1 . In the old-fashioned town of Willowbrook, two friends named Emma and Liam shared an intimate bond. They were inseparable and spent every moment together, laughing, exploring, and creating unforgettable memories.

One cold winter morning, as the first snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Emma woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. She tried to brave it and get ready for school, but her body felt weak and achy. Unwillingly, she called Liam to let him know she couldn’t make it to school that day.

Liam was concerned when he heard the tiredness in Emma’s voice. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll take care of everything at school for you,” he assured her. Feeling grateful for Liam’s understanding, Emma forced a smile and replied, “Thank you, Liam. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”

After school, Liam hurried to Emma’s house, carrying a meal he had prepared for her. He knocked on the door, and Emma’s mother welcomed him with a warm smile. “Oh, Liam, you’re such a thoughtful friend,” she said.

“I brought some soup and tea for Emma. I hope it will make her feel better,” Liam replied, some concern in his eyes. Entering Emma’s room, Liam found her curled up under a blanket, looking pale but relieved to see him. “Hey, I brought some comfort food to cheer you up,” he said, setting the food on her bedside table.

Emma’s eyes lit up, and she smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This means the world to me,” she whispered. Sitting by her side, Liam kept her company, chatting softly and making her laugh despite her illness. The warmth of their friendship enveloped the room, bringing a feeling of comfort to Emma’s tired soul.

As Emma regained her strength, she realized just how lucky she was to have a friend like Liam. His unwavering presence and kindness had made her recovery easier and brighter. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and from that moment on, they knew they would be there for each other through thick and thin.

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

A．Satisfactory.

B．Informal.

C．Close.

D．Temporary.

2. Why didn’t Emma go to school that morning?

A．It was too cold to go outside.	B．Liam failed to pick her up.
C．She was in a bad condition.	D．School was closed for the heavy snow.

3. Which of the following can best describe Liam?

A．Considerate and caring.	B．Brave but lazy.
C．Selfless and active.	D．Independent but stubborn.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．Emma’s illness.	B．A precious friendship.
C．Liam’s company.	D．How to help a friend.

2 . 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。

My mother believed in using things up. Last year, our cornfield had a bad harvest because birds feasted on the crops. It was probably then that Mom’s frugality(节俭)became even more extraordinary. She began keeping everything that seemed useless in the attic(阁楼)—worn-out clothes, old sheets, broken umbrellas, and some other old items. Mom’s favorite saying was “waste not, want not”(俭以防匮). My brother Josh and I weren’t sure what that meant until the “Affair of the Scarecrow(稻草人)”, which, as it later became known, left a lasting impression on us.

The story began with a pretty hat that Mom received as a gift to protect her from the sun. However, Josh and I could see that Mom’s frugal nature and fashion sense were in battle. Mom really didn’t want to get rid of the hat—it was new and had a lot of use left in it—but neither could she stand wearing it. She tried to take off the fancy decorations, but they were stuck on tight. She’d have to find some other solution.

Josh and I watched as Mom headed upstairs to the attic with the hat. “Waste not, want not,” she called back down. We heard boxes being moved around. Moments later, Mom leaned out, holding a flour bag full of straw, and with a mysterious smile, she placed the hat on it.

“What is that for?” I asked, confused. “A scarecrow! ” Mom exclaimed. “But not a good one yet.It needs a strong body to stand firm in the field,” she said with a frown. “And it doesn’t look scary enough,” Josh remarked. I had to admit that Josh, though younger than I was, could sometimes be more imaginative. Josh and I turned to each other, searching for a good idea. Soon enough, Josh’s eyes lit up with inspiration.

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。

Paragraph 1: “Come with me!” Josh called out.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: In the following days, the scarecrow stood proudly.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . Gurnah, growing up in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday.

He is the first Black writer _________ the prize since Toni Morrison in 1993, and some observers saw his _________ as a long delayed corrective (矫正)after years of European and American Nobel laureates (获得者). In his 10 novels, Gurnah has often explored the _________ of exile(流放), identity and belonging. They _________“Memory of Departure” “Pilgrims Way” and “Dottie,” which all deal with the immigrant(移民)experience in Britain.

Gurnah’s first language is Swahili, but he _________ English as his literary language. He drew on the imagery and stories from the Quran, _________ from Arabic and Persian poetry, particularly “The Arabian Nights.” The news of Gumah’s Nobel _________ by fellow novelists and academics who have long argued that his _________ deserve a wider audience.

Gurnah was born in Zanzibar, which is now _________ of Tanzania, in 1948. Then, in 1964, he fled to England. __________ , poor, homesick, he began to write scraps(片段)in his diary, then __________ entries, then stories about other people. In his 20s, he started __________ fiction. Then he finished his first novel, “Memory of Departure,” about a young man who flees a failed uprising, at the same time he was writing his Ph. D. dissertation(论文). __________, he became a professor of English.

Though Gurnah hasn’t lived in Tanzania since he was a __________, his homeland always inspires him of his imagination. __________, he said “my homeland always asserts myself in my imagination, even when I deliberately try to set my stories elsewhere”.

1.

A．to confirm

B．to receive

C．to search

D．to appreciate

2.

A．section

B．selection

C．collection

D．consultation

3.

A．themes

B．opinions

C．passages

D．suggestions

4.

A．explode

B．conclude

C．provide

D．include

5.

A．adopted

B．advised

C．adapted

D．affected

6.

A．as much as

B．as well as

C．as long as

D．as often as

7.

A．was awarded

B．was discussed

C．was celebrated

D．was suspected

8.

A．jobs

B．works

C．labors

D．careers

9.

A．part

B．name

C．home

D．country

10.

A．Admirable

B．Respectable

C．Fashionable

D．Miserable

11.

A．higher

B．stronger

C．heavier

D．longer

12.

A．reading

B．hearing

C．writing

D．watching

13.

A．Frontwards

B．Forwards

C．Backwards

D．Afterwards

14.

A．writer

B．teenager

C．scholar

D．professor

15.

A．As a result

B．At the same time

C．On the other hand

D．In his own word

4 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.

This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.

However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!

Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?

The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”

1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?

A．By giving a definition.	B．By telling a story.
C．By listing some examples.	D．By analyzing the cause and effect.

2. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “concurrently” in Paragraph2?

A．For convenience.	B．At the same time.
C．In detail.	D．Free of charge.

3. What Lindsey said in Paragraph 4 implies that ______.

A．people can’t control their feelings	B．people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing
C．people have no patience to do work	D．people are addicted to waiting for a new episode

4. What advice did the writer give at last?

A．To keep online media from stopping functioning.

B．To enjoy entertainment as much as possible.

C．To learn life lessons from the episodes.

D．To watch episodes in a moderate way.

5 . Small children are easy to throw up in the air and catch — and they ________ it. “Again, Daddy, again!” Jacky shouts as I throw him skywards and catch him on the way back down again. He throws his arms and legs out   ________ he were flying, his eyes wide with ________. His trust in me is ________, which is quite a nice feeling, but at the same time gives me a huge sense of ________.

I hope Jacky will always trust me fully, but I know that, as he gets older, it will need more effort and sound judgment ________. Trust is such an important part of a parent-child relationship that it’s something that I can’t ________to lose. Every time I ________ Jacky to something new, he’ll do it only because he trusts me and feels ________ in the knowledge that he won’t get hurt.________，teaching Jacky to swim means he has to believe that, when he’s swimming in the big pool, I’ll come to his rescue if his doggy paddle lets him down.

________, in the workplace, trust is important for strong ________. It is something that every manager should work hard to ________ among their team. If people don’t trust you, they’re unlikely to follow your directions and willingly become a loyal (忠诚) team member. A ________of trust can make people work against you rather than for you. At the very least, it means that people are not going to be giving you their best. Good ________, like good parenting, is a long-term commitment.

1.

A．deserve

B．love

C．miss

D．know

2.

A．in case

B．even though

C．so that

D．as if

3.

A．fear

B．doubt

C．excitement

D．astonishment

4.

A．reasonable

B．absolute

C．limited

D．important

5.

A．responsibility

B．satisfaction

C．achievement

D．relief

6.

A．on my part

B．on my behalf

C．in my honor

D．in my name

7.

A．wait

B．choose

C．expect

D．afford

8.

A．attach

B．compare

C．introduce

D．adjust

9.

A．grateful

B．happy

C．proud

D．safe

10.

A．For instance

B．Above all

C．At first

D．In addition

11.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Similarly

D．Fortunately

12.

A．affection

B．leadership

C．friendship

D．determination

13.

A．assess

B．understand

C．organize

D．develop

14.

A．gesture

B．lack

C．bond

D．measure

15.

A．communication

B．personality

C．management

D．education

6 . Argentina lies in the South America. There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there.

First of all, we should talk about the Tango (探戈) Festival inArgentina, which is held in the capital of this country — Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentinians admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.

The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo (马球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina.This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina.

Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people and admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.

The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Liao Liao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Liao Liao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel toArgentina in October.

There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching.

1. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Entertainments in Argentina	B．Festivals in Argentina
C．Travel to Argentina	D．A brief introduction to Argentina

2. From the passage, we know that the Tango Festival        .

A．is organized by the government

B．welcomes everyone to take part in it

C．is held in summer

D．holds parties for different dances

3. Which of the following is a sports festival?

A．Open Polo Tournament.	B．Every carnival in Argentina.
C．The Tango Festival.	D．The Semana Musical Liao Liao.

4. If Tom wants to enjoy a classical music event in Argentina, he should visit        .

A．Buenos Aires in spring	B．Palermo in April
C．Palermo in winter	D．Bariloche in October

7 . What are the speakers discussing?

A．Kinds of restaurants.

B．Types of food.

C．Areas of town.

8 . Why is the man in such a rush?

A．He missed his train.

B．He needed to buy a train ticket.

C．He went to the wrong station.

9 . Where did the man leave his bag?

A．On the bus.

B．At school

C．At his friend’s.

10 . What a city —— a city that was able to rebuild itself after the earthquake that______ (occur) in 1906. (所给词的适当形式填空)