1 . It’s been nearly seven years since a group of volunteers broke ground at What Cheer Flower Farm in Providence, Rhode Island, with a simple goal: get flowers into the hands of anyone in need of a pick-me-up. Best of all, each one of the tens of thousands of bouquets that What Cheer grows and delivers are completely free of charge.
“We want to blanket the state with flowers and create happiness and joy,” says Erin Achenbach, What Cheer’s farmer and head florist.
What Cheer regularly delivers joy to people at local hospitals, food banks, senior centers, recovery centers and more-including AIDS Care Ocean State, which provides support to those affected by HIV.
“Seeing the smiles on people’s faces who weren’t expecting it — who just came in to have a meeting with their case manager or take advantage of one of our programs — to just see this glow come off their faces is great,” says Stephen Hogan Jr. from AIDS Care Ocean State.
Located in Providence’s industrial Olneyville neighborhood, What Cheer’s flower beds lie on 2.7 acres that once housed a knife factory. And it’s safe to say that the What Cheer crew is deserving of some flowers of their own: In May, the nonprofit was awarded a record-high$500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for its continued revival of a land once abandoned because of industrial pollution.
“Not only do we give this space back to the neighborhood by bringing life to space that’ s quite literally dead,” says Achenbach, “but we’re an eco-landing spot with the ability to help local insect and bird populations, and that’ll only make people’s lives better.” What cheer, indeed!
“What’s good about a flower is that it doesn’t need anything else,” she adds. “Your only job when someone gives you flowers is to enjoy them.”
1. What was the original purpose of What Cheer?| A．To donate money to those in need. |
| B．To present people with flowers for free. |
| C．To protect the surrounding environment, |
| D．To develop new flowers and distribute them. |
| A．It ranked as the local largest flower bed. |
| B．It helped patients recover from illnesses. |
| C．It delivered remarkable joy to local people. |
| D．It was transformed into an eco-friendly area. |
| A．The success of What Cheer can’t be copied. |
| B．What Cheer improves the well-being of locals, |
| C．What Cheer attempts to return the land to locals. |
| D．Enjoying flowers should be advocated every day. |
| A．Still water runs deep. |
| B．Think twice before acting. |
| C．God help those who help themselves. |
| D．The roses in her hand; the flavor in mine. |
2 . It was January 2016, when dark clouds hid the day. Jeremy and his girlfriend, Molei Wright, were
Henry, an officer on holiday trained in emergency medicine, was driving on the same road not far behind Jeremy and
| A．hiking | B．driving | C．flying | D．camping |
| A．like-minded | B．absent-minded | C．healthy-minded | D．open-minded |
| A．remarkable | B．cautious | C．experienced | D．active |
| A．organised | B．mannered | C．trained | D．matched |
| A．acknowledged | B．investigated | C．expected | D．imagined |
| A．hit | B．passed | C．blocked | D．approached |
| A．controlled | B．stopped | C．rolling | D．accelerating |
| A．jumped | B．turned | C．screamed | D．whistled |
| A．thought | B．despair | C．silence | D．sleep |
| A．drove away | B．turned over | C．hid away | D．pulled over |
| A．determined | B．frightened | C．grateful | D．peaceful |
| A．impatiently | B．swiftly | C．joyfully | D．effortlessly |
| A．checked | B．clicked | C．covered | D．pounded |
| A．in time | B．in turn | C．in vain | D．in place |
| A．tale | B．record | C．miracle | D．comedy |
3 . Live and learn like a college student this summer at Carleton College’s Summer Liberal Arts Institute (SLAI). Beginning on March 15, SLAI is an immersive (沉浸式的) summer learning experience for current 10th and 11th graders to explore liberal arts through rigorous and experiential curriculum. If you are academically curious, excited about learning, and thrive in cooperative work environments, SLAI is the program for you!
At SLAI, you will connect with like-minded peers from all over the nation and world, all while earning college credit and learning from top-ranked Carleton faculty, who are experts in their field. Choose from 6 programs, with topics in: History & Literature, Storytelling, Sociology, STEM, Computer Science and Neuroscience.
Students who attend SLAI come away from the program on April 6 with improved college-level reading, writing, and research skills, an increased knowledge of topics and majors they may want to study in the future, and a general sense of preparedness for college.
During the program, students spend their mornings and afternoons in class, conducting research, and in hands-on labs. Specially, a variety of social activities are available after class every day, from frisbee to beading to makings’ mores. Weekend field trips to attractions in surrounding cities are also included in the program. Past destinations have included amusement parks, museums, or even a day at the lake!
Visit our website to apply today! We have two rounds of application review. The first deadline is on February 5, and the second and final deadline is on March 11, Need-based scholarships are available.
1. How long will SLAI last?| A．About 1 week. | B．About 2 weeks. | C．About 3 weeks. | D．About 4 weeks. |
| A．Participants can have access to hands-on labs. |
| B．Participants can apply for it online or in person. |
| C．It enables participants to engage in social activities. |
| D．It ensures participants to learn with college students. |
| A．It enhances awareness of preparedness for college. |
| B．It can improve their college-level listening skills. |
| C．It helps participants get college scholarships. |
| D．It offers the topic they are fond of freely. |
I hurriedly made my way through the busy airport, my mind focusing on the adventure that awaited me at my destination. I had been looking forward to this trip for months and had packed everything I needed for my much-anticipated painting trip. Brushes, canvases(画板), and a column of watercolor paints - my most cherished companions on this creative journey - were carefully placed in my carry-on luggage.
As I approached the security checkpoint, a sense of unease began to settle within me. I couldn’t help thinking that I must have forgotten something. I checked my passport and air ticket. Everything was in their place. Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat, and I realized I had forgotten about the strict rules on liquids in carry-on baggage. I felt a sense of panic as the realization dawned upon me - I would have to part ways with my beloved painting supplies.
Unwillingly, I handed over my paints to the stern-faced (面无表情的) security officer, knowing that they were victims of my carelessness. I felt as if my creative spirit and good mood for the trip had been swept away in a gust of wind. I couldn't help complaining to him about how important those paints were to me and how much I had been looking forward to this trip. The officer’s straight face provided no comfort as he informed me that I could collect my items upon my return in a week.
Days passed as I silently counted the minutes until I would be reunited with my artistic companions. On the day of my long-awaited return, my heart fluttered with nervous anticipation. As I exited the airplane and made my way to the baggage claim area, a familiar face caught my eye. Amongst the sea of strangers, a security officer stood, holding a package that resembled my beloved art supplies. My eyes widened in disbelief, my steps quickening with each step. Could it be possible that he had gone through the trouble of saving my cherished materials? As I reached the security officer, he met my gaze (凝视) with an unexpected smile.
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。
With a knowing look, he handed me the package containing my precious tubes of paint.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I left the airport that day, feeling a great desire to share my story on the Internet.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.所赠画的寓意；
2.你的祝愿和期待。
注意:
1.从下列图中仅选一幅;
2.词数80左右;
3.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Peter,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours Faithfully,
Li Hua
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) has gained attention worldwide in recent decades, and more than 13,000 foreign students come to China
Pan Ping, director of the
Most of the centers are in countries and regions
7 . Have you ever considered what it would be like to be unable to smile? I hadn't, up until a few months ago, when I found that I actually couldn’t.
I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy-A relatively unknown condition that paralyses one half of the face. This was quite a shock and depressed me enormously.
Anyway, smiling is a part of everyday life for me. It is my way of greeting people, of laughing, silent communication and consolidation.
With this in mind, I set to learning how to smile through my actions. There are a few things I had to change, but it is thanks to this challenge God has given me that I have grown closer to him.
I would really encourage you to smile more often and not just with your face!
| A．After thinking about this for a while |
| B．Smiling contributes to a person’s life quality |
| C．If I had really grasped the meaning of a smile |
| D．While this was a major bomb dropped on my life |
| E．A smile can be anything making you or someone else joyful |
| F．“Losing” half my face motivated me to rethink what a smile is |
| G．I have become more confident, defeating the depressed un-smilers |
8 . When Spanish meets English, new dialects emerge, giving us real-time insight into language evolution, linguists say.
For instance, “Vamos de punches punches punches”, Yamilet Munoz texted her friends in Austin, Texas. It means “let’s go and party”, but it’s not a phrase you’ll find in any dictionary. It’s a remix of Spanish and English words seasoned with an in-joke about punching the air as you dance.
“Our language has always been a very big indicator of our cultural pride,” says Munoz, whose parents migrated from Mexico to San Antonio, Texas, in the 1990s. Around 66% of the city's population identify as Hispanic or Latino/Latina. For Munoz and her friends there is pride in speaking Spanish, but also in mixing the languages into the hybrid known as Spanglish.
The evolution of Spanglish has been documented for decades, with each generation adding its unique twist. Now a growing body of research, as well as the experiences of bilingual(双语的) speakers like Munoz, shows just how deeply English and Spanish are influencing each other in the United States, resulting in hybrid dialects like Spanglish, but also, transforming the underlying languages.
For the past decade, Carter and his colleagues have studied language change in Miami, a city where some 72% identify as Latino or Hispanic and which is strongly shaped by historical migration from Cuba. Their research documents the emergence of a distinct “Miami English” dialect as a result of that Spanish-language heritage.
The Spanish influence has also shown up in ways people may not immediately notice, such as sounds like the “oo” in “boot” being pronounced in a more Spanish-style way in Miami, more like the Spanish “u” vowel, according to separate research by Carter, Lydda Lopez Valdez at the University of Miami and Nandi Sims at Ohio State University.
“This is the work of language change, this is the work of dialect formation, this is how it happens. It happens in things that are really noticeable, like the phrase ‘get down from the car’, but it also happens in really slight ways,” he says.
1. Why is an example introduced in Paragraph 2?| A．To illustrate the language innovation. |
| B．To explain the advantage of Spanish. |
| C．To highlight the mix of Spanish and English. |
| D．To prove the enrichment of English vocabulary. |
| A．Spanish and English are interrelating. |
| B．Mixing two languages is complicated. |
| C．Languages dominate cultural development. |
| D．Bilingualists tend to observe their own culture. |
| A．Dialects evolve flexibly and frequently. |
| B．Spanish possesses more sounds than English. |
| C．Phrases are changing more slowly than before. |
| D．Language change is progressive and dynamic. |
| A．How Researchers are Studying Languages. |
| B．How Modem English is Changing Globally. |
| C．How a Generation is Reinventing Spanglish. |
| D．How Spanglish is Influencing American Culture |
9 . A new form of real estate is popping up along the beaches of South Africa, which are just big enough to fit a family of African penguins. Their unique selling point: a safe and cool place for penguins to breed (繁殖).
Historically, the penguins dug holes in layers of guano (鸟粪), but in the 19th century, traders started selling guano as fertilizer, leaving the penguins and their eggs increasingly exposed to predators (捕食者) and the burning sun. This has caused African penguin populations to decrease. That’s why conservationists have come to the rescue with the African Penguin Nest Project (APNP), which aims to employ artificial nests to provide penguin parents a safe and shaded place to raise their chicks.
While guano trade petered out by the late 1800s, recreating the layers that accumulated over thousands of years isn’t an option, because seabird populations have declined so much over time and it would take around 600 years to produce one usable guano layer. Hence, the project decided to build artificial nests. At first glance, they look fairly simple--a domed structure made from two molded shells of fabric coated in ceramic slurry (陶瓷浆料),with a small entrance measuring about 20 centimeters wide.
Getting the right temperature and dampness inside the nest was the toughest and most crucial part. The two-layer design and ventilation holes (通风孔) create an air conditioning effect, while the white paint reflects the sun, helping to maintain an interior temperature of less than 35 degrees Celsius.
The project started to use the nests in late 2018.“Within a matter of minutes, penguins were running into them,” says Graham, coordinator of APNP. “That tells you how desperate they are for any opportunity to find a safe place to nest. However, population recovery relies on more than merely giving African penguins a safe place to breed. It’s not simply a case of ‘we give them a nest, the species are saved ‘. There has to be more.”
1. What do we know about artificial nests?| A．They function better than natural nests. |
| B．They are designed and built scientifically. |
| C．They are unique attractions of South Africa. |
| D．They are equipped with mini air-conditioners. |
| A．To raise money to preserve penguins. |
| B．To promote the sale of artificial nests. |
| C．To help penguins fight against diseases. |
| D．To provide habitable shelters for penguins. |
| A．turned up | B．dried out | C．faded away | D．fell apart |
| A．Penguins breed more chicks in safer places. |
| B．Various conservation efforts need be combined. |
| C．Artificial nests have achieved the desired effect. |
| D．Artificial nests should be applied to other species. |
10 . Houses covered in ivy are an attractive sight to see. But many gardeners fear that ivy causes major structural damage to buildings and long to remove it whenever they can, right? Not so, says James Wong, a botanist and science writer.
“I am always surprised by how often gardening can be so driven by fear.” he says. “The thinking behind this is that climbers harm brickwork and can cause structural damage to buildings.” But few fears are based on any scientific evidence. And frequently, the exact opposite is true.
In a 2020 study from the Royal Horticultural Society, climbing plants like ivy were found to have a protective effect on model brick buildings constructed for the experiment. The shade by the plants’ leaves cooled the surface of the buildings in summer by as much as 5.7°C. What’s more, ivy didn’t significantly raise humidity levels (湿度) －rather, it helped stabilize them, minimizing the damage to the buildings’ surfaces. The living coating also lowered summer temperatures inside the buildings by up to 7.2°C and reduced heating bills by as much as 20 percent in winter.
What about real-world, well-used buildings, whose outside may have experienced centuries of environmental damage? Another study from 2011 found that in five historic buildings across England, bare walls experienced average maximum temperatures 36 percent higher and minimum temperatures 15 percent lower compared with those coated in ivy. The researchers concluded that the living insulation (隔热) provided by ivy would “reduce the likelihood of frost and salt damage to the building materials, thus contributing to their conservation”. They also found in another study that the leaves’ ability to trap pollution could reduce the damage to historical walls.
Imagine if there was a new material that could cool cities and cut energy bills. The truth is that we have had this miracle material all along, but rather than appreciating it, we have spent huge amounts of time worrying about how to get rid of it.
1. Why do gardeners want to remove the ivy?| A．To get rid of their fear of ivy. |
| B．To make the houses more attractive. |
| C．To confirm previous scientific evidence. |
| D．To protect the brickwork and structure of the building. |
| A．Climbing plants increase heating bills in winter. |
| B．Climbing plants can severely damage brickwork. |
| C．Climbing plants raise humidity levels against brickwork. |
| D．Climbing plants reduce the temperature of buildings in summer. |
| A．It improves the visual appeal of old buildings. |
| B．It removes pollutants from the surroundings. |
| C．It protects building materials from frost and salt damage. |
| D．It promotes the energy efficiency of historical structures. |
| A．Ivy: a troublemaker of preserving the old building |
| B．Ivy: an unexpected helper in buildings conservation |
| C．The environmental impact of ivy on modern architecture |
| D．The need for a new material to cool cities and cut energy bills |
