1 . As a young woman, Pei Aimin, now 49, hid her natural gift for writing, hoping nobody in her farming village would notice and accuse her of neglecting (忽视) work and family.

That was the way of things when Pei was young in her village. In the past, girls often dropped out of school at an early age to get married and settle into the regular routines of rural life.

A few, like Pei, however, yearned for a wider world and looked for ways to express themselves. Pei began to write in middle school and mailed her stories to publishers. Two of them were published, one in a newspaper, another in a magazine.

After her marriage, she had to create secret opportunities. Sometimes she would water useless land just so she could read or write outdoors without being observed. Sometimes she sat under a tree, expressing her feelings on paper until somebody came, and she would hurriedly hide the papers and pen.

“Few women in my village could read or write, “Pei said. “All my family members thought it was a waste of time.”

After reading and writing like that for years, Pei took everyone by surprise when she published a book, Diary of Aunt Vole. It is a collection of 365 short diary entries that describe the natural scenery of the northwestern countryside, the daily routine of the local people, and interesting things that happened in the village.

Pei said she hoped the book would help readers understand that farm work consists of both hardship and fun.

Now Pei’s family no longer objects to her hobby. “Although women in the village still don’t read, many have changed their minds about it,” Pei said. “Learning, after all, is useful.”

1. What do the underlined words “yearned for” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Desired.

B．Avoided.

C．Found.

D．Left

2. What did Pei have to do in order to write?

A．Become a publisher.

B．Tell harmless lies.

C．Drop out of school.

D．Hide from other people.

3. How did people in her village feel when Pei published her book?

A．Proudly

B．Doubtful.

C．Surprised.

D．Pleased.

4. What role does Pei want her book to play?

A．Inspire students to study hard.

B．Show the real life on the farm.

C．Encourage more women to read.

D．Attract people to the countryside.

2 . There is some truth to the old belief that achy joints are a sign that bad weather is on the way. Research shows a relationship between pain levels and changes in weather, particularly for people who suffer from chronic conditions such as arthritis (关节炎).

A2019 UK study analyzed the daily pain logs of 13,000 residents with arthritis. Using GPS data from participants’ smartphones, the researchers found connections between pain and humidity (湿度), air pressure and wind speed. Participants were more likely to experience pains on stormy, windy days and least likely to do so when conditions were dry and calm.

It’s unclear why changes in weather may influence pain severity for some people and not for others. “Everyone experiences pain differently,” says Sin Bevan, chief science officer at Arthritis Society Canada. “There are a lot of factors that could impact pain tolerance, including sleep, stress and depression.”

“It’s a good idea to track your symptoms and how certain weather conditions may affect your pain levels,” says Bevan. “From there you can manage expectations for what can be done on days when symptoms are worse.”

Not surprisingly, there’s evidence that the weather may also impact your mood. There are multiple reasons for this connection, according to Dr Max Pemberton, a UK-based psychiatrist.   “Less sunlight affects your levels of melatonin, a hormone (激素) directly involved in mood regulation.”

Besides, bad weather may contribute to social isolation and loneliness because we can’t go outside and do things we enjoy with friends and family, explains Pemberton.

Once you understand how the weather impacts you physically or mentally, there are strategies you can try. For example, if you’re sensitive to cold and damp weather, a hot bath could provide relief for achy joints. Regular exercise — even if it has to be indoors — is also known to improve mood and is an important part of pain control.

1. What kind of weather is more likely to cause pain?

A．Windy and cloudy weather.

B．Rainy and windy weather.

C．Rainy and calm weather.

D．Calm and dry weather.

2. What can we learn from Sian Bevan’s words?

A．There is little to do when pain is severe.

B．Everyone is affected by weather changes.

C．A lack of sleep may affect people ‘s mood.

D．People differ in their ability to suffer pain.

3. What can people do to relieve pain in bad weather according to the text?

A．Have a hot bath.	B．Stay in bed.
C．Hang out with friends.	D．Take some pills.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A biology textbook.	B．A news report
C．A health magazine.	D．A weather report.

3 . The 2024 Science Fiction Short Story Contest

The 2023 Science Fiction Short Story Contest just came to an end. Welcome to our 2024 Science Fiction Short Story Contest sponsored by Science Fiction Association in our city. The contest is to encourage amateur and semi-professional writers to reach the next level of proficiency. We will look for engaging openings, good character development, well-structured plotting, powerful imagery, humorous language, unique word or phrasing choices, and convincing endings. Come to show the world your fantasy imagination and storytelling talents!

Requirement

A qualifying story must have strong science fiction or fantasy elements and must be shorter than 7,500 words. Your entries must be original works of fiction. If you have received prizes for your fiction writing from any source or your story has been published in any paying publication, you are no longer qualified.

Past winners of our contest are no longer qualified.

No reprints, fan fiction or poetry, please.

Judge and Prize

Judges will provide feedbacks for all qualifying contest entries. First-round judges will consist of Science Fiction Association members and volunteers. The professional writers’ decision is final.

The champions, runners-up and honorable mentions will receive prizes including cash prize, a certificate of achievement, Science Fiction Association Press books, and a free membership to Science Fiction Association, All winners can select their books and either take them immediately or ask for them to be shipped later.

Deadline

The contest will be limited to the first 60 qualifying entries. While the submission deadline is September 30th, 2024, we may close off the entry for the year sooner if the response is larger than expected. The winners will be published on December 31th.

Notice

Please place your contact information for possible awards.

There is no entry fee. Please submit only one entry per author.

1. What is the activity about?

A．Story telling.	B．Story writing.
C．Writer training.	D．Writer recommending.

2. What is a requirement for the science fiction of the contest?

A．It can come as the form of a poem.	B．It should be over 7,500 words long.
C．It must be the author’s original one.	D．It is supposed to be published before.

3. Who will finally determine the winners?

A．Professional writers.	B．Amateur writers.
C．Science Fiction Association members.	D．Science Fiction Association volunteers.

4 . 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。

The Dragon Boat Festival, also     1    (call) the Duanwu Festival, falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. It is a     2    (tradition) holiday observed annually over 2, 000 years in China in memory of Qu Yuan,     3    ancient Chinese patriotic poet. Dragon boat racing and eating zongzi are the major customs of the festival. In some regions in China, people also wear a perfume pouch, tie five-colour silk thread, hang mugwort (艾高)     4    (leaf) on their doors and drink real gar wine.

    5    (fall) on the 15th day of the 8th month acconding to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid autumn Festival is the     6    (two) important festival in China after the Spring Festival. The day is when the moon is at its     7    (round) and brightest. On the festival day, family members gather     8    (appreciate) the bright full moon and eat mooncakes.

The Chong Yang Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month Since nine is the largest single number, it is viewed     9    Senior Citizens Day. Activities on this day include climbing mountains and admiring chrysanthemum flowers, The Double N in li Festival is also a time for family get-togethers. It is an occasion to show their love and concern for the elders     10    Parents.

5 . 阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

People in Bangladesh and India are struggling as they face serious flooding caused by early heavy rains. The floods     1     (cover)roads, bridges, and entire villages so far.     2     (million)of people have been left helpless by the floodwaters. The flooding in Bangladesh is the     3     (bad)in nearly 20 years. The United Nations(UN)says that the flooding has affected at least 4 million people in Bangladesh. The floods have hit the districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj     4     (especial)hard. In these areas, about 2 million people were left cut off from areas nearby.

The flooding     5     (cause)by heavy rains. Two rivers     6     run near Bangladesh’s border with India, the Surma and the Kushiara, hit the highest water levels ever recorded. The government has made the     7     (decide)to close almost 600 schools. Some are to be closed because of flooding. Others will be turned     8     emergency shelters. Bangladesh is a low-lying country, and often has floods.     9     same is true for parts of India. But normally, most flooding happens later in the year. Scientists say that because of the climate crisis, extreme weather     10     (include)heat waves, severe storms, heavy rains, and flooding is becoming far more common.

6 . This summer, nearly 65 percent of the United States is experiencing “unusually dry” weather. More than 109 million people are living under drogue conditions.     1     So how to garden when there’s a lack of water?

    2    Newly planted trees and shrubs(灌木)should be put on the top of the watering list. They require regular watering until their roots get deep into the soil. That process can take a full year. Vegetables such as beans, cabbage, and lettuce also have high water needs. None will likely survive with little water.

Most plants require an average of 2 to 4 centimeters of water each week under normal conditions. That need could increase, however, during periods of extreme heat, when the soil dries out more quickly.     3     Divide it over two or three times per week.

Use deeper, less-frequent watering instead of daily sprinkles(洒水)which can be wasteful? Watering deeply also leads to stronger, deeper roots that are better able to support plants when there’s no surface water. So avoid using overhead sprinklers.     4     You can place watering devices on the soil directly over roots.

Consider using recycled household water, also called gray water, to water plants. Unsalted water left over from boiling eggs or vegetables provides extra nutrients(营养物). Dish and bath water that is not too soapy will not harm plants. And water captured(捕获)while cleaning fruits and vegetables can be used around the garden.     5    .

A．So learn how to water plants correctly.

B．So make good use of water in your house.

C．You should water newly planted trees regularly.

D．A lot of them have plants or yards to worry about.

E．First you should decide which plants need water the most.

F．Do not offer your plants their weekly water needs all at once.

G．They wet the leaves and other areas instead of directing water to plant roots.

7 . There are so many uses of GPS tracking that people don’t think of’ every day. From the military to searching for treasure, we use GPS for a wide variety of activities, both serious and fun. Of course, the most important benefits of GPS technology are the life-saving ones, one of those uses is in search and rescue missions. More people than ever have a GPS device right in their pockets, which makes them safer than ever when they run into a dangerous situation.

Many hikers equip themselves with GPS devices because they know that anything can happen when they go out on the trail. A working GPS device is equally as important as any of their other tools. A lot of hikers have found their GPS devices helpful in their rescue. There are many stories of GPS technology saving hikers who have run into trouble on or off the trail.

Kidnappings (绑架) arc a tragedy whenever they occur. The US Department of Justice found that in one year, 797,500 children were reported missing. Only some parents equipped their children with GPS devices to protect them in the event of a kidnapping. GPS devices aren’t only useful for kidnappings but can also be applied if children simply wander off and gel lost. Many are equipped with a panic button so children can warn their parents as soon as they feel they are in danger.

Everyone has heard of planes disappearing and never being heard from again. With GPS tracking, this no longer has to be a reality. GPS tracking can find planes that have disappeared in most cases and even rescue passengers in the event of a crash. It is an important technology for air travel to keep airplanes from crashing into one another in mid-air.

1. What is the biggest use of GPS?

A．Keeping us safe.	B．Offering more fun.
C．Doing military tasks.	D．Tracking hikers’ position.

2. What is the purpose of showing the number of missing children?

A．To look into the tragedies in the US.

B．To tell us GPS devices sometimes fail to work.

C．To show how important GPS technology is for kids.

D．To explain why the parents didn’t use GPS devices.

3. How can we find a plane more easily in an airplane crash?

A．By using position tracking.	B．By searching more widely.
C．By learning more experience.	D．By developing more new technologies.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Important life-saying tools.

B．GPS tracking’s benefits to saving lives.

C．Everyone should be equipped with GPS devices.

D．How to keep safe in a dangerous situation?

8 . The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most diverse places in America, a wonderful place filled with people from all backgrounds. Each of them drew something different from their own experience. Their stories are the focus of Status Update, an exhibition of 14 projects offered by Dundon and former WIRED contributor Pete Brook. The show at SOMarts uses personal tales to show the Bay Area’s culture.

The Bay Area is a microcosm (缩影) of the national melting pot, a place where people of color comprise 58 percent of the overall population and are a majority in four of the region’s five countries, San Francisco in particular is the type of place where you can’ t walk down the street without hearing another language. Yet the change is not all for the better. The gap between rich and poor is widening at a frightening speed, and San Francisco is becoming less diverse as minorities escape from the city for more affordable communities elsewhere in the region.

Status Update reflects these changes and the challenges they bring. Joseph Rodriguez’s Faces of Foreclosure features quiet images of people like Ethel Gist, who lost her home in the East Bay suburb of Brentwood six years ago. Photographer Sam records Oakland resident Shannon and his efforts to provide for his daughter. And Laura Morton documents millennials (千禧一代 )hoping to make their way to the top in Silicon Valley in her series Wild West Tech.

Status Update starts a conversation about how the Bay Area is changing, and what people can do to build up a more just equitable (公正的) society. “I hope people walk away from this show with a little more respect for our neighbors and communities and the ways we depend on one another.” Dundon says. “we’re all out here together”

1. What are the artworks in Status Update mainly about?

A．The real lives of people in the Bay Area.

B．The beautiful construction of the Bay Area.

C．The friendliness of people in the Bay Area.

D．The technological development of the Bay Area.

2. What is happening in San Francisco?

A．It is facing a rapid economic slowdown.

B．The population has been falling in recent years.

C．More and more local people tend to speak the same language.

D．It is getting harder and harder for minorities to afford their lives.

3. What’s the most suitable subject of Status Update?

A．Sharing the successful experience of the Bay Area.

B．Recording the diversity and change of the Bay Area.

C．Introducing the long and rich history of the Bay Area.

D．Showing the past, the present and the future of the Bay Area.

4. What does Dundon expect of visitors?

A．They can know more about themselves.

B．They can open their hearts to other people.

C．They can respect the people around them.

D．They can develop an interest in diverse cultures.

9 . Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, started erupting late Sunday in the U.S. island state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The volcano last erupted 38 years ago. But it is not expected to put people in danger.

At this point, melted(熔化的) rock, called lava, is predicted not to come near populated areas, but officials warned people to be ready to move away. The path of lava flows can change quickly.

Island officials warned people to stay away from the areas where lava is coming out because it can shoot 30 to 60 meters in the air. The gas coming from the eruption is also harmful. At the moment, however, the state said air quality on the island is good.

The eruption is a new experience for many people on the island. There are more than twice as many people living there compared to the last time Mauna Loa erupted. State officials are most concerned about an area about 50 kilometers to the south of the volcano where about 5,000 people live.

There is some concern about a weak area on the southwestern part of the mountain. If lava escapes from that area, it could threaten places where people live in just hours or days. The lava has never come up through that area during past eruptions.

The lava could flow toward the city of Hilo, which has about 45,000 people. That could take about a week. Scientists say they hope the lava flows like it did in 1984, when it moved slowly.

Hawaii mayor is Mitch Roth. He said the eruption “will be remarkable”, but he does not think it will cause problems for people visiting Hawaii. He said many people come to Hawaii to see volcanoes, but they have to travel a long way to a national park. Now, they can see an eruption much more easily. “You can just look out your window at night and you’ll be able to see Mauna Loa erupting,” he said.

1. Why did officials give people a warning?

A．The way lava flows is uncertain.	B．Air quality on the island isn’t good.
C．The lava can shoot 60 meters at least.	D．The lava will reach where people live.

2. Why do some people worry about the weak area?

A．It is near populated places.	B．No lava has come up through it.
C．Many people live there.	D．It can stop eruptions.

3. What does Mitch Roth agree with?

A．People had better leave Hawaii soon.

B．The eruption is a possible danger to visitors.

C．It is convenient to watch an eruption in Hawaii.

D．The eruption is a once-in-a-century natural wonder.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．People in Hawaii Are Ready to Escape

B．Volcanoes in Hawaii Always Attract Visitors

C．Damage of Volcano in Hawaii Is Not Clear

D．World’s Largest Active Volcano Erupts in Hawaii

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写一段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

My dad got a new job. We had to pack up and move away from everything we were familiar with. There were so many changes. We came from the north, and now we were almost as far south as possible. We landed in South Florida, and we were total strangers. We moved over during the summer vacation, so I didn’t have to deal with school right away. Summer passed by while we unpacked, arranged furniture, found stores we liked, and adapted to the Sunshine State.

School was coming, and I was afraid of it. I was not an adventurous person. Being shy and quiet, I read a lot and did not make friends easily. My head was filled with fears and worries. Would I make friends? Would If it in? Would I survive in this strange new world? Anyway, there I was, attending a new school full of people I didn’t know.

I had a difficult time adapting to the new school. However, I still loved learning and reading. I even loved homework, and I was good at doing my homework. Loving books and reading helped me to get good grades. Teachers loved that about me. Other kids, though, did not. Although I always answered questions in class, I seldom talked with my classmates. I was unpopular. I felt like a total failure and nobody would like me.

The none day, at all boy walked over to me after an English class. He introduced himself and told me he was in the school basketball team. I knew him—he was the star player! “Hey,” he said. “You do really well in English class. And you know, my teammates and I spend much time competing and practicing. The subjects, especially English, really bother us. Do you think you could help us?” “Yes. Oh, definitely yes. I could, and I would,” I replied with surprise. We made the deal with an exchange of smiles.

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。

Something gradually changed after that.

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Meanwhile, the basketball players taught me how to play basketball.

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