1 . When it comes to settling down young children, parenting advice focuses mostly on one tool: What to say. Parents are taught to say this or that, or even how to apologize to an angry child. While in practice, many parents turn to another means of comforting: Touch their child. But it’s not just any type of touch. It occurs at a particular speed and with a particular pressure.

During the end of the 19th century, many European doctors actually advised parents not to touch their children because they said it would weaken them and make them dependent. This idea hit a fever height in the 1920s when the psychologist John B. Watson wrote a parenting book in which Watson advises mothers to stay away, physically, from children. He believed that by not touching young children, parents teach them to be independent at an early age.

“But then it turns out that the opposite is actually true,” Neuroscientist Helena Wasling says. “Children who get a lot of touch, support and closeness from their parents are actually the ones that dare to go out and explore, as they grow up, because they have a basic safety that they can depend on.” And of course, gentle touch can calm and relax adults, just as much as they do children, says Wasling.

After decades of research, neuroscientists are beginning to understand how our skin senses this type of touch and how that feeling lights up regions of the brain to affect our emotions. It turns out that our skin contains nerves (神经) which can sense a gentle touch. And these nerves are part of a system inside our skin that excites the warm, calm and peaceful feeling you have when you’re with people who love you. For some kids with autism (自闭症), this type of touch might not feel good, Wasling notes, and may even feel bad. “A child with autism may become over-sensitive towards physical touch.” she says. “The relationship between touch and reward (奖励) can be totally different.”

1. What was believed about parental touch according to paragraph 2?

A．It weakened kids’ intelligence.	B．It harmed kids’ physical health.
C．It reduced kids’ independence.	D．It hurt parent-child relationship.

2. What may happen to children receiving lots of touch according to Helena Wasling?

A．They may be more sensitive.	B．They tend to become braver.
C．They may be more protective.	D．They tend to become smarter.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The benefit of touch does not apply to every kid.

B．The amount of touch does not matter to kids.

C．Kids with autism might be more independent.

D．Kids with autism should be rewarded with touch.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．An Effective Method to Educate Kids

B．The Magical Effect of Touching Children

C．The Importance of Parenting Strategies

D．A New Research into Social Interaction

2 . Janet, now 37, was playing with her new pet dog, Stitch, who jumped up, grabbed her sleeve, and tore several holes in her sweater with its sharp teeth. Instead of throwing the sweater away, Janet decided to repair it.

She turned to “visible repairing,” an idea of repairing clothes that leaves an obvious fix. She added bright flowers and other small designs to damaged clothes. “Every time you do a repair, it’s like having bought a new piece of clothes,” says Janet.

Actually, repairing is a great opportunity to realize the urgent (迫切的) need to reduce waste. Sadly, we have become used to replacing things instead of repairing them — and the rubbish is piling up. Worldwide, we throw away 92 million tons of cloth every year. Electronic waste is another growing problem: About 50 million tons of it is created each year around the world.

The good news is that fixing things can help deal with the waste problem. There are some solutions. Due to information online, the popular how-to site iFixit.com , a database (数据库) with nearly 100,000 repair brochures for everything from electronics to clothing, has promoted more than 100 million repairs. In addition, since the first Repair Café opened in2009 in Amsterdam, more than 2,700 cafés have been set up to offer in-person fix-it help in various countries. Organizers set up events, and volunteers with repair knowledge bring their tools. They will try to fix whatever people bring in, for free, and teach visitors how to do repairs themselves.

Fixing things is part of a larger change toward a circular economy —the idea that instead of throwing away things once they are broken or out of date, we reuse or repair them, keeping them out of the landfill (垃圾填埋场) for as long as possible. According to a 2023 report from Circle Economy, a Netherlands-based NGO, if the world changed to a circular economy, we could lower the amount of waste by a third.

1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Janet?

A．To praise her way of protecting pets.

B．To introduce special clothing designs.

C．To call for attention to repairing things.

D．To market the products of fixed clothes.

2. What can we learn from the numbers in paragraph 3?

A．The action of replacing things is wise.

B．The behaviour of repairing things is popular.

C．The need for reducing clothes is urgent.

D．The problem of producing waste is serious.

3. How do people deal with the waste problem according to paragraph 4?

A．By teaching volunteers repair knowledge.

B．By sharing tips on opening repair cafés.

C．By providing information to the repair database.

D．By offering online and off line help to encourage repairs.

4. Which of the following behaviours contributes to the circular economy?

A．Jim threw away a used bike.	B．Jackson mended a torn sofa.
C．Sue replaced a worn carpet.	D．Windy removed a broken vase.

3 . Ranked as one of the poorest states in America, Louisiana is often struck by coastal storms and hurricanes. The sky-high poverty and crime rates are destructive for residents—especially for young people. Despite the unfavorable situation, there is a spirit of survival and hope for people living in Baton Rouge. “We choose to live by joy and community more than look at horrible issues and challenges that sometimes feel too big for us to take on,” said Dustin La Font, whose nonprofit, Front Yard Bikes, supports hundreds of students in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, every year as they pedal towards a brighter future.

At Front Yard Bikes, students work to build their own bicycle, learning skills like mechanics, welding and cycling safety, while receiving mentoring, academic support, and job training opportunities.

“We had to put a ton of energy and love into it,’’ La Font said. “Students learned to saw, drill, measure, cut. They learned to paint, design, and plan. And they built their own program from scratch. Our mission is to create safe spaces that empower our kids to learn about their intrinsic worth as they learn, grow, and build.”

Many kids now gather after school in this safe place to ride, play, and help out in the garden. “Pretty much any kid can find a place here to belong,” La Font said. “For the fact that they built their park, there’s ownership over it. They take care of their park.”

Front Yard Bikes serves nearly 400 young people a year. To date, 50 students have been certified in mechanics, and 2,000 kids have benefited from the program.

“People say to me, ‘Thank you for keeping kids busy and out of the streets’,” La Font said. “I don’t like that because it says kids are the problems to be solved. But they are our greatest resource for our community challenges; they are problem solvers, not trouble makers. My constant fight is trying to get people to see who our kids really are ... and to see that they have something to offer right now.”

1. How do people in Baton Rouge feel about their life?

A．Desperate.	B．Hopeful.
C．Over-stressed.	D．Satisfied.

2. What do we learn about Front Yard Bikes from paragraph 4?

A．It is energy-consuming.	B．It brings money for kids.
C．It builds a sense of competition.	D．It frees kids from worries about school-life.

3. Why do kids find a sense of belonging in the garden?

A．They created the garden themselves.

B．They are well protected in the garden.

C．They find the garden similar to their home.

D．They receive good education in the garden.

4. What role do kids play in the community according to La Font?

A．They serve as part-time workers.

B．They bring about many problems.

C．They fall victim to violence and poverty.

D．They are helpful in the face of challenges.

4 . 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。

It was the 9th of January, a day I will remember for a long time. It was a normal Sunday morning around 8:30 am, right on time for Sammy’s morning walk. I didn’t walk because of my lameness, so I rode in my power wheelchair. We got out the door and made our way toward a property near my apartment complex. We got to the gate and out of the complex, and we went left onto the extra wide sidewalk. It was about a mile’s walk one way , passing a firehouse on the right side of the road, before we turned around and started back.

Along the path we took was a large plate over the sidewalk. I passed over it the first time without any problems. My wheelchair could reach up to 8 miles per hour, but we went a little slower on our walks, around 2 miles per hour,   so Sammy could keep up. Even so, this speed was pretty fast for a 15-year-old dog.

As we turned around and made our way back, I went over the sidewalk plate again except that this time it was moved without me realizing it, putting my wheelchair in the grass on the embankment (路堤). The next thing I knew, my wheelchair started to tip over, throwing me out of the chair and rolling down the embankment into the muddy water below.

My right leg was hurt, and I was unable to pull myself upright. I was too weak to gather my strength to call for help. The muddy water was cold and I felt it hard to breathe with my body folded and twisted in a strange position. Meanwhile, Sammy was sitting up on the sidewalk with his leash (牵狗皮带) caught under the tipped over wheelchair. I heard him barking louder than ever heard. He knew I was hurt and was in danger.

By the way my wheelchair tipped over, a passerby on the street would not be able to see it from the road. All anyone could see was a dog barking on the sidewalk almost night across the street from the firehouse.

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。

I could tell Sammy was trying to help me.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three firemen came to my dog’s aid finally.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Tackling behavioral problems at school is not easy, but Dr. Terrance Newton is doing that with a _________ effective solution.

In his first year as principal of Warner Elementary School, Newton has already seen a _________ change in his at-risk students. All it took was a few quality _________ and a pair of clippers.

Newton saw the _________ as soon as he started at the school. Bullying was _________ and students were constantly being _________. He believed the best way to solve this was to build positive relationships with students. So, he _________ to set up a barbershop at school. Having cut hair before, Newton _________ the barbershop could be a safe space for students to _________. And he was right- not only has he bonded with former __________, but suspensions have dropped from 103 to 4 in the last year! Even better, bullying has all but stopped.

Kamisha Collins has seen the __________ in her 11-year-old son, Brandon Ponzo. “In the beginning of the school year, my son started off really __________ and was not getting along with Dr. Newton, but now they have built this __________-he loves him very much,” Collins said.“Dr. Newton says positive things to them while cutting their hair. And my son’s behavior and grades have improved so much.”

What a brilliant idea not to mention a __________ leader! A little love and care can make a big impact on __________ kids.

1.

A．suddenly

B．similarly

C．surprisingly

D．hardly

2.

A．great

B．slight

C．harmful

D．risky

3.

A．haircuts

B．conversations

C．performances

D．services

4.

A．fear

B．problem

C．project

D．reason

5.

A．out of place

B．under control.

C．under discussion

D．out of hand

6.

A．suspended

B．criticized

C．praised

D．protected

7.

A．decided

B．preferred

C．learned

D．afforded

8.

A．promised

B．admitted

C．rejected

D．figured

9.

A．calm down

B．open up

C．show up

D．break down

10.

A．classmates

B．colleagues

C．housekeepers

D．troublemakers

11.

A．increase

B．encouragement

C．difference

D．difficulty

12.

A．rough

B．pleasant

C．easy

D．mild

13.

A．barrier

B．barbershop

C．reputation

D．bond

14.

A．strict

B．brave

C．fantastic

D．modest

15.

A．appealing

B．disappointing

C．struggling

D．lying

6 . Ways to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

After a busy school year, there’s nothing wrong with watching TV, sleeping late or playing video games all day long. However, summer is the best time to have fun and prepare yourself for the next school year or the world beyond the classroom.     1    .

• Take a course to learn to cook. Nothing surprises and delights a family more than a teenager who can cook. You can contact community centers in your area to find out about cooking class offerings.    2     — look through your family cookbooks, choose a dish, gather the ingredients (原料) and follow the directions.

• Play a new sport to keep healthy.     3    . Consider tennis, swimming or golf. Playing an individual sport also looks great on a college application. Local sports clubs are the best places to look for beginner classes.

• Volunteer to make a difference. Choose volunteer opportunities based on the things that matter most to you.     4    , if you enjoy spending time with senior citizens. Try to keep a journal of your volunteer experiences. You can use your experiences as inspiration for writing tasks in high school.

•     5    . College life is very exciting, especially if you’re a rising junior or senior. Every college has a website, so start by visiting college websites that have majors that interest you. You can also read college review websites to get a sense of things like how much colleges cost and what students think about their schools.

A．You can also learn it by yourself

B．Then find learning resources online

C．Research colleges to decide your major

D．You might volunteer at a local nursing home

E．Research colleges to find out which one suits you

F．To make your summer vacation meaningful, read on

G．Learning one over the summer is a great way to stay fit

7 . Researchers from The University of Queensland(UQ)have helped design a new app to protect birds at risk of extinction across the world by eliminating language barriers among scientists. The Bird Language Diversity web app will help provide a “birds eye view”, ensuring vital information is shared to improve worldwide conservation.

UQ’s Dr Pablo Negret said the research team analysed more than 10,000 bird species, and found that 1,587 species have 10 languages or more spoken within their distributions. “Scientific information on species can be spread across different languages, but valuable information can go missing or get lost in translation,” Dr Negret said. “Without enough sharing of information, this can affect the effectiveness of conservation measures.”

Take the common bird Pochard for example. It is classified as vulnerable species(易危种)and crosses 108 countries in Europe, Asia and north Africa, where a total of 75 official languages are spoken. The survival of the common Pochard, and so many other species, depends on effective cooperation and policy agreements among people with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

This app reveals where threatened and migratory birds exist geographically, in relation to the language spoken in those regions. ”We hope the app will encourage researchers and conservation organisations to interact with their peers in other regions, especially if they speak different languages, and be a starting point to allow everyone to work together to protect threatened species,” Dr Negret said.

Dr Tatsuya Amano, a researcher and the co-author of the paper, said this work could extend further than bird species. “Any species, whether they’re mammals, amphibians(两栖动物), or plants, with a range crossing multiple countries will be impacted by language barriers, as well as species that migrate across different countries, such as marine species and butterflies,” he said. ”The significance of the impact of poor communication on such an important issue is evident, and is the reason why we’re working hard to improve science communication across languages.”

1. What does the underlined word “eliminating“ in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Giving in to.

B．Coming across.

C．Putting up with.

D．Breaking down.

2. What is the function of adequate sharing of information?

A．Ensuring the effectiveness of protective measures.

B．Helping people know more about scientists’ efforts.

C．Spreading knowledge of the diversity of birds worldwide.

D．Compromising the effectiveness of conservation measures.

3. What is shown on the app?

A．The producer of the app.	B．The organizations involved.
C．The location of endangered birds.	D．The information of new geographers.

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

A．Birds Protection Is an Urgency	B．A New Bird App Spreads Its Wings
C．A New Bird App Helps Learn Languages	D．Poor Communication Impacts Cooperation

8 . I remember to this day the feeling of the cold wind causing my ears to hurt. However, that didn’t _________ me at this time. It was Hogmanay and the bays of the town were carrying out the _________ of going from house to house on this special evening.

It is thought that the tradition came from the Vikings who were settlers in the Western Isles. Honestly, that wasn’t _________ to me. I was out and about having _________.

There were about 25 houses to visit in my town of North Boisdale. The start time was 19:00 and all the boys would _________ at one end of the town and begin to _________ each house. Each person had a pillowcase (枕头套) that would be filled with goodies (好吃的东西) _________ from householders.

Outside each house one person would ask the man of the house for permission (许可) to _________. Once inside the house a candle would be lit by the oldest boy in the group and _________ the candle would be passed round all family members. After that, the mother of the house would bring out the __________. Fruit, biscuits and of course sweets. On __________ each house the oldest boy in the group would __________ the family luck in the coming year.

After being to each house the pillowcases would be __________ and heavy and it was at the last house that the fun began. The pillowcases would be __________ and the goodies shared out equally.

The last house would also provide a small party that would, __________ before midnight so all the boys were home before the bells.

1.

A．trouble

B．interest

C．fit

D．harm

2.

A．test

B．service

C．tradition

D．program

3.

A．new

B．possible

C．wise

D．important

4.

A．success

B．experience

C．fun

D．help

5.

A．show off

B．look around

C．run away

D．meet up

6.

A．visit

B．clean

C．find

D．fill

7.

A．bought

B．received

C．stolen

D．sent

8.

A．enter

B．shout

C．hide

D．stop

9.

A．still

B．again

C．even

D．then

10.

A．bags

B．gifts

C．pictures

D．candles

11.

A．searching

B．leaving

C．painting

D．protecting

12.

A．give

B．remind

C．lend

D．wish

13.

A．safe

B．full

C．warm

D．open

14.

A．discovered

B．remembered

C．emptied

D．accepted

15.

A．begin

B．finish

C．continue

D．change

9 . Experts using a high-tech laser scanner (激光扫描仪) have discovered thousands of ancient Maya buildings hidden under the thick forests of northern Guatemala, officials said Thursday. Some 60, 000 buildings were found over the past two years in a scan of an area in the northern department of El Peten between Mexico and Belize, said Marcello Canuto, one of the projects’ lead researchers.

These findings are a “breakthrough in Maya archeology(考古),” Canuto said.

The new discoveries in this Central American country include city centers with sidewalks, homes, wide steps, farming facilities and so on, said Canuto, an archaeologist at Tulane University in the United States.

Among the finds was a 30-meter high pyramid (金字塔) that had been earlier recognized as a natural hill in Tikal. Also discovered in Tikal: a series of holes and a 14 kilometer-long wall.

The Maya development reached its height in what is present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Belize, El Salvador and Honduras between 250 and 950 CE. Researchers now believe that the Maya had a population of 10 million, which is “much higher” than previous judgment, Canuto said.

The project depended on a remote (远程的) sensing method known as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). Aircraft with a LiDAR scanner produced 3D maps of the surface by using light in the form of laser linked to a GPS system.

The technology helped researchers discover sites much faster than using traditional archeological methods. “Now it is no longer necessary to cut through the jungle to see what’s under it,” said Canuto.

Details of the research will appear in a documentary to air on February 11 on the National Geographic TV channel, said Minister of Culture and Sports Jose Luis Chea.

1. What did Canuto think of the new discoveries in the past two years?

A．Leading.

B．Frightening.

C．Annoying.

D．Puzzling.

2. Which one is NOT LiDAR’s advantage?

A．It saves time in discovering site.

B．It is more convenient for researchers to work in forest.

C．Explorers have to go deep into the jungle to research.

D．Research can be done at a distance.

3. According to the new discoveries, Maya might have been a nation________.

A．that lay in Africa	B．that was less developed
C．whose pyramid was made of a hill	D．with a surprisingly large population

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To inform readers of the new discoveries about Maya.

B．To introduce a new method used to discover Maya buildings.

C．To show Maya development was of great influence.

D．To tell us a new documentary will be launched on TV in Feb.

10 . Yangzhou paper cutting, with a history of 2,000 years, can be dated back to the Sui Dynasty, making Yangzhou one of the places where paper cutting first became popular.

In the Sui Dynasty, the people of Yangzhou would cut colourful paper or silk and satin (缎子) to celebrate festivals. It is said that Emperor Yang came to Yangzhou three times. In winter, the flowers and trees in the garden became dry and weak. The emperor ordered the gril servants to cut fine silk and satin into flowers and leaves and use them to decorate the trees and lakes. Since then, “colorful cutting” has become a popular art in Yangzhou.

In the Tang Dynasty, the paper cutting industry was highly developed and a large amount of high-quality paper was made as presents to the Court (宫廷).

In the Qing Dynasty, because of the economic development, the people of Yangzhou became interested in wearing fine clothing, especially embroidered (刺绣的) clothing. The embroidered designs were based on paper-cuts, the most well-know of them was from Bao Jun, a paper cutting master. He won a high reputation (名声) as Magic Scissors for his wonderful cutting skills.

After the People’s Republic of China was started, the Chinese government accepted the importance of paper cutting like many other arts and skills. In 2007, China Paper-cuts Museum opened to the public in the back garden of the Wang’s Residence (住所), Yangzhou, greatly helping the development of Yangzhou paper cutting.

1. When did “colourful cutting” become a popular art in Yangzhou?

A．In the Sui Dynasty.	B．In the Tang Dynasty.
C．In the Ming Dynasty.	D．In the Qing Dynasty.

2. The underlined word “decorate” in Paragraph 2 means ________ in Chinese.

A．种植

B．装饰

C．浇水

D．砍伐

3. When did China Paper-cuts Museum open to the public?

A．In 2007.

B．In 2008.

C．In 2009.

D．In 2010.

4. What’s the main idea on the passage?

A．How to make paper cutting.

B．The way to cut paper.

C．The importance of Yangzhou paper cutting.

D．The history and development of Yangzhou paper cutting.