1 . Emma and Zoe are both good swimmers. With great _______ and quick thinking, the two teenagers recently became _______ while swimming in Barbados.

The incident happened when the girls heard a _______ cry for help while relaxing on the beach after their swim.

“I heard someone shouting for help in the distance. I then looked around and _______ her, about 50 feet out from where I was,” Zoe, 13, told Global News.

The anxious woman, _______ as Belinda Stone from London, England, informed Zoe that her husband, Robert Stone, was even _______ and struggling to swim. Without hesitation, Zoe and 14-year-old Emma quickly _______ , risking their own safety to rescue the Stones.

After _______ Belinda back to shore, the girls started a five- or six-minute swim through challenging _______ to reach Robert, who was about 150 feet from shore. “When we reached him, he was trying to swim but we could tell he was struggling. He was breathing very ________ ,” Zoe stated. Despite the difficult ________, they successfully brought him back to safety.

Emma shared her experience, saying, “It was a long and ________ swim. I learned from both my parents that when there is a really strong current, you should never swim against it. You should swim parallel (平行) to shore until it ________ or you are completely out of it; otherwise, you will be pulled out into deep ________ .”

The grateful Stones expressed their ________ , “We are just extremely grateful to Zoe and Emma. They saved our lives.”

1.

A．patience

B．luck

C．courage

D．curiosity

2.

A．winners

B．heroes

C．leaders

D．competitors

3.

A．strange

B．surprising

C．familiar

D．desperate

4.

A．spotted

B．supported

C．informed

D．missed

5.

A．accepted

B．identified

C．registered

D．described

6.

A．further

B．higher

C．sadder

D．angrier

7.

A．lost heart

B．calmed down

C．took action

D．kept balance

8.

A．forcing

B．pulling

C．reminding

D．persuading

9.

A．rains

B．winds

C．noises

D．waves

10.

A．heavily

B．easily

C．silently

D．regularly

11.

A．positions

B．destinations

C．conditions

D．solutions

12.

A．interesting

B．disappointing

C．moving

D．tiring

13.

A．reduces

B．strengthens

C．turns

D．speeds

14.

A．cave

B．spring

C．sea

D．well

15.

A．pride

B．appreciation

C．shock

D．satisfaction

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。

With cold winter setting in, sometimes people need a small act of kindness to stay warm. That’s where Sharie Monsam and her niece come in. The pair are leaving scarves and hats on statues in downtown Mesa, Arizona for people who need them to keep warm.

Helping people who are homeless or down on their luck comes naturally for Monsam. “If you’re cold, take one,” she said. “This is the fourth winter that we have collected hats and scarves from family, friends, and neighbors. And also, we bought them at second-hand stores. And then we put them on the statues downtown, probably 15 to 18 statues.”

The hats and scarves are quickly taken from the statues, showing that there is a need for the winter equipment. Monsam hopes that other people will follow her lead and help the unhoused.

“I hope more people do it. They can donate food to the food kitchens as well,” Monsam added. “Every single person would make a difference. Find something that you can do to help other people. I personally think that’s what we're here on earth for.”

Happily, there are people doing the same thing. In Morristown, New Jersey, the fiber fairies are spreading warmth by decorating statues with gloves, hats, and scarves.

The founders who want to remain nameless established the group in 2014 to help the homeless stay warm. They began by asking for donations of winter hats and scarves on Facebook. The group placed the winter items on statues in the city’s green spaces.

One day, a boy named Peter went to the city center with his mother. Peter wore few clothes and felt very cold. The clothes on the statues became timely rain. The incident left a deep impression on the boy.

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。

Peter went home and began to look for clothes.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Peter wasn’t about to stop the good behavior.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . 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。

A Chinese factory, called “mother-friendly factory”, has arranged flexible working for the women who work there. This measure allows them     1     (balance) their careers with caring for their children.

Mothers often have to make a tough     2     (decide) in rural areas—whether to stay home to raise their children or work elsewhere to contribute financially.

Gong Qin, a worker at the factory, now and then glances over at her 4-year-old daughter with a smile. It brings her comfort to see her child playing with friends nearby while she focuses     3     her task. “My little girl is considerate and never     4     (bother) me during work,” Gong said with pride.

Gong began working at the factory eight years ago, and when she     5    (face) with the challenge of her husband working away from home, she suggested     6     (bring) her children to work. To her delight, the factory welcomed her suggestion. Since then, Gong’s son has stayed with her in the workshop after school, where he and other children engage in playful learning     7     complete their homework.

Zhang Tiantian, a manager, says the factory employs over 120 women, 80 percent of     8     are mothers with young children. Around 50 mothers work together with their children year-round.

To further support children's development, the mother-friendly factory has established     9     parent-child canteen with nutritious meals, repaired 16     10     (apartment) for mothers and children, and organized volunteer-led after-school care.

4 . London native, Bodhana first became interested in chess to beat back boredom. Just five years old at the time, she quickly surpassed (超越) her father’s chess playing ability and began playing, and winning, in online chess games. Three years later, Bodhana made history as the top female chess player in Europe after she defeated grandmasters many times her age at the European Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship in December 2023.

Sivanandan Velayutham, Bodhana’s father, said that his daughter first became fascinated with chess at the age of five, when he brought home a second-hand chess set. Bodhana happened to see the knight (武士) lying around and it caught her interest. “I want the horse,” she told her father.

Bodhana’s father was happy to help and he taught her the chess basics that he’d learned in India. But it didn’t take long for his preschool daughter to beat him. “At the start, I might have won one or two games, but she soon knew the rules better than me and the tables quickly turned,” Velayutham said.

From the beginning, Bodhana strengthened what her father was teaching her with games and methods that she learned from YouTube videos. But when it became clear that she had a lasting interest and an unusual talent, her father enrolled in a local chess club for her, where she soon fell into the habit of practicing daily for an hour or more.

Last year, at one of Bodhana’s first ever tournament experiences, which was hosted by the English Chess Federation, she defeated a number of grandmasters.

A year later, Bodhana won the World Youth Chess Championship in the Under-8 Girls category. After defeating kids at her age, a few months later she went back to beating adults.

BBC shared Bodhana’s win at the European Blitz Chess Championship in December of 2023. There, she earned the title of best female player, scoring8.5/13, and earning widespread praise from other game masters.

1. What can be learned about Bodhana in paragraph 1?

A．Her considerate family.	B．Her amazing chess talent.
C．Her great luck in her career.	D．Her powerful self-study ability.

2. What caused Bodhana’s interest in chess in the first place?

A．Her father’s encouragement.	B．The interesting rules of chess.
C．An animal-shaped chess piece.	D．Education received in preschool.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．Bodhana made her father lose face.	B．Bodhana’s father collected used chess.
C．Bodhana was sent to India to learn chess.	D．Bodhana’s father used to live abroad.

4. What made Bodhana start playing chess regularly?

A．Joining a local chess club.	B．Learning chess rules online.
C．Defeating a number of grandmasters.	D．Meeting with a second-hand chess set.

5 . Top Technology Products at CES 2024

One of the world’s largest technology events, CES, is taking place this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here is a look at some top products presented at CES 2024.

Robot that adds walking power

WIRobotics introduced a wearable robot that provides walking assistance to users. The company’s WIM model is designed for anyone who needs an extra “push” when walking. An online description explains the robot can help individuals “walk farther, faster and healthier”. The price for such assistance is high, though, with the WIM selling for about $2,500.

Body power to charge a phone

Sports equipment developer LifeSpan introduced an exercise bicycle/desk combination that uses human power to charge phones or other devices. The Ampera bike is designed to be used with a “standing” desk table. LifeSpan says the bike can produce up to 65 watts of electricity per hour.

Home-made ice cream in 2 minutes

The ColdSnap company introduced a machine that can make single servings of ice cream in about two minutes. The machine uses small containers, called pods, just like Keurig coffeemakers. The company points out the pods for its ColdSnap machine can be kept at room temperature, saving energy costs. The machines can be taken anywhere and are simple to operate.

Smart mirror for better mental health

French health product developer Baracoda presented what it described as “the world’s first AI-powered smart mirror for mental wellness.” The company’s BMind model is built to work in any bathroom. The product was designed to use cameras and sensors to collect data on a person's movements , expressions and language. It can identify a user’s moods (心情) and sense other possible mental health issues.

1. What do the first product and the second one have in common?

A．They are expensive.	B．They are related to sports.
C．They can produce power.	D．They can make walking easier.

2. What can you do with AI-powered smart mirror?

A．Maintain a good mood.	B．Make bathing more comfortable.
C．Improve your image gradually.	D．Find your mental health problems.

3. Which product will you choose if you’re interested in cooking?

A．The robot that adds walking power.	B．The Ampera bike.
C．The home-made ice cream machine.	D．The AI-powered smart mirror.

6 . When I was young, my dad would always play music in the house. I’d dance to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Whenever he played Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, I’d grab my skipping ropes and skip to the beat. I’d request Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata when I was getting ready for bed. Listening to classical music was part of my daily routine. I eventually learned how to play the piano.

After I had my own daughter, I was excited to introduce her to classical music. However, this excitement soon led to disappointment as no matter what piece I chose, she would not listen.

Then one day in October, everything changed. My daughter came home and announced, “I want to dress up as a bumblebee (大黄蜂) for Halloween. Can you make me a costume, Mom?” Of course, I agreed to sew her a bumblebee costume. But at the same time, the bumblebee gave me an idea.

I worked all week on the costume. On Halloween night, my daughter put the costume on and looked in the mirror. Her eyes lit up.

She began making buzzing noises (嗡嗡声)— and I was ready. “Can you fly like a bumblebee?” I asked. As she began to buzz around the room, I quickly started playing Flight of the Bumblebee.

As the fast-paced violin music began, my daughter buzzed around to the music. She never stopped moving.

When the music came to its final bars, my daughter shouted, “Play it again, Mom!” So I played it again.

Since that night, classical music has become more prevalent (普遍的) in our household. Eventually, she learned how to play the violin and guitar.

I still have that costume stored away in a special box. I hope to pass it on to my grandchildren one day and see what happens.

1. What does the author intend to show by mentioning the music works in paragraph 1?

A．Their impact on her.	B．Their lasting popularity.
C．Her favorite classical music pieces.	D．Her dad’s vast collection of music records.

2. What is the underlined part “an idea” in paragraph 3 about?

A．Teaching my daughter a bumblebee dance.

B．Reintroducing classical music to my daughter.

C．Making my daughter a nice bumblebee costume.

D．Spending a meaningful Halloween with my daughter.

3. How did the daughter respond to Flight of the Bumblebee?

A．Calmly.

B．Hesitantly.

C．Enthusiastically.

D．Halfheartedly.

4. Why does the author keep the bumblebee costume?

A．As evidence of her sewing skills.	B．To let it play its magic on her grand-kids.
C．As a Halloween gift for her future grand-kids.	D．To remind her of a happy holiday experience.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did Spanish merchants take to the Americans?

A．Corn.

B．Wheat.

C．Potatoes.

2. Why did Balboa feel surprised?

A．He saw the Pacific Ocean.

B．There were many jungles.

C．Panama was so narrow.

3. When did Francisco Pizarro leave for the Inca Empire?

A．In 1513.

B．In 1524.

C．In 1533.

4. What was the Inca Empire rich in?

A．Wildlife.

B．Rocks.

C．Gold and silver.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What mainly made the man hesitate to visit the White House?

A．Lack of interest.

B．The tight security.

C．The historical atmosphere.

2. How did the woman get the tour information?

A．From the website.

B．From the local paper.

C．From the travel guide.

3. Where are the speakers probably now?

A．In the White House.

B．In a dining hall.

C．At an airport.

4. What is the man like?

A．Serious.

B．Humorous.

C．Careful.

9 . In online meetings, it’s easy to keep people from talking over each other. Someone just hits the mute (静音) button. But for the most part, this ability doesn’t translate easily to recording in-person meetings. In a cafe, there are no buttons to silence the table beside you.

The ability to locate and manage sound —separating one person talking from a specific location in a crowded room, for example — has challenged researchers, especially without the help of cameras.

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed a shape-changing smart speaker, which can divide rooms into speech areas and track the position s of individual speakers. With the help of the team’s deep-learning AI model, the system lets users mute certain areas or separate simultaneous (同时的) conversations, even if two people have similar voices. In a room meeting, such a system might be used instead of a central microphone, allowing better control of in-room sound.

“If I close my eyes and there are10 people talking in a room, I have no idea who’s saying what and where they are in the room exactly. That’s very intractable for the human brain to process. Until now, it’s also been hard for technology,” said co-lead author Malek Itani. “For the first time, we’re able to track the positions of different people talking in a room and separate their speech.” Early research has required using overhead cameras, projectors or special surfaces. The new system is the first to use only sound.

Instead of processing the sound in the cloud, as most smart speakers do, the new system processes all the sound locally. And even though some people’s first thoughts may be about observation, the system can be used for the opposite, the team says.

“It can actually benefit privacy, beyond what current smart speakers allow,” Itani said. “I can say, ‘Don’t record anything around my desk,’ and our system will create a bubble 3 feet around me. Nothing in this bubble would be recorded.”

1. What did the research team focus on?

A．Allowing real-time communication by AI.

B．Developing Al-powered language models.

C．Lowering the background noise of conversations.

D．Tracking and controlling sound in crowded settings.

2. What does the underlined word “intractable” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Dangerous.	B．Natural.
C．Difficult.	D．Necessary.

3. Which of the following can best describe the new system?

A．Educational.	B．Influential.
C．Pioneering.	D．Costly.

4. What is the advantage of the new system according to Itani?

A．It records nearby conversations.

B．It offers improved privacy protection.

C．It deadens the noise in a particular space.

D．It includes simultaneous translation service.

10 . Felicia Jackson was certified in CPR, but that didn’t stop her from drawing a blank in the face of a real-life crisis. When her son stopped breathing in the back seat of her car, she froze in panic. Thankfully, her husband remained calm and was able to save their child. However, Felicia was shaken to find that, with all her years of medical experience, she wasn’t able to respond to her son’s emergency under pressure.

This unpleasant situation inspired Felicia to come up with a simple tool to make performing CPR easier, especially in high-risk situation. She created the CPR Wrap, a pocket-sized packaging device that can be laid over the body of the victim to show where the rescuer should put their hands and mouth. Not only does the product provide helpful instructions, but it also includes a face shield (挡板) and a one-way breathing barrier. This cuts down on the transfer of germs while performing mouth-to-mouth.

“Even people experienced in CPR can forget their training in stressful situations,” reads the description on the product’s website. “CPR Wrap makes it possible for those individuals to effectively perform CPR at a moment’s notice.”

Although that CPR Wrap was launched in 2017, one video on the TikTok account has recently gone viral. In the video, Felicia shows viewers the simple process of using her product to perform CPR. She adds that it’s “so easy a child could do it.” The brand now boasts over 100,000 followers and 2 million likes.

Felicia Jackson is the inventor, founder, and CEO of CPR Wrap. Her son’s near-death experience inspired her to become the entrepreneur (企业家) she is today. After receiving her A.A.S in Physical Therapy in 2018, she continued to pursue education. She graduated from Launch of Chattanooga Entrepreneurial Academy in 2020 and established the Colab Accelerator Program in 2021. She and her husband now have three children. Felicia hopes to pass on her entrepreneurial spirit to her children so they may one day start businesses of their own.

1. How did Felicia feel about her reaction to her son’s near-death experience?

A．It’s touching.	B．It’s convincing.
C．It’s shocking.	D．It’s irresponsible.

2. Why did Felicia invent the device CPR Wrap?

A．To establish her own business.

B．To help others be prepared for emergency.

C．To improve professionals’ first aid skills.

D．To rescue her son in a high-risk situation.

3. What is Felicia’ CPR Wrap like?

A．Cheap and flexible.	B．Attractive and accurate.
C．Eco-friendly and simple.	D．Portable and user-friendly.

4. What does the author mainly try to show in the last paragraph?

A．Felicia’s achievements.	B．Felicia’s hope for children.
C．Felicia’s early experience.	D．Felicia’s son’s impact on her.