1 . While driving in a small Colorado town, I stopped as a group of people crossed the road. As I watched, I ______ a thin, poorly dressed old lady taking a(n) ______ suitcase.

She managed to carry it for a few yards before setting it down on the ground. After trying several times, she was still ______ with it when the traffic started to move again.

Having experienced similar ______ in the past when traveling, I ______ alongside her and leaned over to call out through the window, “Excuse me. Would you like a ______?”

She stopped, gave me a ______ look and then started to walk hesitantly toward me, pulling her suitcase hard. “If you want to tell me where you’re going, I’ll ______ you off. That suitcase looks ______ heavy,” I said.

“Well, all right,” she answered in a ______ voice. And after we had both lifted her luggage into the back of my pickup, she ______ herself without a word on the front seat. My attempts at conversation were a ______, except for directions to her destination. When we arrived there and got her suitcase down, she ______ her hand into a pocket, saying, “What do I ______ you? I don’t have much.”

Surprised, I said, “Nothing. I was glad to be able to help.”

Her expression changed immediately, and she stared at me unbelievably. “Well, thank you, lady. No one has ever done me a(n) ______ like that before. God bless you.” Then she disappeared down the street, while something warm occurred in my heart.

1.

A．visited

B．spotted

C．caught

D．minded

2.

A．beautiful

B．light

C．valuable

D．overweight

3.

A．communicating

B．breaking

C．battling

D．competing

4.

A．struggles

B．conflicts

C．consequences

D．adventures

5.

A．slowed down

B．tracked down

C．pulled up

D．ended up

6.

A．rest

B．map

C．companion

D．ride

7.

A．grateful

B．suspicious

C．disappointed

D．shining

8.

A．drop

B．carry

C．send

D．keep

9.

A．relatively

B．awfully

C．slightly

D．entirely

10.

A．firm

B．warm

C．cold

D．sharp

11.

A．settled

B．enjoyed

C．found

D．collected

12.

A．success

B．blow

C．stupidity

D．failure

13.

A．grabbed

B．shook

C．dug

D．raised

14.

A．afford

B．owe

C．award

D．return

15.

A．kindness

B．service

C．honour

D．injury

2 . Certain areas near the moon’s poles stay everlastingly in shadow, never receiving direct sunlight. Recent studies suggest these so-called permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) contain rich ice resource that could show details about the early solar system; they could also help future visitors make fuel and other resources. But these areas are hard to photograph from satellites moving around the moon and thus are a challenge to study. The few photos PSRs reflect are often flooded by camera noise and quantum effects (量子效应).

Now researchers have produced a deep-learning algorithm (算法) to cut through the interruption and to see these dark zones. “Our images enable scientists to identify the features of craters and boulders (陨石坑和巨石),” says Valentin Bickel, a planetary scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Solar System Research in Germany and lead author of a Nature Communications study testing the new algorithm.

The researchers used more than 70,000 images of completely dark lunar areas — with no light signal — together with details about the camera’s temperature and position in orbit to train their algorithm to recognize and remove camera noise. Next they dealt with the rest noise through information learned from millions of sunlit lunar photos, together with copied versions of the same images in shadow. Ignacio Lopez-Francos, a study co-author and engineer at the NASA Ames Research Center, says using such man-made shadow was necessary because sunlit PSR images do not exist. A similar technique is also used in low-light digital camera photography.

The researchers used their algorithm to analyze the size and number of craters and boulders in several PSRs that might be explored by NASA’s Artemis moon program. They also found the likely origins of some boulders and established a potential route for an astronaut through a PSR on the moon, avoiding obstacles and slopes steeper than 10 degrees.

“It’s an interesting application of machine-learning technology, and the noise model seems realistic and useful for this real case,” says computer scientist Chongyi Li, who uses similar strategies to enhance underwater images at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and was not involved in the study.

1. Why is exploring the PSRs a challenge?

A．Because satellites are remote.	B．Because the solar system is complex.
C．Because the photos are often covered.	D．Because the moon has abundant resources.

2. How did the researchers train their algorithm?

A．They trained it through photos and images.

B．They trained it by cutting through the interruption.

C．They trained it through numerous images of sunlit lunar areas.

D．They trained it by using low-light digital camera photography.

3. What is Chongyi Li’s attitude to this algorithm?

A．Doubtful.

B．Objective.

C．Indifferent.

D．Favorable.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A．To appeal to us to explore lunar areas.	B．To promote our understanding of moon.
C．To introduce an application of technology.	D．To describe the reasons of lunar shadow lands.

3 . Based on his own research at Washington University in St. Louis and other scientific studies, psychology lecturer Bono offers the following tips for getting and staying happier in your life.

    1     Looking forward to an enjoyable experience can make it all that much sweeter. Wait a couple of days before seeing a new movie that just came out, plan your big vacation for later in the summer, and try to take time to enjoy each bite of dessert. On the opposite, get negative tasks out of the way as quickly as possible — any delay will only make them seem worse.

People who focus more on process than outcome tend to remain motivated in the face of setbacks. They’re better at sticking with major challenges and prefer them over the easy route.     2     Because it celebrates rewards that come from the work itself. Focusing only on the outcome can lead to premature burnout if things don’t go well.

    3     Find an activity that allows you to get together with friends on a regular, ongoing basis. A weekly happy hour, poker night, or TV show ensures consistency and motivation in your social interactions. People with high-quality relationships are not only happier, but also healthier.     4    

The next time you are attracted to use your phone to look through social media, look through your list of contacts instead.     5     The happiness you get from a real connection with another person will be far greater than any comments or likes you get on social media.

A．Anticipation itself is pleasurable.

B．Decrease unnecessary socializing.

C．Find someone to call or FaceTime.

D．This “growth mindset” helps people stay energized.

E．Facebook and Instagram often overstate how much better off others are.

F．Nothing is more important for our psychological health than high-quality friendships.

G．They recover from illnesses more quickly, live longer, and enjoy more enriched lives.

4 . Kwane Stewart, a devoted vet (兽医) in San Diego, had reached a point of burnout in his career. The animal ______ where he worked was full of abandoned pets as people ______ to deal with the ongoing economic decline. In those days, animals would be euthanized (安乐死) if they weren’t ______ in seven days. The cruel reality deeply troubled Stewart, even leading him to consider ______ his profession.

One fateful day, outside a convenience store, he ______ a homeless man with a dog suffering from a visible skin issue. The man, ______ for a solution, shared his dog’s suffering. Stewart examined the dog and then ______ some medicine to him. In tears, the man thanked Stewart, saying “Thank you for not ______ me”. The very words served as a wakeup call to Steward and inspired his next ______ .

Stewart began working as a street vet during his free time, determined to ______ on his own. Over a nine-year period, he provided ______ medical care for over 1,000 homeless people and their pets and in 2020, he created a nonprofit organization Project Street Vet.

For Stewart, the most rewarding aspect of his work lies in the one-on-one ______ with the homeless. By ______ helping their cherished companion, Stewart helps ______ their faith in humanity. Their gratitude fuels him to continue his mission, offering ______ to those facing awful circumstances.

1.

A．shop

B．shelter

C．lab

D．farm

2.

A．struggled

B．managed

C．intended

D．hesitated

3.

A．trained

B．examined

C．adopted

D．selected

4.

A．assessing

B．advancing

C．delaying

D．quitting

5.

A．mentioned

B．interviewed

C．recognized

D．encountered

6.

A．regretful

B．desperate

C．grateful

D．responsible

7.

A．delivered

B．sold

C．offered

D．returned

8.

A．ignoring

B．hurting

C．blaming

D．bothering

9.

A．game

B．chapter

C．firm

D．research

10.

A．have a try

B．keep a balance

C．make a difference

D．set an example

11.

A．free

B．safe

C．expensive

D．private

12.

A．decisions

B．connections

C．discussions

D．competitions

13.

A．slightly

B．hardly

C．simply

D．generally

14.

A．celebrate

B．follow

C．test

D．restore

15.

A．hope

B．freedom

C．pride

D．respect

5 . In 1835, William Talbot finally succeeded in producing a photograph of his country house. He declared that his was the first house ever known to have drawn its own picture. The drawing was formed “by the action of light upon sensitive paper. ” Photography offered nature a “pencil” to paint herself through optical (光学的) and chemical means alone.

By the mid-nineteenth century, people no longer needed to hire a draftsman to draw detailed images because the process could be completed instantly with a camera. Advocates for the technology stated that not only was it more precise than the human hand-it was faster and cheaper.

The removal of human fallibility in the creating process was one of photography’s biggest selling points, but this also started debates about the new medium’s implications for visual culture. Could images made largely by a machine be considered art? If so, where did human creativity fit in this process?

As the twenty-first century becomes increasingly automated (自动化的), more and more people attempt to identify where human agency exists in the technologically driven world. Images generated with artificial intelligence by companies like OpenAI are stimulating questions like those that emerged with the coming of the photograph. By typing a sentence, users can generate “new” images composed from images collected across the internet. The result has been a flood of AI-generated images in places that are previously unique to human authors. Painting competitions, commercial graphic design and the fashion of portraiture (肖像) have all since collided with the technology in troubling ways.

The fine arts were thought to be a final hold-out of human creativity, but the surprisingly high quality of AI-generated images is producing deeper questions about the nature of originality. If the history of photography tells us anything, it’s that the debate won’t be settled quickly, straightforwardly or by the institutions we typically associate with cultural gatekeeping.

1. Why did Talbot declare that his house had drawn its own picture?

A．To downplay human factors in the creation.	B．To investigate a supernatural phenomenon.
C．To show his advanced knowledge in science.	D．To demonstrate the beauty of his country house.

2. What does the word “it” underlined in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The photo of Talbot’s house.	B．The image by a draftsman.
C．The technology of a camera.	D．The paper sensitive to light.

3. What do OpenAI and cameras have in common?

A．They improve the taste of beauty.	B．They advocate fashion designs.
C．They challenge human agency.	D．They produce original images.

4. What did the author indicate by referring to the history of photography?

A．Cultural gatekeepers will solve the issue as they did.

B．AI-generated images will go through a similar debate.

C．The nature of originality will be held in human hands.

D．The fine arts will include photography and AI images.

6 . Environmental Books For Kids

City Green, by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (1994)

It is a great book on how anyone can take action and make a difference. In it, Marcy, a young girl, wants to plant a garden in the vacant lot(空地) of her city block. The book describes every step of building a community garden for everyone to share. It comes with a handy guide on how you can start your own community garden!

Kate, Who Tamed the Wind, by Liz Garton Scanlon (2018)

This book is a wonderful story of problem-solving and perseverance (坚持不懈), as it tells the story of a young girl who decides to stop the wild wind from blowing by planting trees. It is a great read explaining the important role of trees in our lives and the planet as well as the importance of nature-based solutions.

We Are Water Protectors, by Carole Lindstrom (2020)

If you want to learn more about native people and the importance of protecting water, this is the book for you. It is a story of a young girl who stands up for environmental justice (正义) and becomes an activist who fights to protect the world from pollution.

Pangolina, by Jane Goodall (2021)

A pangolin is to be unlawfully sold at the market. Luckily for her, a little girl, who knows that pangolins are friendly animals with feelings just like humans, asks her mother to buy Pangolina and set her free. If you love animals and you want to learn more about the problems of wildlife traffic as well as the importance of protecting endangered animals, this wonderful book is a good choice.

1. Which book would you recommend to someone interested in gardening?

A．City Green.	B．Pangolina.
C．We Are Water Protectors.	D．Kate, Who Tamed the Wind.

2. When was the book covering native people’s movement printed?

A．In 1994

B．In 2018.

C．In 2020.

D．In 2021.

3. Who wrote the book about saving animals?

A．DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan.	B．Liz Garton Scanlon.
C．Carole Lindstrom.	D．Jane Goodall.

7 . With a brain the size of a pinhead, insects possess a great sense of direction. They manage to locate themselves and move through small openings. How do they do this with their limited brain power? Understanding the inner workings of an insect’s brain can help us in our search towards energy-efficient computing, physicist Elisabetta Chicca of the University of Groningen shows with her most recent result: a robot that acts like an insect.

It’s not easy to make use of the images that come in through your eyes when deciding what your feet or wings should do. A key aspect here is the apparent motion of things as you move. “Like when you're on a train,” Chicca explains. “The trees nearby appear to move faster than the houses far away.” Insects use this information to infer how far away things are. This works well when moving in a straight line, but reality is not that simple. To keep things manageable for their limited brain power, they adjust their behaviour: they fly in a straight line, make a turn, then make another straight line.

In search of the neural mechanism (神经机制) that drives insect behaviour, PhD student Thorben Schoepe developed a model of its neuronal activity and a small robot that uses this model to find the position. His model is based on one main principle: always head towards the area with the least apparent motion. He had his robot drive through a long passage consisting of two walls and the robot centred in the middle of the passage, as insects tend to do. In other virtual environments, such as a space with small openings, his model also showed similar behaviour to insects.

The fact that a robot can find its position in a realistic environment is not new. Rather, the model gives insight into how insects do the job, and how they manage to do things so efficiently. In a similar way, you could make computers more efficient.

In the future, Chicca hopes to apply this specific insect behaviour to a chip as well. “Instead of using a general-purpose computer with all its possibilities, you can build specific hardware; a tiny chip that does the job, keeping things much smaller and energy-efficient.” She comments.

1. Why is “a train” mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．To illustrate the principle of train motion.	B．To highlight why human vision is limited.
C．To explain how insects perceive distances.	D．To compare the movement of trees and houses.

2. What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about concerning Schoepe’s model?

A．Its novel design.	B．Its theoretical basis.
C．Its possible application.	D．Its working mechanism.

3. What do the researchers think of the finding?

A．Amusing.

B．Discouraging.

C．Promising.

D．Contradictory.

4. What will Chicca’s follow-up study focus on?

A．Inventing insect-like chips.	B．Studying general-purpose robots.
C．Creating insect-inspired computers.	D．Developing energy-efficient hardware.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What do we know about the classes?

A．They can be attended on the Internet.

B．They have 10 different levels.

C．They start in August.

2. What is the maximum number of students in a group class?

A．5.

B．10.

C．20.

3. How can students move up through the levels?

A．By attending audio classes.

B．By finishing a report.

C．By taking a placement test.

4. What is the speaker going to do?

A．Conduct a class.

B．Answer some questions.

C．Present a native English speaker.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where did Bruce see a red squirrel?

A．At his garden.

B．In a farm.

C．In the wild.

2. How many red squirrels were there in Britain in 2007?

A．About 3,500,000.

B．About 150,000.

C．About 25,000.

3. What mainly caused the decreases in the number of red squirrels?

A．Introduction of grey squirrels.

B．Some unknown disease.

C．Lack of food.

4. How did Bruce manage to take such wonderful photos?

A．By practicing a lot.

B．Through his tutor’s guidance.

C．With the help of his grandpa.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is Miss White?

A．A secretary.

B．An art designer.

C．A department manager.

2. Why does Miss White come early?

A．The weather is bad.

B．Her desk needs to be cleaned.

C．She wants to make a good impression.

3. What will Mr. Black do next?

A．Show Miss White around.

B．Make a phone call.

C．Leave for a moment.