1 . Valentina Dominguez, a nine-year-old from Texas, was travelling with her parents and her doll, Beatrice. After finishing their _______ in Bali, Indonesia, they stopped over in Tokyo before _______ their flight back home.

However, upon arriving home, they _______ that Beatrice was missing. Only then did they realize they hadn’t seen her since they were on the airplane. Valentina’s family was extremely _______ at losing the doll. Her father expressed his sadness. The family reached out to the airport and airline but weren’t able to _______ Beatrice, they took to social media.

First Officer James Danen, an American Airline pilot saw the post and located the missing doll in Turkish Airlines’ Lost and Found. Since Danen’s flight routes often included Tokyo, he realized that he could help out Valentina. “It’s my _______. I like helping people,” he explained.

And that’s how First Officer Danen ended up _______ the doll to her home in Texas. The New York Post _______ that he took pictures of the doll in the airport. He also brought along Japanese treats and a map showing Beatrice’s _______. “Was she well behaved on the flight?” Valentina asked. “Very well behaved,” Danen answered.

Valentina is ________ to be reunited with Beatrice. Valentina shared, “She brings me ________ and she’s my best friend. When she was missing, I felt like my heart was broken.”

First Officer Danen could ________ have overlooked the social media post owing to so many on it. But, instead he took the time to ________ someone else. This heartwarming story serves as a reminder of the ________ a simple act of kindness can have. That kindness knows no ________ is the message conveyed in the story.

1.

A．story

B．task

C．vacation

D．trial

2.

A．boarding

B．booking

C．confirming

D．arranging

3.

A．feared

B．discovered

C．remembered

D．assumed

4.

A．nervous

B．upset

C．ashamed

D．annoyed

5.

A．pick up

B．take in

C．get down

D．track down

6.

A．route

B．basis

C．nature

D．spirit

7.

A．connecting

B．guiding

C．bringing

D．linking

8.

A．shared

B．declared

C．advertised

D．claimed

9.

A．news

B．action

C．behavior

D．journey

10.

A．shocked

B．entertained

C．thrilled

D．interested

11.

A．happiness

B．pride

C．challenge

D．desire

12.

A．obviously

B．easily

C．consequently

D．finally

13.

A．change

B．rescue

C．consider

D．assist

14.

A．profit

B．impact

C．consequence

D．interest

15.

A．harbors

B．airports

C．stations

D．borders

2 . Scientists have shown how plants can protect themselves against genetic (基因的) damage caused by environmental stresses. The growing tips of plant roots and shoots have an in-built mechanism (机制) that spells cell death if DNA damage is detected, avoiding passing on faulty DNA.

Plants have small populations of stem cells (干细胞) at the tips of their roots and shoots, which enable them to continuously grow and produce new tissues throughout their lifetime. These stem cells serve as ancestors for plant tissues and organs. However, any genetic faults present in the stem cells will continue to exist and be passed on permanently throughout the plant’s life, which could last thousands of years.

Given the critical role of stem cells and their exposure to potentially dangerous environments at the growing tips of roots and shoots, safeguards are necessary to prevent stem cell faults from becoming fixed. Researchers Nick Fulcher and Robert Sablowski, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, aimed to uncover these protective mechanisms. Through experiments involving X-rays and chemicals, they discovered that stem cells were more sensitive to DNA damage compared to other cells.

When DNA damage occurs, the cells have the capacity to detect it and cause programmed cells to die, preventing the propagation of the damaged genetic code to the rest of the plant tissues. This process has similarities to the safeguard mechanism found in animal cells, which has been broadly studied due to its relevance in preventing cancer.

The identification of a similar protective system in plants is of great interest in the field of plant development. It also helps scientists develop plants that can better handle environmental stress. So knowledge of how plants deal with these stresses is of fundamental significance to agricultural science’s response to climate change.

1. What is the function of the in-built mechanism in plants?

A．To produce more roots and shoots.	B．To increase the overall lifetime of the plant.
C．To enhance plant growth and nutrient intake.	D．To stop genetic faults in stem cells passing on.

2. What can we know about stem cells in plants according to the text?

A．They are relatively abundant in quantity.	B．They are resistant to environmental stresses.
C．They make quick response to DNA damage.	D．They have the ability to repair damaged DNA.

3. What does the underlined word “propagation” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Spread.

B．Change.

C．Existence.

D．Self-repair.

4. What does the last paragraph focus on?

A．The way of dealing with climate change on the earth.

B．The significance of identifying the protective system in plants.

C．The method of ensuring plant survival under environmental stress.

D．The urgency of developing plants that can handle environmental stress.

3 . Here in eastern Spain, human towers are very popular. The tower sometimes falls because it’s so high. I used to ________ to be up there, but for the past year, I’ve been practicing ________. So today, I finally became a casteller — a castle constructor.

My friend Tomeu was also part of our team. Tomeu had been a casteller before. “What if I’m not ________ for this?” I asked him. Tomeu smiled, “We’re never ready, Jordi. Just trust those below who ________ you up and yourself. Have faith!”

It was our turn. We first made the ________ for our tower. My father and three of the strongest men formed a ________ facing each other as they held each other’s arms tightly. Four more strong men stepped behind, each wrapping his arms around the ________ of a man and giving him a bear hug. Four smaller men climbed onto the backs of the ________ group and stood on their shoulders.

Our base was solid, so my father ________ and we continued building. After the sixth tier (层) was set up, it was my turn.

“Have ________!” Tomeu said to me again. I passed the first two tiers ________ because the people were leaning forward. But the higher I went, the more unstable the tower became. By the time I reached the sixth tier, the tower below me ________ a bit. My heart began a crazy dance in my chest. I took a deep breath to ________ myself. Reaching deep inside to feel my ________, I rose slowly out of my crouch (蹲伏) and straightened my knees. I waved my hand to the judges, meaning our tower was ________.

Far below, I could hear the crowd’s cheering.

1.

A．promise

B．hesitate

C．intend

D．pretend

2.

A．climbing

B．jumping

C．running

D．rolling

3.

A．prepared

B．responsible

C．anxious

D．famous

4.

A．pull

B．call

C．lift

D．push

5.

A．rule

B．list

C．link

D．base

6.

A．screen

B．circle

C．queue

D．barrier

7.

A．head

B．hands

C．legs

D．chest

8.

A．original

B．local

C．general

D．typical

9.

A．relaxed

B．adjusted

C．signaled

D．appealed

10.

A．faith

B．pleasure

C．patience

D．purpose

11.

A．casually

B．firmly

C．wildly

D．smoothly

12.

A．grew

B．swung

C．changed

D．broke

13.

A．introduce

B．enjoy

C．calm

D．save

14.

A．balance

B．presence

C．connection

D．duty

15.

A．unique

B．large

C．round

D．complete

4 . 根据句意从方框中选出合适的短语，并用其适当的形式完成句子。

refer to... as...,     take possession of,     bond with,     separate... from..., mix up,     date back to,     be at the mercy of,     license... for

1. Cuba is south of America, __________ it by the Strait of Florida. It gains its reputation for its dynamic music and dancing.
2. When learning English, beginner often gets various tenses (时态) __________ and makes some grammatical mistakes in writing sentences.
3. As is indicated in Patent Law of the People’s Republic of China, any individual or enterprise isn’t allowed __________ others’ inventions without their permission.
4. The ancient city relic near Yellow River __________ around 5300 years ago is acknowledged by Chinese archaeologists as a discovery of great historical significance.
5. When typhoon struck the harbor, boats on the coastline __________ rough sea and violent wind.
6. Know some basics of children psychology, and you will have no difficulty in __________ your son and daughter.
7. Canada which features its unique geographic sights of North America __________ “True North”.
8. It was three months before this anti-depression drug __________ the mass production.

5 . According to Wildlife Protection Regulation, the local police in India are now e__________ to give longer prison sentence to persons who illegally hunt the wild tiger. (根据首字母单词拼写)

6 . At present, your difficulty in learning is only t__________, not permanent. You should have faith in your ability to solve it. (根据首字母单词拼写)

7 . As the program came to an end, the audience rose up and thunderously a__________ the ballet dancer for her graceful movements. (根据首字母单词拼写)

8 . The marriage registry office announced it would e__________ opening hours on Qixi Festival so that more couples could register for marriage. (根据首字母单词拼写)

9 . Workers at the National Galleries of Scotland recently experienced quite a surprise after they X-rayed a painting by Vincent van Gogh. Hidden on the back of the painting Head of a Peasant Woman, which Van Gogh completed in 1885, was a self-portrait (自画像) of the Dutch painter. No one had ever found it.

The hidden self-portrait had been covered by glue and cardboard that had been attached to the back of the painting. “It was absolutely exciting,” Lesley Stevenson, the museum’s worker, said about the discovery. “We weren’t expecting much of the little painting when we performed the scans,” she said. But museum experts quickly changed their expectations when they looked at the X-rays. “We didn’t see much of the peasant woman, but we saw the lead white that Van Gogh used for his face showing up after the X-ray went through the cardboard,” she added.

Van Gogh painted Head of a Peasant Woman as part of a series of works focused on the working-class residents of Nuenen, a small farming community in the southern part of the Netherlands where he lived briefly in the 1880s. The woman in the painting is Gordina de Groot, a farm worker. She wears a white headpiece. In a letter that Van Gogh penned about the series in 1885 to Anton Kerssemakers, a friend, he described his excitement at his working-class subjects. “I’m working with great pleasure these days, for I would rather paint people than paint anything else,” he wrote.

Van Gogh also loved creating self-portraits, producing about 20 paintings of himself by the end of his life while he was living in Paris. Recreating his own image was a cheap way for him to practice portraiture as he didn’t have to spend money hiring models, according to a report.

Art historians at the National Galleries hope that the hidden self-portrait may help us understand the life of the artist. The museum is currently considering how to best remove the unwanted protective materials without harming the painting.

1. What can be learned about the self-portrait on the back of the painting?

A．It isn’t in very good condition.	B．It describes a well-known woman.
C．It wasn’t known to exist for a long time.	D．It was sold to another artist by Van Gogh.

2. What do Stevenson’s words mainly show about the discovery?

A．It was a wonderful surprise.	B．It failed to meet her expectations.
C．It was the result of her great efforts.	D．It deepened her understanding of Van Gogh’s life.

3. What did Van Gogh tell his friend in the letter?

A．He was encouraged to try different subjects.

B．He was glad to find his love for figure paintings.

C．He was attracted by the lifestyle of people in Nuenen.

D．He wanted to improve the living conditions of the farmers.

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

A．X-rays can do harm to artworks

B．Van Gogh sent a secret message to his friend

C．Modern technology has a great influence on art

D．Van Gogh’s hidden self-portrait draws public attention

10 . 根据句意从方框中选出合适的短语,并用其适当的形式完成句子。

integrate into                  acknowledge...as…                  commit...to...               differ from subscribe to                    place emphasis on                    convince...of...             set aside

1. Yuan Longping, though________ a significant figure in agricultural science, still considered himself as an ordinary farmer.
2. Education of information technology is necessary for individuals________ society, and meanwhile it is an unavoidable trend of social development.
3. in order to raise her children's awareness of environmental protection, she discussed pollution with them. ________how nice a clean street, lawn（草坪）, or park looks.
4. With no extra money________ John has no option but to work to pay for the medical charges.
5. ________each other in character, the twins are not so difficult to be recognized.
6. ________the accuracy of the data, the researchers stuck to their opinion.
7. My main reason for________ New Scientist is to keep track of advances in science.
8. ________improving girls' education in the poverty-stricken areas has made Zhang Guimei a respectable role model of our time.