1 . Houseplants have been rising in popularity for good reasons. They can brighten our spaces, freshen the air and benefit our mental health. While the benefits aren't quite as measurable as getting our daily minerals and vitamins, plenty of positive findings show plants help us thrive.

Plants bring color and vitality to our worlds. Though maybe only subtly, our mood can be impacted by the surroundings. Green plants and cheery flowers are known to have a positive effect on mood because the mind equates plant life to the soothing, uplifting area of nature.

    1    Pops of white, pink, red, yellow or purple bring an extra dose of happiness.

Taking care of plants gives us a sense of pride and achievement.     2    But the quiet success of getting them to thrive makes it all worthwhile. Studies have shown tending plants helped patients who were hospitalized with mental health issues feel pride and a sense of achievement.

Plants' presence can cut down on stress. Interacting with plants reduce signs of both psychological and physical stress. When we engage in positive tasks that require mindful focus, we can absolutely benefit on both physical and psychological levels.     3    Each time you water them, use your senses to notice the colors, textures, and smells of the plant.

    4    It can be really difficult to adapt to change and new normals. Plants are constantly growing, sometimes struggling, not always blooming. They serve as an excellent physical reminder of our ever-changing lives.

We don't necessarily need houseplants to survive, but they certainly can make a positive difference in our lives when we bring them into our homes. The benefits of indoor plants are undeniable.     5    .

A．Parenting plants can be tough.

B．Treat plant care as a mindfulness practice.

C．So give plant-parenting a shot for yourself.

D．Plants remind us that change is a part of life.

E．Keeping plants reminds us of our link to people around us.

F．Green gives the mind a comforting sense of calm and positivity.

G．Caring for plants during leisure time is beneficial to housewives.

2 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

The sky was dark. Rain fell in big drops and thunder and lightning flashed across the sky. I shivered with cold and fear as I walked through the streams of muddy water. Some people were rushing by, completely bathed in the heavy rain.

Along the way, I saw some schoolchildren carrying their heavy schoolbags and rushing home. I also saw that some road repair work had been abandoned by workers. Obviously, the workers had left in a hurry because of the storm. There were few signs and it was hard to see what was on the road. There were pieces of wood and slabs of metal and a hole seemed to have been dug and hurriedly covered with wooden boards.

I moved on but suddenly stopped as I heard someone crying. I quickly turned back to the place where the sounds came. I was horrified! To my shock, there seemed to be a small child stuck in the big hole on the road. The wooden boards had moved away with the force of the rushing water. Though I could barely identify how deep the hole was and whether there was any other victim as it was dark all around me, I was sure, at least, the child was not only stuck in the hole, but faced the risk of getting drowned. I told him that I was going to get help.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按照如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Actually, I was not sure of what to do or where to go but decided to go to the nearest house for help.

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The parents of the child who just arrived from work were totally shocked to hear of what had happened.

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3 . When he first arrived in the US, Yao was an instant ________ among basketball fans nationwide. (用适当的词填空)

4 . There once was a very wealthy and curious king. This king had a huge rock _________in the middle of a road. Then he _________nearby to see if anyone would try to remove the gigantic rock from the road.

The first group of people to pass by were some of the _________merchants and the king's officials. Rather than moving it, they simply walked _________ it. Though they had made a tidy fortune, these _________merchants and officials never thought of making any contribution. A few even loudly_________the king for the inconvenience caused by not _________the roads. Not one of them tried to move the rock.

Finally, a peasant _________. His arms were full of vegetables and farm tools. When he got near the rock, rather than simply going around it, the peasant put down his _________and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. It took a lot of effort but he __________succeeded.

The peasant gathered up his load and was ready to go on his way when he saw a purse lying on the __________where the rock had been. The peasant __________the purse. The purse was stuffed full of gold coins and a note from the king. The king's note __________the gold was a __________for him, because he moved the rock from the road. Then, the king walked out from where he had hidden to meet the peasant.

The king__________the peasant what many of us never understand: every obstacle gives an opportunity to improve our condition.

1.

A．broken

B．thrown

C．placed

D．moved

2.

A．hid

B．lived

C．sat

D．stood

3.

A．poorest

B．wealthiest

C．greatest

D．brightest

4.

A．behind

B．over

C．under

D．around

5.

A．generous

B．devoted

C．evil

D．selfish

6.

A．blamed

B．begged

C．mentioned

D．encouraged

7.

A．removing

B．constructing

C．maintaining

D．keeping

8.

A．turned out

B．rushed off

C．came along

D．settled down

9.

A．vegetables

B．load

C．tools

D．purse

10.

A．eventually

B．gradually

C．merely

D．hardly

11.

A．stone

B．farm

C．square

D．road

12.

A．tore

B．opened

C．dropped

D．caught

13.

A．read

B．wrote

C．knew

D．witnessed

14.

A．praise

B．test

C．reward

D．souvenir

15.

A．represented

B．showed

C．declared

D．announced

5 . Sometimes people make history. George Washington became the first president of the United States and made history. Sometimes wars make history. The two World Wars are examples. Sometimes nature even becomes part of history. Shaking earthquakes are recorded in history books.

Sixteen years ago, nature caused just such a history-making event. In September 2005, Hurricane Katrina came ashore in New Orleans, Louisiana. The deadly storm flooded New Orleans. Before Katrina, no other big American city had ever flooded in the history of the country. This natural disaster caused great harm and death.

New Orleans is located below sea level. This location places it at great risk. Levees were built to protect New Orleans from the ocean. (A levee is like a wall between the city and the ocean.) When Hurricane Katrina came ashore, water moved over the levees into the city. Flooding made it necessary for everyone to leave the city. Before Katrina, Creole food (a special kind of cooking only in Louisiana) filled the air with delicious smells. The sound of jazz music traveled through the streets. Now the city has to return to its former glory.

Before Katrina, the U.S. government had never made everyone leave a city. People in New Orleans had to find shelter quickly. Some had to stay at the Superdome Sports Center. Some rode on buses to other towns. Thousands drove their cars to get away from the storm. The roads and shelters filled up fast.

The lesson learned from Katrina was that cities must be better prepared for big storms and other terrible disasters caused by nature. Being prepared might have kept more people safe. Hurricane Katrina is one of the history-making events that will be remembered forever. Today, history is still being made that will shape the future.

1. What does the author tell us about New Orleans?

A．It was built above sea level.

B．It had few jazz musicians after Katrina.

C．It was the first U.S. city that had been flooded.

D．It created a wholly new way to cook after Katrina.

2. What can we say about the levees?

A．They were almost useless for fighting Katrina.

B．They helped people leave New Orleans quickly.

C．They made New Orleans a special American city.

D．They should be built to match the size of New Orleans.

3. What might the author advise city governments to do?

A．Put up more shelters in the city.	B．Build more levees around the city.
C．Teach people how to avoid floods.	D．Try to get ready for natural disasters.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Storms are dangerous	B．Katrina makes history
C．Floods shape Louisiana	D．History must be remembered

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What happened to the speaker?

A．Her car broke down.

B．Her car key was lost.

C．She couldn’t find her way.

2. What did the speaker do before meeting the stranger?

A．She stayed in her car.

B．She sat by the road.

C．She made a phone call.

3. How did the stranger help the speaker?

A．By calling for help.

B．By driving her home.

C．By accompanying her.

4. How did the speaker thank the stranger?

A．She paid him some money.

B．She expressed her gratitude.

C．She treated him to dinner.

7 . 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。

I still remember the sunshine that came in from the floor-to-ceiling windows of Pudong Airport on the morning of the 29th. It was brilliant and brilliant. The anxiety and excitement of careful thought were not obliterated（抹杀）by the three-hour rumbling sound, so that he almost lost his pass when he passed the customs.

The first thing I saw was the red double-decker airport bus, quietly nestling in the same bright sunshine in Hong Kong. The bus passed a bridge, followed by a green area, and then a bridge. On the sea were various cargo ships, unconsciously matching each other with colorful containers to create the colors of Hong Kong. The clouds are like cotton candy just out of the oven, densely crowded in the sky not too far away.

I started walking around on the first day. After packing my luggage at the hotel, I went to a small well-known "Yishun Milk Company" near Jordan. I ordered double skin milk and a portion of something else. I don’t remember the taste. I just remember that the uncles and aunts over there are very friendly. I sat under the air-conditioning blower silly to eat, and the uncle greeted me to change my seat and told me to be careful of catching a cold. It's really easy to have a good impression of a city. One sentence makes the mood as crystal clear as the weather in October.

Paragraph 1：

Then I went to the most prosperous area in Yau Ma Tei.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2：

Suddenly, it rained heavily in the sky.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . A video of a young Italian man celebrating his 25nd birthday with 25 random (随机的) acts of kindness was post on the Internet._________ by this, I mentioned to my wife Hayley that I’d like to do the same for my coming 50^th birthday in December. Well, she agreed to the _________ and make it happen.

We placed cheery stickers (贴纸) on the shirts of children,_________ a park, gave out delicious chocolate to those in the park — many of whom appeared _________, offered bottled water and played with a bored 10-year-old boy who was waiting for his sisters to finish shopping, and _________.

The most _________ for me occurred at the end of the day when we were giving out flowers in a retirement home after their dinner. At first I found myself questioning my _________ and how it would be received. It _________ that the local Church had a large group there at the same time singing to the residents.

_________, the first thing that took me a bit ____________ was how almost every man also enjoyed receiving a flower, not only from Hayley, but also from me. Then, I found myself giving the women longer deep caring ____________. One commented that she had not been hugged like that for years. But then my heart was permanently ____________ when another woman told me that she had not been hugged like that by a man for five decades.

I didn’t count the number of ____________ acts we did that day, and neither do I count that birthday as one of the good ones. Without a doubt, I know it was my ____________.

I’m feeling ____________ for Hayley and every person who has ever inspired me.

1.

A．Amused

B．Inspired

C．Discouraged

D．Confused

2.

A．career

B．consideration

C．idea

D．project

3.

A．put up

B．cleaned up

C．kept up

D．picked up

4.

A．wealthy

B．sincere

C．neat

D．homeless

5.

A．more

B．much

C．little

D．less

6.

A．interesting

B．necessary

C．important

D．difficult

7.

A．motives

B．curiosity

C．skill

D．service

8.

A．checked out

B．dropped out

C．found out

D．turned out

9.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Besides

D．Moreover

10.

A．by surprise

B．in peace

C．by design

D．in silence

11.

A．flowers

B．comforts

C．hugs

D．gifts

12.

A．worried

B．amazed

C．observed

D．touched

13.

A．kind

B．excellent

C．ordinary

D．careful

14.

A．worst

B．best

C．personal

D．similar

15.

A．satisfied

B．respectful

C．grateful

D．speechless

9 . 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。

Our government has raised the child limit for couples from two to three as the country experiences lower birth rates. For many years, China applied a one-child policy as a way    1    (control) the population. But that policy    2    (replace) in 2016 with a two-child limit. That change was aimed at raising the number of births.    3    , birth rates have further decreased in recent years as the cost of raising children in Chinese cities remains high.

The latest measure to permit three children per family is meant “to    4    (active) deal with the aging population,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The policy includes    5    the government calls “supportive measures” to make it easier for families to have more children. The measures include plans to lower educational costs for families and increase tax and housing support. The government also said it would seek to educate young people “on    6    (marry) and love.”

Yifei Li,    7    sociologist at New York University Shanghai, said that most families did not plan to have more children in recent years due    8    “the incredibly high costs of raising children in today’s China”. Another problem was that women carried most of the responsibility for raising children.

Economists say that China, along with Thailand and some other Asian economies,    9    (face) concerns that it could grow old before it gets    10    (wealth). The Chinese population of 1.4 billion was already expected to reach a high later this decade before starting to drop. But recent government data suggested that is happening faster than expected.

10 . You haven’t truly visited a city until you’ve experienced its nightlife. Watching a big city like London gradually turn dark and darker into the night is a beautiful journey of time and light. So how about taking a historical evening walk and touching some of the nicest areas in central London? Let’s get started.

6:30 pm

The walk starts on the Millennium Bridge. On the bridge, watch the scenic city across the River Thames with the skyscrapers gradually lighting up against the darkening skies.

The Millennium Bridge has been featured in many London-based films, including Harry Potter, and the film Guardians of the Galaxy.

7:30 pm

It’s getting dark. A fifteen-minute walk northwest from St Paul’s Cathedral takes you to the historic Borough Market. During the evenings, you find a lot of restaurants around the market. This is an excellent time to get your dinner.

9:00 pm

The next stop is London Bridge. This is about 6 minutes’ walk from the Borough Market. As you join other onlookers and mentally go through the nursery school rhyme of “London Bridge is Falling Down”, you get lost again in history. Why does the song say London Bridge is falling and who is the fair lady?

During the London city fire of 1897, London Bridge served an important role in fire control. It was one of the major structures that prevented the fire from crossing over to the other side of London.

11:30 pm

London never sleeps; it’s a few minutes to midnight and everywhere is still filled with people moving around. About four minutes away from the Golden Jubilee Bridges is Trafalgar Square, our next stop.

12:00 am

It’s been a beautiful evening, hasn’t it?

1. Where can you visit a Guardians of the Galaxy filming location?

A．In the St Paul’s Cathedral.	B．On the Millennium Bridge.
C．In the Borough Market.	D．On the Golden Jubilee Bridges.

2. What can be learned about the Borough Market?

A．It is far from London Bridge.	B．It is related to a famous song.
C．It is an ideal place for dinner.	D．It is a modern open-air market.

3. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To show London’s colorful culture.	B．To introduce the scenery in London.
C．To ask people to do outdoor activities.	D．To recommend a night tour in London.