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.

3 . 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.

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 . 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.

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6 . 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。

In March 2017, Enea Dumitru-Sorin came to Beijing International Studies University (BISU)    1     (teach) Romanian on a 7-year Eastern European languages teaching program. He was     2     (immediate) impressed when he arrived in Beijing.

“Everything looks so big, and I was afraid I would get lost. When     3     (arrive), I only knew how to say hi, how to pronounce my name and how to say where I come from in Chinese. Luckily, I discovered the Chinese people are very friendly and many of them can speak English. I found out that the phone apps can help figure out the solutions     4     some problems,” said Sorin.

He     5     (fascinate) by China’s picturesque scenery when he went traveling in July 2023. “Xizang is beautiful and is different from what I thought. I had the impression that it would be covered in snow     6     would be very cold because of the high altitude. I didn’t expect that Xizang would be so dry and have so much desert. So far the efforts people     7     (make) to have forests there are amazing. I think that in the future, most parts of Xizang will be greener and the life of the people will be     8     (easy),” said Sorin.

“I like my job, and I like to work with Chinese students,    9     are smart and hardworking. I have very good relations with my colleagues, and I feel we are like     10     big family,” he added.

7 . Friends make life more rich and satisfying, and that’s for sure. But sometimes it can be hard to tell when you’ve crossed the line from “stranger” to “friend” with another person.     1    

See if they have your back during hard times.

A true friend should be with you through the good, bad, and ugly. They should offer to help you however they can, and bring you back from the darkness into the light again. A true friend would never think of leaving you during a difficult time in your life.    2     They might even think or say that your problems are a burden to them. That’s the mark of a fake (假的) friend.

    3    

Some people may pretend to be your friend, and they’d much rather see you fail or get into trouble.    4     But, for the most part, friends should be a good influence on you. They inspire you to become a better person. For example, your friend might push you to finish school and inspire you to give back to others. Notice if they are forgiving.

    5     When you mess up and hurt their feelings, you might apologize (道歉) and beg for their forgiveness. A good friend will gratefully accept your apology and offer you forgiveness. For example, if you forgot to call a friend back, they shouldn’t be mad at you. They should recognize that it was a simple mistake and not give you a hard time about it.

A．This happens occasionally, of course.

B．Decide if they help make you a better person.

C．Ask if they make time for you, even when they’re busy.

D．Friends won’t make it all about them in communication.

E．A fake friend will probably only stick around when things are going well.

F．Read on to find who’s a friend in your life by searching for some key factors.

G．Everyone makes mistakes, and your friend should be willing to accept that you’re no different.

8 . Security is the condition of feeling protected against danger. A lack of security causes stress, which can negatively impact your parrots’ health. Stress often leads to their picking feather (羽毛), screaming and biting.

Since parrots are flock animals, they are born to live as part of a group. It is the most important for their security. Parrots left in isolation (孤独) without the benefit of direct contact and interaction do not develop a sense of security. They need to interact with their household flock to become comfortable and develop a sense of belonging.

The decision on where to place your bird’s cage is a critical one. Placing at least one side of the cage against a wall may help your bird feel sheltered from predators (捕食性动物). Placement opposite the entry to the room allows your bird to observe who is approaching and what is going on. Also, avoid placement in a room with a ceiling fan or directly in front of a window so they can relax and stop worrying about flying predators. Making use of cage covers or tents surrounded by lots of toys can also provide a parrot with hideaway and feel more secure when they want to sleep.

Parrots are less stressed when there are household routines that provide them with the opportunity for regular sleep hours, regular feeding and watering times and special one on one time. Since they have no means to do it for themselves, caged parrots are entirely dependent on us to provide them with clean water and a nutritious diet. They need to know they can rely on this. Daily interactions also reinforce your parrot’s sense of security. For example, greetings in the morning, goodbyes when leaving for the office, game playing when coming home, silly songs during activities such as feeding or bathing all help to reassure your bird.

The earlier in life you start to expose your bird to changes of a non-threatening nature, the less likely they will be threatened by things commonly encountered (遇到) in life such as household moves, family additions, time away from their flock (vacations, business trips). Variations in diet and toys, travel, and exposure to new people and places all help to make your bird more flexible and adaptable to change.

1. What will parrots show when under stress?

A．Undesirable behaviors.	B．Joyful reactions.
C．Direct contact.	D．Lost memories.

2. What does the greatest sense of security of parrots come from?

A．Having a safe cage.	B．Living within a flock.
C．Being left in isolation.	D．Interacting with owners.

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

A．Strategy.

B．Adventure.

C．Fitness.

D．Shelter.

4. What can be inferred about parrots from the last paragraph?

A．Might is right.	B．Change is good.
C．Practice makes perfect.	D．Nature creates ability.

9 . One day, I was appointed to be a volunteer to welcome Alex Haley, the author of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I was _________ because I feared that I would embarrass myself in front of this famous gentleman. After meeting him, I was struck by how _________ he is.

“I’d like to become a writer, but I don’t know if I have the _________. You’ve accomplished so much. How did you _________ that you had a gift for writing?” I raised my question without hesitation. Mr. Haley laughed,_________, “I didn’t, and I don’t.” “_________ is a craft (技艺),” he said. “I learned to write through practice and persistence.”

He explained that when he entered the Coast Guard in 1939, he was _________ some boring work. He became so bored that he bought a portable typewriter. He began to write letters for sailors who wanted to _________ their parents and others back home but lacked writing skills. He wrote every day. As his writing skills improved, he _________ became a journalist for the Coast Guard.

“If you want to become a writer,” he __________ to say, “don’t worry about whether you have some magic al gift. Put in the work. Write every day, and don’t give up until you __________ it.”

This was not the answer I __________. I thanked him for his advice. After my __________ with Alex Haley, I no longer care about whether I have the “gift” to become a writer.__________, I start writing every day. Within two years, I published three stories in national children ‘s magazines. I’ve been writing and publishing ever since. Had I not met this extraordinary man, I would never have received the benefit of his wise advice and the __________ that followed.

1.

A．brave

B．kind

C．anxious

D．confident

2.

A．honest

B．approachable

C．generous

D．humorous

3.

A．power

B．courage

C．source

D．talent

4.

A．discover

B．announce

C．check

D．remember

5.

A．responding

B．agreeing

C．wondering

D．excusing

6.

A．Typing

B．Writing

C．Reading

D．Painting

7.

A．awarded

B．taught

C．introduced

D．given

8.

A．turn to

B．attend to

C．contact with

D．argue with

9.

A．actually

B．eventually

C．possibly

D．exactly

10.

A．continued

B．volunteered

C．promised

D．refused

11.

A．hit

B．go

C．make

D．get

12.

A．avoided

B．reported

C．designed

D．expected

13.

A．conversation

B．battle

C．exploration

D．debate

14.

A．Sometimes

B．Somehow

C．Besides

D．Instead

15.

A．requests

B．beliefs

C．rewards

D．purposes

10 . 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。

Near the end of August, I got a piece of terrible news from the doctor. “Linda, you have a brain tumor (肿瘤) on the underside of your brain. This is the worst place you could have possibly gotten a tumor. It’s growing very quickly. I’m sorry. It’s inoperable.”

I walked out of her office and went through the large medical building, not daring to glance at anyone. By the time I met my husband in the parking lot, my chest hurt. “It’s inoperable!” As I repeated the doctor’s words, I began to cry. My dream of becoming a licensed psychotherapist (心理治疗师) and helping others dissolved into my tears.

I had waited until my children were grown, with families of their own, before starting my own work on a college degree. By then I was 51. Through the years I dreamed of going back to school and becoming a psychotherapist. It had been a dream of mine for almost as long as I could remember. But so many things had gotten in my way.

Several days went by as I realized that I shouldn’t give up without a fight. So I began to do online research to see if someone else could help me. I was afraid to hope, but within a week I received a call from a doctor in Los Angeles. “I can help you,” he began. Those were the words I needed to hear.

I underwent a very risky brain surgery on a sunny fall day in October 2006. Dr. Shahinian told my husband, “It’s much larger than I thought. If I take it all, there is a possibility that she will not be able to walk or smile. She may not hear and perhaps she will be blind. If I leave half of it, she’ll be back here in five years to do this all again.”

My husband and my daughter made the hard decision to allow Dr. Shahinian to attempt to remove the entire tumor in this operation.

The recovery was horrible. My optic (视觉的) nerve was damaged. I completely lost the hearing in my left ear. I heard what sounded like the roaring (呼啸) of a waterfall in my head. My balance was terrible, and it seemed as if the floor wanted to come up. But I didn’t want to live just for the sake of remaining alive. I still wanted to help other people.

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。

So after six months of lying in bed, I decided to take action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Finally, my dream came true.

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