1 . Common water plant could provide a green energy source. Scientists have figured out how to get large amounts of oil from duckweed, one of nature’s fastest-growing water plants. Transferring such plant oil into biodiesel (生物柴油) for transportation and heating could be a big part of a more sustainable future.

For a new study, researchers genetically engineered duckweed plants to produce seven times more oil per acre than soybeans. John Shanklin, a biochemist says further research could double the engineered duckweed’s oil output in the next few years.

Unlike fossil fuels, which form underground, biofuels can be refreshed faster than they are used. Fuels made from new and used vegetable oils, animal fat and seaweed can have a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels do, but there has been a recent negative view against them. This is partly because so many crops now go into energy production rather than food; biofuels take up more than 100 million acres of the world’s agricultural land.

Duckweed, common on every continent but Antarctica, is among the world’s most productive plants, and the researchers suggest it could be a game-changing renewable energy source for three key reasons. First, it grows readily in water, so it wouldn’t compete with food crops for agricultural land. Second, duckweed can grow fast in agricultural pollution released into the water. Third, Shanklin and his team found a way to avoid a major biotechnological barrier: For the new study, Shanklin says, the researchers added an oil-producing gene, “turning it on like a light switch”by introducing a particular molecule (分子) only when the plant had finished growing. Shanklin says, “If it replicates (复制) in other species-and there’s no reason to think that it would not — this can solve one of our biggest issues, which is how we can make more oil in more plants without negatively affecting growth.”

To expand production to industrial levels, scientists will need to design and produce large-scale bases for growing engineered plants and obtaining oil — a challenge, Shanklin says, because duckweed is a non-mainstream crop without much existing infrastructure (基础设施).

1. What can people get from duckweed firsthand?

A．Plant oil.	B．Stable biodiesel.
C．Sustainable water.	D．Natural heat.

2. What does paragraph 4 mainly convey?

A．Options for renewable energy.

B．Reasons for engineering genes.

C．The potential of revolutionary energy source.

D．The approach to avoiding agricultural pollution.

3. What is the decisive factor to mass-produce the plant?

A．Industrial levels.	B．Unique design.
C．Academic research.	D．Basic facilities.

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

A．Duckweed Power	B．Duckweed Production
C．Genetic Engineering	D．Genetic Testing

2 . Aesthetic (审美) education aims to enhance aesthetic perception, experience aesthetic qualities, stimulate aesthetic creativity, and promote aesthetic judgement.

In order for kids to be able to appreciate natural wonders, shapes and pictures, they must be able to first notice them. This is why the development of the ability to notice the beautiful is the primary task of aesthetic education.     1     Kids are incapable of noticing particular shapes if their ability to notice object s and forms is undeveloped. The aesthetic relationship begins with the noticing of aesthetic qualities.

    2     This means that they generate emotional responses like excitement and joy, enriching individuals’ emotional lives and inspiring artistic expression. The ability to experience aesthetically must also be developed. The cognitive (认知的) elements of the processes that we experience during noticing must also include emotional tones with which we form impressions.     3     The aim of this task is, with the aid of aesthetic qualities, to enrich the emotional life of children and young people and the development of a sense for aesthetic values.

It is essential to allow children to participate in activities that will develop their creative abilities.     4     Instead, it is about creativity in the creation of aesthetic values in everyday life. We are not simply born with creative abilities which have to be developed.

Judging or evaluating aesthetic qualities demands formed evaluation criteria. In order for beauty to reveal its true value, we must be familiar with its particularities. Throughout the process of aesthetic education, various types of knowledge, abilities and evaluation criteria must be applied.     5    

A．Aesthetic qualities have to be felt.

B．Beauty can be found all around us.

C．The beautiful will be likely to be created.

D．And it is these that the aesthetic experience is built upon.

E．In some way, this is the ability to perceive aesthetic qualities.

F．This way, the child will develop the foundations for assessing the beautiful.

G．This is not so much about creating aesthetic abilities in the sense of training artists.

3 . 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。

Patrick Sommier, a French theater director, is dovoted to passing on the true meaning of Chinese operas to the French public.

On the occasion of the     1     (celebrate) for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France in 2004, Sommier     2     (invite) to cooperate on a joint project to spread Peking Opera in France. Sommier says that when he arrived in China, like many other     3     (European), he showed great interest in Chinese operas. The beauty of Peking Opera     4    (immediate) caught his heart, he says.

Recalling his first cooperation with the Chinese team, Sommier says he was impressed by the actors’ makeups, costumes,     5     the characters of incredible strength. He was also touched by the Chinese professors’ effort     6     (pass) their acting skills to their students by acting with them. One professor explained, “In China, opera is     7     art requiring lifelong devotion and the effect of the performance largely     8     (depend) on the actors’ inner strength and acting skills.”

Sommier began exploring into different performance forms and suggested introducing Chinese operas     9     the French audience. The team then gave some     10     (origin) performances, some without makeups or costumes and some with students performing classics in a traditional way.

4 . Ryan’s class at Tully Elementary Sohool was planning a hike at Falls of the Ohio State Park. But since the site isn’t wheelchair ________, her mother, Shelly, tried to find a way to make sure she could ________.

Ryan had missed out on a similar class trip last year as a third grader. When Shelly ________ the upcoming class field trip, she ________ began to think about making a plan B. “I was preparing for an ‘alternate field trip day’,” she ________ on the “Team Ryan” online page, ________ for her10-year-old daughter, diagnosed with spina bifida (脊柱裂)as a baby.

That is, until Jim, a teacher at the school, ________ to carry Ryan around on his back all day. This way she could ________ explore the fossil (化石) beds with the rest of her ________. He used a special backpack to carry the 55-pound girl on his back across the park-and the previously ________ Ryan became extremely excited.

The ________ meant so much to Ryan and her family that Shelly wanted to get the ________ out. Since she posted on the web photos of Jim and Ryan on the field trip, they have been ________ thousands of times.

“We are so ________ to have a whole school that never makes her feel left out,” said Shelly. “These beautiful people should be known to the world, to educate and ________ others.”

1.

A．involved

B．present

C．preferable

D．accessible

2.

A．reserve

B．witness

C．approach

D．participate

3.

A．checked out

B．learned about

C．put off

D．turned down

4.

A．casually

B．proudly

C．instantly

D．accidentally

5.

A．wrote

B．commented

C．responded

D．argued

6.

A．deleted

B．created

C．downloaded

D．revealed

7.

A．offered

B．agreed

C．hesitated

D．attempted

8.

A．calmly

B．secretly

C．extensively

D．temporarily

9.

A．family

B．followers

C．class

D．teachers

10.

A．nervous

B．ashamed

C．troublesome

D．heartbroken

11.

A．plan

B．decision

C．mission

D．act

12.

A．signal

B．message

C．anxiety

D．intention

13.

A．shared

B．submitted

C．taken

D．confirmed

14.

A．lucky

B．eager

C．willing

D．desperate

15.

A．recommend

B．inspire

C．honor

D．understand

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does John come to Professor Smith?

A．To ask for her help.

B．To hand in his design

C．To apply for a competition.

2. What is the focus of this year’s competition?

A．Energy conservation.

B．Conventional wisdom.

C．Innovative thinking

3. What made John choose the dishwasher?

A．Its unique look.

B．Its market value.

C．Its convenience.

4. What inspired John’s design?

A．Beaches.

B．Rock pools.

C．Glass.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are the flowers for?

A．A birthday party.

B．An award presentation.

C．A graduation ceremony.

2. What does the man want to do?

A．Arrive as early as possible

B．Take pictures of his sister.

C．Shake hands with the President.

3. What is Veronica’s plan after graduation?

A．To focus on graduate studies.

B．To land a part-time job.

C．To continue study part-time.

4. What do the speakers think of Veronica?

A．She is workaholic.

B．She is influential.

C．She is ambitious.

7 . Napping during the day is an ancient custom that is practiced worldwide. Short naps, which last from 20 to 30 minutes at the right time, can benefit vitality and overall health in countless ways.

Short naps can boost mental functioning and memory, as well as improve vitality, attention and reaction time.     1     Because napping seems to improve creative thinking, some companies have attempted to introduce napping rooms.

What’s more, it appears the brain uses nap time to process information gathered throughout the day.     2     A study revealed that short naps also helped people become more confident and sensible, which resulted in better focus and efficiency at work. Napping may also lead to an improved ability to learn new skills, such as a golf swing. This is because these memories or skills are strengthened in the brain during sleep.

    3     Studies show that more consistent sleep will help lower “fight or flight” chemicals in our bodies. As a result, our blood pressure and heart rates are normalized. Napping appears to help this process for some people.

    4     One condition associated with napping longer than 30 minutes is sleep inertia (睡后迟钝). This can harm cognitive function from several minutes up to half an hour. Long or late afternoon naps can lead to difficulties falling asleep during the night.     5    

So, to maximize benefits while reducing risks, please keep naps short in the early afternoon to avoid sleep inertia and nighttime sleep disruptions.

A．But napping can come with drawbacks as well.

B．The reason for this phenomenon is mostly unknown.

C．Therefore, that appears to enhance problem-solving abilities.

D．Short naps are also linked to increased productivity and creativity.

E．Napping can also be associated with a reduced risk of heart diseases.

F．Napping should not serve as an alternative for enough nighttime rest.

G．Besides, for those aged 60 and up, longer naps may increase the risk for heart diseases.

8 . 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。

Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still be wonderful in their own way. My parents and I had spent forever researching summer camps online. Finally, we picked out one where I could design games, animate (制作动画) characters, and learn other cool coding (编程) stuff.

My mom said, “I like the idea of you exercising that clever brain of yours. But I also want you to get plenty of fresh air.” “Campers can choose to hike or swim every afternoon!” I said, as I clicked on the registration form.

My dad filled out the form, and weeks later, my parents dropped me off for what I thought would be a week of nonstop computer-coding fun.

I arrived at the check-in table at the same time as a camper of my age named Halley, who was wearing an adorable sunhat. Halley greeted, “We are in the same group - number 7.” Led by an advisor, we followed the green arrows to the campsite.

I surprisedly found that it was so cool and woodsy along the path. I exchanged ideas with Halley about what might come out of the camp. Halley excitedly mentioned the little animals he loved to observe and something about night sky watching.

“You gave me the best idea,” I said. “I’ll base my characters on the animals you mentioned!” Halley laughed. “I might be missing something here. Who are these mysterious characters?”

“You know, the characters we’ll be designing and animating on computers this week!” I said. “Uh, sorry. Still lost,” said Halley. “Why would we be doing computer stuff at Nature Camp?”

It was then that I realised some errors must have been made. I must have accidentally clicked on the wrong online form! We immediately raced back to the welcome table to see if I could switch over to Tech Camp, but of course it was completely full.

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 forced a smile as we headed for our campsite.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“OK, I’ll have a try,” I looked at Halley thankfully.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Five times stronger than steel, spider silk’s unique qualities were recognised by the Ancient Greeks-and more recently, scientists have looked at applications from medicine to engineering.

Now, one Japanese startup, Spiber, is exploring how spider web s could transform the clothing industry. The biotech company started by making a spider-silk-like material in the lab and has since expanded its fabric range to include more sustainable alternatives to wool and cashmere, says Kenji Higashi, head of business development at Spiber.

Spiders create web s by giving out liquid protein that will later change into silk. Kazuhide Sekiyama and Junichi Sugahara, Spiber’s founders, decided to create a material that is identical to spider silk. They studied “thousands of different spider species,” as well as other silk-producing species, and collected a database of silk varieties.

Having successfully produced the spider silk alternative, the team went on to develop a range of fabrics by changing the protein order. Spiber’s fibers are made by fermenting(发酵) water, sugar and nutrients with specially modified microbes (改良微生物) in steel tanks to produce protein polymers to be made into a fiber. Later, the team discovered that the spider silk alternative shrinks(收缩) when wet, so they modified the protein to get a fiber with desirable properties, such as water proof and increased strength, which is suitable for an outdoor jacket.

Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It produces around 2.1 billion metric tons of CO₂ every year. Higashi says Spiber’s biodegradable products are predicted to generate just one-fifth of the carbon emissions of animal-based fibers once they are in mass production. And it is now developing a process that will transform abandoned clothes made from natural materials like cotton into the sugars needed for fermentation.

Currently trying to expand its production and getting ready for a full commercial launch of its products, Spiber hopes its technology will help to “solve some of the big global challenges that we’re facing,” says Higashi.

1. What is a primary purpose of Spiber’s research in the lab?

A．To develop new applications of spider silk.	B．To invent a replacement for spider silk.
C．To transform the structure of spider silk.	D．To study silk-producing spider species.

2. How did the team address the shrinking problem?

A．By adapting the protein.	B．By diversifying microbes.
C．By wetting the fiber.	D．By lengthening fermenting time.

3. What can best describe Spiber’s products?

A．Fancy and stylish.	B．Costly yet profitable.
C．Strong and sustainable.	D．Lightweight yet resource-consuming.

4. What are the last two paragraphs mainly about?

A．The practical application of Spiber’s products.	B．The environmental value of Spiber’s products.
C．The technical challenges of Spiber’s products.	D．The potential markets of Spiber’s products.

10 . I am employed in an educational institution. Following the _______ of the students each day, a delightful young woman named Claire often arrives to clean the classrooms and offices. Once a week, I _______ after hours, doing some extra work. So I often chat for a few minutes with her. She always makes me feel good because she’s a good listener and willing to talk about her children. Our _______ are consistently enjoyable.

Last week, she seemed unlike her _______ self. She told me that her husband had been _______, leaving them worried about their financial _______. Later that week, while I was in a department store, my attention was drawn to the shelves lined with sunglasses. After _______ various pairs, I discovered the ideal sunglasses. As I admired my _______, it occurred to me that Claire would look great while wearing them. _______ with my current pair, I purchased the sunglasses for Claire.

Eager to surprise her, I placed them in an elegant bag and ________ put them in her closet for her discovery. The following day, Claire was chatting with a coworker as she ________ the closet. Upon ________ the bag and taking out the sunglasses and a Smile Card, her face lit up with joy. She expressed that it had been days since she had reason to smile and that this act of kindness ________ her spirits.

She penned a note expressing her gratitude for my heart-warming ________. Choosing to gift her the sunglasses instead of myself brought me much satisfaction. I eagerly ________ creating more moments of joy.

1.

A．exit

B．queue

C．guidance

D．plan

2.

A．wait

B．work

C．remain

D．think

3.

A．trips

B．jobs

C．conversations

D．arrangements

4.

A．regular

B．calm

C．worried

D．usual

5.

A．rewarded

B．dismissed

C．blamed

D．comforted

6.

A．aid

B．stability

C．report

D．support

7.

A．wearing out

B．putting aside

C．taking up

D．trying on

8.

A．reflection

B．mirror

C．ambition

D．decision

9.

A．Bored

B．Content

C．Familiar

D．Careful

10.

A．occasionally

B．cautiously

C．secretly

D．accurately

11.

A．approached

B．closed

C．found

D．removed

12.

A．covering

B．hiding

C．receiving

D．spotting

13.

A．maintained

B．struck

C．restored

D．lifted

14.

A．preparation

B．comment

C．gesture

D．award

15.

A．anticipate

B．doubt

C．imagine

D．admit