1 . There is a mountain of great ski opportunities not too far from Boston. Road-trip to one of these fantastic ski mountains this winter.
Blue Hills Ski Area
A ski day trip doesn’t get any easier than the Blue Hills Ski Area. It is the only snow sports facility in the metro area. Skiing and snowboarding are spread over its 60 skiable acres, 90% of which are equipped for snowmaking. The vertical drop is 309 feet and there are four lifts serving the 16 trails, most of which are for advanced skiers. There are lessons for kids and adults to help you get there.
Crochet Mountain Resort
It’s famous for signature “Midnight Madness” events and daily night skiing. It has an 875-foot vertical drop and 23 trails across 75 skiable acres. A great mountain for skiers, half its terrain is graded for intermediates with the rest being split between advanced and beginner terrain.
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort
It’s the only one of ski resorts to be 100% powered by renewable energy sources. Skiers will find a 1,150-foot vertical drop, 45 trails, 3 terrain parks and 9 lifts across 167 skiable acres. The whole family can take lessons, enjoy dining or buy a ticket and go for a ride on the 3,600-foot Mountain Coaster!
Smugglers’ Notch
Smugglers’ Notch has a 2,564-foot vertical drop, 78 trails, 5 terrain parks and 8 lifts spread across 1,000 skiable acres. Known as a full-service family-oriented resort, it offers plenty to do off mountain like ice skating, arts and crafts workshops and an indoor swimming pool!
1. Which ski resort mainly targets advanced skiers?A.Blue Hills Ski Area. | B.Crochet Mountain Resort. |
C.Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. | D.Smugglers’ Notch. |
A.Its trails. | B.Its location. |
C.Its vertical drop. | D.Its green concept. |
A.Have a swim. | B.Ski with world champions. |
C.Enjoy stone sculptures. | D.Ride a roller coaster. |
2 . I was in the seventh grade, and we had moved to New Jersey in November. By then, everyone already had had their own friends, and no one wanted to talk to a new girl. To make things worse, they put me in “Section L”. I found out later that everyone called Section L “Loserville”. It was sort of an open secret that it was the section for troublemakers and not-so-smart kids. When I found out, I wanted to scream. I had always been a good student and had amazing friends, and now everyone thought I was a loser!
I did text my friends in Illinois almost every night, especially my best friend, Ana. At first my friends wanted to hear all about it. But then some stopped texting back once I said something about how miserable I was. One night when I was texting with Ana, I complained about another friend who had just done that.
Ana’s texts came really fast for the next few minutes and they surprised me. She said that she was tired of hearing about how bad everything was in New Jersey, too. She said she did not want to hurt my feelings but that I needed to stop feeling so sorry for myself all the time, I had to try to make things better.
The next day, I thought a lot about what Ana had said. She was right!
I wish I could say that everything changed overnight after that, but it didn’t. I was still stuck in “Loserville”, and some people were still mean to me, even though I tried to just stay out of their way.
But what did change was me—I stopped feeling so sorry for myself and did something about making friends. I signed up to make sets for the school play. I met a lot of new people there, and suddenly I had friends to say hi to in the halls!
I still miss Illinois sometimes, but life in New Jersey isn’t so hard anymore. Even though I couldn’t change my situation, I could change my attitude—and that made all the difference.
1. “Loserville” is a section for ________.A.failures | B.good students |
C.class secrets | D.newcomers |
A.Ana didn’t text back to her | B.her friends hurt her feelings |
C.she was unfairly treated | D.she was a good student |
A.She went back to Illinois. |
B.She ended friendship with Ana. |
C.She fought back with her classmates. |
D.She began to make friends with others. |
A.Lasting Friendship | B.An Incidence at School |
C.Say Goodbye to “Loserville” | D.Unhappiness in “Loserville” |
3 . I have worked as a keeper at the National Zoo for 11 years. Spot and Stripe are the first tiger cubs (幼兽) that have ever been born here. Globally, a third of Sumatran cubs in zoos don’t make it to adulthood, so I decided to give them round-the-clock care at home.
I’ve got two children—the younger one, Kynan, was extremely happy about the tigers arriving—but all of us really looked forward to being part of their lives and watching them grow. I wasn’t worried about bringing them into my home with my wife and kids. These were cubs. They weighed about 2.5kg and were so small that there was absolutely no risk.
As they grew more mobile, we let them move freely around the house during the day, but when we were asleep we had to contain them in a large room, otherwise they’d get up to mischief. We’d come down in the morning to find they’d turned the room upside down, and left it looking like a zoo.
Things quickly got very intense due to the huge amount of energy required to look after them. There were some tough times and I just felt extremely tired. I was grateful that my family was there to help. We had to have a bit of a production line going, making up “riser milk”, washing baby bottles, and cleaning the floors.
When Spot and Stripe were four months old, they were learning how to open doors and jump fences, and we knew it really was time for them to go. It was hard for us to finally part with them. For the first few days, Kynan was always a bit disappointed that the cubs weren’t there.
I’m not sad about it. I’m hands-on with them every day at the zoo, and I do look back very fondly on the time that we had them.
1. Why did the author bring the tiger cubs home?A.To ensure their survival. | B.To observe their differences. |
C.To teach them life skills. | D.To let them play with his kids. |
A.Behave badly. | B.Lose their way. |
C.Sleep soundly. | D.Miss their mom. |
A.Boring. | B.Tiring. | C.Illegal. | D.Risky. |
A.They frightened the children. | B.They became difficult to contain. |
C.They annoyed the neighbours. | D.They started fighting each other. |
4 . Ariel Procaccia has thought a lot about how to cut a cake over the last 15 years. As the father of three children, he knows how hard it is to divide a birthday cake to everyone’s satisfaction. But it’s also because Procaccia’s work focuses on exploring the mathematical rules for dividing stuff up fairly. One way to do that is to think abstractly about dessert.
For decades, researchers have been asking the seemingly simple question of how to cut a cake fairly. The answer reaches far beyond birthday parties. A mathematical problem at its heart, cake cutting connects strict reasoning to real-world issues of fairness, and so attracts not only mathematicians, but also social scientists, economists and more. “It’s a very elegant model in which you can distill what fairness really is, and reason about it,” Procaccia says.
The simplest approach is called the “divider-chooser” method, where one person cuts the cake into two equal pieces in his view, and the other person picks first. Each receives a piece that they feel is as valuable as the other’s. But when personal preferences are taken into account, even the easiest rule becomes complicated. Suppose Alice and Bob are to divide a cake, and Alice knows Bob prefers chocolate, she may knowingly divide the cake unequally so the smaller piece contains more chocolate. Then Bob will choose according to his preference, and Alice will get the larger piece. Both of them are satisfied with what they get, but the meaning of fairness changes in this situation.
The cake is a symbol for any divisible good. When cake-cutting principles are employed to settle disagreements, they are potentially helping the world find solutions. Procaccia has used fair division algorithms (算法) to model food distribution. Social scientist Haris Aziz is exploring situations ranging from how to divide up daily tasks to how to best schedule doctors’ shifts in hospitals.
Even after decades of investigation, cake cutting isn’t like a simple jigsaw puzzle (拼图) with a well-defined solution. Instead, over time, it has evolved into a kind of mathematical sandbox, a constructive playground that brings together abstract proofs and easy applications. The more researchers explore it, the more there is to explore.
1. What does the underlined word “distill” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Get the essence of. | B.Find the opposite of. |
C.Keep the focus on. | D.Reduce the impact on. |
A.Its standard is stable. | B.It prevents unequal division. |
C.Its concept is complex. | D.It dominates personal preferences. |
A.The application of its rules. | B.The details of its process. |
C.The problems it produces. | D.The harmony it symbolizes. |
A.Who benefits most from fairness? |
B.How has fairness changed over time? |
C.What method works best in cake-cutting? |
D.Why are researchers so interested in cake-cutting? |
I sat in the breakfast corner with my four-year-old son, Matthew, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach. I was still recovering from a surgery. I hoped for strength and happiness. But the future seemed so hopeless.
Matthew jumped up from his spot on the kitchen floor. “Bird!” he shouted, rushing to the sliding door. Sure enough, there was a white dove seated on a rubber tree. It sat there a few moments, and then flew away. I’d never seen one in our neighborhood before.
When I dragged myself to the kitchen the next morning, the dove was back. This time it was with a mate carrying twigs (嫩枝), “Look, Matthew,” I said, pointing to the tree. “They’re going to make a nest.” The doves flew in and out of the courtyard all week, building on the top of the rubber tree. Matthew could hardly contain his excitement. Every morning, he’d run into the kitchen and take his spot by the sliding glass door, talking to the birds while they worked. As much as I was grieving (感到悲伤), I couldn’t help but look forward to the doves’ visits too. We watched their progress as if it were a real-life soap opera unfolding before us. Gradually, my pain disappeared, replaced by joy.
Then it all went wrong. The courtyard was a safe enough spot for a nest, but the rubber tree’s broad, thin leaves were far from stable. One night, a strong wind blew through, throwing the doves’ nest to the ground. I heard the twigs break apart. Nothing good ever lasts. I wouldn’t blame the doves if they never came back. But they returned. And they paid no attention to the pi le of sticks that had once been their nest. They started again from scratch, though the wind destroyed all their hard work. The next day, and the next, they renewed their efforts, as if nothing had happened.
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。
Paragraph 1: I knew I had to do something for the poor creatures.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:“The birds were back!” Matthew announced.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . “The mountains are calling and I must go” — the famous quote is from John Muir(1838-1914), who is described as “the wilderness poet” and “the citizen of the universe.” He once jokingly referred to himself as a “poet-geologist-botanist and ornithologist (鸟类学家)-naturalist etc. etc.!” He is known as the Father of American National Parks.
Famed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns recently said, “As we got to know him… he was among the highest individuals in America; I’m talking about the level of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Thomas Jefferson— people who have had a transformational effect on who we are.”
So where is the quote from? Well, John Muir was a productive writer. Whether he was writing poetry or simply letters to his family, John Muir was always putting pen to paper. The quote is from within one of his many letters written to his sister:
September 3rd, 1873 Yosemite Valley Dear sister Sarah,I have just returned from the longest and hardest trip I have ever made in the mountains, having been gone over five weeks. I am weary, but resting fast; sleepy, but sleeping deep and fast; hungry, but eating much. For two weeks I explored the glaciers of the summits east of here, sleeping among the snowy mountains without blankets and with little to eat on account of its being so inaccessible. After my icy experiences, it seems strange to be down here in so warm and flowery a climate. I will soon be off again, determined to use all the season in carrying through my work—will go next to Kings River a hundred miles south, then to Lake Tahoe and surrounding mountains, and in winter work in Oakland with my pen. Though slow, someday I will have the results of my mountain studies in a form in which you all will be able to read and judge them. The mountains are calling and I must go, and I will work on while I can, studying incessantly (永不停息地). I will write again when I return from Kings River Canyon. Farewell, with love everlasting. Yours, John |
1. What can we learn from John Muir’s self-description in paragraph 1?
A.He longed to expand his own career. |
B.He enjoyed his involvement in nature. |
C.He wanted to find his real advantage. |
D.He valued his identity as a poet most. |
A.Muir’s political influence. | B.A documentary film on Muir. |
C.Muir’s historic significance. | D.The social circle around Muir. |
A.Relieved but regretful. | B.Exhausted but content. |
C.Excited but lonely. | D.Defeated but hopeful. |
A.To go on with his mountain studies. |
B.To seek freedom from social connection. |
C.To attend an appointment in Oakland. |
D.To experience the hardship of wilderness. |
7 . Several years ago I was teaching in Melbourne, Australia. Like most Brits down under, I wanted to
On one trip, I and three friends went as far into the Outback (内陆地区) as it was possible to go, camping and
After picking up some
At first the water only reached the top of the
We made it to the other side with no “salties”
A.run out of | B.take hold of | C.make the most of | D.catch sight of |
A.fields | B.corners | C.villages | D.surroundings |
A.exploring | B.searching | C.swimming | D.climbing |
A.mammals | B.humans | C.plants | D.creatures |
A.water | B.supplies | C.clothes | D.friends |
A.stream | B.lake | C.valley | D.cliff |
A.station | B.channel | C.spot | D.yard |
A.reach out for | B.wait up for | C.turn a deaf ear to | D.keep an eye out for |
A.wheels | B.walls | C.seats | D.legs |
A.easy-going | B.fun-loving | C.suspicious-looking | D.fast-flowing |
A.Interestingly | B.Unbelievably | C.Occasionally | D.Suddenly |
A.curious | B.certain | C.amazed | D.bored |
A.turned out | B.stood out | C.made out | D.found out |
A.cracked | B.extended | C.spilled | D.crashed |
A.lost | B.caught | C.missed | D.sighted |
The Year of the Dragon comes with inspiration for creativity and the power to bring big ideas
Designer Wang Zijian’s Dragon Out of Water, a creative tea infuser (泡茶器),shines on the wall at the exhibition of the winning works of the 2024 Global Zodiac Design Competition at the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center.
The item belongs to China Chic, or guochao, also
As a young designer, Wang hopes
9 . Gurnah, growing up in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday.
He is the first Black writer
Gurnah’s first language is Swahili, but he
Gurnah was born in Zanzibar, which is now
Though Gurnah hasn’t lived in Tanzania since he was a
A.to confirm | B.to receive | C.to search | D.to appreciate |
A.section | B.selection | C.collection | D.consultation |
A.themes | B.opinions | C.passages | D.suggestions |
A.explode | B.conclude | C.provide | D.include |
A.adopted | B.advised | C.adapted | D.affected |
A.as much as | B.as well as | C.as long as | D.as often as |
A.was awarded | B.was discussed | C.was celebrated | D.was suspected |
A.jobs | B.works | C.labors | D.careers |
A.part | B.name | C.home | D.country |
A.Admirable | B.Respectable | C.Fashionable | D.Miserable |
A.higher | B.stronger | C.heavier | D.longer |
A.reading | B.hearing | C.writing | D.watching |
A.Frontwards | B.Forwards | C.Backwards | D.Afterwards |
A.writer | B.teenager | C.scholar | D.professor |
A.As a result | B.At the same time | C.On the other hand | D.In his own word |
10 . I dreamed of playing the piano as a kid and managed to get into the Royal Academy of Arts in my 30s, I visited Thailand where I met my wife. My wife works at a sanctuary(保护区) called Elephants World. On my 50th birthday, she persuaded the manager of Elephants World to allow us to bring a piano there to play for the rescued elephants. I wanted to make the effort to carry the heavy piano myself, knowing these animals have worked for humans all their life and that many are disabled from being treated badly. It was challenging. At last, we used a truck to transport my piano and placed it in a field.
Elephants are almost always hungry — if they get the opportunity, they’ll eat and won’t stop. But as soon as I started playing, one elephant, who was blind, stopped eating and listened. I realized that this elephant, trapped in a world of darkness, loved music. From that day, there was no more concern, and that was the beginning of the connection between me and these huge creatures.
I continue to play for these elephants that run freely, though I could be under threat of attack. But I have faith that music somehow makes them quiet and relaxed. Once, a particularly dangerous male elephant walked straight to me when I started playing, and curled (卷) his trunk. He looked like a baby and just stood by the piano, which was incredible.
I’d played pre-recorded music in the jungle, but they didn’t seem to react; the same with the electric piano. A traditional piano, the sounds of which spread across the woods, seems to communicate better with the animals. They can pick up sounds through their feet. I also think elephants understand the human expression, which shows music really is a universal language. And music has become an essential part of their life, illustrating the profound impact that music can have on these creatures.
I never would have thought I’d combine my love for the piano with an unexpected love for elephants.
1. What does the underlined word “It” in paragraph 1 refer to?A.Playing the piano for the elephants. | B.Getting the manager’s permission. |
C.Getting the piano into the sanctuary. | D.Working for human beings for long. |
A.His passion for music. | B.The response of an elephant. |
C.The support from his wife. | D.His sympathy for the elephants. |
A.The music has a calming influence. | B.Male elephants prefer music. |
C.The author is highly skilled in piano. | D.People often misunderstand elephants. |
A.They have special language. | B.They bond with him soon. |
C.They are sensitive to sounds. | D.They can feel live music. |