1 . Emma and Zoe are both good swimmers. With great
The incident happened when the girls heard a
“I heard someone shouting for help in the distance. I then looked around and
The anxious woman,
After
Emma shared her experience, saying, “It was a long and
The grateful Stones expressed their
A.patience | B.luck | C.courage | D.curiosity |
A.winners | B.heroes | C.leaders | D.competitors |
A.strange | B.surprising | C.familiar | D.desperate |
A.spotted | B.supported | C.informed | D.missed |
A.accepted | B.identified | C.registered | D.described |
A.further | B.higher | C.sadder | D.angrier |
A.lost heart | B.calmed down | C.took action | D.kept balance |
A.forcing | B.pulling | C.reminding | D.persuading |
A.rains | B.winds | C.noises | D.waves |
A.heavily | B.easily | C.silently | D.regularly |
A.positions | B.destinations | C.conditions | D.solutions |
A.interesting | B.disappointing | C.moving | D.tiring |
A.reduces | B.strengthens | C.turns | D.speeds |
A.cave | B.spring | C.sea | D.well |
A.pride | B.appreciation | C.shock | D.satisfaction |
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.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A Chinese factory, called “mother-friendly factory”, has arranged flexible working for the women who work there. This measure allows them
Mothers often have to make a tough
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
Gong began working at the factory eight years ago, and when she
Zhang Tiantian, a manager, says the factory employs over 120 women, 80 percent of
To further support children's development, the mother-friendly factory has established
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. |
A.Her father’s encouragement. | B.The interesting rules of chess. |
C.An animal-shaped chess piece. | D.Education received in preschool. |
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. |
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. |
A.Maintain a good mood. | B.Make bathing more comfortable. |
C.Improve your image gradually. | D.Find your mental health problems. |
A.The robot that adds walking power. | B.The Ampera bike. |
C.The home-made ice cream machine. | D.The AI-powered smart mirror. |
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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In March 2017, Enea Dumitru-Sorin came to Beijing International Studies University (BISU)
“Everything looks so big, and I was afraid I would get lost. When
He
“I like my job, and I like to work with Chinese students,
8 . One day, I was appointed to be a volunteer to welcome Alex Haley, the author of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I was
“I’d like to become a writer, but I don’t know if I have the
He explained that when he entered the Coast Guard in 1939, he was
“If you want to become a writer,” he
This was not the answer I
A.brave | B.kind | C.anxious | D.confident |
A.honest | B.approachable | C.generous | D.humorous |
A.power | B.courage | C.source | D.talent |
A.discover | B.announce | C.check | D.remember |
A.responding | B.agreeing | C.wondering | D.excusing |
A.Typing | B.Writing | C.Reading | D.Painting |
A.awarded | B.taught | C.introduced | D.given |
A.turn to | B.attend to | C.contact with | D.argue with |
A.actually | B.eventually | C.possibly | D.exactly |
A.continued | B.volunteered | C.promised | D.refused |
A.hit | B.go | C.make | D.get |
A.avoided | B.reported | C.designed | D.expected |
A.conversation | B.battle | C.exploration | D.debate |
A.Sometimes | B.Somehow | C.Besides | D.Instead |
A.requests | B.beliefs | C.rewards | D.purposes |
9 . 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.
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.
Some people may pretend to be your friend, and they’d much rather see you fail or get into trouble.
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. |
10 . Recently, a group of stroke (中风) survivors in British Columbia will test a new technology designed to aid their recovery, and finally restore use of their arms and hands. Participants will wear a new groundbreaking “smart glove” capable of tracking their hand and finger movements during rehabilitation (康复) exercises supervised by Dr. Janice Eng, a professor of medicine at UBC.
“With this glove, we can monitor patients’ hand and finger movements without the need for cameras. We can then analyze and fine-tune their exercise programs for the best possible results, even remotely,” says Dr. Eng.
Peyman Servati, a UBC electrical and computer engineering professor and their team at their startup, Texavie, created the smart glove for collaboration on the stroke project. Dr. Servati described in a paper published in Nature Machine Intelligence, “This is the most accurate (精确的) glove we know of that can track hand and finger movements and grasping force without requiring motion-capture cameras. Thanks to machine learning models we developed, the glove can accurately determine the angles of all finger joints and the wrist as they move. The technology is highly precise and fast, capable of detecting small stretches and pressures and predicting movement with at least 99% accuracy—matching the performance of costly motion-capture cameras.”
Unlike other products in the market, the glove is wireless (无线的) and comfortable, and can be easily washed after removing the battery. Dr. Servati and his team have developed advanced methods to produce the smart glove at a relatively low cost locally.
Dr. Servati hopes that the smart glove can enter the market soon. He adds, “Imagine being able to accurately capture hand movements and interactions with objects and have it automatically display on a screen. There are endless applications. You can type text without needing a physical keyboard, control a robot, or translate American Sign Language into written speech in real time, providing easier communication for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.”
1. What’s the function of the “smart glove”?A.Treating the stroke patients. | B.Keeping track of the cure. |
C.Helping the patients to recover soon. | D.Taking control of a patient’s hands. |
A.Its price. | B.Its advantages. | C.Its inspiration. | D.Its users. |
A.It’s produced at quite a low price. | B.It’s light and warm. |
C.It’s fashionable. | D.It’s easy to carry. |
A.Unclear. | B.Careless. | C.Doubtful. | D.Positive. |