When Valentine’s Day was around the corner, Grandma came down with a terrible cold as she was travelling from Colorado to my family’s house in California. She was too weak to go out at all, which was sad and disappointing. Grandma and Grandpa had been planning to take my little sister Indi and me to the zoo for Valentine’s Day. Grandma, as an animal lover, had been especially looking forward to it.
On Valentine’s Day, Indi begged Grandma to go to the zoo with us. But Grandma jokingly explained that if she went there, she might spread her cold to other visitors, or even to the animals, making them all start sneezing.
I imagined the sight that an elephant kept sneezing. Meanwhile, I pretended my arm was a trunk and blurted out a funny trumpeting sound that ended with a gigantic sneeze. “Good one, brother,” Indi laughed. “That elephant would need a huge box of tissues.”
Grandma was amused. But she insisted that she should stay at home and rest up. She wished us a pleasant visit and reminded us to send her regards to the monkeys.
Well, we did go and we did have a great time, but I kept wishing Grandma could have been there with us. When we reached the monkey mountain, Grandpa suggested taking a picture with the monkeys and told us to hold still and say “cheese”.
“Cheese,” I said. But Indi said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Grandma!”
“You were supposed to say cheese,” said Grandpa.
Indi shrugged, “It just came out.”
“I’m glad it did,” I said. “Because you’re just given me a fantastic idea. What if we take pictures of different animals, and then turn them into a special Valentine gift for Grandma?” Indi and Grandpa agreed and we kept taking pictures for Grandma.
Paragraph 1:When we got home, we set about making the gift.
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Then we took the gift upstairs to Grandma’s room.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Borneo is home to some of the most extraordinary wildlife. Several years ago, I decided to go there for a visit. A local person offered to be my guide, which was a great bonus for me. One day, my guide turned off the smooth road and took me across a
The world out there is so fascinating. Why not step outdoors and enjoy the wonders nature offers to you?
1.A.rolling | B.spectacular | C.rough | D.breathtaking |
A.suddenly | B.literally | C.definitely | D.intimately |
A.alarmed | B.pleased | C.concerned | D.upset |
A.Nevertheless | B.Besides | C.Instead | D.Therefore |
A.desires | B.motivations | C.destinations | D.highlights |
A.summerized | B.suspected | C.approached | D.valued |
A.hold onto | B.pick up | C.reflect on | D.hunt for |
A.width | B.length | C.height | D.size |
A.emerged | B.paused | C.continued | D.declined |
A.mud | B.surface | C.ground | D.shore |
A.legs | B.mouths | C.eyes | D.teeth |
A.moved | B.sank | C.bid | D.escaped |
A.give out | B.let out | C.turn out | D.make out |
A.victims | B.opponents | C.folks | D.guides |
A.challenged | B.encountered | C.terrified | D.chased |
3 . Is there any such thing as a “salt tooth”? We are familiar with a sweet tooth, and sugar cravings (热望), along with the negative effects of them. We are broadly aware of the disadvantages of too much salt, including high blood pressure, which puts pressure on the blood vessels, the heart and the kidneys. It can also lead to water retention (阻滞). But we don’t tend to police how much salt we eat — at least, not as rigorously as with sugar — or question whether we are listening to our body, which needs some salt for basic muscle function, or is in the control of a desire.
A salt tooth is quite unlike a sweet tooth in that it doesn’t create an appetite for itself at the hormone level. But the more salt you eat, the more you need to get the same satisfaction. This is why chefs can get heavy-handed with it.
As Sam Bloom, a nutritional therapist, explains, “With salt what is generally more concerning is the fat that is used together with it, like salty crisps, fries and fast food. Ready meals are often the worst for hidden salts. Anything that adds flavor that isn’t a herb will probably have salt added to it and is likely to cause cravings... as its flavoring makes you want to cat more. The salt and fat combination in these foods is what causes problems with cholesterol (胆固醇).” She adds, “The salt that people add to a meal is much less concerning.”
Nutritionists’ suggestion is: “When a salt craving hits, avoid going straight for salty snack foods such as crisps and instead ensure you are well hydrated. Seek out whole foods, such as olives and leafy greens. These foods will help you reduce salt cravings, which may often be due to a desire for nutrient-rich food.”
1. What does the underlined word “rigorously” in paragraph 1 probably mean?A.Strictly. | B.Professionally. | C.Secretly. | D.Carelessly. |
A.It leads to addiction. | B.It changes the hormone level. |
C.It poses challenges to chefs. | D.It makes one’s sense of taste decline. |
A.They make people become lazy and gain weight. |
B.They have hidden salt and combine salt with fat. |
C.They cost much but have little nutrition. |
D.They contain too much herb. |
A.The benefits of nutrient foods. | B.The reason for getting salt cravings. |
C.The categories of whole foods. | D.The approach to reducing salt cravings. |
4 . You really can make free phone calls using the Internet.
Google Meet
Google Meet is an app-to-app calling service that works across desktop and mobile platforms. Video meetings are encrypted (加密), it also supports audio calls, and you can form massive group calls with up to 100 people. What’s more appealing is that Google Meet display s real-time captions (字幕) as the other person is speaking.
Signal
Signal lets you send and receive texts, make voice and video calls (including group calls), and share your location and files. It was developed with a focus on privacy and security; it uses end-to-end encryption to protect your messages and calls, so only you and the recipient can see or hear what you’re exchanging.
Google Voice
Google Voice is one of the best ways to make a call over the Internet. You get a real phone number, so you can make free calls to an actual phone number. Free calls you make with Google Voice must be to numbers in the United States or Canada, and they’re limited to three hours. However, you can continue to make a free call to the same number over and over again.
Meta-owned WhatsApp is a popular texting app with hundreds of millions of users. However, you can also call your WhatsApp friends right from the app using only your Internet connection. You just need to confirm your phone number to get started. Once you’re using the app, you can start a new conversation to clearly see which of your contacts are also using WhatsApp, and then you can call them for free no matter where in the world they’re located. Group calls can include as many as 32 people.
1. What is a feature of Google Meet?A.You can see what the speaker says. |
B.It can be used for free anywhere in the world. |
C.No password is needed to attend online meetings. |
D.Over 100 people can attend online meetings meantime. |
A.Google Meet. | B.Signal. | C.Google Voice. | D.WhatsApp. |
A.Health. | B.Environment. | C.Education. | D.Technology. |
The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Minor Snow, the 20th solar term of the year begins this year on Nov 22 and ends on Dec 5.
Minor Snow refers
In China,
After Minor Snow, the temperature drops
Over many years, we had always got together and shared Thanksgiving Day with our family. And then, one year, we finally decided to skip our traditional family dinner and make a journey to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with our five-year-old daughter, Kerry. We never predicted what Kerry would take away from the experience, or how it would affect our lives for years to come.
We caught the early train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central along with hundreds of other excited passengers. Like many other families, we packed a small backpack with sliced turkey sandwiches and juice boxes; eating in New York City is expensive and complicated, unless you settle for pretzels and roasted chestnuts from a street vendor(摊贩). Kerry was wide-eyed and a little overjoyed. This was not an ordinary outing with Mom and Dad.
As the train pulled into the Manhattan station, everyone rose and stood in the passage anxiously waiting to get off the train and head toward the parade route along Fifth Avenue. Rather than have our small daughter pushed by the crowds, we waited until everyone had stepped off onto the chaos of the platform. As we walked up to the entrance to the station, Kerry spotted a homeless woman sitting in the shadows, invisible to all except my curious daughter.
“What’s that?” she asked. My wife, Linda, and I looked at each other, thinking how to explain something very different than the happy scene we were about to join. During our first years of parenthood we’d discussed how we would explain such nearly ineffable(避讳的) topics as death and love. But homelessness? We weren’t prepared. We gave as simple and honest an explanation as we could and continued on to the parade.
The following year, we decided to attend the parade again. So the night before Thanksgiving we went shopping for sliced turkey for sandwiches. Again, Kerry took us by surprise.
注意:1.续写词数应为150个左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Kerry asked whether she could bring some sandwiches for those people.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We went to Manhattan again with the sandwiches.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.活动时间、地点等;
2.参赛注意事项。
注意:1.写作词数应为80个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
参考词汇:奋进新征程Forge Ahead on a New Journey
Notice
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Student Union
8 . Carmel, an Uber driver, found a bag full of $8,000 left behind in his car. Carmel knew someone out there was probably very
Meanwhile, Alex was
Both Alex and Carmel
Carmel
Carmel’s act of
A.awkward | B.upset | C.confused | D.certain |
A.return | B.post | C.throw | D.show |
A.angrily | B.patiently | C.wildly | D.skillfully |
A.pay off | B.pick out | C.break down | D.give up |
A.concerns | B.dreams | C.achievements | D.investigations |
A.encountered | B.judged | C.recovered | D.reported |
A.suggestion | B.reason | C.move | D.view |
A.ignored | B.recognized | C.expected | D.connected |
A.stepped | B.drove | C.called | D.wandered |
A.relaxed | B.amused | C.efficient | D.stressed |
A.lent | B.charged | C.saved | D.tipped |
A.choice | B.comment | C.gesture | D.promise |
A.forget | B.mention | C.mind | D.refuse |
A.wisdom | B.honesty | C.calmness | D.effort |
A.curiosity | B.appreciation | C.preference | D.kindness |
9 . Like working out or eating healthily, being happy is something you have to work on.
One of the hardest aspects of your job is making dozens of decisions daily, often with little or incomplete information. So how can you make fewer decisions? You can do something of your day without thinking about it. For example, have the same thing for lunch or breakfast for a week. Then you can change it up the following week.
Helping others makes you happier.
A.It’s a skill that takes practice. |
B.How you feel in the morning really matters a lot. |
C.Give your colleagues a hand when it is possible. |
D.You’ve just removed a bunch of decisions from your day. |
E.You can write down three small things you will get done. |
F.So do something in the morning that makes you feel good. |
G.One simple way to do this is put a reminder on your calendar. |
10 . The argument over video games has been ongoing for decades. While some argue that e-sports require skill, there is disagreement over whether they meet the standards of a traditional sport. According to the dictionary, a sport is a physical activity for pleasure. While playing video games requires skill and coordination (协调), it lacks the physicality associated with traditional sports. Strategy is also present in board games like chess or card games like solitaire, but these activities are not classified as sports. Similarly, playing a musical instrument requires practice and training, yet it is not considered a sport.
Sports require full-body movements and coordination while video games mainly involve finger and hand movements. Although it is possible to include physical movement while playing, it is not a requirement for success. Many e-sports enthusiasts sit in front of their screens, filling themselves with snacks while controlling the game. This lack of physicality not only sets video games apart from sports but can also have negative effects on health. Unlike traditional sports, which have been shown to improve well-being, too much video gaming can lead to headaches and anger.
While e-sports and competitive gaming may be comparable to activities like chess in terms of competition, they do not possess the physical effort and health benefits associated with traditional sports. However, as the industry continues to develop, the idea of e-sports is evolving. Studies have stressed the demanding motor skills and reaction times required in e-sports. Professor Ingo Frobose conducted a study that demonstrated the impressive motor skills of e-sports “athletes”, with up to 400 movements per minute on the keyboard and mouse. The strategic aspect of e-sports, including team planning, is also often ignored. Games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, and Honor of Kings have attracted large audiences and showed the skills of players.
While some argue against the classification (分类) of e-sports as real sports, evidence suggests that they possess unique skills and abilities. As the industry grows, the understanding and recognition of e-sports as a lawful competitive activity are gradually changing.
1. Why don’t some people think of video games as a sport?A.They lack full-body movements. | B.They stress teamwork mostly. |
C.They have no influence on health. | D.They require no strategy and training. |
A.Better relationship with friends. | B.Bad performance in study. |
C.Poor health condition. | D.Lack of coordination. |
A.The fast development of traditional sports. |
B.The benefits for health brought by video gaming. |
C.The comparison of e-sports to chess. |
D.The strategic aspect involved in e-sports. |
A.Do e-sports require teamwork and skills? |
B.Should video games be considered a sport? |
C.Do e-sports have negative effects on health? |
D.Should e-sports players concentrate more when playing? |