1 . Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky

On the distant world of Kiln lie the ruins of an alien civilization. A great mystery awaits humans: who were the builders and where are they now? These questions become realfor Professor Arton Daghdev, exiled (流放) from Earth to Kiln’s off-world labour camp due to his mistake. Facing the planet’s dangerous ecosystem ,Arton fights for survival.

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

A sci-fi classic in a brand-new edition. From a high Babylonian tower that connects a flat Earth to the sky above, to an alien language that challenges our very sense of time and reality, Chiang’s unique imagination invites readers to question their understanding of the universe and their place in it.

War Bodies by Neal Asher

In a world ruled by robots, the Cyberat face a rebellion (叛乱) when the human Polity arrives.Piper, raised as a weapon, seeks help from the Polity after his parents are caught by enemies. As war worsens,Piper must face the puzzling technology implanted in his own body. It could either end their fight or cause serious consequences. The future of civilization hangs in the balance as the battle unfolds.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

In a strange little home built into the branches of a forest live three robots.Vic Lawson,a human, lives there too.The day Vic repairs an unfamiliar android labelled“HAP”, he learns of a shared criminal past between the robots — a past spent in hunting humans. The robots, once hidden and safe, are now exposed.

1. Which book explores the relations between humans and the universe?

A．Alien Clay.	B．In the Lives of Puppets.
C．War Bodies.	D．Stories of Your Life and Others.

2. Whose book uncovers the crime done by robots to humans?

A．Adrian Tchaikovsky’s.	B．Ted Chiang’s.
C．Neal Asher’s.	D．TJ Klune’s.

3. Who is the text probably intended for?

A．Book reviewers.	B．Sci-fi lovers.
C．Universe researchers.	D．Robot developers.

2 . Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel Dune is widely considered one of the best sci-fi books ever written. It is also one of the first to take environmental concerns_________.

“It’s really calling attention to the_________ to think ecologically,” says Gerry Canavan, co-editor of the history of science fiction. “Prior to that moment, people just weren’t thinking in that way.”

Herbert _________ to find a publisher for Dune, facing 23 rejections before it was finally _________ by Chilton Book Company. As the book gained_________ -winning two most prestigious(有声望的)prizes in science fiction and eventually selling around 20 million copies_________ -it began to affect pop culture.

Dune _________ the environmental movement, which Herbert largely embraced. “I’m _________ to be put in the position of telling my grandchildren ‘Sorry, no more world for you. We have _________ all the resources,’” Herbert said at the first Earth Day in 1970.

Herbert was one of the earliest to__________ renewable energy ,installing(安装) his own solar collector and windmill. He believed that understanding the__________ of human actions could reduce environmental damage.

The __________ for Dune came from Herbert’s visit to Oregon’s sand dunes in 1957, where he __________ efforts to stabilize the landscape from local people. His novel serves as a cautionary tale about humanity’s relationship with the environment and the disastrous effects of __________ resource exploitation(开发).Dune challenges readers to consider the impact of their actions on the planet and serves as a__________ of the importance of sustainable living.

1.

A．personally

B．literally

C．seriously

D．equally

2.

A．necessity

B．attempt

C．agreement

D．freedom

3.

A．happened

B．struggled

C．chosen

D．hesitated

4.

A．dismissed

B．accepted

C．recommended

D．purchased

5.

A．permission

B．control

C．trust

D．popularity

6.

A．in time

B．in turn

C．in advance

D．in total

7.

A．challenged

B．pushed

C．skipped

D．simplified

8.

A．unwilling

B．unfortunate

C．unsuitable

D．unlikely

9.

A．picked up

B．given up

C．used up

D．piled up

10.

A．advocate

B．assign

C．investigate

D．deliver

11.

A．similarity

B．consequences

C．flexibility

D．strengths

12.

A．support

B．proposal

C．inspiration

D．desire

13.

A．witnessed

B．spared

C．confirmed

D．graded

14.

A．limited

B．balanced

C．unchecked

D．unchanged

15.

A．review

B．symbol

C．victim

D．reminder

3 . 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。

It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyon (峡谷) lands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman , a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado’s highest and toughest peaks. He’d earned   this weekend vacation， and though he met two other climbers along the way, by early afternoon he had finally found himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world all around him.

It was 2:41 pm. Eight miles from his truck , in a deep and narrow slot (狭缝) canyon , Aron was climbing down a wedged boulder (巨石) when the rock suddenly came loose. Before he could get out of the way, the falling stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall.

And so began 4 days of suffering for Aron Ralston. With little water and food, no jacket for the painfully cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that he’d told no one where he was headed, he found himself facing a lingering death-trapped by an800-pound boulder 100 feet down in the bottom of a canyon. As he eliminated (淘汰) his escape options one by one through the days, Aron faced the full horror of his situation: By the time any possible search and rescue effort would begin, he’d most probably have died of dehydration (脱水),if a flash flood didn’t drown him before that.

What does one do in the face of almost certain death? Using the video camera from his pack, Aron began recording his grateful good-byes to his family and friends, thinking back over a life filled with adventure, and documenting a last will with the hope that someone would find it.

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。

Aron was growing weaker with each passing day.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Luckily, the rescue team found Aron.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . 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。

Li River, one of China’s most famous scenic areas, was listed     1     one of the world’s top ten watery wonders by National Geographic magazine.     2     was even considered one of the world’s 15 best rivers for travelers.

    3     (originate) in Mao’er Mountain in Xing’an county northeast of Guilin, Li River winds its way southeast for about 437 km, passing through Guilin, Yangshuo, Pingle, Zhaoping, and finally     4     ( meet) Xi River in Wulin. It boasts (拥有)the largest and most beautiful scenic area in China and attracts thousands of visitors each year.

The 83-km-long waterway from Guilin to Yangshuo is like a masterpiece. The landscape     5     (decorate) with rolling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves, as well as leisurely boats. A poem says, “The river is a green silk ribbon, and the hills are jade hair-pins”.

Cruising (航游) on Li River is always a     6     (please). You can breathe the fresh air, feel gentle breeze     7     appreciate the wonderful landscape on both sides of Li River. In spring,     8     (feel) the mizzle (细雨) fall onto their faces, tourists may stand on the front of a boat,     9     is truly a wonderful experience.

Mostly, the cruise starts from Zhujiang Wharf(码头). After about an     10     ( hour ) drive from Guilin city, a cruiser will then take you to Yangshuo, a beautiful ancient city, to start a wonderful journey.

6 . Have you ever changed jobs or moved to an unfamiliar city, only to find yourself wondering how to connect with new people?    1    However, a connection is a part of what it means to be human. When we do it well, our lives are far more fulfilling. Here are a few tips to help you build and strengthen connections with people.

Be your real self

You can’t go wrong with being yourself. Pretending to be someone you aren’t can lead your relationships to be built on lies and cause confusion in the future.     2     They forget that being themselves is how they make genuine connections.

Respect people’s boundaries

It’s likely that when you get to know someone new, you’ll discover their limits quickly. In order to build a meaningful relationship with that person, you must respect the boundaries.    3    Otherwise,the connection will be killed.

Move past the surface level

Meaningful connections move past the basics of small talk.Yes, the first time you meet someone, you can cover surface-level facts.    4    What are their values? What types of goals do they have for the future? What are their biggest hopes and dreams? These are all questions that give more insight into who they are and how we can connect with them.

    5    

One of the best ways to learn how to connect with other people is learning to be present. And don’t just be present mentally. Use your body language to show that they have your full attention. If you aren’t facing the person who’s speaking, they won’t feel like you care about connecting with them.

A．Stay focused on the present.

B．Be genuine with your admiration.

C．Building relationships can be tough.

D．Don’t push them to share things that they don’t want to.

E．It can also reduce stress and awkwardness for both of you.

F．People make such a mistake when they desperately want to fit in.

G．However, after you’ve been talking for a while, try to go deeper.

7 . Educational optimists predict that AI will soon provide amazing efficiencies and progress in teaching and learning. But are efficiency and machine logic what our students need most?

It’s certainly true that AI is a wonderful new tool dramatically transforming human life. AI is improving in speed and scope to recognize patterns in extremely complex data sets of all types, allowing it to make predictions about what might come next, be it a purchase of a customer, a word in a sentence , a sound in spoken language, or countless other processes.AI can answer specific complex questions or perform complex calculations at a rate impossible for the human mind to comprehend, let alone compete with. It can also create images and speeches which not only imitate reality but surpass it to meet programmed standards of excellence.

However, although these may be helpful to adults seeking to improve productivity, it is necessary to follow G.K. Chesterton’s advice that children should not be subjected to educational projects and ideas younger than they are. Allowing students to avoid traditional learning methods with AI will have uncertain and potentially harmful results. The same could be true of educators’dependence on AI for student assessment and lesson planning. In education at least, it is quite possible that AI will work against natural human development and provide not a shortcut to human formation but a short circuit.

Despite AI’s influence, traditional learning and writing assignments are crucial for promoting learning and cognitive development. Homework, similar to music practice, teaches discipline and skills essential for personal growth and future success. Deceptive(欺诈的)practices harm genuine learning, spoiling students’ competitiveness in an AI-dominated job market. Reliance on AI-generated content weakens critical thinking and creativity, damaging students’ intellectual growth. Moreover, it devalues the role of teachers in guiding students’development. In contrast, real engagement with homework cultivates invaluable human qualities essential in an AI-driven world, ensuring students’ competitive advantage and overall development.

1. Which best describes AI according to paragraph 2?

A．Unavoidable.	B．Dangerous.
C．Time-consuming.	D．Life-changing.

2. What’s the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 3?

A．To argue against the involvement of AI in education.

B．To clarify the role of AI in promoting efficiency.

C．To explore the possibility of applying AI to study.

D．To present educators’reliance on AI in class.

3. What does the author say about traditional learning methods?

A．They are out of date now.

B．They have a fair reason to stay.

C．They make students less competitive.

D．They weaken students’overall development.

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

A．The Rise of AI

B．The Role of Traditional Learning

C．Do Students Really Need AI?

D．Does AI Help with Productivity?

8 . For people living with dementia (痴呆), a new program offers a supportive path to building social connections and reducing loneliness through music. Led by the Institute for Therapy through the Arts, Musical Bridges to Memory (MBM) is a12-week program designed to bridge relationships between people with dementia, their families, and the greater community that serve them through live musical interactions, training, and research in music-based approaches.

MBM gags participants in weekly sessions, which include interactive performances and training in communication skills to improve caregivers’ relationships with loved ones living with dementia. According to a 2022 study that examined MBM’s impacts, this music-based therapy (疗法) can increase social engagement between caregivers and their loved ones despite ongoing declines in cognitive (认知的) health.

Research shows people with dementia benefit from interventions that control their preserved cognitive and functional abilities. Music taps into our implicit memory (内隐记忆) , linking us to past experiences and emotions without the need for conscious awareness. This is especially true for music that is personally meaningful to us, such as a favorite song, which can promote brain plasticity and cognition.

Neurologist Dr. Ronald Devere notes, “Musical understanding, musical emotion, and musical memory can survive long after other forms of memory and cognitive function have disappeared." Even as cognition declines, music can help to promote connection and shared communication — making it an efficient tool to support people with dementia.

In addition to improving communication, MBM positively impacts mood and alleviates the caregiver’s burden. Caregivers who participated in this program reported significant reductions in   distress (痛苦) as a result of improved communication through music. In short, the program’s positive health impacts extend beyond individuals with dementia to their families and loved ones because it facilitates communication and social connection, particularly in cases where verbal   language is no longer possible.

These findings add to decades of research that demonstrates music can positively impact our health, and they provide further insights into the benefits of the MBM program to people with dementia and their caregivers. They also correspond with other community-based interventions to use music to promote healing.

1. What can we learn about the MBM program?

A．It needs to be more creative.

B．It cures patients of dementia.

C．It targets more than dementia patients.

D．It involves different types of musical instruments.

2. How does music affect dementia patients?

A．It makes their memory implicit.

B．It promotes their conscious awareness.

C．lt can bring back their past memories.

D．It enables all their memories to stay long.

3. What does the underlined word “alleviates" in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Relieves.	B．Shifts.
C．Distributes.	D．Measures.

4. Which aspect of the program does the last paragraph stress?

A．Its focus.	B．Its significance.
C．Its background.	D．Its process.

9 . Virginia’s McAfee Knob is one of the most famous spots along the Appalachian Trail, offering a beautiful view of forests and valleys. Thousands of hikers visit it each year to take in the scenery. Recently, a new agreement was reached to protect much of this view forever. Two conservation groups, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and The Conservation Fund, have bought 850 acres of land from six different owners below the Knob. This area, now called the McAfee Vista Preserve, will not only maintain the view but also help restore wildlife habitats.

Heather Richards from The Conservation Fund expressed joy at the completion of the deal. She praised the cooperation between the organizations involved and the landowners for their commitment to conservation.

McAfee Knob is extremely popular, with around 50,000 visitors annually. It is so iconic that when Google featured the Appalachian Trail in the Doodle on their homepage in October, they used an illustration of McAfee Knob. However, this popularity has led to some challenges. For instance, there have been concerns about garbage attracting bears and the need for better management of visitor numbers and facilities.

This recent acquisition is part of ongoing efforts by the ATC to protect views along the trail. Over the past four years, they, along with partners like The Conservation Fund and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, have purchased about 1,300 acres from various landowners.

However, the funding for this purchase has raised some controversy (争议). A significant part of the money came from the Mountain Valley Pipeline project, which has faced opposition due to its potential impact on the environment. Despite initially opposing the plan, the ATC entered into an agreement with its developers to receive funding for conservation efforts.

The ATC also received support from other sources, such as the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Forest CORE Fund and donations from members of both the ATC and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.

1. What is the new agreement in paragraph 1 about?

A．Land purchase.	B．Tourism limitation.
C．Demand for funding.	D．Resource management.

2. What’s Heather Richards’attitude towards the deal?

A．Uncaring.	B．Doubtful.
C．Favorable.	D．Mixed.

3. How does the author introduce the popularity of McAfee Knob?

A．By presenting facts.	B．By conducting an analysis.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By explaining a concept.

4. Which of the following about the ATC agrees with the text?

A．It served as the only sponsor.

B．It gave in to a certain extent.

C．It refused donations in any form.

D．It approved of the plan originally.

10 . Be honest: how often does your social media scrolling lead to shopping? And how many of those things that TikTok made you buy did you actually need? Enter de-influencing, the TikTok trend flipping (颠覆) influencing on its head — and aiming to save our bank balances in the process.

De-influencing is the TikTok trend with hundreds of millions of views that’s challenging the hype (炒作) around so-called popular products by telling you what you shouldn’t buy, instead of what you should. It’s a response to a few different things, including a general feeling of overconsumption (you don’t need more stuff just because TikTok says you do) and the cost of living crisis.

It sounds progressive, but once you scratch the surface, there isn’t a huge difference between influencing and de-influencing. “De-influencing is a bit of a false product,” says Kendall. “It’s still influence but it’s telling people what not to buy.”While TikTokers may be warning consumers away from expensive or well-known products, some continue to influence by telling consumers what they should buy instead. For example, buying a heated roller set on Amazon over the Dyson Airwrap — this is still suggesting products with sweeping promises.

Ironically speaking, de-influencing is a good strategy for influencers and brands. Rising living costs mean consumers are less likely to spend a huge amount of money on big-ticket items, which means the influencers promoting them are less likely to generate income. Turning to promoting cheaper products plays into the so-called “Lipstick Effect,” where people treat themselves to little luxuries, instead of addictions, during times of economic uncertainty.

What is different about de-influencing is encouraging consumers to take a moment to think about whether they need a product and whether it’s right for them versus whether they’re simply being influenced because it’s new, popular, or exciting. This is part of a bigger movement in beauty. “There is also the reduction of regimens, the ingredient diet, the skin minimalism, and the stripping back of excess linked to sustainability and over-consumption,” says Kendall. “This is a positive approach to marketing.”

1. Why does the author use the questions at the beginning of Paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic.	B．To highlight an opinion.
C．To illustrate an argument.	D．To predict the ending.

2. As for de-influencing, which would the author agree with?

A．It’s telling people what to buy to challenge the hype.

B．It is a bit of a true product influencing people.

C．It responds to a general feeling of overconsumption.

D．It’s an unwise strategy for influencers and brands.

3. What does de-influencing encourage consumers to do?

A．Get what is popular.	B．Purchase a novel product.
C．Increase consumption in beauty.	D．Buy only what is needed.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．De-influencing: The Trend Killing Influencer Marketing

B．Brands are all Scared of the De-influencing Trend

C．De-influencing Pushes the Shift to Overconsumption

D．De-influencing: The Trend Putting Truthfulness First