1 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.

But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.

Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.

Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.

In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.

Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To tell about true friends.	B．To start a discussion.
C．To encourage online friendships.	D．To summarize(总结) the text.

2. What does the underlined part “in the flesh” mean in paragraph 3?

A．In any case.

B．In public.

C．In person.

D．In advance.

3. What is Katie’s attitude toward online communication?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Positive.

C．Worried.

D．Confused.

4. Which of the following is the Rosen’s view?

A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships.	B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life.
C．It’s wise to turn to friends online.	D．Social media help people stay closely connected.

2 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容或括号内所给词的恰当形式填空。

Nowadays, one of the common     1     (phenomenon) is to see ordinary people listening to music with headphones,     2     (absorb) themselves in their own world. Moreover, people often share     3     (satisfy) records with their friends. In     4     (add), we can gain relief from pressure in the deepest part of our being.

    5     is proved that music can be used as a cure     6     diseases. Listening to positive and peaceful music will have     7     positive impact on people, which enables many patients     8     (reduce) pain. Classical music has reached a stage     9     it is often used in cancer treatment     10     the aim of relieving aches and side effects.

4 . 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。

Jenny was the only child in her family. She had a quarrel (吵架) with her mother that afternoon and she ran out of the house angrily. She couldn’t help weeping sorrowfully when she thought of the scolding from her mother. Having wandered aimlessly in the street for hours, she felt a little hungry and wished for something to eat. She stood beside a stand (货摊) for a while, watching the middle-aged seller busy doing his business. However, with no money in hand, she gave a sigh and had to leave.

The seller behind the stand noticed the young girl and asked, “Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?”

“Oh, yes, but I don’t have money on me.” she replied.

“That’s nothing. I’ll treat you today,” said the man, “Come in.”

The seller brought her a bowl of noodles, whose smell was so attractive. As she was eating, Jenny cried silently.

“What is it?” asked the man kindly.

“Nothing. Actually, I was just touched by your kindness!” said Jenny as she wiped her tears. “Even a stranger on the street will give me a bowl of noodles, while my mother drove me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so merciless compared to a stranger!”

Hearing the words, the seller smiled, “Girl, do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thanked me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were a baby. Can you remember the times she cooked for you? Have you expressed your gratitude to her?”

Jenny sat there, speechless and numb with shock: she remembered her mother’s familiar face and weathered hands. “Why didn’t I think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel grateful. Why haven’t I thanked my mum for what she has done for me?”

On the way home. Jenny made up her mind to make an apology to her mother for her rudeness as soon as she arrived home.

注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。

Nearing the doorway, Jenny took a deep breath.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At that time, her mother came back and touched her hair gently, which called her mind back.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Every year, young, talented, and ambitious nature conservationists from all over the world participate in the presentation of the Future For Nature (FFN) Award, an honorable international award.

The Future For Nature aims to:

• Reward and fund individuals for their outstanding efforts in the protection of species of wildlife.

• Encourage winners to sustain their dedicated work.

·• Help winners to raise their profiles, extend their professional network and strengthen their funding basis.

Benefits

• The winners each receive 50,000 euros and may make their own decision to spend the money in the service of nature conservation.

• FFN offers the winners a platform and brings their stories to the attention of conservationists, financiers and a wide audience, allowing them to increase their impact and gain more access to funds.

• FFN is building a growing family of winners, dedicated people who form a community of people with the same interest. FFN offers them the opportunity to meet each other and continue to learn with each other in order to continue their fight for nature as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Qualifications

The candidate (候选人):

• Must be born on or after the 31st May 1988 and before the 28th of August 2005.

• Is able to explain his/her conservation work in fluent English (written and spoken)

• Has achieved substantial and long-term benefits to the conservation status of one or more animal or plant species.

• Must be determined to continue his/her conservation work, as the Award aims to stimulate the winner’s future work. It is not an “end of career” prize.

Additional Remarks

For the 2024 Future For Future Awards, we are again searching for natural leaders, who have proven that they can make a difference in species’ survival.

From all applications, 6 to 10 nominees (被提名者) will be selected. These applicants will be asked to provide additional information, which will be used to select the final Awardees. Ultimately, three inspiring wildlife heroes are selected as the winners.

Application Process: Apply online through the Apply Now link.

Application Deadline: 28^th August, 2023

1. Which is one of the aims of the Future For Nature?

A．To aid more green groups	B．To fund academic education.
C．To inspire conservation efforts.	D．To raise environmental awareness.

2. The winners will get the chance to _______.

A．consult top specialists	B．meet those who are of the same ambition
C．benefit the local community	D．promote self-created platforms

3. To apply for the 2024 Future For Nature Awards, candidates must ________.

A．meet the age requirement	B．apply via mail by the deadline
C．turn in the application in English	D．provide additional personal information

6 . Everyone complains. Even if you argue that you are the happiest person in the world, you still complain sometimes. Sometimes you complain without even realizing it, but rarely is it ever helpful.     1     Here are some tips to stop complaining and give up the negative thoughts.

    2    

When you find yourself thinking or saying a negative comment about something or someone, stop and force yourself to say something positive instead. Seek the help of a cheerful friend to change you when you complain and help you to see the positive in the situation.

Make a list of things you are grateful for.

You often complain about the things you don’t have without noticing those things you already have. Be grateful for what you have in your life because you are lucky simply for being yourselves.     3    

Learn to adapt to the changes.

There are many things you can’t change.     4     Always find the positive side of each situation, regardless of however difficult the situation is. With parents’ and friends’ support, you can survive any life changes.

Allow yourself to vent (发泄) your feelings every once in a while.

Constantly ignoring negative thoughts could add up. If you are really going through a rough time, don’t be afraid to share your feelings with a close friend or family member or see a therapist.

Find what makes you happy.

    5     Maybe it is time to make the hard decision to move on to another job or career. Uncover what your biggest complaints are about and see if you can change the situation to make you happy. Choose happiness, focus on the positive, and be kind always!

A．Sometimes this list can be easy, full of hobbies you enjoy.

B．The best and only thing you can do is to accept them.

C．Change the way you think.

D．Are you constantly complaining about your present job?

E．Set down things you are thankful for and you’ll see that you don’t have any reason to complain.

F．Make friends with positive people.

G．So how can you manage to force yourselves to end complaining?

9 . Smartwatches and fitness trackers (健身追踪器) have gained popularity recently. These tools can record your daily steps, heart rates, etc.     1    . If yes, it might be a sign that you’re addicted to your fitness tracker.

    2    . If you keep setting unrealistic daily goals that involve working out for too long, and if you begin to ignore friends and responsibilities to make time for your workout, then you’re most probably addicted to your fitness tracker.

It’s a struggle to overcome the addiction to fitness trackers.     3    . For example, the number in your smart watch showing how far you’ve come can give you a sense of achievement.

Of course, failing to meet your daily goal can be discouraging. You might focus on your shortcoming rather than your progress. Another problem is that you might find yourself paying too much attention to the step number rather than how your body feels.     4    .

Therefore, if you’re spending too much time looking at your smartwatch, limit your daily step count to a comfortable level.     5    . For example, concentrating on your hobbies or socializing with friends can be a great way to keep your mind on other things.

A．How can you tell whether you’re addicted to your fitness tracker?

B．Actually this addiction to step count can be risky, mentally and physically.

C．Don’t overuse your smartwatch.

D．However, do you find yourself checking your steps and heart rates too often?

E．After all, reaching a daily step count can be so appealing.

F．Besides, you can find other things to do that don’t involve checking your fitness tracker.

G．It doesn’t covey what you’re really feeling.

10 . Many libraries around the world are as amazing in their architecture and organization as they are in the huge amount of knowledge they contain. With shelves and shelves of books, various collections and amazing historical and cultural displays. there are plenty of undiscovered wonders.

Beinecke Rare Book Library (New Haven, Connecticut)

Yale University has one of the most beautiful college campuses in America, and one of its most interesting features is the Beinecke Rare Book Library. It is one of the largest buildings in the world devoted to rare books and manuscripts (手稿) of famous people. From 2015-16 the library building was closed for 18 months for major improvement. Inside there is a stat ue of its main founder that rises up high.

Vennesla Library (Vennesla, Norway)

Located near the southernmost tip of Norway, Vennesla Library is more than a collection of books—it’s a city cultural center and meeting place. The building hosts a coffee shop, open meeting spaces, classrooms for children and adult education courses. and a cinema. It is mainly built out of wood. The long. thin beams (横梁) on the inside were designed to look like the inside of a whale.

Suzzallo Library (Seattle)

Among the many beautiful features of the campus at the University of Washington, such as its cherry flowers and a light rail station, Suzzallo Library was built in the Collegiate Gothic style. Its buttresses (扶壁) are decorated with 18 statues featuring famous academics and writers such as Plato, Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Galileo, Beethoven, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

Library of Muyinga (Muyinga, Burundi)

A school for deaf children, the Library of Muyinga in Burundi was built with local techniques and traditions. A rope hammock (吊床) that hangs between the first and second floors of the library serves as part of the children’s reading room, a great place for indoor activities.

More information of them is just a click away.

1. Which library is suitable for people who want to appreciate statues?

A．Beinecke Rare Book Library.	B．Vennesla Library.
C．Suzzallo Library.	D．Library of Muyinga.

2. What makes Vennesla Library different from others?

A．It is mainly intended for children.

B．It is a kind of culture complex.

C．It is located within the campus.

D．It is in a shape of a whale outside.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A culture magazine	B．A travel brochure.
C．A website.	D．A historical book.