1 . Steph Clemence always intended to go to college. But life has a(an) _________ throughout her early childhood years to _________ barriers. Growing up, she led a nomadic (漫游的) life because her mother, who remarried several times, was always on the _________. By the time of high school, Steph had lived in 25 places.

When her stepfather died in a car accident, leaving her mother to support three daughters on a(an) _________ income, paying for college became a serious question. But she still tried to figure out what to do with a life so _________ her plan for schooling.

The _________ came one afternoon when she was cleaning her bedroom. She _________ a thick document where she found a handout titled “Mrs. Clark’s Book List” by her high school English teacher Dorothy Clark.

It wasn’t homework, but it could be a(an) _________ for those not able to receive higher education due to _________ problems like her. The teacher had spent months creating a list of 153 books whose contents would be as __________ as a two-year study at an arts college.

Steph studied the list. Each of those books __________ her to learn more. The reading list was also a(an) __________ in her everyday life, even __________ with her on vacations to find out the next book. She never did get to college, but has now only four books left before __________ the list. She wishes she could thank Mrs. Clark for how reading the __________ on the list has changed her life.

1.

A．efficiency

B．motivation

C．exception

D．tendency

2.

A．hold back

B．set up

C．give away

D．carry on

3.

A．display

B．move

C．threat

D．mission

4.

A．precise

B．independent

C．modest

D．initial

5.

A．breaking away from

B．taking hold of

C．giving in to

D．going in for

6.

A．situation

B．answer

C．procedure

D．emergency

7.

A．spotted

B．folded

C．loaded

D．assigned

8.

A．hard rock

B．far cry

C．field work

D．road map

9.

A．flexible

B．foundational

C．financial

D．temporary

10.

A．qualified

B．reliable

C．sufficient

D．delightful

11.

A．confirmed

B．sharpened

C．stimulated

D．bounced

12.

A．origin

B．treat

C．concept

D．constant

13.

A．discussing

B．traveling

C．whispering

D．flashing

14.

A．completing

B．forecasting

C．revealing

D．declaring

15.

A．remarks

B．works

C．proofs

D．zones

2 . In looking through your social media, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed pictures accompanied by texts. The pictures are likely made possible by a text-to-image program called DALL-E. For example, Twitter user posted a tweet with the text, “To be or not to be, rabbi holding avocado, marble sculpture.” Then a matching picture appears below.

The AI models come from Google’s Imagen software as well as OpenAI. a start-up backed by Microsoft. On its website, OpenAI calls DALL-E “a new Al system that can create realistic images and art from a description in natural language.” But most of what’s happening in this area is coming from a relatively small group of people sharing their pictures. That’s because Google and OpenAI have not made the technology broadly available to the public.

The text-to-picture services identify the most important parts of a user’s text and then guess the best way to picture those terms. There’s generally a text box, a button to start the generation process and an area below to display images. To indicate the source. Google and OpenAI add watermarks in the bottom right comer of images from DALL-E and Imagen.

Engineers trained the models on various collections of words and pictures from the web. OpenAI recognizes the potential for harm that could come from a model. To avoid the risk, employees removed violent content from training data, and there are filters（筛选）stopping DALL-E from producing images if users submit（提交）violent or illegal content.

Boris Dayma, a developer from Texas spelled out the problems in an explanation of their software. Despite the risks, Dhariwal, a research scientist at OpenAI, said it could open up creative opportunities for individuals and could help with commercial applications for dressing up websites. Results should continue to improve over time.

1. What is the function of the the AI system DALL-E?

A．Beautifying pictures at users’ request.

B．Producing pictures from human words.

C．Changing pictures into vivid descriptions.

D．Providing pictures for users to choose from.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about concerning DALL-E?

A．Its users’ rights.	B．Its operating conditions
C．Its working process.	D．Its company’s prospect.

3. How could DALL-E ensure the images it produces legal?

A．All images come from a unified model.

B．The training data is selected beforehand.

C．Improper requests can’t be submitted.

D．Filters remove the unhealthy description.

4. What is Dhariwal’s attitude to the future of DALL-E?

A．Positive.

B．Objective.

C．Uncertain.

D．Worried.

3 . Picture the scene: you’ve spent years working towards a very specific goal. You’ve put in countless hours of work and made many efforts along the way, but now that you’ve got there it doesn’t feel quite like you imagined. Instead of celebration, you feel emptiness, confusion and doubt.

Welcome to the anti-climax. The often-experienced but seldom-discussed downside of achieving life’s biggest milestones. Many of us work tirelessly towards our goals. We may spend our lives dreaming of the day we get married, publish our first hook or buy our first home. However, oftentimes, when we achieve these things it doesn’t feel quite as expected. In fact, the achievement of these goals feels a bit of a letdown.

So why do we often experience an anti-climax with big goals, even though we’re happy to achieve them? “An anti-climax can be an unexpected by-product of a milestone achievement. Usually, the more significant the milestone, the greater the anti-climax may be. The intensity（强度）of an anti-climax often relies on what we expect of this achievement.” says Rachel Vora. a psychotherapist（心理治疗师）.“The journey to achieving a milestone can he exciting and tiring in addition to giving us a sense of purpose and focus. Therefore, when this disappears overnight. we can often feel lost and confused, in spite of feeling proud of our achievement.

When this happens it can contribute to a mixture of emotions. We often falsely believe that we’ll feel completely different afterwards or that our feelings of low self-worth will disappear, but this is rarely the case. “Clients（客户）often present to me with an extremely great sense of ‘is this it?’ and ‘what now?’.” says Vora. “These feelings of confusion and disappointment, if let ignored, have the potential to cause clients to be in low spirits, or even worse.”

1. Why does the author mention the examples in paragraph 2?

A．To present a fact.	B．To prove a rule.
C．To explain a term.	D．To make a prediction.

2. What does Vora think is the leading cause of the anti-climax?

A．Low self-worth.	B．High expectations.
C．Sense of purpose.	D．Unexpected achievements.

3. Which of the following is a case of the anti-climax?

A．Amy felt empty before giving a speech.

B．Jack felt lost after his first novel came out.

C．Mary felt proud when she joined a ballet club.

D．Tom felt doubtful about taking further education.

4. What will the author probably talk about in the following text?

A．How to hold back feelings.

B．How to improve self-worth.

C．Hon to identify the anti-climax.

D．How to deal with the anti-climax.

4 . Compean was no stranger to Los Angeles National Forest. He’d hiked the park several times. But after hiking along a _________ path last April, the 45-year-old man was lost.

As dusk _________, with several hours of aimless walking, his concern _________ fear. With only a bottle of water and less than ten percent battery _________ on his cell phone, Compean was unprepared for anything more than the two-hour journey he’d planned.

Compean climbed to a higher _________, some 7, 000 feet above sea level, where he found at least one bar of _________. “Help. My phone is going to die. I’m lost, ” he texted a friend, with a photo _________, showing where he was. All Compean could do then was wait. The temperature was dropping _________. Dressed so little, he soon felt cold to the bone.

Sixty miles away in Ventura County, Ben Kuo was reading a tweet _________ the Los Angeles County Police Department, showing an image of a man’s legs. Kuo has an unusual hobby. “I have always loved __________ where photos were taken,” he says. He frequently tries to __________ where movie scenes or television shows were filmed. When he saw the image of Compean’s legs surrounded by an endless landscape of __________, he immediately pulled up a satellite map on his laptop. The police department said Compean’s car was parked near Buckhorn Campground and Compean had been lost for a whole day, so he narrowed his search to the __________ area.

“There’s an amazing amount of information you can get from satellites, ”says Kuo. The first thing he __________ in Compean’s photo was the special grass. After comparing it to the satellite map, Kuo realized something, “He’s got to be on the south side __________ there’s not really any green valley on the north side.” That finding __________ his search, leading him to an area that was similar to a part in the image. The final step was comparing the __________ photo with 3D images of the area from Google Earth. The locations __________!

Thanks to Kuo’s __________ information, Compean was finally rescued and he was grateful to Kuo, “I __________ you my life”.

1.

A．new

B．familiar

C．old

D．primitive

2.

A．burst

B．came

C．fell

D．sank

3.

A．turned out

B．turned to

C．turned up

D．turned down

4.

A．maintaining

B．remaining

C．presenting

D．restoring

5.

A．spot

B．basin

C．peak

D．top

6.

A．power

B．signal

C．battery

D．sign

7.

A．exhibited

B．conveyed

C．exposed

D．attached

8.

A．slowly

B．steadily

C．frequently

D．quickly

9.

A．about

B．in

C．from

D．of

10.

A．looking for

B．deciding on

C．pointing out

D．counting on

11.

A．predict

B．release

C．comprehend

D．identify

12.

A．trees

B．flowers

C．grass

D．woods

13.

A．precise

B．accurate

C．surrounding

D．subsequent

14.

A．noticed

B．thought

C．mentioned

D．watched

15.

A．while

B．so

C．instead

D．because

16.

A．continued

B．accelerated

C．deepened

D．proved

17.

A．original

B．clear

C．perfect

D．complete

18.

A．entered

B．matched

C．finished

D．differed

19.

A．specific

B．rough

C．special

D．sustainable

20.

A．thank

B．envy

C．owe

D．contribute

5 . 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。

“ Rachel Pettingill! ”

As Truman came home from school, he repeated the name in his head. Throughout third grade and the year before, Rachel Pettingill had earned the highest science grade in the class. Truman was used to being second best.

“ But science is my thing, ” he declared.

Truman’s parents were scientists, and he would be a scientist. That was just a fact. Somehow, with only one week and one assignment left before break, they were neck and neck. Dead even.

The subject of the project was beehives (蜂窝). As his teacher had explained, to earn an A+, he needed a “ new angle. ”

Truman pushed open the front door to find his four-year-old brother, Bryan, playing his paper towel tubes on the living room floor, hard at work.

Bryan leaped to his feet. “ Truman, help me build a city! ”

“ I’d like to, but I have to do a report on beehives. Bryan. Sorry. ” Truman stepped carefully between the tubes. He went to his room, dropped onto the bed, and studied the ceiling.

“ Rachel Pettingill! ”

Her report would be extraordinary.

“ Truman? I know where there’s an old beehive. ” Bryan poked his head in. “ Follow me. ”

They marched to the firewood. Bending down, Bryan pointed out the hive deep inside the tree. Truman carefully removed the hive from its hole.

Back in his room, Truman sat at his desk, turning the delicate hive under a lamp. Each cell was a perfect hexagon (六角形). How did the bees fit the cells together so neatly? And how did they make each cell six-sided? Could they count?

“ Boys, dinner’s ready! ” his mother called.

As he walked to have dinner, his foot came down on something strange.

“ Truman! You’re ruining my city! ” Lost in thought, Truman hadn’t seen Bryan settle in behind him with a mess of paper tubes. Bryan began to cry. Loudly. He gathered an armful of his tubes, threw them into a sink and ran sobbing into the living room.

Truman sighed and gathered the rest of the tubes in both hands.

注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:

As he held the tubes over the wastebasket, they suddenly reminded him of something.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

Truman ran to the living room and gave his brother a big hug.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . When I was a practice teacher in a middle school，the students in my class were always making ______，and had no interest in chemistry. So I decided to do ______to change their______ towards chemistry.

The evening before I would teach all by myself，I gave a piece of paper to everyone. I told them to write ______ they wanted on the paper and handed it in and then I could tell what each one had ______ .All the students said I _____ be longsighted(远视)．Then I stood ______ my back towards them. I didn't turn back ______ they had finished and ______ all the paper in a cardboard case.

I turned the cardboard case with the bottom(底部)towards the students，and told them calmly what each one had written on the paper. The students were surprised，______ that I had learned their ______ completely in such a short time.

I told them the truth and they were ______ at my brightness：there were five lines of students in the classroom，and every line had ten students. I had written serial number(from 1 to 50 )on every ______ of the paper in a chemical reagent(试剂)that cannot be seen ______eyes，and then gave ______out to the students according to the groups of their seats. After the paper was ______ in，I used______ chemical reagent onto the corner of the paper. Thus the serial number was ______！

______ ，the students became ______ interested in chemistry，and we became good friends.

1.

A．progress

B．troubles

C．faces

D．efforts

2.

A．something

B．nothing

C．all

D．them

3.

A．methods

B．attitudes

C．feelings

D．interest

4.

A．that

B．how

C．when

D．what

5.

A．thought

B．seen

C．written

D．heard

6.

A．would

B．needed

C．had to

D．might

7.

A．with

B．for

C．to

D．as

8.

A．after

B．when

C．until

D．now that

9.

A．put

B．left

C．had

D．gave

10.

A．knowing

B．believing

C．seeing

D．hearing

11.

A．names

B．faces

C．characters

D．handwritings

12.

A．frightened

B．angry

C．sad

D．amazed

13.

A．corner

B．bottom

C．top

D．side

14.

A．in

B．for

C．with

D．to

15.

A．it

B．that

C．them

D．those

16.

A．given

B．handed

C．passed

D．offered

17.

A．expensive

B．useful

C．another

D．smelly

18.

A．made

B．seen

C．found

D．looked

19.

A．From then on

B．However

C．Though

D．So far

20.

A．a lot of

B．a lot

C．partly

D．greatly

7 . Banff National Park is home to an amazing wildlife population. But the busy Trans Canada Highway that cuts through the park is a hazard to the lovely animals. To address the problem, Banff first put-up wildlife fencing on either side of the highway to discourage animals from entering the busy road. Then, since 1996, they’ve opened six wildlife overpasses and 38 underpasses to help the animals cross the highway in safety. I was fortunate to visit Banff’s Red Earth Overpass with Trevor Kinley, the project manager with Parks Canada. He told me that so far, they have documented 10, 000 safe animal crossings on this overpass alone. “ Some animals have learned how to use the crossings much more quickly than others. Black bears are the fastest learners, followed by deer. Wolves and lions take the longest to work out how to use them, ” Kinley said, laughing. “ But those animals that are slower to adapt are usually more capable and determined at figuring out the safest way to cross those overpasses and underpasses. ”

There is some criticism (批评) that channeling so much wildlife into a few bridges and tunnels is like making a trap for the animals, offering big animals an easy meal on either side. “ But research has shown that this is not the case, ” Kinley assured me. “ There are no more killings around the crossings than there are anywhere else in the park. ”

Walking over the Trans Canada and then walking underneath through one of the tunnels, I was amazed to see the fresh tracks of black bears, wolves, deer and many kinds of smaller animals. Somehow, all these animal footprints made me so happy, knowing that all this wildlife was passing safely under and over the longest road in Canada.

Hopefully, the success of the wildlife crossings in Banff will continue to inspire similar solutions around the world, where human pressure on wildlife continues to grow.

1. Which of the following best explains “ hazard ” underlined in paragraph 1?

A．Shelter.

B．Message.

C．Answer.

D．Danger.

2. What does Trevor Kinley say about those wolves and lions?

A．They are stupid animals.	B．They are cautious learners.
C．They are very dangerous.	D．They are good at adapting.

3. What are the critics worried about?

A．There are too many bridges and tunnels.	B．Many animals will not use the crossings.
C．More killings might happen at the crossings.	D．Illegal hunting might be encouraged in the park.

4. How does the author feel at the end of the visit?

A．Concerned.

B．Disappointed.

C．Shocked.

D．Delighted.

8 . Sites for a family getaway

A selection of campsites perfect for a family break to enjoy time with the children.

Monkton Wyld Holiday Park

Monkton Wyld is the perfect campsite for children, yet maintaining a quiet atmosphere for adults to relax. here are walking routes from Monkton Wyld Holiday Park to Lyme Regis where little ones can enjoy the beaches and hunting for fossils (化石). Adults might wander selection of shops and restaurants.

High Moor Farm Park

High Moor Farm Park is situated four miles from Harrogate at High Moor Farm there is plenty to occupy all ages, including an indoor pool, nine-hole golf course, play area, pool tables and fishing lake. A 20-minute drive from the park is Knaresborough where there are many zoos including Yorkshire Dales National Park, Dartmoor Zoological Park and Paignton Zoo.

Polmanter Touring Park

This award-winning touring site is ideal for families looking for on-site entertainment and the convenience of the fishing town of St lves within waking distance.

For younger guests, there are two playgrounds indoor soft play and a games room. Practicalities are taken care of with an on-site shop, bar and restaurant, and four-legged family members have a devoted exercise field and shower.

Elie Holiday Park

Elie Holiday Park occupies a location behind a wide expanse of dunes (沙丘) that lead to a vast beach on Scotland’s west coast. Appealing to those travelling with children, the coastal location is ideal for anyone who loves to be beside the sea.

Aldult guests can walk the coastal path, go rock-pooling, and look out for wildlife. Youngsters can go wild at the Robinson Crusoe Adventure Park and enjoy the arcades in the games room.

1. Where can you go if you are interested in animals?

A．High Moor Farm Park.	B．Dartmoor Zoological Park.
C．Monkton Wyld Holiday Park.	D．Robinson Crusoe Adventure Park

2. What is the advantage of Polmanter Touring Park?

A．It is far from the fishing town.	B．It wins awards for entertainment.
C．It is an ideal place for running a bar.	D．It provides essential services for pets

3. What can children do in Elie Holiday Park?

A．Play adventure games	B．Hunt for wild animals
C．Make a study of dunes.	D．Search for the fossils

9 . People with social anxiety disorder often have trouble feeling confident when communicating with others. However, you can build up your confidence by making sure that your body language sends a positive message about yourself. Even if you don’t feel confident, practising confident body language can make you feel better about yourself.     1    

    2     Look confident by keeping eye contact in social activities. Good eye contact shows others that you are interested and comfortable. Look into the other person’s eyes most of the time. If direct eye contact feels too frightening, you can start by looking at a place close to the person’s eyes.

Keep your chin up. Do you look at the ground when you are walking? Is your head always down? If so, you need a change by walking with your head up and your eyes looking forward. You may feel unnatural at first.     3    

Give a firm handshake. How is your handshake?     4     So work on making sure that you offer a firm handshake when meeting others. After practice, it will come naturally.

Slow your movements.     5     Everything from hand gestures to your walking pace can make a difference. Slow down and practice to find the walking pace that suits you, which will make you feel more confident.

A．Avoid looking at others.

B．Make eye contact throughout the conversation.

C．Fast movements make you look more anxious.

D．So it’s important to have confident body language.

E．A weak one is an clear sign of a lack of confidence.

F．But gradually, you’ll get used to this more confident gesture (姿势).

G．Here are some tips to increase your confidence through body language.

10 . Different countries celebrate Christmas in different ways. We asked some of our friends to explain what happens in their countries. This is what they told us:

France

In France, Christmas is always called Noël. Everyone has a Christmas tree, sometimes decorated in the old way with red ribbons and real white wax candles. Fir trees in the garden are often decorated too with lights on all night.

Father Christmas is called Père Noël. The Christmas meal is an important family gathering with good meat and the best wine. Few people send Christmas cards. More people send New Year cards to wish everyone good luck and joy for the New Year. These days Christmas lunch is a starter of foie gras (a strong tasting pate made from goose liver) followed by lunch of seafood — usually including lobsters and oysters.

New Zealand

Christmas starts for us with gifts under the tree, to be opened on Christmas morning. Then it’s onto a Christmas lunch either at home or at one’s parents place. Turkey or chicken with all the trimmings (佐料) is eaten. Then comes tea time. It is a BBQ for friends and family to get together, and have a few beers or wines with the meal!

Russia

In the days of the Soviet Union, Christmas was not celebrated very much. New Year was the important time — when “Father Frost” brought presents to children. With the fall of Communism, Christmas can be openly celebrated either on December 25th; or more often on January 7th. This unusual date is because the Russian Orthodox church uses the old “Julian” calendar for religious celebration days. Special Christmas food includes cakes, pies and “meat dumplings”.

Sweden

The most important day is Christmas Eve. A special Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve — ham (pork), herring fish, and brown beans — and this is the time when families give presents to each other. Many people attend a church meeting early on Christmas Day.

1. Why do people in France send New Year cards?

A．To tell their friends the New Year is coming.

B．To ask for some special presents.

C．To invite their friends to family gathering.

D．To send their friends best wishes and happiness for the New Year.

2. What do they have in common when celebrating Christmas?

A．A special meal is prepared.

B．Everyone has a Christmas tree.

C．Parents give gifts to their children.

D．People attend a church gathering.

3. Which country celebrates Christmas “twice”?

A．France.

B．New Zealand.

C．Sweden.

D．Russia.