1 . On that hot August day in 2023, as ash rained down and flames closed in, Jim Rhodes didn’t want to be anywhere but Coulterville. “My kid called from Alabama. We first heard about the fire from him,” Rhodes recalls. “He said, ‘Evacuate(撤离)!’I said, ‘Evacuate? To where?’”
Coulterville is a tiny town located among dry hills where local people raise cattle and other livestock. It has a main street, a park and a museum. It’s got a cafe, a grocery shop and a post. And with summer temperatures routinely topping 100 degrees, it has fires—sometimes big fires..
Eventually, this big fire got a name: the Moc Fire, for the tiny town of Moccasin-where it began as a brush fire.
It burnt for 10 days, consuming almost 3,000 acres. Rhodes woke to find his truck covered in ashand the news was broadcasting evacuation orders. Ranchers(牧场主) across the region were fighting to protect their animals, loading them into the truck or just setting them loose to find safety. Volunteers were readying fairgrounds nearby to shelter animals. Already they were filling up with dogs, cats, chickens, horses, cattle, goats, sheep and rabbits.
As residents and animals were brought out, firefighters poured in. “With them came the biggest bulldozer(挖 土机)I’ve ever seen,” says Rhodes. “And they were sent to cut the firebreak that could save the town. We knew that if it made the cut, we’d all have to get out of here.”
The situation was clear. The danger was growing. But slowly Rhodes realized that he hadn’t come to Coulterville just to leave when the town needed him. He stayed, joining the handful of residents who gathered around the main street where fire officials posted updates. He knew he could help somebody, somehow.
Around midmorning, a farmer he’d never met came by asking for help with animal evacuation. Rhodes’s phone was still ringing, but he knew what to do. “I hung up my phone, got in the truck and headed down to his farm,” he says.
1. Why did Rhodes’ kid call?| A．To help him put out the fire. | B．To inform him of the big fire. |
| C．To ask him to set animals free. | D．To persuade him to stay home. |
| A．Most residents there raise livestock. |
| B．It is a small town far trom Moccasin. |
| C．This place seldom has fires in summer. |
| D．Its inhabitants have plenty of bulldozers. |
| A．Move out to reunite with his kid. |
| B．Gather his animals to a safe shelter. |
| C．Help the stranger to save his animals. |
| D．Join the residents to cut the firebreak. |
| A．Saving Wild Animals in Coulterville |
| B．A Trusted Neighbor in the Moc Fire |
| C．A Tiny Town Suffering a Big Disaster |
| D．Escaping from the Front Line of the Fire. |
2 . Comparing college entrance exams, there are different needs for admission. The national college entrance examination, or gaokao, is known as the most competitive test for Chinese students. Do students in other countries also need to take a standardized test to get into university?
South Korea holds the College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT) in November each year. The CSAT plays an important role in the country’s education. On test day, bus and subway frequency increases to make sure that students can get to the test sites in time.
Japan is trying to reform its standardized national college entrance exam. In January 2022, Common Test for University Admissions took the place of the National Center Test for University Admissions, which had been adopted since 1990. The new exam aims to put emphasis on the ability of students to discover and solve problems by themselves.
The American College Test(ACT) and Scholastic Assessment Test(SAT) are the two main college entrance exams taken by students in the US. While SAT tests a student’s ability to learn, the ACT tests a student’s educational development. Both tests normally take place seven times throughout the year. Students can retake the exams for a better score.
In the UK, there’s no standardized test for college admission. Instead, each college has their own admission criteria. These criteria often only include submission of transcripts(成绩单) and participation in an interview. Yet, there are subject-specific exams used by some colleges.
1. What is the purpose of the new test in Japan?| A．To improve students’ learning environments. |
| B．To assess students’ educational backgrounds. |
| C．To assist more students in getting high scores. |
| D．To test students’ thinking and practical abilities. |
| A．Take entrance exams repeatedly. |
| B．Have only one chance to be tested. |
| C．Sit a lot of subject-specific exams. |
| D．Meet each college’s admission criteria. |
| A．South Korea. | B．Japan. | C．America. | D．The UK. |
3 . Best Paris Tours
Using both traveler opinions and expert advice, we track down some of the best tours in Pans.
Bike About Tours—Hidden Paris Bike Tour
Price: Adults from 45 euros; kids from 20 euros
Duration:3.5 hours
A guide takes you on back streets to both famous and lesscr-known attructions throughout Paris. Along theway, guides share historical and cultural anecdotes (轶事). Tours depart daily at 10 a. m. and 2:30 p. m.
Big Bus Paris Hop—On Hop-Off Tour
Price: Adults from 45 euros; kids from 25 euros
Duration: About 2 hours
Double-decker, open-lop buses take you to 10 stops near attractions. All buses are equipped with a prerecorded audio tour in 11 different languages. Buses run from around 10 a. m. to about 7:30 p. m. daily.
Paris Charms and Secrets
Price: From 59 euros
Duration:3.5 to 4 hours
A guide will lead you through the city on an electric bike, stopping at some of Paris’ most famous attractions and storied monuments (纪念碑) to tell you a good story related to its culture, a secret about a passageway or along-forgotten historical tale. Tours depart at 9 a. m., 2:30 p. m. and 8 p. m. daily.
Paris By Mouth——North Marais Tour
Price: From 125 euros
Duration:3.5 hours
In the tour designed only for adults, your guide will bring you to some of the neighborhood’s most respected shops, which specialize in bread, cheese, pastry and charcuterie. Then the tour stops at a wine shop and includesa seated tasting with wine pairings. The tour runs daily at multiple times.
1. How does Big Bus Paris Hop——On Hop-Off Tour differ from the other tours?| A．It doesn’t have a guide. | B．It operates 24 hours a day. |
| C．It isn’t designed for everyone. | D．It costs the least of all the four tours. |
| A．Visit an electric-bike factory. | B．Learn historical and cultural stories. |
| C．Explore a secret passageway in Paris. | D．Take open-top buses to ten attractions. |
| A．Bike About Tours——Hidden Paris Bike Tour | B．Paris Charms and Secrets. |
| C．Paris By Mouth——North Marais Tour. | D．Big Bus Paris Hop—On Hop-Off Tour. |
6-year-old Quinn Hill became her family’s hero when she took immediate action during an emergency that saved her mother’s life with the help of her neighbor, Mrs. Smith.
Jennifer, a 39-year-old single mother, began the day by sending her child, Hill, to school. Having no idea what would happen, Jennifer was filled with anxiety. After all, it was the first day of a new school year for Hill, a fresh start! On the way school. she repeatedly reminded Hill to solve problems positively and fit in. Though worried, Jennifer had to wave goodbye to her daughter, watching her towards the school gate.
The whole day was packed with housework. Jennifer tidied the house, washed clothes, and prepared for the evening meal. As the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Jennifer picked Hill up from school. On seeing Jennifer, Hill couldn’t wait to hug her, sharing the school experiences. Chatting and laughing accompanied them all the way. Hill’s innocent laughter was like Jennifer’s ray of sunshine.
Approaching home, they encountered Mrs. Smith, a most kind and thoughtful housewife living in their neighborhood for many years. Mrs. Smith often invited Jennifer and Hill to her home and shared her homemade desserts and cookies. The two families developed a close relationship and Hill liked to stay with Mrs. Smith, who always brightened her days with willingness and timely help. After exchanging greetings, they went back to their own homes.
On arriving home, Jennifer set out to prepare dinner. As the sun began to set, the house was full of a pleasant smell of cooking food. Jennifer and Hill sat at the kitchen table when Jennifer suddenly began to seize. She was sitting in a chair, looking up at the ceiling. and experiencing abnormal breathing. She then fell out of the chair onto her left side, her hands balled into fists, and her body was shaking violently. Her eyes were open, and Hill kept calling “Mommy, Mommy”, but she could not respond.
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。
Realizing the severe situation, Hill ran out for help.
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Jennifer finally came to herself in the hospital.
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5 . Like many people over the past few years, I have found myself turning to audiobooks as my main means of reading literature. I find it far more comfortable to “read with my ears” while my eyes are resting. My consumption of new books has doubled as a result--but a recent paper makes me wonder if this will come at the price of my comprehension.
The study comes from Boaz Keysar and Janet Geipel, both at the University of Chicago, and it draws from the “dual process model” of mental processing. According to this-view, we have two ways of assessing information. System 1 is intuitive (直觉的), relying on natural ability and feeling. It is quick, but likely exposed to misinformation. System 2 is analytical involving the use of logic reasoning. It is mentally demanding. When it is engaged, we think our way through the material step by step. For decades, psychologists have designed various tests to determine which of these two systems a person is using. As one example, consider the/ following question: How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark (方舟)? If you answered two, you were probably only considering the core of the question, which is System 1 thinking. To get to the right answer-zero, you need to think more carefully about the wording, which would allow you to remember it was Noah who built the Ark, not Moses. That is the kind of analytical process.
Keysar and Geipel’s brilliant idea was to investigate whether the sensory form-seeing vs. hearing-of the information would make a difference. They found that it did: when answering these kinds of simple questions, participants were more likely to make errors when the sentences were spoken out loud, rather than written.
A greater reliance on our feelings could be a problem if we are consuming information that needs logical study. For this reason. I will return to reading non-fiction with my eyes rather than my ears. But I won’t stop listening to novels. I am quite happy to go with the flow of my emotions while my critical mind takes a break.
1. What does the author think of listening to audiobooks?| A．It is economical. | B．It is demanding. |
| C．It is time-consuming. | D．It is relaxing. |
| A．Fairly reliable. | B．Fully automatic. |
| C．Question-centered. | D．Emotion-involved. |
| A．To present a fact. | B．To illustrate a view. |
| C．To introduce a topic. | D．To draw a conclusion. |
| A．Listening to books comes at a price. |
| B．Reading non-fiction books benefits. |
| C．Critical thinking is a must in reading. |
| D．Ways of processing information differ. |
6 . When Param Jaggi was five years old, he had a passion to take things apart to see what was inside. He started with toys and even broke a computer, which made his parents not too pleased. As he got older, he shifted from breaking things to building things, which greatly comforted his parents. In middle school. he started working on projects in his kitchen laboratory, and his first project was making biofuels.
Although Jaggi’s parents initially thought his experiments were just. a boyhood fancy, he remained determined to make a difference to the environment. Eventually, his parents came around and started supporting his dreams. Jaggi’s interest continued as he grew up, but he focused more on solving real problems, especially those related to the environment.
At 17, Jaggi went beyond his school projects and. co-founded Ecoviate, a company that uses technology to solve everyday energy and environmental problems. He planned to transform people’s idea that going green is expensive, by making available a series of affordable products that are easy to use. Through Ecoviate, he designed products that could contribute to a greener future. One of his notable inventions was the “CO2ube”, a device that could be attached to vehicle tailpipes to reduce carbon emissions, and it’s available to many people at low prices. He also created a smartwatch that changed body heat into energy, which can be used to power up the watch as well as mobile phones.
Young Jaggi, now a third-grade college student studying engineering and economics, has become a famous eco-innovator and his company is developing promisingly. However, Jaggi’s vision to save the environment goes beyond creating products. He plans to launch an online platform through Ecoviate, which will encourage young students interested in science and technology to get actively involved in innovation and invention. Students can submit a science project online, and talk about the help that they need to make the project a reality.
1. What can we learn about Jaggi?| A．He was curious by nature. | B．He dreamed to be an engineer. |
| C．He always annoyed his parents. | D．He was addicted to playing toys. |
| A．Won out. | B．Changed their minds. |
| C．Walked around. | D．Paid a visit. |
| A．His love for greener devices. | B．His pursuit of academic career. |
| C．His desire to make a difference. | D．His hope to boost green industry. |
| A．To promote smart products. | B．To empower young inventors. |
| C．To provide eco-themed courses. | D．To offer environmentalists funds. |
7 . The 13-year-old girl Anna Grace is a volleyball manager, a basketball manager, and a theater volunteer, but perhaps her greatest
Anna was first diagnosed（诊断）with a rare type of
For the following weekends after the surgery, doctors scanned her
And throughout all of this, Anna has had to
Anna is doing well these days though. She’s
| A．excitement | B．achievement | C．devotion | D．ambition |
| A．pain | B．cold | C．cancer | D．fever |
| A．weakness | B．growth | C．recovery | D．relief |
| A．perform | B．have | C．attend | D．refuse |
| A．briefly | B．occasionally | C．partly | D．regularly |
| A．noticed | B．erased | C．ignored | D．marked |
| A．assessment | B．appointment | C．examination | D．operation |
| A．harder | B．easier | C．stranger | D．better |
| A．solve | B．connect | C．abandon | D．balance |
| A．apply | B．control | C．convince | D．forgive |
| A．caught up | B．held back | C．dropped out | D．blown up |
| A．spare | B．appreciate | C．imagine | D．create |
| A．active | B．graceful | C．dominant | D．cautious |
| A．vacation | B．trust | C．treatment | D．duty |
| A．declines | B．suffers | C．matters | D．waits |
Several years ago, I worked as a writing teacher in a rural middle school. I knew all my students. They trusted me with their stories and so I was given the privilege of having a secret bond with each one of them. I taught my students about the power of words, and tried to let them find expression through writing. We learned to trust each other, because we learned how hard it was to write openly and honestly, and we learned sharing your words took courage. I was always amazed at the words that came from my students’ hearts.
Later, we had a new student to the school, Al. Al was small and looked younger than other students in my class. He was with us for only a short while and still trying to fit in. So I was a little surprised when he volunteered to read. I smiled and nodded for him to do, while in my mind I was afraid that the others would make fun of the new kid after he read. The room fell silent, and Al began to read.
“If I had one wish, it would be to meet my dad...” He started out loud and clear.
He had held the attention of my usually restless students for what seemed like 15 minutes. He told of how he had never known his father, who had left the family when he was a baby. He shared the intimate details of his struggles to be the only man in the house at such a young age, of having to mow the lawn and fix broken pipes. He revealed to us the thoughts that went through his mind constantly about where his father might be and why he might have left.
注意：1. 续写的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I looked around the classroom, finding no snickers (窃笑).
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When Al finished the last sentence, all the class stood up and applauded.
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Between 2016 and 2019, the 58-year-old Swiss artist Catherine Gfeller embarked on a journey to
Gfeller’s focus is on the intersection between Chinese women and the big cities they inhabit. In each city, she
In her photos and videos, viewers often encounter women gazing thoughtfully at the city,
10 . One day, I had a serious quarrel with my father. I felt he was always trying to
All that day, my mind was racing with
Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t do the assignment that was
“I am the son of an idiot!” I wrote and then
I felt like someone had
Slowly, my thinking
| A．prevent | B．trouble | C．criticize | D．control |
| A．details | B．shouts | C．tears | D．flames |
| A．deep | B．stupid | C．angry | D．strange |
| A．lecture | B．overcome | C．suspect | D．compete |
| A．near | B．prior | C．close | D．due |
| A．forced | B．challenged | C．confused | D．appealed |
| A．Empty | B．Desperate | C．Absent | D．Curious |
| A．fight | B．matter | C．lesson | D．fact |
| A．put away | B．calmed down | C．signed up | D．handed in |
| A．down | B．up | C．over | D．around |
| A．do | B．agree | C．deal | D．leave |
| A．joked | B．struck | C．looked | D．ignored |
| A．please | B．educate | C．praise | D．pardon |
| A．cleared | B．struggled | C．shifted | D．abandoned |
| A．quarrel | B．teacher | C．reply | D．question |
