1 . How to Get into a Competitive High School

Similar to admissions at best colleges, getting into a top competitive high school can be difficult. You should have super academic grades, excellent test scores, proof of focus and interest in a special subject, and maturity and intellect shown through interviews and personal essays.     1     . Here are four tips on how to prepare.

Build your academic profile early

The pathway to attending a competitive high school starts with strong performance in middle school. To get into competitive high schools, students always want to take the strictest subjects at your middle school.     2     .They also need to earn top grades in these subjects. The student pretty much has to have straight A’s in seventh and eighth grade in order to even think about that level of a school.

    3    

Selective high schools use a number of standardized tests in admissions decisions, including the SSAT, the High School Placement Test, and the Independent School Entrance Exam. For example, students looking to attend one of the nine specialized high schools in New York City must score highly on the Specialized High School Admissions Test.

Prepare heavily for high school interviews

Grades and test scores are key, but equally important to the admissions process is how students present themselves during interviews, which are often required, especially at private schools. Unlike college admissions, students typically tour a school and interview before applying.     4    .

    5    

One way students can stand out in essay writing and interviews is to thoroughly research the school. This helps students tailor their essay and interview responses to show their knowledge of the school, and it’s also an important piece of judging the school itself.

A．But it’s not enough

B．Perform well on standardized tests

C．So students should first prepare for it

D．Be fit for the school’s culture and mission

E．Conduct thorough research on high schools

F．It is also necessary to do plenty of research and planning

G．Students are typically good at every part of their performance

2 . 假定你是李华，是某外语学校的学生会主席。你们学校的啦啦操社团(Cheerleading Club)正在招募(recruit)新成员。请你根据以下要点提示给交换生Lisa写一封电子邮件，邀请她加入。内容包括：
1.拟开展的活动；
2.报名方式和截止日期。
Dear Lisa,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

3 . American scientists claim in a new study that humans need to create very Earth-like conditions to survive for long periods in space.

The study centered on issues such as dealing with gravity (重力) and oxygen in space, collecting water, developing agriculture and removing waste in space.

Life in space would require a natural ecosystem to sustain humans and their necessary equipment. Without these kinds of systems, the task will fail. One of the biggest problems for humans in space will be issues related to gravity. Humans experience lower levels of gravity in space. A lack of gravity can change the fluid (液体) pressure in living things. This can lead to health problems for humans living in space.

There is just no other place in space where there is 1G of gravity; that just doesn’t exist anywhere else in our solar system. That’s one of the first problems we must solve. IG is another term for what scientists call “normal gravity”, or the gravity that exists on the Earth’s surface. It can be measured as the rate of speed at which an object travels when falling to the ground.

Oxygen is another important consideration. The scientists say space agencies would need to build high-technology main and backup oxygen systems to support long-term human life in space. But what if they fail?

One suggestion from the study is to arrange living things to produce oxygen. Think of the hundreds of thousands of species of plants that make oxygen. That kind of system would be needed to support long-term missions in space and on planets.

The other main requirement would be a huge amount of energy from the sun, the study suggests. The scientists noted that as astronauts travel farther from the sun, they will be able to collect less and less solar energy. But they do need a lot of energy. Otherwise, powering the ecological system will be like trying to run your car on a cellphone battery.

1. What does the underlined word “sustain” probably mean in paragraph 3?

A．Support.

B．Change.

C．Challenge.

D．Combine.

2. What do we know about the gravity on the Earth according to the text?

A．It is easy to recreate.	B．It is common in space.
C．It is unique in the solar system.	D．It is hard to feel and measure.

3. What does the study suggest doing to get oxygen in space?

A．Making it with solar energy.	B．Creating new living things.
C．Producing it with equipment.	D．Depending on plants.

4. What will happen if astronauts fail to get enough energy from the sun?

A．Their cellphone batteries will be used.

B．Their ecological system will face great risk.

C．They’ll have to get energy from other stars.

D．They’ll produce energy using oxygen.

4 . The Student Essay Competition of Yorkshire

We are thrilled to announce the beginning of our annual student essay competition. This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for all of you to showcase your writing skills, express your creativity and win exciting prizes.

The theme for this year’s competition is “The Power of Education” We want to hear your thoughts on how education has the power to make a difference to the world, transform lives, and create a better future for all. All high school students from Yorkshire can participate in the competition.

Essay Guidelines:

*The essay should be written in English.

*The word count should be between 500 and 1,000.

*The essay should be different from anything that has existed before and not be previously published.

*Proper citation and referencing are required for any external sources used.

*Plagiarism(抄袭)will result in disqualification.

Submission Details:

Please submit your essays via email to YKSEC@yahoo.com by 8th next month. The subject line of the email should read: “Student Essay Competition + your name”.

Prizes:

We have exciting prizes lined up for the winners of this competition. The top ten winners will receive a trip to London. Additionally, the winning essays will be featured on our website and social media platforms, giving you a chance to showcase your work to a wider audience.

1. What is the text?

A．A guidebook.	B．A report.
C．An application.	D．An announcement.

2. Who is suitable to join in the competition of Yorkshire?

A．A foreign exchange student.	B．A 17-year-old local student.
C．A high school student from London.	D．A primary school student in Yorkshire.

3. Which of the following is a rule of the competition?

A．The essay must be original.	B．The essay should be sent by letters.
C．More than 1,000 words can be accepted.	D．Any language is suitable for the judges.

5 . As a child, I would sit through movies I loved over and over. I dreamed of someday having the ability to create ______ .

But school was difficult for me for many reasons, so becoming a screenwriter seemed ______. When I was fourteen, I was shocked when my ______ were made into a brochure that was ______ to every student. For a week or so, I was treated very ______. Previously invisible, I was now “a published poet” receiving   praise and slaps(拍打) on the back. But an already deep-seated lack of ______ prevented me from having any serious hopes for a career in literature. I felt like those things only happened to other people. ______ I would look at thousands of books and ask myself, “Are all these people ______ than me, or did they just ______ harder?” So, I kept reading, writing and watching movies not only for ______ but to analyse how great stories are told.

The lack of confidence that annoyed me early in life took decades to ______ .

I had a job that paid well, but I ______ it. Suddenly, the company went out of business, ______ me to choose between getting yet another job I didn’t like and finally being committed to a career as a writer. My ______ was copyediting, which wasn’t writing exactly but almost.

I spent more years swimming in a sea of words, loved it and finally became a ______ as I had wished.

1.

A．conditions

B．films

C．memories

D．businesses

2.

A．unnecessary

B．impossible

C．appropriate

D．worthwhile

3.

A．photos

B．paintings

C．poems

D．reports

4.

A．given away

B．checked through

C．finished off

D．made up

5.

A．rudely

B．strictly

C．fairly

D．differently

6.

A．confidence

B．ability

C．curiosity

D．support

7.

A．However

B．Thus

C．Otherwise

D．Moreover

8.

A．wealthier

B．stronger

C．smarter

D．braver

9.

A．live

B．wait

C．try

D．rush

10.

A．assessment

B．entertainment

C．competition

D．adjustment

11.

A．return

B．grow

C．arise

D．shake

12.

A．misunderstood

B．ignored

C．deserved

D．disliked

13.

A．persuading

B．forcing

C．reminding

D．advising

14.

A．choice

B．truth

C．aim

D．challenge

15.

A．actor

B．director

C．screenwriter

D．teacher

6 . I just had the most beautiful experience with Woolworths in Gladstone Park Shopping Centre. I did an online ______ for my family and went into the store to pick it up. It was ______ for it was my youngest daughter’s second birthday. The young man Adrian was lovely and ______ my order hurriedly. I was happy and ______ with my trolley (购物车) full of groceries and my little kid.

Five to ten minutes later I got four missed ______ from a number in Sydney; clearly it must be a cheat call as I live in Melbourne, I thought. Luckily the online gentleman left a ______ as he knew I would not call back. When I ______ this, I had got home and put my daughter down for her afternoon sleep.

The online gentleman ______ that Gladstone Park Shopping Center was trying to contact me to let me ______ that they left the cold drinks out of my order by chance. I told the gentleman online that I had just put down my kid to sleep and that ______ , I could not return to the ______ to collect my remaining groceries. The online gentleman was so ______ and said he would contact the store and see if they could send them to me for free. I was ______ to hear that.

Half an hour later, the lovely Adrian from Woolworths, who had ______ me earlier, dropped off my order, which totally touched my heart. He even ______ me a box of chocolates to say sorry.

1.

A．trip

B．order

C．challenge

D．experiment

2.

A．common

B．amazing

C．important

D．expensive

3.

A．dealt with

B．made up

C．paid for

D．took away

4.

A．stopped

B．volunteered

C．rested

D．left

5.

A．talks

B．calls

C．replies

D．pictures

6.

A．message

B．response

C．letter

D．gift

7.

A．accepted

B．judged

C．questioned

D．realized

8.

A．argued

B．noticed

C．explained

D．warned

9.

A．remember

B．know

C．admit

D．agree

10.

A．unfortunately

B．interestingly

C．equally

D．secretly

11.

A．company

B．workshop

C．house

D．store

12.

A．responsible

B．encouraging

C．independent

D．confident

13.

A．positive

B．proud

C．excited

D．stressful

14.

A．invited

B．reminded

C．attracted

D．served

15.

A．lent

B．gave

C．sold

D．showed

7 . 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。

I spent 15 years trying to make it in the music industry. When I was a teenager, I did any odd job to afford time in a recording studio. I knocked at managers’ doors and sent out demo (录音样带) after demo, but I got nowhere. In 2010, aged 27, I was doing a job in a restaurant when I wrote a song called Dream Goes On. It was a song about never giving up. I just let out all of my frustrations at the keyboard.

Over the next five years, the music career never materialized but I persisted. Then, in 2019, I uploaded Dream Goes On to a music-sharing website. I just wanted someone to notice my music.

Later that year, I received an email out of the blue from Music World from South Korea, requesting a license for the song. They had chosen my song from the millions on the music-sharing website for a theme tune for one of their shows. I was amazed and negotiated a contract for $5,000 for the use of the song and signed up straight away. I was pretty excited, but didn’t think anything more would come of it, so I focused on my job in the restaurant.

This February, Music World organized a musical festival in Seoul and my song Dream Goes On was also chosen as the theme tune for the festival. I watched on YouTube as my song was being played to a huge crowd of people. It was amazing.

After three days of the festival, I was contacted by Music World and they asked if I’d like to go to Seoul to sing Dream Goes On in a concert. They flew me out there the next day. I was welcomed like a celebrity—everyone I met thought I was a big name in England. I had to break the news to them that I wasn’t a pop star.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

I had never performed the song live, and hadn’t been on stage for years.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After the concert, I had photographers and journalists battling to interview me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . As a c_________(由于)of being in hospital, Shelly decided that she wanted to become a nurse.(根据中英文提示填空)

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的单词或用括号内所给单词的正确形式填空。

Florence Nightingale was named after her birthplace, Florence, Italy. When she was almost a year old, she     1    (return) with her family to England.

Florence often helped her mother deliver food to the poor and sick. As she grew     2    (old), she decided to become a nurse. Her family was shocked because nursing was not a     3    (respect) profession. But Florence was determined. She studied books on medicine. Later, she visited hospitals in France, Germany and Ireland and learned everything she could.     4     returning home, she was an expert on hospital management.

In 1854, England     5    (fight) a war with Russia in Turkey. At the front many British soldiers were wounded or sick. The wounded     6    (soldier) lay on the hard floors of a dirty army hospital. In the evening, they tried to sleep, but rats ran over their bodies. The conditions for them were terrible.

Reports of the sufferings of the wounded in the front created anger in Britain.     7     response, the government appointed Florence Nightingale to hire female nurses     8    (work) in the military hospitals in the front. Florence arrived in Crimea with thirty-eight nurses. At first, the doctors did not believe that women could help. But in fact, the nurses did make     9     difference. By day, nurses cleaned the wards and cared for the soldiers. At night, Nightingale took a lamp and walked around the hospital     10    (attend) the patients. The soldiers began to call Florence “The lady with the Lamp”.

10 . Six people are about to find out what it would be like to live on Mars—without ever leaving the Earth.

Three men and three women will spend eight months living in a special habitat on the side of a volcano in Hawaii. They are part of an experiment being done by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) that is designed to mimic (模仿) life on Mars.

Some people may become unhappy or bored living under those conditions. Certain personality types may not get along, and living together for a long time could cause them to argue.

By studying people living in similar conditions here on Earth, NASA hopes to learn how to choose the best people for a space mission, and how to help them get along.

The crew (全体工作人员) will live in a two-story dome-shaped (圆顶形) building. The dome is located in an area about 2,400 metres up the side of Mauna Loa, the second biggest volcano in the world. Mauna Loa is an active volcano, but it has not erupted since 1984. It is monitored all the time for signs of volcanic activity. NASA chose the location because the environment there looks very similar to Mars.

During the experiment, the crew will only be able to communicate by email. To make it more like being on Mars, there will be a 20-minute waiting time between the time a message is sent and when it is received. That means it will take 40 minutes to get a reply to an email.

The crew will be performing scientific work while they are there, including some trips outside the dome. When they go outside, they will have to wear spacesuits, just as if they were on Mars.

The commander of the crew is Martha Lenio, a 34-year-old Canadian. Lenio studied engineering and is interested in space exploration and environmental problems. During the mission, she will run experiments on growing food and making compost (堆肥) inside the dome.

The other crewmembers have backgrounds in physics and astronomy. They were chosen from about 150 people who applied to take part in the experiment. None of them are astronauts.

1. What is the main purpose of the experiment?

A．To study people’s behavior.

B．To complete a challenging task.

C．To get familiar with our natural world.

D．To prepare volunteers for life on Mars.

2. When living in a group, volunteers should _________.

A．try to show their own personality

B．learn to get along with each other

C．have no chance to go outside

D．communicate by phone

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．Martha Lenio used to be an astronaut.

B．The experiment will take about two years.

C．All six members have professional backgrounds.

D．All members will run experiments on growing food.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A travel magazine.

B．A science magazine

C．A biology textbook.

D．A geography textbook.