1 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the aim of the campaign?

A．To remind people of Earth Day.

B．To encourage people to reduce garbage.

C．To warn people of the bad effects of pollution.

2. What will be the task on the second day?

A．Planting trees.

B．Designing posters.

C．Collecting garbage.

3. What does the man expect the teachers to do?

A．Paint paper.

B．Stop driving cars.

C．Decorate classrooms.

4. How does Sara find the man's ideas?

A．Absurd.

B．Hollow.

C．Practical.

2 . Books That Celebrate Diverse Holidays and Traditions

It’s important to remember there are a diverse set of holidays available to explore. Below are a few books that help introduce children to different holiday cultures and traditions.

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto, illustrated by Ed Martinez

While helping her mother with Christmas celebration, Maria is tempted to try on her mother’s diamond ring. After getting caught up in the joy of the holiday and playing with her cousins, Maria realizes the ring is missing! That’s when she and her cousins come up with a plan to eat all of the tamales, in hopes of finding the ring.

Together for Kwanzaa by Juwanda G. Ford, illustrated by Shelly Hehenberger

This is a story about a little girl named Kayla who wants to see her older brother Khari come home so they can celebrate Kwanzaa together as a family. Khari is stuck at college when a snowstorm hits and his car breaks down. Will he make it home in time for Kwanzaa?

A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

This book is a funny, nostalgic tale of Christmas Eve afternoon through Christmas night in Wales, and is full of unique imagery and poetic prose. It will arouse a sense of familiarity for some young readers while introducing them to different aspects of Christmas traditions.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frane Lessac

The word otsaliheliga is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. This is an amazing story that describes a journey through the seasons with a modern-day Cherokee family. Cherokee history and traditions are also woven into the story in a very kid-friendly way.

1. What makes it difficult for Khari to return home in time for Kwanzaa?

A．A car crash.

B．Delayed flights.

C．Extreme weather.

D．Academic pressure.

2. Who provides pictures for A Child’s Christmas in Wales?

A．Traci Sorell.

B．Ed Martinez.

C．Dylan Thomas.

D．Trina Schart Hyman.

3. The four books all inform readers of ______.

A．how to find hidden treasures at home	B．how to strengthen bonds with friends
C．the lifestyles of different ethnic groups	D．different holiday celebrations and customs

3 . For most of December, Adele Adkins had the top-selling album in Australia, followed by Ed Sheeran, and then there was a collection of songs that took everyone by surprise.

Songs Of Disappearance is a collection of calls from endangered Australian birds. Last month, it briefly reached No.3 on the country’s top 50 albums chart (排行榜) — ahead of Taylor Swift.

Anthony Albrecht, a PhD student at Charles Darwin University, produced the album with Professor Stephen Garnett. “I knew it was a crazy thing to suggest. But Stephen’s a little bit crazy like me and he let me do it,” Albrecht said.

Songs Of Disappearance was published with a university report which found that 1 in 6 Australian bird species are now threatened. The album records 53 of those species.

“Some sing what you might think of as bird songs, but not all of them,” said SeanDooley, who represents the conservation organization Bird life Australia. “Songs from the golden bowerbird sound like a death cry from some sci-fi series. And the love songs from Christmas Island frigate bird, which has a piece of skin hanging under its mouth that caninflate (膨胀) like a huge red balloon, sound as bizarre as its unusual looks.”

There’s also the Christmas Island pigeon. When people hear that pigeon, they might think that it’s a human making silly noises, Dooley added.

The Charles Darwin University and Bird life Australia report does document successes in protecting endangered birds, the hope being that the album will protect more species.

“The increased awareness can make a difference,” Dooley said. “When we have a community on board, that brings pressure to the government to do the right thing. We know that these conservation actions do work.”

1. Whose album reached No.1 on the chart in December?

A．Taylor Swift’s.

B．Adele Adkins’.

C．Ed Sheeran’s.

D．Anthony Albrecht’s.

2. What can be learned from the university report?

A．About 53 bird species are threatened in Australia.

B．It has not found success in protecting endangered birds.

C．One sixth of Australian bird species are now endangered.

D．Music is very powerful in encouraging people to protect birds.

3. Which is closest in meaning to “bizarre”in paragraph 5?

A．Strange.

B．Beautiful.

C．Loud.

D．Sharp.

4. What does Sean Dooley think of Anthony Albrecht’s project?

A．Crazy.

B．Amusing.

C．Uncreative.

D．Helpful.

4 . You may have wondered why there are fish tanks (鱼缸) at many doctor’s and dentist’s offices. Actually these medical professionals are trying to keep their working areas less stressful (有压力的) with the help of fish tanks. Because of the soft bubbling (冒泡声) from the fish tanks, their patients are expected to feel less nervous or worried when staying there.

The sound of running water can make people feel relaxed. For this reason, places where water keeps running are often considered good choices for people to have deep thoughts and stay relaxed in mind. Even a small tabletop fountain (喷泉) can make a workspace more relaxing. Unlike loud noises, repeated natural sounds remind that everything is OK. “These slow but soft sounds are just the ones that bring us no harm,” said Orfeu Buxton, a professor at Pennsylvania State University. “It seems like they are saying, ‘Don’t worry; don’t worry; don’t worry.’”

Besides bringing a sense of peace to your indoor space, a fountain can also prevent noises from coming inside. I recently had a small indoor fountain for my workspace. I enjoy the fountain even when I’m not working at home.

If you want to have an indoor fountain too, there are plenty of wonderful ones on sale, which may cost you a lot. You can try making one yourself, using some inexpensive materials, like I did. And you will always keep it around — 1,000 doctor’s offices can’t be wrong about the relaxing effects of running water.

1. From the first paragraph, we can learn that ________.

A．bubbling from fish tanks is a little bit noise

B．bubbling from fish tanks makes patients less worried

C．doctors like to collect the fish tanks in their offices

D．patients feel relaxed when they see a doctor

2. According to the passage, Mr. Li feels nervous and worried, he should go to ________.

A．a public library	B．a science museum
C．a shopping center	D．a forest river

3. The underlined word “they” refers to “________”.

A．fountains	B．noises
C．running water	D．repeated natural sounds

4. What do we know about the writer’s fountain?

A．It cost the writer a lot of money.	B．It was made by the writer himself.
C．The writer bought it from a store	D．The writer doesn’t like it anymore.

5 . Walking might seem simple. “But it’s not,” explains Peggy Cawthon, a professor at Harvard Medical School. “It’s an amazingly complex behavior when we try to understand how to improve our lives as we age.”     1    ? Here are a few ideas.

Don’t stop exercising

Cawthon agrees that the worst thing a person can do is to stop exercising. “You’ll feel the effects almost immediately,” says Cawthon. Sitting for hours leaves her uncomfortable, and it’s the days when she types that her arthritis (关节炎) doesn’t cause much pain.     2    .

Train yourself to walk with skill

To truly improve your walking, you need to think like an athlete. Imagine you want to play tennis, but you have a bad backhand. Playing lots of tennis won’t fix the problem, Cawthon says.     3    . It’s the same thing with walking.

Give your brain a boost (激励)

    4    . So don’t forget that when working out your fitness plan. Cawthon has been studying an area of the brain related to motivation (动机) and executive function. Subjects with a boost walk more steps on average than the control group, and they have been maintaining that even several months later.

    5    

So when should we face the music about our mobility? There is no final answer for when walking problems begin to come up. “You should be as active as you can at any age,” Cawthon says, noting that people who are healthy in their 20s and 30s are best equipped to deal with future age-related challenges. “The best time to start is now. Next best is tomorrow,” she says.

A．Start planning now

B．Be in pretty good shape

C．You need to improve your skill

D．So what steps should we take to do it right

E．How can you sweat your way to good health

F．It is a helpful reminder that our bodies need action

G．Basically, the body part controlling everything is your brain

6 . German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has dismissed concerns that growing Chinese competition is a threat to the local automotive industry, while welcoming Chinese carmakers to Europe’s largest auto show, IAA Mobility 2023, in Munich.

The six-day event officially opened on Tuesday. Scholz said increased competition from China was good for the German auto industry. “Fair competition stimulates business. It is in the interest of consumers,” he said, “as Chinese electric vehicle companies show eased several new fully electric models, out shining some German automotive giants.” Competition should stimulate us on, not scare us.

“The countries that have achieved great prosperity in the course of globalization, the workers there, have no less right and no less claim to the opportunities of modernity than we do,” Scholz said of China.

“In the 1980s, it was said (that) Japanese cars would overrun the market. Twenty years later, it was cars made in South Korea and now supposedly Chinese electric cars,” Scholz, who wore a black eye patch due to an injury from a jogging accident on Saturday, said.

The German chancellor also expressed confidence in his country’s strengths. “There is no question about the international competitiveness of Germany as a car country,” he said, adding that “Germany is still the linchpin of the auto industry and will remain so.”

Jun Jin, an auto industry expert, said the international market provides great opportunities for Chinese EV (电动汽车) makers, given their strength in technology and costs. “But this does not simply mean repeating their China success story; they need to succeed by adopting local practices,” Jun told China Daily.

Chinese companies, he said, still count on exports and have a long way to go before manufacturing vehicles overseas, arranging global supply chains and improving services for local customers.

1. How did Scholz view increased competition from China in auto industry?

A．Scholz thought that Chinese competition is not a threat to the local auto industry.

B．Scholz was not concerned about the competition from China in auto industry

C．Scholz thought increased competition was harmful to the German auto industry.

D．Scholz thought that consumers of auto industry would be interested in the competition.

2. What can we infer from Scholz’s words in the third paragraph?

A．Developing countries has no right to achieve modernity.

B．China has the equal right and claim to seek modernity.

C．The workers in German has more opportunities than others.

D．The course of globalization will favor developed countries more.

3. What does the underlined word in the sixth paragraph mean?

A．serious problem

B．noticeable weakness

C．angry consumer

D．key role

4. What can we conclude from Jun Jin’s words?

A．Chinese EV makers has no advantage in technology in international market.

B．Chinese EV makers should adopt local practices in international market.

C．Chinese companies still have a long way to go in manufacturing vehicles.

D．Chinese companies is good at arranging global supply chains and services.

7 . Almost a quarter of the UK’s sea swimmers may not swim in the ocean this year because of sewage (污水) dumping by water companies, according to a poll (民意调查). Sewage was dumped into waters near England’s most celebrated beaches for nearly 8,500 hours last year. And there were 1,504 discharges (排出) in 2022 on beaches supposed to be free from such pollution.

The poll spoke to 2,272 UK adults between 21 and 23 on July. Just over 30% said they typically went sea swimming during the summer, and of these 23% said they would not this year because of sewage dumping by water companies. More than two in five of the regular beachgoers also said they were less likely to visit the British seaside this summer because of sewage discharges.

The Department for Environment says government should allow the Environment Agency to charge unlimited fines on rule-breaking water companies. Fines are currently capped (上限) at £250,000. The Department for Environment has been calling for a sewage tax on annual profits and a ban on bonuses of water company managers. “Coastal communities are at the mercy of water companies who unapologetically discharge raw sewage into popular swimming spots,” Tim Farron, the Department for Environment’s spokesperson said. “The government needs to stop letting water companies off the hook and finally ban these terrible sewage discharges and defend our tourism sector.”

A Water UK spokesperson said standards at beaches had greatly improved since the 1990s but that the industry recognized it had been slow to deal with the harm to our seas caused by sewage overflows. “Over the next seven years, water and sewerage companies plan to spend £10bn—doubling current levels of investment—on sewage treatment,” they said. “As part of this, bathing waters will be among the first to receive funding.”

1. What does the poll show?

A．Water companies dumped the most sewage into waters last year.

B．Many swimmers avoid the water over fears of sewage on UK beaches.

C．Waters near England’s most celebrated beaches are not seriously polluted.

D．Over two fifths of the regular beachgoers in UK are between 21 and 23.

2. What suggestion does the Department for Environment make to the government?

A．Reducing bonuses of water company managers.

B．Shutting down those rule-breaking water companies.

C．Fining rule-breaking water companies at least £250,000.

D．Introducing a sewage tax on water companies’ yearly profits.

3. What does the underlined part “off the hook” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Develop slowly.	B．Improve too fast.
C．Free of responsibility.	D．Attract public attention.

4. In which section of the website can you probably read the text?

A．Environment.

B．Lifestyle.

C．Fitness.

D．Business.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

For many locals in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, the day begins with a hot, steaming bowl of beef noodles. Currently, there are over 1,600 shops     1    (sell) Lanzhou beef noodles in this ancient city on the banks of the Yellow River, with annual sales estimated at more than $58 billion.

The     2    (early) Lanzhou clear-soup beef noodles developed from Chen Weijing’s Lao Tang beef noodles from Henan Province during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. Then Ma Liuqi from Gansu learned     3     Chen how to make the beef noodles and brought it to Lanzhou. This     4    (follow)by Chen Hesheng, Ma Baozi and others who established the standard of Lanzhou beef noodles and carried it forward.

Lanzhou beef noodles can be classified (分类) into more than 10 types     5    (base) on their thickness, with each type having its own name. The noodle types are determined by the different age groups they are     6    (suit) for. For example, the thinner noodles are ideal for older people as they are easier to chew. Young people have a     7    (prefer) for the thicker and wider noodles.

For over 200 years, this bowl of beef noodles     8    (become) world-famous for its tender meat and tasty soup, as well as its fine noodle texture. Now Gansu Province is considering passing     9     law related to Lanzhou beef noodles,     10     is believed to provide legal protection for the industry to achieve higher quality in production, business operation and services.

9 . Booksellers have run their trade along the banks of the River Seine for about 450 years, their time-beaten green boxes a Paris tradition as treasured as freshly baked baguettes (法棍面包).

But this piece of French history is now at the center of a storm after the city’s police ordered that the booksellers and their stalls (排位) be relocated for “safety reasons” to make way for the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in 2024.

One plan was for booksellers’ boxes to remain in place but they must be examined by the police first and sealed off (封锁) during the Olympic event, which would attract millions of visitors to the city—including many who would potentially visit their stalls. Another plan, considered even worse by booksellers, was to move the boxes elsewhere. As booksellers pit on, many bores have been is place for 30 or 40 years. Most are mused and all their parts are not strong enough.

Although the city’s government has offered to relocate the bookstalls and cover the cost of the move as well as repairing damaged stalls, booksellers say the lack of consultation over a decision affecting a Paris landmark has left them fearful about the future.

Plus, there’s concern about what will happen when the Olympics are over. “Are they even going to offer us the same spots again after the games?” asked a bookseller. “I’m afraid that we get our boxes back either in a year, or maybe never, or with someone else’s things in them,” he said.

Booksellers worried that not only would moving the boxes be much more expensive for the capital, but a relocated book market wouldn’t work. “The stalls only make sense when they are on the banks of the Seine,” they said. The attraction and culture of the boxes is their age-worn character, their poetic shades of green.

1. What trouble are Paris booksellers facing now?

A．Their stalls are considered as a risk for Paris.

B．They have to join in the Olympic opening ceremony.

C．Their stalls must be sealed off for the city’s development.

D．They may have to move their bookstalls for some reason.

2. Which is a measure of the government for bookstall?

A．Covering the cost of repairing old bookstalls.

B．Building a new landmark for the bookstalls.

C．Replacing old bookstalls with new ones for free.

D．Attracting more customers for the bookstalls.

3. What idea do booksellers hold about their stalls?

A．They are much too expensive.	B．They must lie along the Seine.
C．They must be painted green.	D．They are not a Paris landmark.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Paris Bookstalls Being Moved for Safety Reasons

B．Paris Bookstalls Make the Banks of Seine Attractive

C．Arguments over the Location of Paris Bookstalls

D．Paris’s Preparation for Olympic Games 2024

10 . Entertaining Fall Festivals, Events and Activities

Duluth Fall Festival in Duluth, Georgia: Sept. 30—Oct. 2

The 40th yearly end-of-summer celebration takes place in downtown Duluth on the last weekend in September. This free event is run by a team of 300-plus volunteers. Attendees can wander around more than 180 vendors (摊贩) selling arts and crafts or catch a show at either of the two stages with 20-plus scheduled performances throughout the weekend. Kids can experience rides and games just for them, and anyone can enjoy the on-site carnival (嘉年华).

Fall for Greenville in Greenville, South Carolina: Oct. 12—15

Dozens of food and drink vendors set up for this yearly fall festival. Entry and entertainment are free, but attendees can buy Taste Tickets to try dishes prepared by local restaurants and exchange them for drinks, carnival rides and slides in the Kids’ Area. Dozens of free performances are given by local and national acts on stages throughout the weekend.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Oct. 7—15

Well-known as the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, this annual autumn attraction has been around for more than half a century. Attendees can enjoy activities for which they will have to pay a fee. A full schedule of events keep attendees busy throughout each day with a series of themed balloon competitions. Additional activities include free live music performances, firework shows, and shopping and dining at vendors.

West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta in Tualatin, Oregon: Oct. 21—22

Tualatin draws people each October for a free festival with unique fall-themed activities. This year the event kicks off on Saturday with a competition of a giant vegetable weigh-off. The next day starts with a 5K run to raise money for scholarships for local students. Attendees then gather on the banks of Lake Tualatin to watch the festival’s main performance: the Giant Pumpkin Competition.

1. What is specially designed for children at Duluth Fall Festival?

A．Live music.

B．Some rides.

C．The carnival.

D．Firework shows.

2. What can Taste Tickets be used for?

A．Attending different festivals.	B．Enjoying drinks.
C．Shopping for clothes.	D．Appreciating local performances.

3. Which festival lasts for the shortest time?

A．Fall for Greenville.

B．Duluth Fall Festival.

C．West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta.

D．Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.