4 . For a few months twice a year, the waters off California are home to gray whales moving north or south between the coast of Mexico and the Bering Sea. These years, however, it seems that fewer whales are surviving the journey north. So far this year, a total of 30 dead gray whales have been washed up on the West Coast: 8 in Washington, 1 in Oregon and 21 in California. Those numbers arc unusually high.

“In Northern California, three out of four of the dead whales that have been examined so far appear to have died of starvation and the fourth was killed by a ship strike,” said Barbie Halaska, a research assistant at The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC), a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates (使康复) marine mammals in California. Halaska and her colleagues examined the four whales — three young whales and one adult male — and planned to examine the remaining dead whales in the region in the next couple of days.

Gray whales were once severely threatened by whalers. Only around 2,000 of them lived in the ocean in 1946, so an international agreement to stop gray whale hunting was signed in order to help the population recover. Gray whales were removed from the US endangered species list in 1994 when the population reached 23,000 and TMMC predicts there are now around 26,000 gray whales in the Pacific Ocean, which is about the number before the whaling boom appeared almost 200 years ago.

“Although the gray whale population has recovered to a certain degree, the number of dead gray whales washed up this year is alarming,” Halaska said. “Climate change and declining fish stocks are likely key factors in the whales’ poor health,” she said.

Halaska stressed that boaters and beachgoers on the West Coast should watch out or gray whales at this time of year.

1. What are the statistics in paragraph 3 about?

A．Severe conditions gray whales face.	B．An agreement to stop killing whales.
C．The evolving development of gray whales.	D．The number of gray whales in different times.

2. Which of the following best explains the underlined word in paragraph 3?

A．Popularity.	B．Competition.
C．A quick increase.	D．A successful completion.

3. What’s Halaska’s attitude towards the population of gray whales?

A．Worried.

B．Discouraged.

C．Uncaring.

D．Optimistic.

4. What may be talked about following the last paragraph?

A．The importance of gray whales.	B．Gray whales’ living environment.
C．Things to do to help gray whales.	D．Ways to increase gray whales’ population.

5 . If you’re a teenager, starting good money habits now will put you ahead for the rest of your life.     1    

Understand the power of time.

    2     What matters is time. Let’s look at an example: At the end of your summer job, you have $1,000. You invest it at a rate of 5%. At the end of those 50 years, you will have $11,467.49.

Start a money saving habit.

If you start the habit of saving money now, that habit will always be with you. Every dollar you get, whether it’s a gift, an allowance, or pay from a job, get into the habit of saving a part of it. Half of it would be ideal.     3     The older you get, the harder it can seem to save even 10% of your money.

    4    

There is so much information available on the Internet. You can find articles that will teach you how to make $100 fast. There are also so many personal finance books to choose from to learn about where to start. You can talk to your parents for advice on money management, too.

Avoid FOMO.

FOMO means a fear of missing out on all the fun. You’ll think everyone is having more fun than you as a teenager. However, it’s important to give up what you want now for what you want most. What you want now is to take the money you made at your summer job and go on Spring Break.     5     But all of that will be true in time.

A．Add up all your bills.

B．It’s time to start now because you don’t have many expenses.

C．Seize chances to get educated.

D．Here are money tips for you.

E．Cash tends to burn a hole in our pockets.

F．You probably aren’t making a ton of money right now, but that doesn’t matter.

G．You may not like it when you’re eighteen.

6 . Should humans explore space? If you ask me, I’ll definitely give a positive answer.

The exploration of space has a direct impact on the lives of humans, as well as the state of our world. Satellites moving around the earth enable communication across the world, connecting people of different continents and broadcasting information worldwide. The Global Positioning System (GPS) can identify our location anywhere. Furthermore, weather satellites can predict harmful weather conditions. It allows humans to prepare for deadly natural disasters and save lives.

Space programs can also indirectly contribute to the solution to poverty and world hunger. For example, large pieces of land could be used far better if humans applied technologies. The most effective tool is the artificial earth satellite. It can screen areas of land within a very short time, indicating useful measures such as the condition of crops, soil rainfall and droughts. It can then send this information to ground stations on the earth for better use.

Furthermore, access to better education means better life prospects and opportunities for human beings. Rural (乡村的) communities have disadvantaged access to education. And satellite communication technologies are trying to bridge this gap. With the development of technology, students can now access any information and connect with peers and teachers in different parts of the world through video conferences and the creation of virtual classrooms.

Space exploration is something we can do for future generations. Mankind is using the resources provided on the planet, but these will run out one day. Overpopulation can be a threat for all mankind. With the development of space technology, it will be wise to use and explore the vast potential of other planets, such as the availability of mining resources on asteroids or other planets.

1. What can space exploration do according to Paragraph 2?

A．Improve the traffic on the earth.

B．Promote travel between countries.

C．Help prevent deadly natural disasters.

D．Help humans communicate and exchange information.

2. How can space programs help with poverty and world hunger?

A．By benefiting crop production with artificial earth satellites.

B．By transporting food worldwide more easily.

C．By creating job opportunities for the poor.

D．By protecting available electricity resources.

3. What does the author think of exploring mining resources on other planets?

A．Time-wasting.

B．Arguable

C．Necessary.

D．Useless.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Why Is Space Exploration Important?

B．Why Should Humankind Keep Thinking?

C．Why Should We Recover Space Technology?

D．Why Should Humans Keep Developing Technologies?

7 . Colette Maze has been playing the piano for over a century. She practices four hours a day and her fingers never tire. Music is her spiritual food. The piano, her passion and her friend, instills a sense of wonder in life each day, making her a source of inspiration to all.

Colette Maze was born in Paris in 1914. She started playing the piano at the age of five. As a young student, she was taught a technique by the legendary piano master Alfred Cortot, which focuses on relaxing the arms and hands when playing. To this day, the manner in which Colette Maze touches the piano while playing the tender music of Robert Schumann and Claude Debussy is still unusual and attractive.

Contrary to the social conventions of the times, Maze decided to pursue music as a career. “She decided she was an artist, a musician, not a housewife, so she married the piano,” said her son Fabrice Maze. Later she became a piano teacher and a single mother with great difficulty. The piano always brings her solace. “Music is an affective language and a poetic language. In music, there is everything — nature, emotion, love, dreams,” Colette Maze said.

Colette Maze’s talent and enthusiasm are priceless, especially during the times of the pandemic. “She helps improve morale (士气). Though at an old age, she is in good form for she has passion and can look after herself. Her sense of humor, her joy and her love of life make other people smile,” Fabrice Maze said.

Colette Maze explained that life is not about being old or young. “Youth is inside us. Life is all about staying passionate and curious. You can’t let that slip away. If you appreciate what’s beautiful around you, you will find a sense of wonder in it,” she said.

1. How did Alfred Cortot influence Colette Maze?

A．He presented her with a special piano.

B．He invited famous pianists to train her.

C．He took her to enjoy piano concerts.

D．He taught her an approach to play the piano.

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

A．Pity.

B．Comfort.

C．Clue.

D．Trouble.

3. What can we learn from Fabrice Maze’s words in Paragraph 4?

A．Colette has been changed a lot by music.

B．Colette is highly valued by musicians.

C．Colette inspires others to live with strength.

D．Colette don’t care about others’ lives.

4. What lesson can we take from Colette Maze’s story?

A．Be active and passionate about life forever.

B．Family support is important to career success.

C．Repeat helps to promote excellence.

D．Communicating with masters always helps one become better.

8 . Kristin moved to a new home in Austin, Texas. One day, Kristin needed backyard furniture for a _________ and bought some decorations and a picnic table from Low’s. The delivery driver set the table Joavii in her front yard by mistake. It gave Kristin a(n) _________ to make good use of it. “After the party, I _________ the table green and put it in the front yard, just a few feet from the sidewalk,” she says.

Neighbors began to _________ to introduce themselves and sit down for a chat. Kristin invited people to join her at the table for coffee or iced tea. “It was a _________ way to slow down and connect with others. It only takes you a little.” she says. The table was _________ and had a communal (共用的) sense.

Construction workers on _________ in the neighborhood took their lunch breaks at the table. A babysitter walking by with young kids sat down to _________.

People often _________ to invite others into their homes. They think their house is too messy, not big enough or they don’t have enough time. “Our perfectionism (完美主义) can __________ us to miss out on the joy of connecting with others,” Kristin says. Her picnic table takes away the __________ — and the pressure.

“I’ve learned that hospitality (热情) doesn’t always mean __________ people to a meal or a big party. At the picnic table, all I have to do is to __________. “She likes how it makes her take a small __________ toward reducing lonelines and building relationships in her __________. “People’s greatest need is to know that they are loved and that they belong,” she says.

1.

A．party

B．speech

C．race

D．interview

2.

A．hardship

B．inspiration

C．tiredness

D．spirit

3.

A．found

B．worked

C．painted

D．wrote

4.

A．bring about

B．stir up

C．stand up

D．stop by

5.

A．strange

B．serious

C．stressful

D．simple

6.

A．cheap

B．precious

C．inviting

D．colorful

7.

A．sale

B．purpose

C．jobs

D．opinions

8.

A．demand

B．relate

C．apply

D．rest

9.

A．hesitate

B．enable

C．forget

D．willing

10.

A．cause

B．introduce

C．indicate

D．forgive

11.

A．change

B．excuse

C．signal

D．joy

12.

A．treating

B．guiding

C．charging

D．donating

13.

A．show up

B．catch up

C．pick up

D．take up

14.

A．part

B．step

C．break

D．relief

15.

A．house

B．community

C．backyard

D．frontyard

9 . 假如你是李华，你校英语杂志社将组织以“An Amazing Festival Experience”为题的征稿活动。请你用英文写一篇短文投稿。内容包括：
1. 节日时间；
2. 具体经历（所见所闻、体验的活动等）；
3. 你的感受。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

An Amazing Festival Experience

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . 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。

Acupuncture (针灸), an ancient Chinese medical practice, has been the method for many patient for thousands of years. Before modern medicine came to life, ancient Chinese used stone tools     1     (reduce) pain. Over time, this effective practice gradually has become an overall     2     meaningful medical system and shaped the root of acupuncture. Acupuncture is a treatment     3     aims to promote the body’s self-adjusting functions.

Looking beyond China, acupuncture has become a global cure. Over the years, acupuncture has made progress in scientific research and modern medicine. It is now a great choice for     4     (difference) kinds of illness. According to a 2023 WHO report, acupuncture is used in 113 of its 120 member countries,     5     (prove) its popularity and application worldwide.

As a traditional Chinese medical practice with     6     rich history and deep cultural significance, acupuncture is an example     7     meaningful cultural heritage and an overall path to healing. It     8     (pass) down over the years through generations. It continues to create wonders for millions of people in response to     9     (they) physical and emotional needs. Acupuncture has also made up for the limitations of modem medicine and continues to provide inspiration for further research and     10     (develop) in this field.