1 . 听下面一段独白, 回答以下小题。
1. Why does the speaker give this talk?

A．To introduce the guests.

B．To explain the change to the plan.

C．To make the procedure clear to the listeners.

2. How long will the question-part last?

A．About one hour and a half.

B．About one hour.

C．About half an hour.

3. Who will talk about the future of the toy industry?

A．Sarah Smith.

B．Robert Price.

C．Kenji Nakamura.

4. What can we learn from the talk?

A．Lunch will be served in Victoria Hall.

B．People can enjoy tea and juice after 6 p.m.

C．Sally Connor will make a conclusion of the conference.

2 . Almost no one knows the world of competitive climbing like Janja Garnbret, an Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion. Having risen to the top of the sport, the Slovenian now is using her platform to raise awareness of the “cultural trap” in climbing. She says it is contributing to a widespread issue with eating disorders.

The problem is from an outdated idea that weighing less means you climb faster. Such a mindset has created an environment where young athletes start skipping or cutting down on meals, she says, sometimes to disastrous effect. Despite not having issues with eating disorders herself, she is more than aware of friends and fellow competitors who have damaged their bodies in the pursuit of a thinner figure.

“I have to recognize that weight does have some role to play in the sport. I also want to win, but I’m a strong believer that you can do climbing, or any sport, in a healthy way. Luckily I didn’t fall into this trap.” She says.

“I was trying hard to help them get out of it, but it didn’t work. It was really hard for me to see them destroying themselves, mentally and physically.” It was experiences such as this that inspired Gambret to post a message on the social platform in July 2023 about eating disorders. The post sparked a huge response throughout the climbing community and attracted support from the likes of US rock climber Sasha DiGiulian.

In her message, Garnbret spoke about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) — a syndrome (综合征) that occurs when someone of any gender has overtrained and/or undereaten for a long period in an attempt to improve their athletic performance, often without knowing the dangers of failing to compensate (补偿) for the energy they consume in training, racing and their daily lives. Left untreated, medical experts say REDs can damage an athlete’s bone health, immune system, and psychological health, as well as his athletic performance.

1. What does the “cultural trap” in the text refer to?

A．The defeat of eating disorders.	B．The pursuit of a thinner figure.
C．The idea of keeping daily meals.	D．The mindset of climbing to the top.

2. Why did Garnbret decide to post the message on the social platform?

A．She used to fall into the cultural trap.	B．Her efforts to help dieters were in vain.
C．Her achievements deserved to be shared.	D．She wanted to receive support from DiGiulian.

3. What may lead to REDs according to the text?

A．Severe mental problems.	B．The habit of overeating.
C．Over-exercise for a long time.	D．The poor athletic performance.

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

A．The Road to a World Champion	B．Rising to Fame on Social Media
C．The Challenge of Climbing with REDs	D．Warning against Cultural Trap in Climbing

3 . Using a headset at home to deliver a low electrical current to the brain can relieve symptoms of depression. The approach, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is effective when used several times a week for half an hour at a time.

Previous trials have shown that the therapy works under medical supervision in a clinic or lab. Now, a randomised trial has demonstrated that a tDCS headset can also reduce depression symptoms when worn at home.

Several forms of electrical brain stimulation may have the potential to treat depression. With tDCS, sponge electrodes are placed on the left and right sides of the forehead, causing a mild current to flow from the left to the right. This makes brain cells on the left side more likely to fire, with some studies suggesting that activity in this region is low in people with depression.

Repeated sessions of stimulation may lead to longer term changes in the brain cells, increasing their activity levels, says team member Cynthia Fu at the University of East London. Affecting activity in this region probably alters activity in multiple areas, she says. “There are probably many brain regions causing depression.”

To see if people can benefit from using such a device at home, the team randomly assigned 174 people with moderate or severe depression to receive either a full session of stimulation from the headset or stimulation from the same device that lasted just a few seconds. People felt their skin aching at the start and end of each session.

While the depression symptoms of both groups improved on a 52-point scale, those who got the real treatment showed the most benefit, by about 9 points compared with 7, a degree of difference that is similar to that seen with antidepressants (抗抑郁药), “We found people liked having it at home,” says Fu. “Participants could build it into their day.”

1. What is the function of the headset?

A．Curing depression in patients.	B．Testing the degree of depression.
C．Adjusting brain’s electrical current.	D．Reducing symptoms of depression.

2. How does the tDCS approach work?

A．By making the left-brain cells active.	B．By causing a strong electrical current.
C．By changing the brain wave’s direction.	D．By stimulating all brain regions repeatedly.

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

A．Monitors.

B．Disturbs.

C．Limits.

D．Changes.

4. What can be learned about the participants from the last two paragraphs?

A．They feel relieved to some extent.	B．They remain relaxed in the session.
C．They use different kinds of headsets.	D．They are bound to rely on the headsets.

4 . Should I go for a brownie or a slice of cake? Is it best to take up football or swimming?     1     But it can sometimes lead to feeling scared, uncertain and torn. When you’re able to reach decisions, and accept and learn from your choices, this can give you a sense of calm.

    2     Some decisions can have consequences for your health, school and relationships. Ignoring decision making can completely lead to “burying your head in the sand”. As you grow up. making choices becomes a regular part of life.

It is really brain twisting to make tough decisions.    3     You could start by listing the different options then weighing up the pros and cons of each one. Anita Garai, author of the book, Being with Our Feelings, says, “Follow your true feeling and listen to your heart, especially if your thoughts are confused or you feel anxious. Try to catch your first impulse, before your mind questions things.”     4    

Many people worry about making the “right” decision, especially if you feel disappointed by how things turn out. There’s not always a right choice and a wrong choice.    5     If the one you choose leads to disappointment, try reflecting on it and think about whether you would make a different decision in the future.

A．Are timely decisions vital?

B．Why does choosing matter?

C．People make choices every day.

D．Think carefully before making decisions.

E．Different paths lead to different experiences.

F．But breaking down your thinking can be helpful.

G．Always be careful about making a decision just to please others.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

My husband, Robert Stone and I were enjoying a peaceful afternoon together in Barbados — our vacation destination. It was sunny and warm, and we decided it was the perfect time to go for an ocean dip.

When we were floating around, I said, “What a nice holiday! Let’s swim out, not that far but enough to be out of our depth.” But we hadn’t considered just how strong the current was on that particular day. Although we had visited Barbados several times, we didn’t realize the specific area we floated to was known for its strong current.

Noticing that we were floating in the direction of the neighboring beach, I decided to swim toward the beach we came from, against the current. I soon realized that my husband was falling behind and was suddenly too far away to even hear me. I attempted to swim to the shore to get help but struggled to push past the current. I just couldn’t get anywhere and began to scream out for a lifeguard. But no one came after a few minutes.

Just then I saw two teenage girls boogie-boarding near the shore. “Help! Help!” I screamed. Hearing my cries for help, the girls swam toward me and helped pull me onto the boogie board. One girl told me to hold on tight and tied the boogie board tether (拴绳) to her wrist. The other girl was by her side for support. They managed to swim to the shore and brought me to safety.

Grateful but still scared, I repeated that my husband was stuck farther out in the ocean. I asked for a lifeguard. The girls told me there wasn’t a lifeguard around, and they would go get him. “You can’t do that!” I told them, “Strong current!” The girls reassured me that they were in Barbados as part of a swimming camp and insisted that they were both experienced in the water.

注意：
（1）续写词数应为150个左右；
（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Before I could say anything further, they swam off with the boogie board.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Relief washed over me as the girls and Robert reached the shore.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . 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。

The 74-year-old art historian Mimi Gates has     1     (enthusiastic) participated in the conservation of the Dunhuang relies for years. When speaking about     2     topic, she goes from the cultural and historical background of the caves to the vivid details of certain paintings there.

Looking back, Gates says     3     changed her life was the decision to visit Asia when she was young. She found herself     4     (attract) to Asian culture, and decided to start with China as her primary interest. She paid her first visit     5     Dunhuang in 1995 and “had a brief glimpse of the     6     (great) of Dunhuang”. The Dunhuang grottoes are a 1,600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site     7     (comprise) about 500 caves and a large collection of Buddhist art. She was invited to return in 2009     8     (present) a paper at a conference there. Spending a few days there, Gates visited the caves whenever she had free time.

When Fan Jinshi, the then-head of the Dunhuang Research Academy,     9     (visit) the US to raise funds for the protection of the site, Gates suggested setting up a foundation     10     accepted Fan’s offer to help organize and chair the foundation, for it was such a spectacular site and so important to humanity in her mind.

7 . On nothing but a “wooden board and four wheels”, a group of women are speeding down windy mountain roads. For most people, this could sound _________. But for Anna Pixner, downhill skateboarding at speed brings a _________ feeling: freedom.

Austrian Pixner got _________ in this sport six years ago. When she started competing, she would _________ in crowds of hundreds of men. Journalists point out that she is a(n)_________ in this male-dominated sport, but Pixner has tired of such _________. “There’s not that much of a difference except that we _________ started a bit later. There is no media about it... if you never saw a woman doing that, it’s harder to get the _________ to do that.”

That is about to _________: Pixner’s journey is captured in a new film “Woolf Women,” which __________ her 5,700-kilometer journey with four other young women across Europe in 2019. One of the central __________ of the film is mental health. Pixner says she finds skating helpful to all kinds of mental issues. “For myself, I __________ it too. I used to be extremely anxious and skateboarding absolutely __________ me.”

Though skateboarding was once a sport on the __________ of society, it is now becoming more mainstream, and in 2021 became an Olympic event. Pixner hopes that downhill skateboarding will soon __________ its appeal to more youngsters.

1.

A．terrifying

B．exciting

C．surprising

D．amusing

2.

A．mixed

B．different

C．normal

D．strange

3.

A．dismissed

B．punished

C．disturbed

D．involved

4.

A．stand out

B．turn up

C．give in

D．look on

5.

A．trouble

B．example

C．exception

D．danger

6.

A．reasons

B．comments

C．behaviors

D．memories

7.

A．absolutely

B．incredibly

C．unfortunately

D．dramatically

8.

A．money

B．excuse

C．energy

D．idea

9.

A．change

B．start

C．continue

D．worsen

10.

A．monitors

B．inspires

C．designs

D．documents

11.

A．themes

B．styles

C．copies

D．rules

12.

A．discovered

B．avoided

C．experienced

D．imagined

13.

A．entertained

B．cured

C．controlled

D．exhausted

14.

A．top

B．front

C．edge

D．basis

15.

A．limit

B．reduce

C．ensure

D．expand

8 . If you are interested in wildlife and also wish to learn the artistry from the masters with their inspiring, practical and informative books, here are some recommended best sellers by world-class wildlife photographers.

British Wildlife Photography By Will Nicholls

This book brings together 250 of the winning images from 2023’s British Wildlife Photography Awards. Entered in nine categories, each image is explained by the photographer with details on how they got shot, making it a useful learning tool.

Photographing Garden Birds By Mark Carwardine

Packed with inspiring images of British birds, Carwardine details which equipment is essential, explains ways to attract different species to your garden, and offer advice on lighting tips, as well as guidance on how to shoot birds in flight. There’s even a chapter on “Working with Birds” and how to take images using your smartphone.

Butterfly Safari By Fusek Peters

View British butterflies in astonishing details in this attractive book by photographer Fusck Peters. Fusck Peters spent four years travelling around the UK in search of butterflies species. His detailed photos reveal the delicate beauty of butterflies.

Wildlife Photography By Susan Young

Photographer Susan Young offers systematic ways to locate British wildlife in this book. Learn about the importance of research before you set out, including how to find a suitable place and what to take. There are also tips on how to observe without disturbing animals.

1. Which book helps to take better smartphone photos?

A．Butterfly Safari.	B．British Wildlife Photography.
C．Wildlife Photography.	D．Photographing Garden Birds.

2. What does Susan Young share in her book?

A．Lighting tips for photography.	B．Ways on wildlife spotting.
C．How to capture animals in motion.	D．How to do wildlife research.

3. What’s the common feature of the four books?

A．They focus on British wildlife.	B．They concern natural beauty.
C．They are collections of photos.	D．They de tail ways of research.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the talk mainly about?

A．An introduction to a voluntary job.

B．An appeal for blood donation.

C．Safety rules of driving motorbikes.

2. How many advanced qualified riders does the Association have?

A．262.

B．1,400.

C．35,000.

3. What caused Angela Brown to start the volunteering?

A．Her coach’s influence.

B．Suggestions from her nephew.

C．Her community’s encouragement.

10 . As a writer, I miss rejection slips. Not that I enjoyed receiving those pre-printed slips of paper, but at least when I got one, I was pretty sure that a flesh-and-blood _______ had put it in the envelope. And there was always the chance I might see a handwritten sentence on the bottom, _______ the piece almost made it. When an editor at McCall’s wrote, “I’m afraid I have to say no on this _______ piece, but try me again on another, would you?” It was almost as _______ to me as if she had said, “We’ll _______ it and here is an advance for you”.

Nowadays, rejection slips seem to have disappeared with the use of online submissions. Most editors don’t feel it a must to _______ they have received, read, or considered your work because they receive so many _______ each day.

For me, there are three _______ of rejection slip pain. The first is _______ brought on by finding a flat “no” on a ________ piece of paper, then followed by anger (how could they ________ a piece that is obviously so much ________ than most of the stuff they print), and, finally, rebirth: I will live to ________ a new piece another day.

Learning to ________ rejection seems like part of growing up as a writer. Despite the many letters of acceptance I have received, my folder of “Noteworthy Rejection Slips” is far ________ than that of “Noteworthy Acceptances”, which indicates to me the fact: I still have some growing up to do.

1.

A．writer

B．reader

C．mailman

D．editor

2.

A．demanding

B．indicating

C．suspecting

D．arguing

3.

A．boring

B．novel

C．lengthy

D．particular

4.

A．thrilling

B．upsetting

C．embarrassing

D．amusing

5.

A．buy

B．reject

C．check

D．substitute

6.

A．prove

B．determine

C．explain

D．acknowledge

7.

A．proposals

B．drafts

C．contributions

D．instructions

8.

A．meanings

B．stages

C．wonders

D．rewards

9.

A．relief

B．frustration

C．anger

D．hesitation

10.

A．valueless

B．expensive

C．characterless

D．shiny

11.

A．make up

B．put away

C．turn down

D．insist on

12.

A．easier

B．better

C．shorter

D．longer

13.

A．print

B．revise

C．download

D．submit

14.

A．accept

B．criticize

C．judge

D．evaluate

15.

A．thinner

B．fatter

C．older

D．newer