion of European colonization (殖民化) of the region. During that time, logging, road-building, resource extraction and deforestation (森林砍伐) increased, and farming need more land that might otherwise have been home to wildlife. The industrial revolution in the middle of the last century also drove greater habitat loss.
Habitat loss means elephants are migrating (迁徙) from their usual living area, creating challenges for human communities that have little experience with elephants. In 2021, millions of people were frightened by a herd of elephants that migrated out of a protected area in China’s southwest Yunnan Province and walked more than 500 kilometers, destroying crops, wandering through towns and causing more than a million dollars’ worth of damage.
With the elephants not having enough habitat, there is increased potential for human-elephant conflict (冲突) — a situation that shouldn’t be accepted as unavoidable and one that can be avoided with proper planning. “We are going to reach a tipping point in which cultures of no conflict toward one another get replaced by cultures of antagonism ( 敌 对) and violence — by both species. We have to relieve this situation,” said Shermin de Silva, a UCSD faculty member who led the research team.
If the elephants can’t find suitable habitats, they will become endangered and near extinction (灭绝), which has an effect on the whole ecosystem. This is because elephants help spread seeds and vegetation cover (植被). Their habitats also include several other species of animals and plants. In the wake of satisfying their need for large spaces, and enough water and food, plenty of other species can survive. When we protect the elephant, we also protect thousands of other species.
1. What do we learn about the migrating elephants?| A．They lost their way home. |
| B．They enjoyed feeding on crops. |
| C．They caused many troubles for the locals. |
| D．They were heading southwest in search of water. |
| A．Lessen. | B．Adopt. | C．Bear. | D．Plan. |
| A．To explain the significance of species diversity. |
| B．To stress the necessity of protecting elephants. |
| C．To provide suggestions on restoring elephant habitats. |
| D．To show the impact of the elephant population on the ecosystem. |
| A．The Past of Asian Elephants |
| B．Causes of Habitat Loss of Asian Elephants |
| C．Reasons for Protecting Elephants |
| D．The Survival Crisis of Asian Elephants |
5 . At 6 feet, 7 inches, Will Allen was a natural at basketball. He received scholarship offers from more than a hundred colleges. He finally chose the University of Miami.
Going away to college meant leaving the family farm. He remembered how hard that life on the farm had been. Now that his life was full of possibilities, he swore he would never go back to farming.
After college, Allen began a pro-basketball career in Belgium, where, ironically (讽刺地), he rediscovered farming. He found the farmers there farmed the way his parents had back home, caring for the land without using chemicals and fertilizers.
Allen and his family moved back to the United States in 1977 after he retired from basketball. They settled in Milwaukee, where his wife’s family owned a farm. In 1993, Allen bought the last remaining farm in the city of Milwaukee, where he began his career as an urban farmer. Later he formed his own organization Growing Power, one of the world’s top urban agricultural organizations.
Allen also travelled across the United States, Africa, and Central Asia to help people grow food more efficiently in ways that fit in with their own culture. “Food is in short supply all over the world right now,” he says. “A lot of people are hungry. We need to grow food everywhere we can—in backyards and side yards, on rooftops, and even in buildings.”
He has spoken about urban agriculture around the world and is currently designing a vertical farm which is a new way to help feed more people in cities. “My main mission is to bring food into people’s lives and train people how to grow food. That continues to be important to me. ” said Allen. He said so, and he did so.
“Growing food is powerful,” Allen says. “It can change the world!”
1. What do we know about Will Allen?| A．He wished to get away from his family. | B．He had a talent for playing basketball. |
| C．He got used to the hard life on the farm. | D．He was admitted to only several universities. |
| A．Grow what is right. | B．Everyone should take action. |
| C．Focus on environment. | D．Plant wherever possible. |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Fortunate. |
| C．Traditional. | D．Adventurous. |
| A．Childhood Dream Leads to Future Career | B．Urban Agriculture Holds Great Promise |
| C．Give up Basketball and Take up Farming | D．Return to Farming and Grow Food in the City |
6 . El Nino is a weather pattern that brings hotter temperatures and less rainfall than usual. It is caused by warmer surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean leading to a change in wind movements. Warmer ocean temperatures lead to more rainfall over that part of the ocean and less rain over Northern Australia.
An El Nino weather pattern has been declared in Australia for the first time in seven years and experts say people should get ready for extreme heat. The Bureau of Meteorology（欧洲气象局） said the country would sweat through hot and dry weather for the rest of 2023 thanks to El Nino and another weather pattern called a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, or IOD, which relates to ocean temperatures.
Both weather patterns have already brought hotter and drier weather to southern and eastern Australia while making heatwaves, droughts, bushfires and having effects on coral reefs much more likely.
Australia’s last El Nino was in the summer of 2015 before cooler, wetter La Nina weather took over. The Bureau said it was very likely El Nino would last the whole Australian summer.
“When a positive IOD and El Nino occur together, their drying effect is typically stronger and more widespread across Australia,” the Bureau warned.
The news comes after an unusually long period of warm spring weather, with some places recording temperatures 15°C higher than the average. A disastrous fire warning was announced for the NSW south coast on Tuesday as firefighters battled against the fire in the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales.
Senior Leeturer in Climate Science at the University of Melbourne Dr Andrew King said the recent hot weather “is a warning of the kind of extremes we’re likely to see more of over the next few months”.
1. What information can we get from Paragraph 1?| A．Something about El Nino. | B．Ways to avoid El Nino. |
| C．Reasons of global warming. | D．Areas tending to have El Nino. |
| A．happens every 7 years | B．occurs only in Australia |
| C．causes extreme weather | D．is often accompanied by IOD |
| A．Southern Australia will suffer the most. | B．More places of Australia will be affected. |
| C．This El Nino will last for the whole year. | D．It will become wetter and cooler next year. |
| A．Things could be worse. | B．People have got prepared. |
| C．Extreme weather will pass. | D．El Nino will become weak. |
7 . “An aquaponics (鱼菜共生) system grows both fish and plants that can be harvested sustainably (可持续地),” said David Landkamer, an aquaculture specialist. “It’s an elegant system.”
Here’s how it works: Fish are typically raised in indoor tanks or outdoor ponds, where they produce waste. The water with the waste from the tank flows to a planting tray where plants grow in the water without soil. The waste is poisonous to the fish but is a rich fertilizer for the plants. As the plants absorb the nutrients, the water is purified for the fish. The clean water can then be recycled to the fish tank. Most importantly, because you can’t use chemicals or fertilizers that would harm the fish, it’s a natural organic production system.
“You can grow just about any kind of plant,” Landkamer said. Any leafy greens such as lettuce, kale, Swiss chard and arugula are the easiest to plant. You can also grow herbs, cucumbers, snow peas, eggplants, tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflower, peppers, beans, red onions and even potatoes.
“Aquaponics, which began in ancient China and Mexico, is gaining popularity around the world as a means of local food production,” Landkamer said. He regularly fields questions from people who want to start small-scale, backyard aquaponics operations or even commercial-scale aquaponics farms. “It is possible for hobbyists to start out with aquaponics kits available online and at stores,” Landkamer said.
Depending on which species of fish you choose, you may need to add a heater of some kind to keep the water temperatures just right for the fish and plants. “Aquaponics farmers often use inexpensive heat supplies such as solar greenhouses or hot compost (堆肥),” he said.
“These systems require monitoring to make sure everything is in balance and running smoothly,” Landkamer said. “You have to pay attention and see how well the fish are feeding, how well the plants are growing and see whether the water is circulating properly.”
1. What is David Landkamer’s attitude toward aquaponics?| A．Unclear. | B．Cautious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Appreciative. |
| A．It can be set indoors. | B．It produces green food. |
| C．It does no harm to the fish. | D．It needs no soil to grow plants. |
| A．Looks up. | B．Keeps off. | C．Deals with. | D．Goes beyond. |
| A．It runs automatically. | B．It consumes no energy. |
| C．Every part of it must work properly. | D．Its temperature should be high enough. |
8 . Best books on the market
The Nightingale by Kristln Hannah
$ 17 at bookshop
TikTok’s favorite historical fiction is undoubtedly The Nightingale. The story takes place in France in 1939, following a woman forced to live with German Nazi in her home after her husband leaves for the war. The Nightingale is an epic WWⅡstory, highlighting the untold stories of the women who endured it.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
$ 12 at bookshop
Holly Black finally returns to the fairy land of Elfhame over 15 years after Tithe was released. Now the story follows Jude Urgate, a mortal (凡人) who was taken illegally to live among the fairies. Even without powers of her own, she tries to prove herself against those who don’t believe she belongs by teaming up with a powerful group and trying to take the crown down.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
$16 at bookshop
The main characters at play in Such a Fun Age are Alex and Emira, a wealthy GirlBoss and her babysitter, a young black woman who is confronted at the supermarket, accused of kidnapping (绑架) the white child she cares for. This novel is all about race, privilege, and transactional (交易型)relationships. It’s sharp and impossible to put down.
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
$24 at bookshop
Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six has become a New York Times bestseller. When six new academicians with magic get chosen to join a special society, they have to spend the next year dealing with each other and trying to prove themselves as only five will actually become members.
1. Whose novel is historical?| A．Holly Black. | B．Kristin Hannah. |
| C．Kiley Reid. | D．Olivie Blake. |
| A．Both are non-fiction. | B．Both are priced the same |
| C．Both are related to illegal things. | D．Both describe the fairy land. |
| A．Fantastic. | B．Romantic. | C．Historical. | D．Documentary. |
Our three kids were all under age five. We’d recently moved to the suburbs, and I’d stopped working to be a stay-at-home mom. Most of our friends lived outside our immediate community and didn’t have children. This all added up to a nonexistent social life for my husband and me.
I needed to fix this, so I became a room parent in my son’s kindergarten class, partly to spend time with him, but also to make more friends within the school community. I also signed my son up for weekend soccer. While those activities gave me the opportunity to socialize with other moms, it was challenging to cultivate friendships. I only saw my fellow room parents a few times a -year, usually during class parties. On the soccer sidelines, I found it impossible to watch the game, keep track of my young children, and maintain conversations with other parents at the same time.
I desired deeper interactions with the smart, interesting moms I saw around school. But we all led busy lives. How could I make this happen?
“You should throw a party,” suggested a friend who happened to be a professional event planner. “I can’t do that. I don’t really know these women,” I replied quickly. I hardly even had my closest friends over to my house. The thought of hosting an adult party terrified me.
“Just invite a few people that you’ve talked to and ask them to bring along a friend. You’ll meet even more people that way. It will be fun,” my event-planner friend said. I ran this idea by my husband, and I was certain he’d agree it wouldn’t work. “Great idea,” he said. “I’ll stay upstairs with the kids, and the party can take place on the main floor.”
I picked a date and set up an electronic invitation, making a guest list of moms from my son’s soccer team, my fellow room moms, and a few other moms I’d started saying “hi” to at school pick-up. But I didn’t hit Send. I started to talk myself out of it. There were so many reasons this wouldn’t work.
注意：1. 续写词数为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
With four mess makers in my household, I imagined many “what ifs”.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But you know what? Everyone showed up.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . One day at dinner, when Caroline set her fork down on the plate, it made a sound. And then something
But as
Caroline had
“Is our house going to be okay?” Caroline asked. “Everything is fine,” said Mom. “Earthquakes
Once Caroline heard that, she began to
| A．special | B．else | C．funny | D．strange |
| A．looked up | B．turned down | C．came over | D．went out |
| A．shinning | B．falling | C．shaking | D．moving |
| A．ashamed | B．scared | C．annoyed | D．excited |
| A．quickly | B．clearly | C．normally | D．early |
| A．dark | B．untidy | C．quiet | D．scary |
| A．earthquake | B．experience | C．disaster | D．warning |
| A．worried | B．read | C．dreamed | D．complained |
| A．held on | B．faded away | C．fell down | D．shook up |
| A．remain | B．exist | C．grow | D．happen |
| A．respond | B．escape | C．report | D．notice |
| A．stronger | B．longer | C．worse | D．greater |
| A．panic | B．laugh | C．relax | D．hide |
| A．study | B．feel | C．remember | D．miss |
| A．comfort | B．adventure | C．feast | D．process |
