1 . About 15 years ago, I packed my suitcase and traveled to a town a few hours away. I would have an important ______ the next day, so I arrived ______. When I woke up the next morning in the hotel and started to get ______, something came to my notice — I had ______ to pack a white shirt.

This discovery made me get into ______. There was only about an hour left. Without thinking, I ______ went down to the lobby (大厅) immediately and flew to the attendant at the front desk. I explained my ______ situation and asked if he could suggest a nearby store where I could get a new shirt. I received a response before I finished speaking. “Sir, I have got a ______,” The attendant replied. How excited I was when I heard that! But rather than ______ me to a nearby shop, the man did something ______. Without saying a word, he ______ his own white shirt and handed it to me.

I finally arrived on time. Things ______ in the end — I got my dream job. I expressed my ______ when giving back the shirt.

That nice ______ has stuck with me over the years and that man’s behavior has ______ me ever since. And so now, when I see someone who needs anything, I’m willing to share.

1.

A．speech

B．lecture

C．interview

D．conference

2.

A．as usual

B．on schedule

C．under pressure

D．in advance

3.

A．dressed

B．washed

C．shaved

D．occupied

4.

A．applied

B．learnt

C．forgotten

D．attempted

5.

A．panic

B．bitterness

C．disbelief

D．disappointment

6.

A．firmly

B．hurriedly

C．effortlessly

D．hopelessly

7.

A．sensitive

B．awkward

C．dangerous

D．financial

8.

A．secret

B．question

C．solution

D．discovery

9.

A．driving

B．directing

C．introducing

D．sending

10.

A．cheerful

B．unmatched

C．confusing

D．surprising

11.

A．removed

B．obtained

C．recommended

D．decorated

12.

A．got across

B．turned around

C．worked out

D．stood up

13.

A．support

B．interest

C．curiosity

D．gratitude

14.

A．bond

B．gesture

C．comfort

D．personality

15.

A．revised

B．challenged

C．assisted

D．impressed

2 . Childhood can bring a lot of awe (敬畏). Research also suggests that awe is important in promoting well-being beyond our individual lives — it can encourage our children to care for others.

A recent study by researchers Eftychia Stamkou, Keltner, and their colleagues invited children aged 8-13 to take part in an experiment. In the awe group, children were offered a short part of a movie that features a child transformed into a seal (海豹) and exploring the sea while in the joy group, children were offered a short part of another movie where friends were celebrating.

Researchers measured children’s kindness toward poor families by inviting children to support their food drive by spending as much time as they wanted in counting donated things, to make sure the poor got access to the donated food as quickly as possible. They also invited children to donate the reward they earned from taking part in the research (e.g., a snack or a museum ticket) to a poor family.

The results? Children who watched the awe-inspiring video spent more time counting food donations and donated their rewards to poor families more often compared to the children who watched the joy-inspiring video. These findings highlight that awe-inspiring art can motivate children to be sympathetic toward people who have been forcibly displaced (离开家园) from their countries of origin.

As parents, we can also seek out everyday experiences of awe in our communities to share with our children, like wall paintings of the city scenery and folk art. Awe can be inspired by music, like the harmonious sounds of a wooden guitar and the beat of a drum. Awesome architecture, like symphony halls, museums, and even features like staircases, can be a way to experience awe with our children.

1. What does the research find?

A．Awe should be inspired early.	B．Awe helps kids be more generous.
C．Individual lives affect kids’ health.	D．Training awe gives kids excitement.

2. What do we know about the children in the experiment?

A．They watched different movies.	B．They commented on the videos.
C．They were asked some questions.	D．They donated money to poor families.

3. Why did the awe group support the food drive more?

A．They learned this from a video.	B．They were motivated by the movie.
C．They liked to contribute to charity.	D．They were reminded by the homeless.

4. What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?

A．Give reasons for feeling awe.	B．List experiences of awe.
C．Show benefits of awe to kids.	D．Appeal for developing awe in kids.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What will the weather be like near the ocean this weekend?

A．Windy.

B．Snowy.

C．Sunny

2. What is the speaker’s suggestion for those living in the mountains?

A．Traveling to the coast.

B．Staying inside.

C．Playing in the snow.

3. What warning are local officials giving?

A．Temperatures could be very low.

B．Roads may become dangerous.

C．People might lose electricity.

4. When will good weather begin?

A．On Tuesday.

B．On Friday.

C．On Saturday.

4 . Most Popular UK Destinations for a Staycation

Looking for a cheap stay cation to brighten up your winter? Here are the most popular destinations in the UK.

Blackpool

Whether you’re seeking the thrills of Blackpool Pleasure Beach or are keen to catch a glimpse of Blackpool Tower, the city’s most appealing attraction, the seaside town offers various amazing views. It’s no wonder the town has gained 980.8 million views on TikTok. With accommodation price £75 for a night, you’ll have a golden opportunity to enjoy Blackpool's Illuminations (彩灯) display and the Seaside Trail.

Searborough

North Yorkshire’s Scarborough sees 49,500 monthly searches and 686.4 million views on TikTok. One of the local highlights is the annual St Nicholas Fair. While a one-night stay in Scarborough costs £85, the town offers holiday-makers opportunities to experience ancient British culture at the 12th-century castle ruins.

Swansea

The Welsh town sees 27,100 monthly searches and has 622.4 million views on TikTok. Swansea’s Waterfront Wonderland brings with it the Alpine Village and various amusement attractions. Spending a night here costs just 10 pounds more than in Scarborough. But if you book a week earlier, you can get a 5 percent discount in total. With Cardiff only being an hour’s drive from Swansea, you have the perfect opportunity to catch a game of ice hockey.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth isn’t called Sunny Bournemouth for nothing, as holiday-makers can enjoy breathtaking views along the Jurassic Coast. With a World Heritage Site within its borders, it’s no surprise to see this town with the high number of views on TikTok (868.3 million). A one-night stay will cost you £105, giving you the perfect opportunity to get relaxed.

1. What is the most attractive in Blackpool?

A．Blackpool Pleasure Beach.	B．Blackpool Tower.
C．The Illuminations display.	D．The Seaside Trail.

2. How much will a tourist at least pay for a night in Swansea?

A．£ 70.

B．£ 85.

C．£ 85.75.

D．£ 90.25.

3. Which of the following has the second-highest number of views on TikTok?

A．Blackpool.

B．Swansea.

C．Scarborough.

D．Boumemouth.

5 . The next generation of scientists and inventors is already finding approaches to address society’s problems. A group of high school students and their instructor report a solution to the problem of lead (铅) pollution in drinking water — an inexpensive faucet (水龙头) attachment that removes this poisonous metal. Unlike conventional filters currently on the market, theirs includes a container made of eco-friendly plastic and indicates when it’s “used up” by turning the tap water yellow.

“A few years ago, I saw a video of a woman in Michigan turn on her tap water, and it came out brown.” says Rebecca Bushway, the project’s principal investigator. “That made me think — because there’s really no safe level of lead in drinking water, wouldn’t it be nice to have a water filter that could tell you your water is polluted, well before it turns brown because of lead?”

Bushway, as a science teacher, wondered aloud to her chemistry class if there was a little filter that they could make from inexpensive components to easily remove lead. The students were excited about the idea, and they started thinking about the project in 2020.

The students discussed designs for an attachment to screw (用螺丝固定) a filter onto a sink’s faucet. Then in the spring semester of 2021, they 3D printed the attachment and a 3-inch-tall filter housing, using eco-friendly plastic. They filled the containers with some chemical powder. Next, the students added a tiny spectrophotometer (分光光度计) with a single-wavelength LED to the bottom of the filter container. They installed an indicator light that turns on as soon as the detector identifies the yellow color of the lead iodide (碘化铅).

The team’s goal is to make and sell their filters for less than $1 each. Because the housings use eco-friendly plastic, the cost could trend a little higher, but the material would help reduce the overall environmental impact of the filter.

The process of developing the filter has been very fulfilling. “Ultimately, this experience has shown students they can make a difference to somebody, and that there are problems they can fix with science,” said Bushway.

1. What shows that the filter is running out according to the text?

A．The change of the water’s color.	B．The change of the filter housing’s color.
C．The times of the filter being used.	D．The flash of the indicator light.

2. What inspired Bushway to remove lead in the water?

A．Her personal experience in Michigan.	B．The unsafe water used by a woman.
C．A lack of safe drinking water.	D．The experiments carried out in her class.

3. What can be inferred from paragraphs 4 and 5?

A．Chemical powder reacts with the lead in the water.

B．A detector is fixed to identify the lead iodide.

C．The students have developed eco-friendly plastic.

D．The filter has an advantage over others in price.

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

A．To advertise a product to remove lead to readers.

B．To highlight the hardships the inventors encounter.

C．To praise the young for shouldering responsibilities.

D．To stress the importance of environmental protection.

6 . How to improve your home’s energy efficiency

Ensuring that your home is energy-efficient possibly keeps your bills right down and helps you play your part in the fight against climate change.     1    .

Insulate (使隔热) your loft

Most of your home’s wasted energy will attempt to escape through your roof. To stop it in its tracks, you must invest in having your loft insulated.    2    , but it will be sure to save you over £100 a year.

    3    

By investing in a top-of-the-line boiler, you’ll no doubt tap into an extra of savings. What’s more, making this kind of investment will also be sure to lower your home’s carbon emissions. When choosing a new boiler, give precedence (优先) to those that fall in or near the “A” category. Whatever you do, just don’t slip towards the lower end of the scale.

Fit double glazing (双层玻璃)

    4    . This is because double-glazed windows and doors trap more heat than regular ones, ultimately meaning they will stop you from having to put your heating on as much or as high. The initial investment demanded in this instance can be costly, which is why you should consider making use of the Help to Buy Windows Scheme.

Keep an eye on your energy consumption

Only when you know how much energy you use can you take action with regards to being less wasteful and more resourceful. This means that you should make a conscious effort to keep an eye on your energy consumption.    5    , you might want to consider fitting an energy monitor in your home. Generally, this type of technology will cost between £25 and £40.

A．Update your boiler

B．Maximize the boiler

C．To assist you in rising to this challenge

D．Taking such action may demand some cost in advance

E．Double-glazed windows will increase your energy consumption

F．Take these steps, and you’ll be living in an energy-efficient home

G．Double glazing will make a massive difference to your annual energy bills

7 . ACL 500 Word Story Competition

We are pleased to announce the launch of the ACL 500 Word Story Competition. This time the theme is “Awakening”. We’re looking for our community to pen a story that quickly catches our attention and tells a great tale. You can submit (提交) an entry as an individual achievement or as a team effort — we want to read both kinds! Our judges will include a range of our experienced instructors, staff and local Essex Author Sarah Armstrong.

Sarah Armstrong is the author of three novels, most recently The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt and The Starlings of Bucharest, the first and second in the Moscow Wolves series. She is also the author of A Summer of Spying, a book mainly about her own experience. Sarah teaches undergraduate and postgraduate creative writing with The Open University, and lives in Essex with her husband and four children.

Rules:
◆ Your story can be a poem, an essay or any other kinds of writing.
◆ Entries will need to be in a Word format. PDF files are unacceptable.
◆ Please ensure your story is suitable for all to read.
◆ Use the given submission form to submit your details and story. The deadline for submissions is 12th April.
Benefits:
◆ Prizes include a book voucher (代金券), a short creative writing course, and your work published.
◆ Discover new and exciting skills at writing while exploring your creative writing and sharing inspirational moments with others. We have a fantastic range of Creative Writing courses for you to choose from.
1. What do we know about the competition?

A．It’s organized in honor of Sarah Armstrong.

B．It looks for both individual and group works.

C．It aims to awaken an interest in writing.

D．It’s targeted at undergraduates and postgraduates.

2. Which is a requirement for the entries?

A．They should be submitted as a Word file.	B．They must be poems or essays.
C．They must be based on personal experience.	D．They should be about life in Essex.

3. What can participants get?

A．A voucher for a course.	B．An expert training class by Sarah.
C．A vast range of courses.	D．An improvement to writing skills.

8 . The summer after my freshman year college, I had to get my first job. This was probably one of the _________ tasks I have ever had to do. I had never held a job when I was in high school because my parents wanted me to put all my _________ into my studies.

At first, it was very hard. I filled out dozens of _________ but got no calls back in the first two weeks. It made sense because I had _________ no job experience. All I could _________ was that being a high school graduate and a year of college.

However, halfway through the third week, I finally got a call back from one of the places I _________. We had set up a meeting time, and after my _________, I was more than ready to start working the following Monday. I was _________ at the chance of working for my wages.

When I started, it was very clear that I was not _________. I made mistakes with orders and often __________ sales promotions (推销). My parents made a bet I would not __________ the first two weeks, and I would be back looking for more __________. However, I stuck with it.

After working a while, I got better at orders, and always __________ the cheaper options for customers. A couple of weeks later, I had been told by the manager that I had __________ the award of the best employee of the month. It taught me a lot about responsibility and gave me the __________ of working.

1.

A．funniest

B．worst

C．hardest

D．lightest

2.

A．energy

B．motivation

C．wisdom

D．ambition

3.

A．questionnaires

B．surveys

C．certifications

D．applications

4.

A．exactly

B．absolutely

C．partly

D．doubtfully

5.

A．explain

B．claim

C．interpret

D．offer

6.

A．signed up

B．applied to

C．checked in

D．headed for

7.

A．interview

B．graduation

C．arrangement

D．performance

8.

A．surprised

B．disappointed

C．excited

D．worried

9.

A．skilled

B．frightened

C．patient

D．satisfied

10.

A．avoided

B．abandoned

C．postponed

D．forgot

11.

A．spend

B．last

C．continue

D．wait

12.

A．ideas

B．expectations

C．jobs

D．instructions

13.

A．sold

B．produced

C．kept

D．recommended

14.

A．confirmed

B．received

C．guaranteed

D．become

15.

A．confidence

B．importance

C．expectation

D．hope

9 . In my childhood, my parents would take me to watch games. I loved the excitement I would feel when we went to watch these events, especially when the scores were close until the very end of the game. My meaningful attempt at sports began with T-ball at the age of three, progressed to the basketball court at six, and finally turned into a firm devotion to the game of baseball from the age of eight onward.

One of my most memorable moments was at the World Series when I was eleven and played on the Texas Rattlers. The July heat was unbearable. It was the semi-final game. Sweating like a pig, we ran into the dugout for our last at-bat (上场击球); we were down one run now. I was the second hitter and captain of the team, and I was ready for this moment. In the next few seconds, I had the chance to show my strength as a hitter and my ability to be a leader under pressure by hitting a home run! We carried the day!

As the team captain, I remember the time I had to give a speech to my team because we had lost an important game. I was nervous, but I knew it was my responsibility to cheer my team up when they were cast down. This experience has shaped my mind, making me become more independent, so I’m obtaining the ability to talk like a leader in front of my team and a group. Sports get it through my head that you can’t win at everything in life all the time.

On and of the field, I am more iron-willed, disciplined (遵守纪律的) and respectful, and a better leader. I have had so many awesome experiences through sports, which have taught me much and prepared me for the future. The memories of all the trips and diverse experiences I have had will be with me for a lifetime.

1. What can we learn about the author from the first paragraph?

A．He often switched sports.	B．He was a gifted child in sports.
C．He had a busy childhood.	D．He was fond of sports from childhood.

2. How did the author feel during the semi-final at the World Series?

A．Stressed and tired.	B．Proud and confident.
C．Unbearable and down.	D．Surprised and energetic.

3. What was tough for the author according to paragraph 3?

A．Leading his team to face failure.	B．Giving a speech before the team.
C．Improving his leadership qualities.	D．Overcoming his own nervousness.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Interesting Life of Sports	B．Life Lessons from Sports
C．Deep Affection for Sports	D．Special Moments in Sports

10 . It’s a struggle for many of us to get out of the sedentary (久坐的) lifestyle, despite our best intentions.     1    , the biggest barriers are mental ones. Maybe it’s a lack of self-confidence that keeps you from taking positive steps, or you get easily discouraged and give up.

You already know there are many ways and great reasons to exercise — from improving mood, sleep, and health to reducing anxiety. But knowing how and why to exercise can’t get you starting and sticking to your exercise plan.     2    , you need to follow these steps which can make exercise less painful and more fun.

● Get rid of the all-or-nothing attitude. You don’t have to spend hours in a gym or force yourself into boring or painful activities you hate to experience the physical and emotional benefits of exercise.     3    . In fact, adding just tiny amounts of physical activity to your weekly routine can have a great effect on your mental and physical health.

● Be kind to yourself. Don’t punish yourself if you miss a workout.     4    . If you miss a day, consider it a rest day, and remember there’s always tomorrow. If you have a hard time sticking with your workout routine, just try something different. There are plenty of ways to stay active, and at the end of the day, you will find an exercise routine that works for you.

●     5    . You are not out of shape overnight, and you’re not going to instantly transform your body either. Demanding too much, too soon only leads to dissatisfaction. Instead of paying attention only to results, focus on consistency (连贯性).

A．Let it go and be patient

B．Share the results with others

C．Have reasonable expectations

D．If you really want to make exercise a habit

E．Remember a little exercise is better than nothing

F．If you are having trouble in finding an exercise to do on a daily basis

G．While practical concerns like a busy schedule can make exercise challenging