1 . Darcie Hayward will have her five-year-old Alaskan Malamute, Sora, put paws on the pavement every day of the next month to raise funds for Guide Dogs Australia’s PAWGUST campaign.
The initiative, which encourages Australians to walk their dogs for 30 minutes a day for 30 days, is a cause close to the 29-year-old’s heart. Her younger blind brother Lachie, 27, was recently matched with a guide dog of his own, black Labrador Eddie in May after 18 months of tests and compatibility(相容)training.
“Since Eddie arrived, Lachie has been able to walk around without his cane(手杖), feeling like he is just walking his dog, ” said Darcie, who lives in Langwarrin, Victoria. “They are best friends. ” Seeing the difference a guide dog made to her brother, Darcie was overjoyed to be raising funds, so other Australians could one day have their own companion dogs, like Lachie.
“Many people see a guide dog and go, not realizing how much it takes to raise a guide dog puppy so I want to raise some awareness, ” said Darcie. “It’s amazing to see how Lachie’s life has improved, but there are many people without that companionship. It’s really nice to be able to contribute in any way I can. I shared the experience on our local community web page, mentioning we are raising money for guide dogs. Surprisingly, a couple of strangers donated. ”
It seems that Eddie has already been a popular pup with the locals. “There are so many kids who have been asking to pat Eddie that Lachie has to reject them, ” Darcie added with a smile. Excited to be making a positive impact by walking her own dog, Darcie is eager to encourage more people to fetch their leashes(牵狗用的皮带) and tie up their trainers to take action.
1. What is the campaign?| A．A charitable event. |
| B．A training course. |
| C．A walking test. |
| D．A community action. |
| A．Slight. |
| B．Positive. |
| C．Potential. |
| D．Undesirable. |
| A．To save more guide dogs. |
| B．To spread Lachie’s story. |
| C．To help more blind people. |
| D．To interact with the neighbors. |
| A．Do more walking. |
| B．Raise their own dogs. |
| C．Donate some leashes. |
| D．Get involved in the campaign. |
2 . When I was young, my family had trouble with money. My parents worked at a restaurant, and I often helped them. One day, a newcomer ordered a meal, but had no money on him. He asked if he could pay another time, and asked me what my
That night, my mom was
My mom told me to check the mailbox again. I
I looked at it and saw this: Dear Angela, Love, Your Friend. I tore it open and emptied the
| A．wish | B．number | C．duty | D．name |
| A．ugly | B．familiar | C．odd | D．mad |
| A．searched | B．hesitated | C．begged | D．wandered |
| A．patiently | B．calmly | C．asleep | D．alone |
| A．wages | B．senses | C．life | D．way |
| A．whispering | B．weeping | C．waiting | D．chatting |
| A．predict | B．present | C．afford | D．announce |
| A．assured | B．stroke | C．forgave | D．annoyed |
| A．cut | B．poured | C．broke | D．reached |
| A．lock | B．bill | C．ownership | D．description |
| A．make | B．shut | C．believe | D．handle |
| A．contents | B．coins | C．packs | D．clothes |
| A．restored | B．known | C．addressed | D．acknowledged |
| A．staff | B．manager | C．customer | D．relative |
| A．On account of | B．Apart from | C．Instead of | D．In spite of |
After Justin Gordon came back from his last delivery, the kitchen was clean and empty and the lights were off. He was changing his clothes when the restaurant’s landline rang. He wasn’t supposed to answer the phone, but he was afraid it might be his boss, Mr. Kelso. So he picked up the phone and said, “Gourmet Restaurant, may I help you?” An old woman’s voice was on the other side, “I’m so glad you’re still open! I’ve just returned from a long trip and I have no food in the house. I really want to order some dinner!” Justin hesitated for a moment, then he wrote down the woman’s name and address and headed for the kitchen.
Fortunately, Justin was an excellent cook. In fact, his late father was a good chef and his dream was to become another, but he couldn’t afford to enter the Culinary Academy(烹饪学院).
The food was ready soon. He wouldn’t have time to clean up the kitchen if he was to de- liver the food quickly. So he decided to come into work early the next morning. He jumped onto his motorbike and headed for the customer’s address.
A woman in a wheelchair answered the door. “Good evening, Madam, this is a special delivery from Gourmet Restaurant. It is free of charge!” Justin said.
Early the next morning, the first thing for Justin was to clean up the kitchen.
He had nearly finished when Mr. Kelso walked in. “You’re not the chef! You’re allowed in the kitchen only if it’s to pick up deliveries!” he screamed, “you acted against the rule! YOU’RE FIRED!” Justin was close to tears, but he knew that he had broken the rule. There was nothing he could say more.
Mr. Kelso was extremely angry. When he went to dinner at his mother’s that evening, he told her all about it. “Some woman phoned in an order after hours, and he left the kitchen in chaos!” he scoffed, “can you believe it?”
“Yes,” his mother said, “I phoned him, son.”
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。
His mother told him what happened that evening.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mr. Kelso managed to find Justin and invite him to lunch at Gourmet Restaurant.
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4 . The process by which rich land becomes desert is called desertification(沙漠化).
Africa’s Great Green Wall is a project to build an 8000-kilometer-long forest across 11 of the continent’s countries. The project is meant to contain the growing Sahara Desert and fight climate change.
Launched in 2007, the project aims to plant a forest from Senegal on the Atlantic Ocean in western Africa to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti in the east.
The U. N. desertification agency says the project will need to plant an average of 8. 2 million hectares yearly to reach its goal of 100 million hectares by 2030.
| A．It has severe impacts on the environment. |
| B．That is only 4 percent of the program’s goal. |
| C．However, it is difficult to carry out the project. |
| D．But the project has been facing many problems. |
| E．The project would create millions of green jobs in rural Africa. |
| F．Despite many problems, those involved in the project remain hopeful. |
| G．Some countries have struggled to keep up with the demands of the project. |
5 . In many casual discussion of language on the Internet, it’s common to hear about how “textspeak (短信语言)” is ruining language. Some people argue that technology has made us lazy about how we speak and write. Mainstream media have complained about the way in which people communicate using technology.
Of course, language does change when it’s used to text or write messages online. “Textspeak” is an evolution of language. It’s even the focus of the field of linguistics (语言学) called Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). This field is devoted to the study of interaction facilitated by technology like computers, mobile phones and tablets. People have been complaining about language being “ruined” as long as they’ve been writing and speaking. In a talk, linguist John McWhorter shared stories of people complaining about language change through the ages. He said in AD 63, for example, a Roman scholar complained that students of Latin were writing in an “artificial language”. In fact, this writing was a new language that would become French!
Today, people are able to communicate rapidly using a wide variety of tools and technologies. Perhaps no linguistic development better indicates changes in the ways we communicate than the popular emoticon (表情符号), which can produce very clear pictures in our minds. The emoticon “:)”, for example, is a visual representation of a smiley face turned sideways. Although an emoticon may look like a smile, a frown or any number of facial expressions, it doesn’t really represent a face. Instead, it’s intended to express a feeling, such as “I’m happy” or “just joking”.
Emoticons that represent these feelings are what linguists call discourse particles. These are little pieces of language that offer information about the tone of the statement though some elders feel puzzled about it. Far from ruining language, it turns out that “textspeak” enables people to communicate complex feelings in a simple, streamlined manner. This kind of change is perfect for the modern, fast-paced world.
1. What have mainstream media complained about according to paragraph 1?| A．Communication barriers. | B．The mode of communication. |
| C．Technological innovations. | D．The laziness of modern people. |
| A．By giving an example. | B．By conducting an experiment. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By underlying assumptions. |
| A．Misty. | B．Violent. | C．Vivid. | D．Mysterious. |
| A．Approving. | B．Tolerant. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Unclear. |
6 . The universe is incredibly vast. The diameter (直径) of the observable universe is estimated to be about 93 billion light years across. With just our eyes, we can generally only see a few thousand light years worth of distance though there are some objects we can see that are much further away. The farthest object we can see with our eyes is Andromeda Galaxy (仙女座星系) located 2.5 million light years away, and yet it is only visible if there is little light pollution. In order to see farther into space, we must rely on telescopes. How far can we see using the most powerful telescopes?
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was the record holder for the farthest visible distance in space until the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2021. JWST is now the most powerful telescope ever built, and it is able to see the universe as it was only 200 million years after the Big Bang. That means that JWST is able to piece together an additional 300 million years of universal history compared to HST. JWST will be able to study some of the first galaxies to form after the Big Bang.
The farthest physical distance we can see is the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR). CMBR can be thought of as the echo (回声) of the Big Bang as it is the leftover radiation from the birth of the universe. The CMBR itself is the farthest possible distance humans can see as it represents the moment that the universe became transparent to light. Although light did exist before CMBR, gas and dust were simply too dense for light to cross space. CMBR formed only 380,000 years after the Big Bang, and so we are seeing the universe prior to the formation of even the first stars.
1. Why does the author mention Andromeda Galaxy?| A．To present the origin of the universe. |
| B．To stress the severity of space pollution. |
| C．To show the limited range of human vision. |
| D．To prove humans' wonderful view of space. |
| A．It was launched in 2022. |
| B．It is more advanced than HST. |
| C．It can see 300 million years after the Big Bang. |
| D．It was used to study the formation of the first galaxies. |
| A．Distant. | B．Rare. |
| C．Tiny. | D．Thick. |
| A．How Far Can Humans See In Space? | B．How Will JWST Be Applied? |
| C．How Will Humans Explore Space? | D．How Far Can JWST See? |
7 . About 15 years ago, Andrew McLindon, a businessman and cycling enthusiast, was riding his bike in Austin, Texas, when he thought about a good friend’s 12-year-old son. The boy had never known the joy of biking because he suffered from hydrocephalus, a buildup of liquid in the brain that often causes balance disturbances.
When he got home, McLindon, now 60, went online and found a three-wheel bike with a seat belt, perfect for a child with balance issues. Soon the boy was pedaling around the street with his friends, having fun and getting exercise. But there was more, as McLindon obtained from his friend’s reaction. “To see his son interacting with other kids,” McLindon says, “I’ll never forget the smile on the boy’s face.”
That smile has contributed to launching the McLindon Family Foundation. Funded by donations, the group works with children’s clinics to find children who can benefit from owning an adaptive bike and help craft each bike to the particular needs of the special child. A bike may include a headrest, a shoulder harness, a seat belt, and a caregiver’s steering and braking mechanism in the back. The bikes are expensive—$3,000 to $4,000, and that’s with the foundation’s steep producer’s discount. For kids lucky enough to get one, they’re a life changer.
“We worked with a 14-year-old girl who has spina bifida (脊柱裂),” says McLindon. “She spent most days on the couch watching TV. Soon after she got her bike, she was training for professional sports training. In a magazine interview, she said, ‘I always knew there was an athlete in me.’”
So far, the foundation has given away 450 bikes, and that’s just a start. “I do a lot of things. I run a lot of companies,” McLindon says. “But getting these kids their bikes is the most important thing that I do.”
1. Which of the following led McLindon to start the foundation?| A．His enthusiasm for cycling. |
| B．The joy a bike brought to a kid. |
| C．The proposal from his good friend. |
| D．His son’s suffering from a brain disease. |
| A．They lack fund support. |
| B．They have safety issues. |
| C．They are very cheap and affordable. |
| D．They are designed for disabled kids. |
| A．She recovered physically. |
| B．She stopped watching TV. |
| C．Her athletic potential was developed. |
| D．Her desire to give was stimulated. |
| A．A bike seller. | B．Life-altering cycles. |
| C．Mentally-disabled kids. | D．An interactive platform. |
8 . If you’re taking the train in Switzerland, your first stop should be the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) website. Except for a few scenic routes, SBB runs all the regional, commuter trains, and high-speed trains in the country.
Kinds
●R, RE, and IR are regional trains that are slower, cheaper, and stop at all or most stations between two major centers.
●IC or ICN (the N is for “night”) are fast trains that connect major cities but do not stop at smaller towns along the way.
●S or S-Bahn trains are frequent commuter trains that connect cities and suburbs. If you miss an S train, there’s usually another one coming soon after.
Service
The SBB website sells one-way or round-trip tickets between Swiss cities and other cities in Europe. They also sell City Tickets, including the train to that city, public transportation in the town, and a travel pass that typically allows access to several touristic sites.
Ways of buying tickets
To purchase a ticket or research schedule options, type in your point-to-point destinations first and preferred travel time. You can select the train that works best for you. Once you’ve selected your route, enter your passenger information. You’ll have the option to purchase a City Ticket. Complete your purchase with a credit card. You will be issued a voucher (票券).
Tips
Children below 16 years of age travel free. But you must pick up a Swiss Family Card before traveling. For travelers with disabilities, select “Barrier-free travel” from the pull-down menu labeled “Standard view” to see only trains that have wheelchair-accessible carriages.
Your ticket will not show a seat reservation. If you buy tickets at the SBB counter or office in the train station, you’ll have the option of reserving a seat in advance.
1. Which of the following is the feature of S-Bahn trains?| A．They run frequently. | B．They are cheap and slow. |
| C．They stop at all cities in Europe. | D．They only connect major cities. |
| A．Insert your credit card. | B．Input your coins. |
| C．Input your destination. | D．Choose your preferred train. |
| A．By calling SBB office to book tickets. | B．By buying tickets at the SBB counter. |
| C．By booking tickets at SBB website. | D．By paying some extra money. |
9 . If job seekers knew companies were using AI to fill open positions, would it stop them from applying for the job? The answer, according to a recent study, is yes — sometimes.
The researchers found that in certain instances, like the screening (筛选) of applications, participants usually accepted some degree of automation. But in other instances, like interviews, automation could stop job seekers from applying for a position.
Companies facing recent labor shortages are increasingly turning to AI as a way to facilitate and speed up the hiring process. AI can be used in tasks such as screening job candidates, checking professional licenses, and interviewing candidates.
The new research suggests that using AI in hiring could be quite opposite. For instance, in one part of the study, participants were shown fictional job postings and then asked if they intended to apply for the position. The researchers found that if the job posting said that AI was used both to screen applicants and to conduct interviews, participants’ intention to apply for the position averaged 2.77 on a six-point scale. If AI was used only for the screening process, participants’ intention to apply averaged 3.73.
In another experiment, the researchers also found that study participants saw pros and cons in the use of AI in interviewing. When told the hiring would be fully automated, some participants expected the whole hiring process to be more consistent (始终如一的) in its judgments. But others tended to believe that they had less voice in the final outcome. Overall, the study results suggest this concern tends to outweigh the appreciation of AI’s lack of bias (偏见) at the interviewing stage.
A mixed approach may be a way to get the best of both worlds. Participants may have been more open to automation earlier in the hiring process because they could see some benefits from using AI — such as less-biased decisions. But during the later stages applicants expect personal interaction, to give them an opportunity to sell themselves and to learn more about the company.
1. Why do companies increasingly turn to AI in hiring?| A．To attract more applicants. | B．To boost hiring process. |
| C．To pick out top candidates. | D．To solve labor shortages. |
| A．Screening job candidates. | B．Interviewing candidates. |
| C．Grading professional licenses. | D．Predicting final outcomes. |
| A．Less AI involvement. | B．Lack of consistent judgments. |
| C．Less-biased decisions. | D．Lack of personal interaction. |
| A．Hi-tech is a two-edged sword. |
| B．AI finds its way to hiring process. |
| C．Automation may discourage job seekers. |
| D．A mixed approach should be adopted in hiring. |
10 . Called “America’s wolf”, the red wolf is the only large predator whose historic range is found entirely within the United States, stretching from Texas to New England. But hunting gradually reduced its range, and it was declared extinct in the wild in 1980.
Recovery efforts in the wild began in 1987 on the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. In a ground-breaking successful experiment, eight captive (圈养的) wolves were released this year into North Carolina, eventually growing into a population over 100, reaching a peak of around 120 wolves in 2012. But illegal hunting and management changes by the Fish and Wildlife Service resulted in their numbers plummeting.
In the spring, conservationists celebrated a small bit of good news when four captive-born pups (幼兽) were placed into a cave and successfully adopted by a wild red wolf mother. Meanwhile, another four adults were released into the wild. The pups are thought to be still alive and healthy. But the adults didn’t go well. In the months after release, three were struck by cars and killed, and the fourth was fatally shot on private land.
To boost the population after these deaths, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in November that it planned to release nine adult red wolves into their recovery area this winter, land within and surrounding two wildlife reserves.
The Service also recently announced it would withdraw a 2018 proposal to shrink (缩小) the red wolves’ protected area in North Carolina by 90 percent, after a lawsuit accused the agency of going against the Endangered Species Act. Ron Sutherland of the Wildlands Network says it’s crucial that the agency has abandoned this wrong-headed proposal. And yet the situation now is even more urgent than it was in 2018 — this should launch the conservation community in the U. S. into crisis mode to save this species and bring it back from the extinction.
1. What does the underlined word “plummeting” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Promising. | B．Declining. | C．Multiplying. | D．Increasing. |
| A．The released wolves lived well. |
| B．The population boosted after the release. |
| C．The red wolf faced greater threat than before. |
| D．The released red wolves still needed protection. |
| A．Shrink the red wolves’ reserves. |
| B．Make a proposal to protect the red wolves. |
| C．Put some red wolves in some specific places. |
| D．Force the protected area into the state of emergency. |
| A．The protection of red wolves. | B．Challenges faced by red wolves. |
| C．Reasons for red wolves extinction. | D．The relationship between red wolves and humans. |
