1 . ※ Brown Girl Dreaming

By Jacqueline Woodson

As a winner of the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and a Newberry Honor Book, in her book, Brown Girl Dreaming, the author uses poetry to tell her true story of growing up as a black woman in the 1960s and 1970s. Woodson’s beautiful language explores big ideas while describing her family, her growing awareness of race and the civil rights movement, and her life in South Carolina and New York City.

※ When You Were Everything

By Ashley Woodfolk

Cleo and Layla have been best friends for years. But in their second year of middle school, everything changes. Layla starts hanging out with her new friends, and the two girls’ friendship slowly ends. Cleo is still trying to make sense of what happened as she tries to make new friends. Told across two timelines, Cleo’s story of sadness surrounding a lost friendship will be relevant for many 8th graders trying to deal with past middle school friend drama and looking forward to high school.

※ The Hound of the Baskervilles

By Arthur Conan Doyle

The famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Watson set out to look into a new case in Dartmoor, England. A man is dead, with many dog paw prints leading to his body. Holmes and Watson arrive in Dartmoor to find several unexplainable events and clues. Together, they start to figure out a puzzle that has defined mystery and detective fiction ever since.

※ The Hobbit

By J. R. R. Tolkien

This story is an opener to the longer and more challenging The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s an adventure story set in a fantasy world. With dwarves (小矮人), hobbits, sword fights, wizards and dragons, the book’s plot and humor have stood the test of time.

1. How is Brown Girl Dreaming different from the other books?

A．It focuses on city life.	B．It uses clear language.
C．It has won many awards.	D．It tells humorous stories.

2. What is When You Were Everything mainly about?

A．Friendship and growth.	B．Lost love and gained hope.
C．Learning to be more independent.	D．Dealing with pressure from schoolwork.

3. Which book suits whoever wants to read about adventures?

A．The Hobbit	B．Brown Girl Dreaming
C．When You Were Everything	D．The Hound of the Baskervilles

2 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.

I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.

Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.

I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.

The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.

Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.

1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Enjoy.

B．Fear.

C．Expect.

D．Avoid.

2. Why does the author think some callers treat her badly?

A．They get angry too easily.	B．They blame her for their debts.
C．They do not see her as a real person.	D．They accuse her of taking their money.

3. Why does the author think she is good at her job?

A．She can offer callers best advice.	B．She is always respected by callers.
C．She can put herself in others’ shoes.	D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity.

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

A．To call for understanding of her job.	B．To explain why she is good at her job.
C．To introduce what she is responsible for.	D．To complain about her being treated badly.

3 . We all want to know what happiness means and try to find ways to help make our life better. Happiness — you know it when you see it, but it’s hard to define. You might call it a sense of well-being, optimism or meaningfulness in life, although those could also be treated separately.     1     we know that we want it, and that is just somehow good.

We also know that we don’t always have control over our happiness. Research suggests that genetics may play a big role in our level of happiness, so some of us may start out at a disadvantage. On top of that, environmental factors can bring down mood and dry up our thirst for living.     2    . Many studies have found a connection between psychological and physical well-being.

A 2022 review of more than 200 studies found a connection between positive psychological features, such as happiness, optimism and life satisfaction, and a lowered risk of heart disease.

    3    . If you have a good sense of well-being, it’s easier to maintain good habits: exercising, eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep.

    4    , and they do not provide hard evidence of cause and effect. But some researchers believe that positive mental states do have a direct effect on the body, perhaps by reducing damaging physical processes. For instance, they found that optimism is associated with lower levels of inflammation (炎症).

If what you mean by happiness is specifically “enjoyment of life”, there’s newer evidence to support that, too. A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that people aged 60 and over who said they enjoyed life less were more likely to develop disability over an 8-year period.     5    . This study does not prove that physical problems are caused by less enjoyment of life, but suggests a relationship.

A．But whatever happiness really is.

B．It might take more work if your mood is low.

C．For now these studies can only show associations.

D．That refers to the person, and the situation he or she is in.

E．Being able to travel around was also related to enjoyment of life.

F．To manage our emotions is important for both our body and mind.

G．It’s not as simple as “you must be happy to prevent heart attacks”, though.

4 . 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，并将答案填写在答题卡相应的位置上。

The 38th Qinhuai Lantern Festival Lights Up China

On the evening of February 2, the 2024 “Light Up China” event, the 38th annual China Qinhuai Lantern Festival lighting ceremony,     1    (begin) at the Bailuzhou Park in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. The Qinhuai Lantern Festival,     2     is also known as the “Jinling Lantern Festival”, is a folk cultural activity spread in Nanjing in history. It is usually held during the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival every year. It is the most famous lantern festival in China and it is included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.

With the Bailuzhou Park, the Confucius Temple Scenic Area and the Laomendong District serving     3     main display venues, this year’s Qinhuai Lantern Fair has set up 7 exhibition areas with 330 lantern installations.

    4    (compare) to previous years’ lantern festivals, one of the major highlights this year is the remarkable “the Year of the Dragon” theme. For instance, at the front of the Linxing Gate of the Confucius Temple in Nanjing, the lantern display features twin dragons winding around pillars, blowing out dragon pearls, symbolizing auspiciousness (吉祥) and reunion. Meanwhile, the Bailuzhou Park takes     5    (inspire) from the “Illustration of Lanterns in the Shangyuan Festival” as its creative theme, showing     6     total of 68 sets of lanterns in various sizes and forms, recreating the splendid scene of observing lanterns during the Ming dynasty as described in the ancient artworks.

The Lantern Festival in Nanjing this year not only celebrates the traditional customs of the Lunar New Year but also highlights the city’s cultural heritage and     7    (innovation) spirit, drawing visitors from across the nation     8    (participate) in the joyous celebrations.

A local elderly person said to a news reporter     9    (proud), “It has the reputation of No. 1 Lantern Festival in the world and the Qinhuai Lantern Festival     10    (be) the best in the world. It is the only large-scale comprehensive lantern festival in China that integrates lantern exhibitions, lantern festivals and lantern markets.”

5 . 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。

Chinese feature film Beyond the Clouds has touched a lot of moviegoers with its     1     (move) story of heroic rural school teacher Zhang Guimei. The production team of the movie told the Global Times that they hoped Zhang’s noble spirit and faith in education could     2     (convey) to the world.

Moviegoers praised the film Beyond the Clouds     3     (adapt) from the remarkable life of Zhang, who founded China’s first free all-girls high school in Huaping County, Southwest China’s Yunnan Province and     4     (help) over 1,800 poor girls head out of the mountains and realize their dreams of going to college.

As head of the school,     5     (visit) over 1,300 families in poverty, Zhang has traveled over 100,000 kilometers, earning her the title of “Outstanding Chinese Principal”. “Principal Zhang always thinks long-term and attaches great     6     (significant) to protecting girls’ privacy and dignity. She has devoted all her energy     7     the students. She’s a selfless     8     great person,” Yang Jin, one of the film’s directors, told the Global Times.

The film’s title     9     (actual) comes from the pledge (誓言) of the high school, “I was born beyond the clouds, not underneath a stream, and I desire to glare down upon the mediocrity (平庸) of canyons (峡谷) from the summit of the peaks.” “We expect children to see the film,     10     tells them that they need to overcome difficulties to climb up to the summit of the high mountain,” Yang said.

6 . Someone wise once said that there's no wrong time to learn. There's nothing more _________ than seeing someone try to study and learn new things years after they were last at school. A woman is now getting much _________ for graduating from Texas University.

Minnie Payne, a 90-year-old woman,_________ to get her Master's degree 73 years after graduating from high school in 1950._________ that she wasn't ready to give up on her academic career just yet, she went to Texas University. This made her the _________ graduate who completed her _________ and earned a degree at the university at any level.

Payne wasn't born into a family of intellectuals. She _________ quite poor in the South Carolina textile（纺织业）community. Despite her humble _________ , she said, “I've always tried to _________ myself. ”Talking about the importance of __________ and how it helped us, she added, "When you gain an education, you better yourself and those around you. Certainly, you gain __________ as well." She's undoubtedly a devoted student. Her __________ for knowledge coupled with her discipline is quite impressive.

According to Payne, her education wasn't an __________ part of her childhood, considering the __________ she was born into. Since her parents didn't __________ understand the importance of education, there was nobody there to __________ her in that direction. She said, "We were poor, but we __________ to realize we were poor because everybody else was in the same boat."

"Payne was __________ throughout the program to getting the education, knowledge and skills she __________ ," said Billy Roessler, who was Payne's academic adviser. "And her story __________ the fact that it's never too late to learn."

1.

A．frightening

B．contradictory

C．inspiring

D．joyful

2.

A．excitement

B．attention

C．service

D．encouragement

3.

A．agreed

B．happened

C．promised

D．decided

4.

A．Realizing

B．Hoping

C．Revealing

D．Remembering

5.

A．tallest

B．smartest

C．oldest

D．best

6.

A．purposes

B．coursework

C．challenges

D．exploration

7.

A．ended up

B．turned out

C．came out

D．grew up

8.

A．beginnings

B．personalities

C．strengths

D．requirements

9.

A．improve

B．express

C．simplify

D．identify

10.

A．reputation

B．environment

C．education

D．difference

11.

A．sympathy

B．knowledge

C．wealth

D．rescue

12.

A．application

B．demand

C．preparation

D．thirst

13.

A．important

B．extreme

C．obvious

D．especial

14.

A．platform

B．trend

C．poverty

D．direction

15.

A．traditionally

B．exactly

C．particularly

D．roughly

16.

A．believe

B．transport

C．accompany

D．push

17.

A．failed

B．struggled

C．longed

D．declined

18.

A．addicted

B．exposed

C．committed

D．attached

19.

A．lost

B．desired

C．supported

D．acquired

20.

A．monitors

B．replaces

C．changes

D．proves

7 . The voice within can guide you toward development and optimism. But sometimes, that inner dialogue also presents a critical voice.     1     Having control of your inner voice can be a powerful tool for creating cycles of positive thinking. Here are some good ideas that help control your thoughts in a healthy way.

    2     People who don’t believe in themselves can go through life allowing negative thoughts to guide them. So, have you ever realized that negative chatter is filling your head? For example, “I’m not worthy” or “I have no skills to take on this challenge”. Write down all negative thoughts that may be coming to your mind so that you may begin to replace these with healthy ones as you begin to change your way of thinking.

Choose your friend circle wisely. If you want to live a happy life, it’s important to surround yourself with people who want to see you do good.     3     Well, science backs this up! So surround yourself with friends who express healthy thoughts and a positive mindset.

Shift your mindset toward growth. A growth mindset is a belief that your talents are developable over time. A person with a growth mindset tends to be less likely to suffer mental health problems. So do develop a growth mindset!     4    

Choose to respond rather than react. Often, when someone feels triggered (激怒), they react without thinking.     5     However, by choosing to respond carefully rather than react, you’re exercising control over your thoughts in healthy ways. So next time you notice a strong thought coming up, do reflect before responding.

A．Identify negative thoughts.

B．Learn from negative thoughts.

C．It points out shortcomings, limitations and worries.

D．As a result, they usually end up saying something they may regret.

E．Are you feeling there are repetitive thoughts circling around your head?

F．In this way, you’ll be more determined to achieve happiness and success.

G．A saying goes that you’re the average of the five people you spend time with.

8 . In a new study with 22 pairs of identical twins, Stanford Medicine researchers have found that a vegan diet improves cardiovascular (心血管) health.

Although it’s well-known that eating less meat improves cardiovascular health, diet studies are often hampered by factors like genetic differences, upbringing and lifestyle choices. By studying identical twins, however, the researchers were able to control genetics and limit the other factors, as the twins grew up in the same households and reported similar lifestyles.

The trial consisted of 22 pairs of identical twins. The study authors selected healthy participants without cardiovascular disease and matched one twin from each pair with either a vegan or omnivore (杂食) diet. The vegan diet was entirely plant-based, including no meat or animal products while the omnivore diet included chicken, fish, eggs and other animal-sourced foods.

During the first four weeks, a meal service delivered 21 meals per week. For the remaining four weeks, the participants prepared their own meals. The participants were interviewed about their dietary intake and kept a record of the food they ate. 43 participants completed the study.

“Our study used a generalizable diet accessible to anyone, because 21 out of the 22 vegans followed through with the diet,” said Christopher Gardner, a professor in the Stanford Prevention Research Center. “This suggests anyone who chooses a vegan diet can improve their long-term health in two months, with the most change seen in the first month.”

The researchers found the most improvement over the first four weeks of the diet change. The participants with a vegan diet had significantly lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (脂蛋白胆固醇)   levels, which are associated with improved cardiovascular health than the omnivore participants. The vegan participants also showed approximately a 20% drop in fasting insulin (胰岛素) —a higher insulin level is a risk factor for developing diabetes. The vegans also lost an average of 4. 2 more pounds than the omnivores.

“Based on these results, most of us would benefit from going to a more plant-based diet,” Gardner said. But that doesn’t mean going completely vegan. Adding more plant-based food into your diet is the key to better heart health.

1. Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “hampered” in paragraph 2?

A．Affected.

B．Enhanced.

C．Destroyed.

D．Accompanied.

2. What do we know about the participants during the study?

A．Each of them was charged for 21 meals.

B．They cooked by themselves in the later part.

C．They regularly reported the food they delivered.

D．Half of them went on a vegan diet consistently.

3. What can be learned from paragraph 5?

A．More people tend to have an omnivore diet.	B．Choosing a more plant-based diet is challenging.
C．A vegan diet has insignificant effects on health.	D．The suggested diet is easily accepted by people.

4. How can a vegan diet affect the participants?

A．They will develop a weaker heart.	B．Their cholesterol level will be the lowest.
C．They will have a healthier weight.	D．Their insulin will be stopped from working.

9 . Denmark has one of the lowest rates of bullying (欺凌) in schools. But this is something that didn’t happen overnight. Anti-bullying programs were introduced in Danish schools over 15 years ago, according to Euronews, but it’s something that has to be constantly updated to meet the changing times.

Programs begin in primary grades where children are taught empathy (共情) and how to avoid bullying. At the Sluseholmen Skole school in Copenhagen, meditation and hugs are part of the morning routine. According to Maja Hindsgaul, a teacher at the school, this is the key to well-being.

“I’m the one they can talk to if something is difficult. And I’m actually talking a lot about who I am and what I like and it’s OK if they like to hug. I like that, too,” she told Euronews. “Of course, they have to learn to read and write and things like that, but they can do that if they feel safe. It’s my task to make them feel safe so that they can develop social skills at school.”

Learning how to live with one another is a large part of the anti-bullying programs and this appears to be working well in the younger grades. “We’re always trying to get the kids to work together in different types of groups, across genders and not always with their best friends,” said teacher Louise Ibsen. “They’re also practicing social skills for how to communicate.”

A new program was rolled out in the 2021/22 school year according to a Mary Foundation news release. Our School Strength is a joint effort from the Mary Foundation, Borns Vilkar, a Danish child organization, and Save the Children Denmark. The program is the result of four years of research and cooperation by the nonprofit groups. It’s designed to deal with bullying up to grade 10 and focuses on students’ well-being and to help the youth feel that they are accepted and play an active role in the community. Anti-bullying programs that teach children empathy for others at a young age can make a big difference when these students become teenagers.

1. Which word can best describe the anti-bullying programs?

A．Unsuccessful.

B．Effective.

C．Outdated.

D．Smooth.

2. How does Maja Hindsgaul help her students feel safe?

A．By giving them constant hugs.	B．By practicing meditation.
C．By showing sympathy for them.	D．By offering support.

3. What should be a focus of the anti-bullying programs in Ibsen’s opinion?

A．Developing students’ social skills.	B．Keeping students working out.
C．Providing a different atmosphere.	D．Improving students’ learning state.

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

A．Measures Are Being Taken in Denmark to Expand Schools

B．Teachers Are Focused on Promoting Well-being in Denmark

C．Denmark’s Empathy Measures Work in Reducing Bullying

D．Denmark’s Anti-bullying Programs Are Recognized Globally

10 . The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge is a science competition for U. S. middle-school students. It's run by Society for Science, which also publishes Science News Explores. The 30 finalists in this year's competition traveled to Washington, D. C. and also showed off their research projects.

Sharanya Chudgar, 14 years old, is one of the finalists in the competition and built a trash-collecting robot. The wheeled machine of the robot uses sensors to spot litter and a pan to pick it up. The robot's metal-detecting sensor helps it sort garbage from recyclables. And a light sensor can let the robot's solar panel angle itself toward the sun, collecting as much energy as possible.

Sharanya got the idea to build her trash collector by participating in litter cleanups. "When I signed up to volunteer at our local trash cleanup, I saw how much litter poliution there was and I knew that I had to fix this problem," Sharanya says. "People do have very limited time and resources, right? But robots don't. So it was then that my project idea formed in my head."

"Building the robot is my favorite part of this project," Sharanya says. "Ever since first grade, I've loved building Legos and building my robot felt just like building a Lego. But this project was a completely new experience since I hadn't ever had any experience in robotics before. Throughout the project, I had to use tons of power tools and I even had to cut pieces of metal to certain lengths. Whenever I needed to use a power tool, I had to turn to my dad who was always there to help out if necessary."

"It might seem difficult at times, but sticking to this and changing just one variable at a time gets you the best results," Sharanya says. This middle school scientist is solving global problems of litter pollution. For some, a science project might be an assignment or a fun hobby. But for Sharanya, doing research can also be a chance to help others and make the world a better place.

1. What can be known about the trash-collecting robot?

A．It is environment-friendly.	B．Its solar panel can't turn.
C．It has multiple purposes.	D．Its shape is like a human.

2. What inspired Sharanya to develop the robot?

A．The limited natural resources.	B．The encouragement from the locals.
C．Her trash cleanup experiences.	D．Her participation in the competition.

3. Why does Sharanya mention Legos in paragraph 4?

A．To express her thanks to her father.	B．To show her love for the project.
C．To explain the difficulty of the project.	D．To tell her interest in building Legos.

4. What is the author's attitude towards Sharanya's invention?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Negative.

C．Critical.

D．Approving.