1 . How does Lisa learn the pronunciation of new words?

A．By referring to a dictionary.

B．By asking her teacher for help.

C．By guessing it according to the rules.

2 . It was time to go back to school. I was excited to see friends I hadn’t seen in a really long time, but, to be honest, I was also nervous about all the new staff. That was why I _______ that I was extra well _______ .

My plan was to wake up early, put on my carefully _______ clothes and eat my carefully chosen breakfast. I would enter my brand-new classroom, and feel calm, cool and _______ for the rest of the day.

I have to say, everything went according to plan — _______ well, it didn’t.

My new teacher. Mr. Jax who seemed very strict and serious, asked each of us to tell a quick story about our _______. Most kids seemed pretty shy after being away from their _______ for a spell. As Susan talked about her family’s road trip, I heard a _______ scratchy-scratchy sound coming from under my desk. Was it the sound my hamster (仓鼠) makes when he is fluffing (抖松) up his _______? I ________ my backpack — and very quickly zipped it back up again. I had no idea when, why, or how Mr. Nibbles had ________ into my backpack, but there he was!

My heart pounded. This was ________ not how my first day back to school was supposed to go! “Arizona, it’s your turn,” said Mr. Jax. I sat still awkwardly but finally made words come out of my mouth, explaining what was ________ .

To my surprise, Mr. Jax comforted softly. “ The first day of school can be ________ for all of us.” Then he asked the class if anyone wanted to share ideas to help Mr. Nibbles feel more comfortable. As we ________ this. I noticed that trying to figure out how to help Mr. Nibbles helped all of us feel less anxious and calmed my nerves.

1.

A．thought

B．predicted

C．ensured

D．questioned

2.

A．informed

B．prepared

C．defined

D．received

3.

A．laid-out

B．clear-cut

C．dried-up

D．newly-built

4.

A．energetic

B．excited

C．collected

D．creative

5.

A．unless

B．as

C．when

D．until

6.

A．dreams

B．plans

C．learning methods

D．summer holidays

7.

A．parents

B．friends

C．dictionaries

D．toys

8.

A．deafening

B．distant

C．familiar

D．different

9.

A．feathers

B．wool

C．nest

D．bedding

10.

A．unwrapped

B．unfolded

C．unzipped

D．unbarred

11.

A．slid

B．broke

C．turned

D．knocked

12.

A．hardly

B．definitely

C．eventually

D．desperately

13.

A．helping out

B．breaking down

C．coming around

D．going on

14.

A．ridiculous

B．mysterious

C．challenging

D．informative

15.

A．planned

B．embraced

C．conducted

D．discussed

3 . “Please, no flash photography.”

Polite requests like this can be found in museums all over the world, but they generally fail to persuade people out of taking photos of whatever they feel like. The same goes for concerts, movie theaters and other places where people routinely ignore filming restrictions. A new patent from Apple may help discourage that rebellious behavior-on phones at least.

The patent, awarded to Apple today, outlines a system which would allow venues to use an infrared emitter (红外线发射器) to remotely disable the camera function on smartphones. According to the patent, infrared rays could be picked up by the camera, and interpreted by the smartphone as a command to block the user from taking any photos or videos of whatever they’re seeing.

Many musicians and performers have banned cellphones from their shows, either because they want their audiences to actually pay attention to them, or because they don’t want the free footage (片段镜头) going viral around the web. Despite this, unauthorized (未授权的) images still manage to make their way into the public eye. The last concert of American singer Prince before he passed away was supposed to be cellphone-free —it apparently wasn’t. If Apple’s patent is introduced into iPhone software, and venues put infrared emitters around their stage, leaks like this could potentially stop happening.

But the patent also raises questions about the sort of power that this technology would be handing over to people with more immoral intentions.

Right now, there’s no guarantee that Apple intends to put this technology into any of its software —Apple doesn’t act on many of the thousands of patents it files each year —and the company wasn’t immediately available to comment on its plans for the patent.

Given the company’s rigid support of personal privacy when it comes to police requests to break into users’ devices, it’s possible that Apple just patented the technology so that no one else will use it. But who knows, if it does intend to introduce this feature to future operating systems, sales of alternative shooting devices like camcorders, or even GoPros, could get a much-needed boost, as people try to avoid having to use the prohibitive software.

1. How can Apple’s patented system prevent smartphone users from taking photos or videos at specific venues?

A．By giving out a sound wave that disables smartphone cameras.

B．By picking up infrared rays emitted by the cameras when they are filming.

C．By using infrared rays that can remotely block camera usage on smartphones.

D．By automatically deleting photos or videos if they are taken without permission.

2. Which of the following is one of the reasons why cellphones are banned from many shows?

A．To make the performers more focused on the show.

B．To avoid the unauthorized footage being freely shared and spread online.

C．To prevent the performers’ images from coming to widespread public attention.

D．To protect the audience from people with immoral intentions.

3. What does the underlined word in the fourth paragraph mean?

A．Unintended damage.	B．Unauthorized release.
C．Unexpected death.	D．Undesired freedom.

4. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．Apple has planned to apply this patent to future operating systems.

B．All the patents Apple files each year are meant to be put into its software.

C．Apple may agree to put this technology into its software due to police requests.

D．People may turn to other shooting devices if Apple introduces the prohibitive software.

4 . 假定你是李华，你的留学生朋友汤姆(Tom)喜欢中国历史，请你给他写一封邮件，推荐并介绍《上下五千年》这本通俗历史书。内容如下：
1. 写信的目的；
2. 简单介绍一下这本书及推荐的理由；
3. 表达希望。
注意：词数80左右。
参考词汇：《上下五千年》(Five Thousand Years)
Dear Tom,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

5 . As an immigrant from China, my mother loves Chinese culture deeply. She _________ Chinese food every night. She prefers to do it herself at home because she thinks the local restaurants aren’t authentic. _________, strangely enough, she likes to take my son to Panda Express to have _________ with her friends who are also from China. She is even _________ to point it out whenever they are at a food court.

Why is American Chinese food not _________ among some Chinese Americans? How is American Chinese food not better than _________ Chinese food? I can’t _________ that it’s not as good as authentic Chinese food. In fact, authentic Chinese food really tastes better while American Chinese food _________ to have food with its own taste — they are right for different persons. It’s important to _________ American Chinese food from authentic Chinese food. They are not the same __________ and have their own characteristics. So they should be treated __________. That’s why my mother thinks that Panda Express is not very authentic, but can still __________ it. Actually, American Chinese food is often created by Chinese immigrants according to their own preferences. As people from various countries have differences in their __________, it is changing.

My mother has a deep feeling for authentic Chinese food and restaurants, so I decide to open a restaurant where she and other immigrants can feel the __________ of Chinese family dinner. My son says he’ll learn Chinese cooking skills from me, which, I think, should be __________ from age to age. Likewise, I’ll also pass on the Chinese food culture to the world.

1.

A．orders

B．cooks

C．donates

D．receives

2.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Besides

D．Otherwise

3.

A．alternatives

B．restrictions

C．meals

D．comments

4.

A．unwilling

B．illegal

C．ambitious

D．quick

5.

A．agreeable

B．contemporary

C．massive

D．complicated

6.

A．complex

B．actual

C．expensive

D．previous

7.

A．believe

B．find

C．deny

D．conclude

8.

A．deserves

B．helps

C．hates

D．refuses

9.

A．make

B．prepare

C．defend

D．distinguish

10.

A．process

B．cuisine

C．mood

D．discount

11.

A．differently

B．generously

C．abnormally

D．vividly

12.

A．build

B．equip

C．accept

D．monitor

13.

A．careers

B．platforms

C．ranks

D．tastes

14.

A．decrease

B．atmosphere

C．reflection

D．duty

15.

A．spied on

B．called on

C．handed down

D．broken down

6 . How To Spend The Holidays Productively?

To get the most out of your holidays, you can make a calendar of the things you need to do and schedule in time for a mixture of fun activities and productive tasks.

Create a calendar of everything you want to do over the holidays.If you want to keep yourself on a regular schedule over your holiday break, making a calendar can help you stay organized.     1     Then, work everything else around those events.

Spend time learning or improving a skill, a craft, or a hobby.If you have a lot of free time over the holidays, try using that time to learn something new.    2     Or you might try learning to play a new song if you play the guitar.You can also try something totally new, like cross-stitching, building a model car, or brewing beer.

    3     The hustle (忙碌) of the holidays can sometimes be stressful, and there are usually a lot of tasty treats to tempt you into eating unhealthily.Luckily, you can help counteract both of these things by spending about 30 minutes a day exercising. For instance, you might go for a jog on a track, try some light aerobic exercise, or do weight training.

Volunteer to help out in your community.     4     Most communities have a year-round need for volunteers, although you may find that there are more opportunities around the holiday season, when many organizations run extra clothing and food drives.

Create a plan for the year ahead.As the year draws to a close, take a little time to think about your year ahead.     5    

A．Exercise each day to stay healthy and relieve stress.

B．Start by filling in the most important things you need to do.

C．Set aside time for any work or schoolwork you need to get done.

D．You might practice a new drawing technique if you love art, for instance.

E．Look online or reach out to nonprofits in your area to find out how you can help.

F．Spend your holiday break building contacts by looking up networking events near you.

G．By setting clear, achievable goals to accomplish, you’ll stay focused throughout the year.

7 . Plastic, which is now common, contains endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs (内分泌干扰物), that has been linked to increased risk of many chronic diseases. Parental exposure to EDCs, for example, has been shown to cause metabolic (新陈代谢的) disorders, including obesity and diabetes, in the later generations.

Led by Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, the researchers investigated the impact of fathers’ exposure to a phthalate called dicyclohexyl phthalate, or DCHP (邻苯二甲酸二环己酯), on the metabolic health of first generation (F1) and second generation (F2) in mice. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastic more durable.

The researchers found that fathers’ DCHP exposure for four weeks led to high insulin (胰岛素) resistance and impaired insulin signaling in F1. The same effect, but weaker, was seen in F2 .

“We found fathers’ exposure to EDCs may have intergenerational and transgenerational detrimental effects on the metabolic health of their later generations, ”Zhou said. “To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to demonstrate this.”

In the case of fathers’ exposure in the study, intergenerational effects are changes that occur due to direct exposure to a stressor, such as exposure to DCHP of fathers (F0 generation) and his F1 generation. Transgenerational effects are changes passed down to later generations that are not directly exposed to the stressor (for example, F2 generation).

“This suggests that fathers’ DCHP exposure can lead to sex-specific transgenerational effects on the metabolic health of their later generations,” Zhou said.

Zhou stressed that the impact of exposure to DCHP on human health is not well understood, even though DCHP is widely used in a variety of plastic products and has been detected in food, water, and indoor particulate matter.

“It’s best to minimize our use of plastic products,” Zhou said. “This can also help reduce plastic pollution, one of our most pressing environmental issues.”

1. Why are phthalates added to plastic?

A．To beautify it.	B．To make it long-lasting.
C．To reduce its cost.	D．To increase its weight.

2. What does the underlined word “detrimental” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Negative.

B．External.

C．Distinct.

D．Adventurous.

3. What did Zhou advise people to do?

A．Bury plastic waste.	B．Watch out for the food they eat.
C．Use fewest plastic products.	D．Never produce plastic products.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Plastic contains endocrine disrupting chemicals

B．Plastic pollution is a pressing environmental issue

C．DCHP is widely used in a variety of plastic products

D．Chemicals in plastic may impact two generations’ health

8 . Face blindness, a mystifying condition that can trick us into believing we recognize people we’ve never met or make us fail to recognize those we have, has been previously estimated to affect between 2 and 2.5 percent of people in the world.Now, a new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the VA Boston Healthcare System is providing fresh insights into the disorder, suggesting it may be more common than currently believed.

Published in February 2023 in Cortex, the study findings indicate that as many as one in 33 people may meet the criteria for face blindness, or prosopagnosia (面孔失认症).“This translates to more than 10 million Americans,” the research team said.

The study found similar face-matching performance between people diagnosed with prosopagnosia using stricter vs looser criteria, suggesting that diagnostic criteria should be expanded to be more inclusive. That could lead to new diagnoses among millions who may have the disorder but don’t realize it.

The study results are based on a web-based questionnaire and tests administered to 3,341 individuals.First, the researchers asked participants whether they experience difficulties recognizing faces in their everyday lives.Then they administered two objective tests to determine whether they had difficulties learning new faces or recognizing highly familiar famous faces.

The results showed that 31 individuals out of the 3,341 had major prosopagnosia, while 72 of the 3,341 had a milder form. The researchers also observed that there were no neatly divided separate groups of people with poor or good ability to recognize faces. Rather, the ability to recognize faces appeared to lie on a continuum (连续体).

Finally, the researchers compared face-matching scores among people with prosopagnosia diagnosed using different criteria and found that using stricter diagnostic cutoffs did not correspond with lower face-matching scores.

In the new study, the researchers provide diagnostic suggestions for identifying mild and major forms of prosopagnosia based on guidelines for major and mild neurocognitive disorders in the DSM5, the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

1. Which of the following indicates a person has face blindness?

A．Failing to identify his belongings.

B．Being able to recognize his friends.

C．Mistaking a stranger for an acquaintance.

D．Misunderstanding ones’ facial expressions.

2. What question is sure to be included in the questionnaire?

A．Do you have trouble recognizing faces?

B．Do you know what face blindness means?

C．Do you know anybody with face blindness?

D．Do you experience difficulties in everyday life?

3. What do we know about the DSM5?

A．It came up based on the new study.

B．It has experienced four revisions.

C．It is only used to identify face blindness.

D．It participated in and funded the new study.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A fiction novel.	B．A fashion website.
C．A health brochure.	D．A science magazine.

9 . 学校图书馆最近举办阅读分享活动，假如你是李华，请你用英语写一封信，推荐你最近在读的《红楼梦》(A Dream of Red Mansions)，开头结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
注意：1．词数80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Dear librarian,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How much does a customer need to spend to get the towels?

A．$25.

B．$50.

C．$100.

2. What does the speaker say about the towels?

A．100 towels are available.

B．They’re 100% pure cotton.

C．They come in only one color.

3. What discount can customers get if they pay with Macy’s credit card?

A．10%.

B．12%.

C．15%.

4. What is true about Macy’s?

A．It is going out of business.

B．It wants to reward the customers.

C．Its towels are the most popular product.