1 . When you hear the word “culture”, you may think of nations or societies.     1     What is family culture? It is the combination (结合) of values, expectations, and experiences that describes a family and shapes the way its members get along with each other.

Everyone has a unique culture that determines who they are as a person. Your family culture helps you understand your traditions and explains the reason for your behavior every day. It’s important to you.     2     A deeper sense of unity and togetherness is important for a family culture. The following will help you understand how to uncover your cultural story with your family.

    3     You can find out what your family’s values are and what they stand for by looking at the traditions around those values. You can do this by talking to people you respect in your family or by using some simple Internet searches. Through looking into your family’s history, you will understand the context of their culture.

After this, it’s time to write a detailed description of your family’s culture.     4     So you need to take your time with this step. In this description, you need to give a specific account of your family’s culture, traditions, values, and history.

The last step is to share it with people. You can talk to your family about their culture and let them know that you’ve written down what they are like. You can also talk to friends who know little about your family’s culture.     5    

Exploring your family’s culture is an exciting process that will bring new meaning to everything you’ve ever held dear. So start your journey of uncovering it right now!

A．This is a key part of the process.

B．But every family has a culture, too.

C．Know how to talk with your family.

D．Start by researching your family’s history.

E．It also contributes to your family togetherness.

F．Then they can start a process of self-exploration.

G．So they will know better what your family is all about.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are they talking about?

A．Their favorite subjects.

B．Their performance in class.

C．Their preparation for the coming exam.

2. How does the woman feel about organic chemistry?

A．It is beyond her ability.

B．It is difficult to understand.

C．It has too much to memorize.

3. According to the man, what is a good way to improve English reading comprehension?

A．Practising a lot.

B．Understanding the rules.

C．Memorizing more words.

3 . Everyone deserves healthy meals. However, unfortunately, not everyone has ________ to fresh foods, ________ those in poor communities.

A teenager named Lauren Schroeder ________ this when she volunteered at a community food nonprofit. All vegetables for families in need came in cans and boxes, rather than straight from the fields. ________ to make a change, Lauren set out to grow produce so she could donate it to ________ families.

“I wanted people to get the nutrition they needed from fresh vegetables,” Lauren said. This ________ her to start a garden on her parents’ farm. While her mom was supportive, she made her ________ of how much work it would take-still, the teenager ________ the challenge.

To kick-start her project, Lauren got economic ________ from the National FFA Organization, which ________ agricultural education, to pay for seeds and gardening supplies. Then, the ________ work began. Since the summers in Iowa are very hot and dry, she had to water them daily. Lauren added, “I did a lot of research online and every day, it took about two or three hours.”

But all her efforts ________. Her first harvest resulted in 40 pounds of produce. “It was really good to know that anyone who wanted fresh vegetables would be able to get the ________,” Lauren said, “I knew that I wanted to keep going.”

So far, she has spent over 1,000 hours working in the garden, producing 7,000 pounds of vegetables. “I want to ________ community members. It makes a(n) ________ when you help other people out. That’s what makes me happiest,” Lauren said.

1.

A．invitation

B．access

C．admission

D．ticket

2.

A．especially

B．actually

C．obviously

D．extremely

3.

A．confirmed

B．appreciated

C．recognized

D．identified

4.

A．Arranging

B．Determining

C．Struggling

D．Pretending

5.

A．musical

B．familiar

C．unique

D．low-income

6.

A．recommended

B．reminded

C．inspired

D．requested

7.

A．aware

B．confident

C．certain

D．free

8.

A．took up

B．looked into

C．applied for

D．went over

9.

A．guidance

B．support

C．pressure

D．benefit

10.

A．organizes

B．expects

C．promotes

D．demands

11.

A．amazing

B．specific

C．professional

D．tough

12.

A．worked out

B．paid off

C．broke off

D．wore out

13.

A．reward

B．rescue

C．honour

D．donation

14.

A．impact

B．impress

C．challenge

D．observe

15.

A．discovery

B．profit

C．difference

D．intention

4 . Dusting is particularly annoying. Nearly two-thirds of household dust content comes from the outdoors, some of which may contain harmful chemicals. So, keeping your home as dust-free as possible is important to improve overall health.     1    ？

In general, you should dust your home’s most exposed surfaces on a weekly basis. This means items such as tables, shelves, beds, dressers, counter-tops and windows.     2    . Use microfiber or natural-fiber cloths that will pick up the dust.

Change your bed sheets weekly, as dust mites (螨) especially love bedding.     3    . Every three to six months, clean behind and under furniture, and wash your bedding.

Since so much dust comes in from the outdoors, you can cut down on the amount gathering in your home by keeping doors and windows closed as often as possible, and placing carpets on both sides of doors.     4    , changing them for a pair of slippers or private house shoes.

Get rid of odds and ends, which can easily attract dust, and be careful how you handle clothes. Since clothes both collects dust and sheds (掉落) fibers, regularly wash any clothes or don’t throw clothing on the ground.

When you’re getting ready to clean a room, always work from the top down.     5    , the dust on the highest surfaces will drift down to everything you’ve just cleaned.

A．If you dust from the bottom up

B．How can we keep the home dust-free

C．Why should we keep the home dust-free

D．You can remove your shoes when you come home

E．You can buy some new shoes before you return home

F．Don’t use feather dusters that simply push the dust around

G．Items that don’t collect dust easily can go a month without cleaning

5 . Four Art Study Abroad Programs in 2024

Whether you love art history, dance, photography, writing, or beyond, here are the top art programs to attend in 2024.

The 6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History Abroad
Program length: 6 weeks in summer
Price: $10,000

If you’re interested in studying artists, criticism, and painting techniques during periods like the Renaissance and styles like baroque, Romanesque, and modern art, then this program is for you. It prides itself on not simply teaching art but also culture and an appreciation of beauty.

Creative Internships (实习) in Australia with ABI | ArtBound Initiative
Program length: 1 month
Price: $3,250

If you’ve ever had an interest in pursuing a career in the creative industry, consider an internship opportunity with ArtBound Initiative. Interns can work in exciting overseas locations while getting one-on-one career coaching from professionals.

The Irish Arts and Culture Program | Irish Gap Year
Program length: 1 semester
Price: $17,000

Explore your own areas of interest as you work side by side with local Irish artists, photographers, writers, and musicians, learning about Ireland’s rich cultural and artistic heritage. Your hands-on experience goes hand in hand with day trips to galleries, museums, and castles, and at the end, you’ll have the opportunity to exhibit your works at the Le Cheile Art Expo.

Creative Semester in France | Berridge Programs
Program length: 1 semester
Price: $16,500

Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced performer or artist, your interests and talents will be nurtured by industry professionals. During your time here, you will work on improving your skills which will end with a feature film or creative performance.

1. Where should you go to obtain career guidance according to the text?

A．France.

B．Australia.

C．Italy.

D．Ireland.

2. Which program enables participants to display their works?

A．The 6-week Gap Year Course in Italy.

B．Creative Internships in Australia with ABI.

C．The Irish Arts and Culture Program.

D．Creative Semester in France.

3. How much should an artist pay to improve his performing skills?

A．$3,250.

B．$10,000.

C．$16,500.

D．$17,000.

6 . Research has showed physical activities are very important for students. So many schools are now encouraging students to take part in any form of healthy exercise.

Physical education is an important part of healthy living for people of all age groups, especially for the students. This is because school life is full of stress.

Besides that, in today’s world, many school children eat unhealthy foods. These may include soft drinks, pizzas and burgers. Eating these foods can make school children gain weight.

Physical education at school helps prevent school children from putting on weight. Physical exercise and activities will help them burn off more calories (卡路里). If these calories are not burned off, they will be stored as fat.

At the same time, such activities play an important role in the growth and development of the bones (骨骼). Exercise such as jumping is especially important for school children.

A physically active student will also have a healthy heart. Research shows that kids who perform aerobic (有氧的) exercise, two to three times a week for at least twenty minutes, have a healthier heart compared with those who don’t take part in physical exercise. Some kinds of the healthy aerobic exercise are playing basketball, playing soccer and so on.

1. What are many schools encouraging their students to do?

A．Study hard and get good grades.

B．Join in different kinds of sports games.

C．Take part in any form of healthy exercise.

D．Take part in different kinds of after-school activities.

2. What does the underlined word “gain” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Prevent

B．Discuss

C．Lose

D．Increase

3. What does the writer mainly tell us in the passage?

A．It’s not easy for students to receive physical education.

B．Physical activities are good for students in many ways.

C．Those who don’t take part in physical exercise can’t keep fit.

D．Students should have more time to receive knowledge and education.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Healthy living habits

B．Students’ school life

C．Exercise more to keep healthy

D．Different kinds of aerobic exercise

7 . 英雄，是每个时代的必要产物，是人类社会不断发展与进步的推动力，是每个人心目中无法磨灭至死不渝的信仰。请你以“A Chinese Hero in My Eyes”为题，写一篇短文向你校英语报投稿，内容包括：
1. 你眼中的英雄简介；
2. 说明理由；
3. 你眼中的英雄对你的影响。
注意: 1. 词数100左右；
2. 短文题目己为你喜好, 不计入总词数。

A Chinese Hero in My Eyes

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . 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 Shanxi Province, there is a tradition of taking afternoon naps, which means people take a short rest in the middle of the day. You can see people of all ages, men or women     1    (take)their naps. To them, it’s a peaceful and quiet time     2    the busy streets become empty and still.

Taking an afternoon nap is a tradition that     3    (be)around for a long time in Shanxi. It has been passed down from generation     4     generation. Parents teach their children the     5    (important)of rest and encourage them to do it. Through naps, they hope the young ones can learn to take care of     6    (they)and enjoy a quick break from a busy day.

Actually, the tradition of afternoon naps     7    (believe)to have many benefits. It helps people feel     8    (great)refreshed for the rest of the day. It also gives their bodies and minds a chance to relax and recover from all the activities in the morning.

So, if you ever visit Shanxi, don’t be     9    (surprise)if you see people taking naps in the early afternoon. And when you feel tired during the day, try finding somewhere comfortable and taking a good afternoon nap. Who knows, a little shut-eye might make     10    difference in making you feel great and your day even better!

9 . Have you ever thought of the reasons why we had better learn a second language? As a matter of fact, in today’s highly-connected world, there are many benefits of it. Here are a few of them.

It helps you better understand the world.

Learning a language isn’t just about learning words and grammar.     1    . Learning new languages can broaden your horizons(眼界)and bring you closer to people of different nationalities. You may develop a deep appreciation for another culture, or become friends with someone totally different from you.

    2    .

As you learn and get better at the language, you’ll find that you have increased self-awareness and more confidence using your second language, which can also make you more attractive to others! Truly, people will respect the fact that you’re learning another language. Native speakers will be impressed with your efforts, friends and family will be proud of you and strangers will be interested in your story.

It makes you smarter.

Believe it or not, it is said that learning a second language improves your memory and strengthens your problem-solving abilities.     3    . The more you use your brain to learn, the more powerful your brain will become.

You can help more people.

    4    ! Perhaps it’s obvious, but speaking another language allows you to help more people. There are volunteer programs around the world where multilingual(多语言的) speakers are valuable to the team. Being the bridge of communication between cultures is a great feeling, and the joy you’ll get from helping someone in need will make all the hard work of learning the language worth it.

There are so many positive effects of learning a second language.     5    .

A．It improves your creativity

B．It builds up your self-confidence

C．It allows you to connect on a deeper level

D．Studying a foreign language doesn’t have to be all about you

E．So choose a language that you find exciting and benefit from it

F．This is because learning languages helps your brain exercise

G．It’s also about learning about the history and culture of a country

10 . Loss of slow-wave sleep as you age may increase your risk of developing dementia (痴呆), according to a new study.

“We found that aging was associated with a decline in the amount of the deepest stages of sleep, known as slow-wave sleep. We then found that people with greater declines in slow-wave sleep over time had a higher risk of getting dementia over the next 17 years of follow-up,” said Matthew Pase, senior author of the study.

Slow-wave sleep is the third and fourth stages of sleep, which is important for brain health. During this stage, the body removes unwanted or harmful materials from the brain. “For the brain, this deep sleep is thought to be the most restorative,” said Dr Richard Isaacson, who wasn’t involved in the study.

The researchers wanted to know whether chronic (慢性的) reductions in slow-wave sleep over time are linked to dementia risk in humans and whether dementia-related processes in the brain may contribute to getting less of this type of sleep. They studied 346 people with an average age of 69 and completed two overnight sleep studies—one between 1995 and 1998 and the second between 1998 and 2001—during which their sleep was monitored. The researchers also investigated whether any change in the amount of slow-wave sleep that participants got was associated with developing dementia up to 17 years after they completed the sleep studies. By that time, 52 participants had been diagnosed with dementia. Each percentage decrease in slow-wave sleep per year was linked to a 27 percent increased risk of developing dementia. The rate of slow-wave sleep loss accelerated (加速) from age 60, peaked from ages 75 to 80and slowed afterwards.

“This is an important study yet again showing the impact of quality of sleep on a person’s risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” Isaacson said. “It’s important to not only pay attention to the total amount of sleep a person gets each night, but also monitor sleep quality as best as possible.”

1. What can we learn from the new study?

A．The older you are, the less sleep you will have.

B．Slow-wave sleep has been linked to the risk of dementia.

C．The rate of slow-wave sleep loss keeps going up with age.

D．The amount of sleep has an impact on the risk of dementia.

2. How did researchers get what they wanted?

A．By making a comparison.	B．By introducing a concept.
C．By referring to another study.	D．By making a survey.

3. What did Dr Richard Isaacson suggest?

A．Sleep quality needs more attention.

B．We should have enough sleep.

C．The elderly should sleep more than the young.

D．The amount of sleep is more important than sleep quality.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Sports.

B．Health.

C．Education.

D．Environment.