1 . Baidu, a Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence firm, announced its latest electric autonomous driving vehicle, Apollo RT6, on Thursday. The new vehicle is a fully electric vehicle with a steering wheel (方向盘) that can be removed when not required. It will cost ¥250,000 per unit.

“The steering-wheel-free design allows more space for extra seating or other additions and the massive cost reduction will enable us to put tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles into operation across China,” Robin Li, co-founder and CEO of Baidu, said at the firm's Baidu World Conference Thursday. “We are moving towards a future where taking a robotaxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today.”

Baidu already runs Apollo Go and Apollo Moon, taxi services using self-driving robotaxis with safety staff seated in the driver or passenger seat. They have been in operation in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, although the service is limited to specific areas. The new vehicle will soon join those robotaxis.

The RT6 has reached the industry's Level 4 out of five possible levels of technology. That means its systems can operate without a driver but must be pre-loaded with a detailed map, thus limiting the areas where the vehicles can operate. Lower levels of self-driving technology have been available for decades. For example, many Level-3 vehicles allow hands-free highway driving. Other kinds of self-driving robot vehicles are already widely used in factories warehouses and other tightly controlled settings.

Compared to previous generations where the technology was mainly used on conventional vehicles, the Apollo RT6 was designed specifically with fully autonomous driving in mind.

Baidu is best known for its search engine and online advertising services, but in recent years it has invested heavily in autonomous driving and artificial intelligence technology, including automated personal assistants and AI chips.

1. What can we know about Apollo RT6?

A．It is free to run in any area.	B．It has to operate with a driver.
C．It will be cheaper to operate.	D．It can work without a detailed map.

2. The technology of a fully self-driving vehicle should reach__________.

A．Level 2

B．Level 3

C．Level 4

D．Level 5

3. What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．A personal assistant.	B．A company.
C．A search engine.	D．A fully autonomous car.

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

A．An Introduction to Baidu's Latest Vehicle: Apollo RT6

B．Baidu's Future Plan for Its Electric Vehicle: Apollo RT6

C．Limitations of the Level-4 Self-driving Electric Vehicles

D．The Great Market Potential for Fully Autonomous Vehicles

2 . Sara Dykman is on a 10, 000-mile bike trip, following the monarch butterfly from Mexico through the UnitedStates and Canada and back again. The purpose of her journey is not just to mark the butterfly’s migrating (迁徙) road, but to warn about the threat it faces — and what we can do to help it.

When I reached Dykman by phone, she was biking through Iowa cornfields. She said she feels more upset than usual, because of what she is seeing — or not seeing — on her travels: Fewer butterflies and milkweed. “In the last two decades, the butterfly population has declined by about 90 percent as a result of the loss of milkweed, a native plant that the butterflies need as part of their life cycle,” she said.

Butterflies go through a four-stage life cycle. In February and March, the adult monarch butterflies come out of winter sleep to look for a mate. Then they migrate north and east to lay their eggs on milkweed plants. It takes about four days for the eggs to hatch. Then the baby caterpillars (毛毛虫) spend much of their time eating milkweed in order to grow. About two weeks later, the fully grown caterpillars will attach themselves to plant branches or leaves to change into butterflies.

But Dykman is not in total despair. A solution, she says, exists within the reach of everyone who owns a home; simply planting some milkweed in the yards to help the butterflies on their journey.

Dykman lives a life as simple and rootless as the butterflies she loves. She doesn’t own a house or car or eat out at restaurants. She carries only what she needs; a sleeping bag and clothing. People help along the way by providing a place to stay and a meal.

“I have failed at everything normal, but I’m pretty good at doing the less normal things,” she admits in her new book Cycling With Butterflies.

“But this trip is about solutions, and it’s about helping people see the consequences of their actions,” she said on the phone.

1. What is the main purpose of Sara Dykman’s bike trip?

A．To live-stream the migrating butterflies.	B．To ask people to grow more native plants.
C．To warn about the environmental problems.	D．To encourage people to protect the butterflies.

2. What can be learned from paragraph 3?

A．Baby caterpillars are very harmful to various crops.

B．Milkweed plays a vital role in a butterfly’s life cycle.

C．Non-native plants are growing too fast in Iowa cornfields.

D．Adult butterflies come out of winter sleep later than they did.

3. What can we learn about Sara Dykman?

A．She is a determined conservationist.	B．She is a good bread-earner.
C．She is a competent employee.	D．She is a comfort seeker.

4. What is the text?

A．A diary entry.

B．A book review.

C．An interview.

D．A news report.

3 . Here are the Disney movies recommended by Brandon Dammit for this weekend.

Fantasia 2000

Budget: $80 million

Score: 75%

I remember disliking Fantasia 2000 in theaters as a young child, but I have developed a much deeper appreciation for the fantastic music as an adult. Disney has employed advanced sound tools to produce a movie that was under-appreciated at its first appearance.

Pete’s Dragon

Budget: $65 million

Score: 60%

I love Disney as much as the younger generation. But it’s disappointing to see flavorless remakes like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast harvest billions at the box office while more soulful remakes like Pete’s Dragon is largely ignored.

The Rescuers Down Under

Budget: $38 million

Score: 70%

I won’t lie to you, kind reader. The Rescuers Down Under is the only movie that I’ve never seen here and my honor won’t allow me to pretend otherwise. According to Disney, it’s about the world’s bravest mice, Bernard and Bianca, who race to Australia to save a boy and a rare golden eagle from a cruel hunter. So, you know, normal Disney stuff.

The Great Mouse Detective

Budget: $14 million

Score: 72%

Picture this: a young mouse named Olivia is committed to discovering the truth of her father’s disappearance in 1897 London, and she got the help from his friends, Dr. Dawson and Toby. It’s basically Disney’s Sherlock Holmes.

1. What does Brandon Dammit like about Fantasia 2000?

A．The plot.

B．The dialogue.

C．The music.

D．The actors.

2. Which remake should receive better acceptance according to Brandon Dammit?

A．The Lion King.	B．Pete’s Dragon.
C．Beauty and the Beast.	D．The Rescuers Down Under.

3. How much has Disney spent on the Great Mouse Detective?

A．$14 million.

B．$ 38 million.

C．$ 65 million.

D．$80 million.

4 . You might have heard of the expression “a guilty pleasure”—maybe it’s the chocolate bar you buy on the way home from work, or the new clothes that you don’t really need.     1     . Perhaps we don’t feel we deserved it, or we don’t think it was a responsible way to spend our money. But should we feel like this? Do we really have to feel guilty about treating ourselves?

Perhaps not. Psychologists have suggested that buying things for yourself can make you feel better as it provides an opportunity to take control of your situation.    2     . It may be that as well as lifting your mood, when you buy a treat, you might just be looking after yourself.

Of course, there are also examples of people turning to destructive behaviour when faced with stressful circumstances. People might spend money that they don’t have or turn to dangerous addictions. Psychologist Leon Seltzer considers the difference between self-indulgence and self-nurturing.    3     , while self-nurturing is taking responsible decisions to satisfy our needs and take care of ourselves in ways that don’t have a significant impact.

    4    . So, many universities publish guides with advice for coping with exam stress. Reflecting the difference between self-indulgence and self-nurture, they recommend rewarding yourself for your efforts, doing things that you enjoy and are good at so that you can feel accomplishment.    5     . Thus, perhaps, as long as we make responsible decisions, we shouldn’t feel guilty about our guilty pleasures.

A．Exams are vital for students.

B．Self-indulgence can have negative consequences

C．The difference becomes evident when students manage exam pressure

D．They also recommend embracing activities that could dampen your spirits

E．Besides, you should avoid things that may make you feel worse afterwards

F．It comes from the idea that when we treat ourselves, it can sometimes leave us feeling guilty

G．It can give you social contact as well as a confidence boost from changes you make to your self-image

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. For what occasion did the woman make the pumpkin dip?

A．A birthday party.

B．Halloween.

C．A cooking competition.

2. What is needed for making the pumpkin dip?

A．Cream butter.

B．Some spices.

C．Powdered salt.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the ideal working time per week for brain functioning?

A．25 hours.

B．30 hours.

C．40 hours.

2. What kind of brain performance tends to go down at age 30?

A．Memory.

B．Ability to use knowledge.

C．Information processing.

3. What effect has been researched on brain functioning in middle age?

A．Pains caused by diseases.

B．Care-taking of the family.

C．The intake of nutrition.

4. Which gender is more easily affected by the excessive work?

A．Male.

B．Female.

C．Both genders.

7 . 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。

Leo and Alex were close friends. They had been friends since childhood, sharing countless memories, and growing up side by side. They were as close as siblings, sharing countless happy moments and supporting each other through thick and thin. However, one fateful day, a misunderstanding tore them apart, leaving their friendship in shreds.

Leo was a die-hard fan of the local football team, the Metropolis Eagles, while Alex was passionate about the city’s rival team, the Metrostars. Their differing loyalties often led to lively debates and friendly jokes, but it never affected their friendship. Until one fateful game day.

The Metropolis Eagles were playing against the Metrostars, and Leo and Alex were both determined to watch the game together. However, when the game got intense and the score was tied, Leo’s and Alex’s passions boiled over. Leo accused Alex of favoring the other team, while Alex felt Leo was being unreasonably stubborn. The argument escalated (升级) quickly, and words were exchanged that neither of them would soon forget. “You’ve gone too far. I don’t want to see you again,” thundered Leo. Both friends were left feeling hurt and disappointed.

The next day, there were heated discussions about the game, but Leo and Alex avoided each other like the plague (瘟疫). Leo deeply regretted what he had said and wanted to apologize, but pride got in the way. Weeks passed, and the silence between them grew deafening.

One day, while walking home from school, Leo came across a lost dog. He couldn’t help but notice the collar around the dog’s neck, with a tag that read “Alex’s Best Friend.” Leo realized this dog was Alex’s.

注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡上相应位置作答。
At that moment, Leo was in a difficult position.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
With a deep breath, Leo knocked on Alex’s door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . 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。

Liu Dai’e is known as     1     national inheritor of Tujia brocade weaving (土家织锦). She completed dozens of orders for her products bearing unique cultural     2     (element) of the Tujia ethnic group in time for the last Spring Festival. Born and raised in a village in Hunan province, Liu has introduced a new technique     3     the traditional craft (手艺) over the past two years,     4     was named as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

In the Tujia language, the local brocade is known as xilankapu, which translates as “flower-patterned cover”. Made by skilled weavers and     5     (involve) more than 10 processes, Tujia brocade weaving     6     (feature) over 200 classic designs.

Liu Dai’e was named a national inheritor of the craft in 2007, Liu said, “Handwork is involved throughout the process, and     7     (produce) designs that are more delicate than others, I use one line, instead of two.” After launching her business, Liu became     8     (complete) aware of the popularity of products featuring traditional designs.

“Many of my customers like to wear these scarves,     9     send them to their families and friends as gifts,” said Liu. “We need to create high-quality, high-end products not only to preserve the craft but to enhance     10     (confident) in ethnic culture and achieve social and economic benefits,” she added.

9 . It was January 2016, and Jeremy and his girlfriend, Molei, were leaving Denver for a weekend of fun with friends on the slopes in Colorado.

The snow came earlier than they’d ________, but Jeremy wasn’t worried. He’d driven this ________ a thousand times, and he knew ________ what to do. “Take it easy. You’ll get there, and when you do, it’s going to be ________.” As the car began the twisting climb toward the resort town, Jeremy felt an overwhelming wave of excitement.

“Life was really great,” he says. Then, within a blink of an eye, everything ________.

A truck that came out of nowhere hit them. One minute, Jeremy’s Ford SUV was ________ quickly through the falling snow; the next, he was sitting in his crushed SUV by the side of the road, ________ his seat by the wheel, his body screaming with ________. To his right, he saw Molei. He could think only one thing to say: “Don’t die. I love you.”

Statistically, Molei should have died. Inside her neck, the vertebrae (脊椎) had basically been crushed. Her head was attached to her shoulders by ________ but skin and muscle.

Henry Rodriquez, an officer on holiday, was driving on the same road not far behind the Ford and ________ instantly when he saw the accident.

________ his wife calmed the trapped and terrified Jeremy, Rodriquez worked swiftly. One wrong move could have ________ Molei dead or paralyzed. Protecting her head and neck, he carefully removed her from the twisted car and ________ her on the road by the side of the car, covering her with coats to keep her warm.

For 45 minutes, Rodriquez ________ her chest to bring her heart back to life. Thanks to Rodriquez’s timely ________, Molei made it to Anthony Hospital and recovered gradually.

1.

A．observed

B．expected

C．enjoyed

D．realised

2.

A．slope

B．tunnel

C．route

D．town

3.

A．exactly

B．surprisingly

C．specially

D．correctly

4.

A．grateful

B．terrible

C．difficult

D．awesome

5.

A．happened

B．disappeared

C．moved

D．changed

6.

A．driving

B．rolling

C．jumping

D．running

7.

A．pinned

B．lay

C．sat

D．placed

8.

A．terror

B．pain

C．panic

D．frustration

9.

A．something

B．everything

C．nothing

D．anything

10.

A．drove away

B．drove on

C．pulled back

D．pulled over

11.

A．Since

B．After

C．While

D．Although

12.

A．kept

B．left

C．appealed

D．improved

13.

A．laid

B．rushed

C．dragged

D．walked

14.

A．shook

B．touched

C．pounded

D．felt

15.

A．rescue

B．check

C．response

D．arrival

10 . Going on a solo travel is more than just a holiday; it’s a journey of self-discovery, growth, and transformation. However, it’s not easy to make a decision because of the potential risks.     1    ? These four ways that solo travelling will change your life will convince you to buy that plane ticket!

Self-discovery beyond your comfort zone

Solo travel forces you out of your comfort zone, pushing you into an environment where self-reliance becomes common. You do everything on your own, from choosing destinations to exploring unfamiliar streets.     2    . It will equip you to tackle challenges with a newfound confidence.

Cultural involvement and global view

    3    . Being alone makes you more approachable, making it easier for locals and fellow travelers to engage with you. Whether it’s striking up a conversation with a native or sharing a meal with locals, solo travel provides a unique window into the cultural tapestry (图景) of each destination.

    4    

From understanding foreign languages to managing unexpected changes in plans, you are regularly meet with challenges that demand creative solutions. The ability to think on your feet and find innovative solutions to unexpected issues equips you to tackle challenges in various aspects of your personal and professional life.

Mindfulness and living in the present

In busy daily life, it’s easy to lose sight of the present moment. Solo travel allows you to fully expose yourself to the experiences at hand. Whether it’s enjoying a breathtaking sunset, or simply wandering through the streets of an unfamiliar city, solo travel encourages a deep appreciation for the present.     5    .

A．Enhanced problem-solving skills

B．Still hesitate to lake a solo travel adventure

C．Increased self-confidence and independence

D．Solo travel is the opportunity to expose yourself lo diverse cultures

E．This newfound mindfulness helps you gain a more fulfilling existence

F．Enjoy the loneliness, and allow solo travel to bring a positive change to your life

G．Through these experiences, you’ll build a stronger, more self-aware version of yourself