1 . How to Choose Courses for High School Freshmen
Welcome to the exciting world of high school! As a freshman, you may be feeling unsure of how to choose the right courses. Fear not, we will guide you through the process of choosing the perfect courses for your unique academic journey.
Start with your strengths
The first step in choosing courses is to take a look at your strengths and interests. What courses are you better at?
Consider your career goals
Think about what jobs you are interested in in the future.
Talk to the school advisers
School advisers are your valuable resource when it comes to choosing courses. They can help you find your interests, strengths, and career goals. They also recommend courses that are suitable for you.
When choosing courses, it's important to look at your schedule. Will you have enough time to complete your homework and still have time for other activities? Will the courses conflict with each other? For example, if you have heavy work of math and science courses, you might want to avoid adding another challenging course to your plate.
Research the subjects
Before choosing a course, take some time to research the subject matter. Look for reviews and feedback from present and former students.
| A．Consider your schedule |
| B．Balance your homework |
| C．Science courses are best for choosing a job. |
| D．What courses will help you achieve your goals? |
| E．What subjects do you find yourself naturally attracted to? |
| F．They can help you get a sense of the course content and level. |
| G．In a word, they help you find the perfect choice specially for you. |
2 . Looking out of the window of his truck, Bob Fitzgerald sees dying forests and empty farmland. Fitzgerald says the land has been in his family since the 17th century. “I can show you land around here that people grew tomatoes on when I was a little boy. And now it’s gone.”
Climate change is making things worse. As sea levels rise, salt water is entering rivers and other waterways. As a result, the land is becoming too salty for crops to grow on. Hundreds of millions of people will be forced to move inland because of rising waters.
Kate Tully, a researcher in the University of Maryland, wants to keep coastal farmers in business as the seas rise. She has seen the forests filled with pine trees killed by the increasingly salty soil. The United States Department of Agriculture gave Tully and other researchers $1.1 million to study the problem. She and her team hope to give farmers ways to stay on their land.
They are testing different crops on pieces of land around the Eastern Shore. “Sorghum (高粱) is my new favorite crop because it can grow without rain and it can grow with lots of rain.” The grain (谷物) crop may be a good choice to feed the nearly 600 million chickens kept in the area each year. As farmers know, chickens can deal with salt, dry weather conditions and heavy rains. Yet just being able to grow a crop is not enough. The crop has to bring in money.
Some people believe the land should be given back to nature. They say the fields should be turned into wetlands, which are popular with duck hunters. “There’s money in duck hunting,” Tully said. “Hunting organizations will pay farmers for hunting on their land. Farmers could make a lot of money from duck hunting.”
Tully and her team are just getting started. It will be a few years before they really understand how to save the farms.
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To lead to the main topic. | B．To describe the farm scenery. |
| C．To illustrate a memorable experience. | D．To provide the background information. |
| A．To help farmers stay on their land. | B．To study new crops for coastal farmers. |
| C．To study climate change in recent years. | D．To help farmers start their own business. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Doubtful. | C．Positive. | D．Negative. |
| A．Climate Change Making Things Worse. | B．Rising Seas Forcing Changes on Farms. |
| C．Coastal Farmers Saving Their Homeland. | D．Scientists Teaching Farmers to Plant Crops. |
3 . Scientists in South Africa have found that ceramic (瓷的) nest boxes can protect endangered African penguins from climate change.
In the past, the penguins laid eggs in holes dug into centuries-old layers of their own droppings, most of which was shipped by traders to the United Kingdom as fertilizer (肥料) in the 1800s. Since then, many penguins have nested in the open, exposing their eggs and themselves to the burning heat.
Because penguins evolved to keep heat in cold water, they can easily overheat on land. Typically, penguins leave their nests regularly to cool off in the sea. But without proper holes, this leaves their eggs unprotected. Since 1900, the African penguin population has dropped from three million to only 48,000.
Fortunately, a team of researchers seem to have found a way. Over the past years, the team has put more than 1,500 handmade ceramic nest boxes in five areas where the penguins live, including Bird Island in Algoa Bay, South Africa, which is home to nearly half of the world’s remaining African penguins. Looking like small round houses, the double-walled ceramic nests can keep African penguins cool.
“The nests are so useful,” says Welman, a zoologist, “Even if adults had to leave nests for some reason, their eggs would never be at any risk of overheating.” Christina Hagen of Bird Life South Africa, who was not part of the study, says finding effective conservation solutions is important given the decreasing population of African penguins.
The main threat to African penguins is overfishing of anchovy and sardines, the penguins’ favorite food. Scientists and conservationists are pushing the South African government to close commercial fishing around the five African penguin breeding (繁殖) colonies until populations recover. But without protection from rising temperatures, those efforts alone may not be enough. Ceramic nests could help to give these beloved penguins a fighting chance.
1. What can we learn about African penguins from the passage?| A．They well adapt to high temperatures. |
| B．They are mainly threatened by pollution. |
| C．They are suffering a lot from overheating. |
| D．They have a population of over three million. |
| A．There is a vast population of African penguins. |
| B．It enjoys the best climate for African penguins. |
| C．African penguins there can nest in the open. |
| D．There are holes for penguins to lay eggs. |
| A．To allow the penguins to stay cool inside. |
| B．To protect the penguins from being hunted. |
| C．To provide a place for the penguins to rest. |
| D．To save enough room for the adult penguins. |
| A．Creating more nesting areas for the penguins. |
| B．Stopping people fishing where the penguins breed. |
| C．Introducing new species of fish for the penguins. |
| D．Providing man-made cooling facilities for the penguins. |
4 . I have quite a bit of experience with Toastmasters, an organization aiming to help people overcome speech anxiety. I joined many years ago with the hope of improving my public speaking. After one of my speeches, the comments I received were harsh. Constructive or not, the critique was hard to take. I felt my feelings were hurt.
I learned many things from my time with Toastmasters, and one was the value of good feedback. Welcoming the critique of others is hard for adults, even when it’s well-intentioned. So naturally, we can expect that children will also struggle with it. But the feedback our children receive from teachers and parents is important to their growth and development. So as parents, we must learn how to deliver our feedback effectively, and we’ll need to train our children on how to accept it with openness and wisdom.
The way parents deliver their feedback is as important as the specific words used. It’s possible to have good intentions, but when feedback is poorly given, it can be harmful and not helpful.
It’s important to create a welcoming, safe environment in the home for intaking and processing feedback. Especially between a child and parent, the feedback needs to be healthy, constructive and regular.
The words used are also important. In a New York Times article written by Dr. Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School, he shares that it is “22 to 29 percent more effective” to encourage children with nouns than verbs, but when it comes to giving negative feedback, it’s generally better to use verbs.
A parent’s feedback provides the scaffolding (脚手架) for how a child will manage their inner monologue. Consider, as an example, a discussion you may have with your child about their goals. Your feedback can encourage them not just to focus on where they are now but to reflect on how far they’ve come. This kind of feedback can spur them on to reach the finish line.
1. Why does the author mention his experience with Toastmasters?| A．To tell us what is good feedback. | B．To tell us to join Toastmasters. |
| C．To show the main function of feedback. | D．To show the necessity of proper feedback. |
① You’re a big helper. ② You’re a poor math learner.
③ You’ve been helpful this afternoon. ④ You didn’t do well on this math test.
| A．①② | B．①④ | C．②③ | D．③④ |
| A．Limit. | B．Monitor. | C．Persuade. | D．Inspire. |
| A．The way to respond to feedback | B．The value of accepting feedback |
| C．How to give effective feedback | D．How to become a better speaker |
5 . This year, the world celebrates a century of Disney magic, starting from a small animation studio to one of the most influential entertainment (娱乐) companies in the world.
In 1923, the Disney Brothers Studio was founded in California by Walter Disney and his brother Roy. In 1928, Disney launched his most symbolic creation, Mickey Mouse, with the release of Steamboat Willie. With his big round ears and cheerful personality, Mickey quickly became an instant hit.
Disney’s dream extended beyond the world of animation, however. In 1955, Disneyland, the first theme park in the world, opened its doors in California. This sparked the creation of several more Disneyland parks worldwide.
| A．New characters have joined the Disney family |
| B．The company continued to explore new entertainment |
| C．His love for his daughters was a big source of inspiration |
| D．Let’s explore the journey of Disney’s growth and development |
| E．Disney movies often draw inspiration from classic stories and real-life places |
| F．This success marked the beginning of Disney’s journey to bring joy to people |
| G．Throughout its history, Disney has become a symbol of magic and imagination |
6 . Kiley Crisp, a 15-year-old teenager, has Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes learning and developmental issues. Despite her outgoing personality, Kiley sometimes struggles to make friends. Last year, however, she met two amazing girls at a summer camp she went to. The girls, who live far away from her, daily contact Kiley. They call her, check in on her using social media, and make her feel deeply loved.
Kiley was out to dinner with family to celebrate her turning 15. She was extremely moved to find that her friends drove three hours to celebrate her birthday! In a video posted by her sister Ashley on social media, Kiley is seen moved to tears at how kind her friends were to surprise her on her birthday.
In the video, the 15-year-old is seen happily dancing around in a cafe. Then she feels two girls coming towards her. She realizes they are her two good friends. Kiley widens her eyes, unable to believe it, because both had told her that they felt sorry for not being able to come to observe her birthday. Then the two friends are seen comforting Kiley as they offer her hugs and wish her a happy birthday!
The video has acquired over 5.2 million views since it was posted, through which Kiley has received a lot of love. And in an update, she expressed her hearty thanks to those who left sweet comments. One of them said, “Really sweet of those girls to support their friend like that.” Another said, “The world would be a much better place if more people were like these girls. They are inspiring role models. We should all try to be so nice.”
1. Why is it difficult for Kiley to make friends?| A．She is hard to get along with. | B．She suffers from a disease. |
| C．She lives far from other children. | D．She seldom uses social media. |
| A．Her friends’ unexpected appearance. | B．Observing her birthday with families. |
| C．Her success in making friends online. | D．The surprise given by the cafe. |
| A．Overjoyed but ashamed. | B．Shocked and embarrassed. |
| C．Satisfied but confused. | D．Surprised and touched. |
| A．Kiley reminded people to view her video. |
| B．Kiley promised to help teenagers make friends. |
| C．Their friendship has inspired many people. |
| D．More people intend to join in her birthday party. |
7 .
Four novels to read this winter | |
| To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | This classic novel explores racism in the American South through the eyes of a young girl named Scout Finch and her father, Atticus Finch, a just and sympathetic lawyer. To Kill a Mockingbird earned the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961 and was made into an Academy Award-winning film in 1962, giving the story and its characters further life and influence over the American social sphere. For more, click here |
| One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez | This novel tells the story of the Buendía family over seven generations in the town of Macondo, combining magic realism with the portrayal of Latin American culture and history. The novel won many awards for Márquez, leading the way to his eventual honor of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982 for his entire body of work, of which One Hundred Years of Solitude is often lauded as his most triumphant. For more, click here |
| Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison | This groundbreaking novel delves into the expression of identity for African American males, with the unnamed narrator facing adversity and discrimination as he moves from the South to New York City. The novel is renowned for its surreal and experimental style of writing that explores the symbolism surrounding African American identity and culture. Invisible Man won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1953. For more, click here |
| Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf | This novel describes one day in the life of a British socialite named Clarissa Dalloway, using a stream-of-consciousness style to provide a deeply personal look into the characters’ minds, focusing on their regrets, struggles with mental illness, and the impact of social pressures. The novel’s unique style, subject, and time setting make it one of the most respected and regarded works of all time. For more, click here |
| A．Invisible Man. | B．Mrs. Dalloway. |
| C．To Kill a Mockingbird. | D．One Hundred Years of Solitude. |
| A．The author won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1982. |
| B．The author tells his true family story in this novel. |
| C．The author uses a writing style called magic realism. |
| D．The author explores the symbolism on African culture. |
| A．In a magazine. | B．In a science report. |
| C．On a movie poster. | D．On the Internet. |
8 . Hummingbirds (蜂鸟) are a very important part of Mexico’s ecosystem, but because of the ever-spreading city landscape, they face all sorts of serious dangers. That’s where 73-year-old Catia Lattouf de Arida comes in. As a self-taught hummingbird care-taker, she devotes most of her free time and resources to nursing the tiny birds back to health. Her home in Mexico City has become known as a hummingbird hospital
Catia’s story as a hummingbird nurse began in 2011, at a very dificult moment in her life. At that time, she focused on her battle with cancer and fell into a depression (抑郁) . She was walking on the strect one day when she noticed a hummingbird that had suffered a serious eye injury. The kindhearted woman took it home and named it Gucci. She managed to nurse Gucci back to health, but she said it was Gucci that saved her. Why? Because the hummingbird managed to pull her out of the sadness and loneliness that had taken over her life.
Word of her success spread among Catia’s friends, and before long some of them began bringing her injured hummingbirds. She didn’t repulse them at all. She began to study the bird and their habits in order to better take care of them, and after 11 years of experience, the 73-year-old woman is considered an expert on hummingbirds.
In order to raise awareness of the difficult situation of hummingbirds in Mexico, Catia Lattouf de Arida started posting videos of the patients in her Mexico City apartment on social media, and many of them became popular. That’s when the need for her nursing services really blew up. She has cared for hundreds of hummingbirds in her 11-year career, when she has had as many as 50 of them in her apartment at any one time. She spends pretty much all her time looking after the tiny birds.
1. Which saying can best show the main idea of the first two paragraphs?| A．It is better to give than to take. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．Helping others is helping ourselves. |
| D．A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. |
| A．Expect. | B．Refuse. | C．Accept. | D．Recognize |
| A．When her friends heard about her success. |
| B．When she was considered as a bird expert. |
| C．After she shared the birds’ videos on the media. |
| D．After she looked after a large number of the birds. |
| A．honest and kind | B．generous and creative |
| C．devoted and strict | D．caring and responsible |
9 . For lots of kids, toddlerhood (幼儿期) is an important time for friendship. Studies show that the earlier kids learn to form positive relationships, the better they are at relating to others as teenagers and adults. Playing together also helps these kids practice social behaviors, such as kindness, sharing, and cooperation.
Even so, how quickly your child develops into a social creature may also depend on his temperament(性格). Some toddler s are very social, but others are shy. In addition, the way that toddlers demonstrate that they like other children is markedly different from what adults think of as expressions of friendship. Research at Ohio State University in Columbus found that a toddler’s way of saying “I like you” during play is likely to come in the form of copying a friend’s behavior.
This seemingly unusual way of demonstrating fondness can result in unpleasant behavior. Regardless of how much they like a playmate, they may still grab his toys, refuse to share, and get bossy. But experts say that this is a normal and necessary part of friendship for kids this age. Through play experiences, toddlers learn social rules. That’s why it’s so important to take an active role in your toddler’s social encounters by setting limits and offering frequent reminders of what they are. When you establish these guidelines, explain the reasons behind them.
Begin by helping your child learn sympathy (“Ben is crying. What’s making him so sad?”), then suggest how he could resolve the problem (“Maybe he would feel better if you let him play the ball.”). When your child shares or shows empathy(同理心) toward a friend, praise him (“Ben stopped crying! You made him feel better.”).
Another way to encourage healthy social interaction is by encouraging kids to use words- not fists-to express how they feel. It’s also important to be mindful of how your child’s personality affects playtime. Kids are easy to get angry when they’re sleepy or hungry, so schedule playtime when they’re refreshed.
1. What does it indicate when toddlers copy their playmates’ behavior?| A．They are interested in acting. | B．They are shy with the strangers. |
| C．They are fond of their playmates. | D．They are tired of playing games. |
| A．Design games for them. | B．Find them suitable playmates. |
| C．Play together with them. | D．Help them understand social rules. |
| A．Giving examples. | B．Explaining concepts. |
| C．Providing evidence. | D．Making comparisons. |
| A．How Children Adapt to Changes | B．How to Be a Role Model for Children |
| C．How Your Baby Learns to Love | D．How to Communicate with Your Kid |
10 . What’s the first thing you do in the morning? Brush your teeth, wash your face, or eat your breakfast?
Habits play an essential role in our lives. They profoundly impact our health, productivity, financial security, and happiness.
Actually, many people are eager to develop good habits and drop bad ones.
| A．Where should we begin? |
| B．What should you do next? |
| C．Which route do you take to work? |
| D．As a result, we all want to develop good habits or break bad ones. |
| E．We can redesign many of our habits by changing our keystone habits. |
| F．You may think that all of these choices are the result of careful thinking. |
| G．They help create the basis for good practices and greatly improve people’s lives. |
