1 . 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。

Edward walked slowly past the school blacktop where his older brother, Leon, was playing basketball with his friends. Leon didn’t notice Edward until he turned to shoot the ball. Leon really loved basketball and was good at it. But Edward was another story.

Edward would beg to play with them but Leon’s friends complained a lot. For some reason, in that last game, Edward’s playing was worse than ever. He couldn’t do anything right. He was completely unable to keep possession of the ball. He missed even the easy rebounds. His dribbling was useless, and none of his throws were anywhere near the basket. Leon had to turn his brother away.

Edward was always a whiz at math. He was so advanced that he already knew how to solve long division problems before he was taught in school. Word problems, even the complicated ones with several steps, were no problem.

One day, Leon’s math teacher, pulled him aside. “ You need to do better, a lot better, or you’re not going to pass this class. There’s a big test coming up. ”

Leon’s heart sank. When he got home, he talked with Edward about it. The boys agreed that over the next two weeks they intended to spend an hour each day after school working on math problems and then an hour playing basketball.

“Here is a good one,” Edward said and pointed to a word problem. “ Why don’t you read it?”

Leon looked at the book for several seconds. “ I’m dizzy already!” He exclaimed.

“Do you know what the first step is?” asked Edward, “The first step is to stay cool and focused.” Edward talked Leon through the problem. “Think about what you need to find out. Don’t let the problem trick you.” Step by step, together they figured it out and got the right answer. Leon soon discovered that Edward was really good at helping him.

Paragraph1.

Soon it was time for basketball practice.

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Paragraph2.

The morning of the math test came all too soon for Leon.

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2 . 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。

As we all know, every sentence we speak    1     (reflect) something about who we are as humans. Even people    2     (speak) the same language have distinct dialects( 方 言 ) that     3     (root) in their history and culture. Language also throws light on    4     (connect) between us and our natural environment. Plants and animals that are given names    5     any language are generally     6     that are relevant to people who are speaking the language.   While we might think of language as having     7     fixed set of words and rules that we learn in school, in fact language is always evolving. New words begin to emerge     8     others fall out of use and pronunciation changes over time. Languages are as diverse as the communities     9     speak them and there are about 7,000 languages around the world. Yet, as many as half of them could go    10     (silence) by the end of this century.

3 . Why Does Food Taste Bad On Airplanes?

How many times have you complained about airline food being tasteless? According to popularly accepted studies, the reason might be a change in our ability to perceive taste.    1     Let’s get into the actual details before you get offended.

The Cabin Air is 15% Drier Than the Air on the Ground

To maintain the pressure inside the cabin, airlines must closely regulate the air inside, involving changing its composition. The air inside airplane cabins is far more dry than the air we breathe on the ground.    2    In an environment like this, your powers of taste and smell begin to drift away.

The Pressure Inside the Cabin is Lower Than on the Ground

In the pressurized cabin a passenger’s bodily fluids will move upwards and the nasal cavities (鼻 腔) swell. The swelling messes with our taste buds, making the food taste unappealing. You might know how dining in such conditions feel, since we’ve all fought colds in the past.    3    

    4    

Bad food can’t be blamed merely on the in-cabin conditions too. It’s also possible that the food is actually bad. Due to food safety standards, all meals must be cooked on the ground and unbreakable. Such requirements for mass production definitely ties down the chef’s hands.

What can be done?

    5    Apparently, chefs have been trying to adapt recipes in how food tastes at high altitudes. Everyone needs to be patient until better solutions for mass food production are found.

A．The method of food production is different.

B．The mass production of food is to blame.

C．In some cases, it’s even drier than certain deserts.

D．A sick person is far from the best judge of food quality.

E．That makes it our body’s fault, rather than the airlines.

F．But that doesn’t mean meals served on airplanes can’t taste just as good.

G．Basically, we can’t use the same recipes for airline meals that we would use on the ground.

4 . The sunk cost effect is the ongoing investment of time, money and effort that an individual makes in any attempt, even if rationally the results appear unpromising. When any individual has already made an investment of time, money or effort, it becomes difficult to withdraw from the task. An error of judgement occurs when we fail to cut our losses—the sunk cost.

The simplest method of beating this error of judgement is to simply stop investing when it’s not producing results. As the age-old proverb goes, ‘Why cry over spilt milk?’ But we still can’t seem to do it ! Why?

People perceive the same amount of losses and gains in a different light. This means that the same amount of losses will hurt more than an equal amount of gain. For example, if a business is going through heavy losses, one must decide to either shut it down or continue. Shutting it down is a definite loss of money, time and effort. People become risk-seeking when they are facing a definite loss. They will pump more money as a gamble to achieve a positive outcome. If there is a positive outcome and the business starts making a profit, this has given them a higher utility( 效用) than simply making profits from the beginning. They managed to rise up from a heavy loss, thereby giving higher satisfaction about the decision to continue investing.

We, however, will not choose to honor sunk costs on every occasion. This is especially true in the case of insurance. Let’s say that you have taken home insurance and probably never used it. You are not going to burn your house down just so you can utilize your house insurance.

1. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 probably refer to?

A．Crying over spilt milk.	B．Stopping investing.
C．Refusing judgement.	D．Keeping finishing the task.

2. Which of the following situations may lead to sunk cost?

A．Going on investing when your sales are increasing.

B．Breaking up with those who aren’t interested in you.

C．Continuing eating ordered food even if it tastes bad.

D．Keeping on working out when you’re a little thinner.

3. What might be the main cause of sunk effect?

A．Fear of loss and expectation for better.	B．Spirit of adventure and unwise decision.
C．Endless desire and ambition.	D．Positive attitude and behavior.

4. Why is “house insurance” mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To describe.

B．To persuade.

C．To argue.

D．To explain.

5 . Wang Jiapeng, 41, is an inspirational figure who keeps encouraging people to be the architect of their own life.

In 1993, as a result of an air crash, he was paralyzed from the waist down and he had to undergo five years of rehabilitation(康复). But Wang never ceased exploring the possibilities of his body.

The winter of 1998 saw the 17-year-old regain something that he thought he had lost forever——the exhilaration of skiing on a snow-covered slope, about two kilometers long with a drop of hundreds of meters.

After two weeks of intense training, in March 1999, Wang participated in the Ridderrennet, or the Knight’s Race ——an annual cross-country ski race for the visually and physically challenged——held in Norway. He won two gold medals.

Dreaming of going back to school, Wang taught himself at the rehabilitation center, despite his demanding physical schedule. To improve his memory, which was also damaged by a brain injury caused by the accident, he recited English words repeatedly until he could remember them by heart. With extraordinary perseverance and solid faith in himself, he passed the exam and went to Norway to attend UWC Red Cross Nordic, a life-changing experience as he put it, before completing his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in economics at the University of Oslo.

There, he developed another dream, that of setting up a UWC school on the Chinese mainland to introduce an inclusive, intercultural learning environment and promote mutual understanding between youngsters from various cultures.

So far, the school has welcomed more than 1,700 students and graduates from 124 countries and regions. It had provided a total scholarship of 280 million yuan ($44 million) for around 700 students by 2021, including those with physical challenges or from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Love and education are two powerful forces in this world. To me, they can remove the physical and psychological barriers in life,” Wang says.

1. What does the underlined word “exhilaration” in paragraph 3 mean？

A．Excitement.

B．Fear.

C．Satisfaction.

D．Boredom.

2. What happened when Wang Jiapeng was 12 years old?

A．He began to practice skiing again.	B．He completed postgraduate studies.
C．He participated in the Ridderrennet.	D．He met with an air crash.

3. What can we know about the UWC school Wang Jiapeng set up?

A．It was set up when he was at university.

B．It promotes understanding between youth from Norway.

C．It attracts students from almost all around the world.

D．It only welcomes those with physical challenges.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Where there is a will, there is a way.	B．Education is the key to success.
C．Rose presented, smell remains.	D．Ups and downs make one strong.

6 . The Coolest Tiny Home Getaways

The tiny home trend is the newest way to enjoy some home atmosphere during a trip. If you are looking for the coolest tiny home getaways, start by looking at these few:

Relaxing Private Roundhouse (South Hills, Eugene, Oregon)

This tiny home is made of cedar and glass, providing the coziest of cabin feels. It’s got all the essentials you’d need, like a queen-sized bed, a rocking chair to let you enjoy one of your favourite books and WiFi, in case you plan on connecting with the rest of the world on your stay away from home. This tiny house holds up to 3 guests and will cost you a little over $150 a night.

Unique Modern Tiny House (Candler Park, Atlanta, Georgia)

Enjoy the best of both worlds in this Atlanta two-bedroom, one-bath stylish mini-home. You’ll be locked into a fully private pad that is also situated close to the city’s hot spot restaurants and Ponce City Market. For $120 a night, you and 3 others can surely enjoy the modern luxury in a home half the size of what you are used to.

Seattle Tiny House (Des Moines, Seattle, Washington)

Near the Sea-Tac airport and major freeways, the “Seattle Tiny House” is a modern farmhouse with a full-sized kitchen and bathroom. At roughly $100 a day, with the option of having a late check-in and late check-out at your convenience, you can plan your perfect getaway for 5. If you ever dreamed of living on a farm, this is a great way to get the experience without breaking the bank or committing to moving altogether.

Tiny House in the Clouds (Balboa Park, San Diego, California)

Close to Balboa Park, with sparkling clean upstairs unit, it is very well designed and comfortable with thoughtful homey details. The place was well kept and has an incredible view of downtown and the Coronado bridge. For $92 a night and holding up to 2 guests, it is perfect for couples.

1. What can you do in the Relaxing Private Roundhouse?

A．Receive queen-like services.	B．Have a perfect view of the downtown.
C．Enjoy dinner in the popular restaurants.	D．Read books in a comfortable chair.

2. Where can a couple and their twins have farm experience?

A．Relaxing Private Roundhouse.	B．Unique Modern Tiny House.
C．Seattle Tiny House.	D．Tiny House in the Clouds.

3. What do the four tiny homes have in common?

A．Having basic living essentials.	B．Being close to the park.
C．Having modern luxury.	D．Having flexible schedule for checking in and out.

7 . In recent times, with the advent of electric cars, the idea to fuel them with solar energy also gained momentum. Electric cars—even though they run on electricity and don’t use fossil fuels—are still NOT GREEN! People suffer from the misconception that not using fossil fuel means “green” which is kind of absurd, considering the electricity we use is generated by burning the very same fuels!

However, what if your car had solar panels that could charge it? Now that would indeed be a green machine! Basically, as much as we would like to incorporate this energy source into our car, the efficiency of the currently used solar panels is subject to the fulfillment of different criteria.

Firstly, solar panels occupy a large amount of area. An average car has an area of 10-25 sq. ft. on the roof. which can generate between 50-150 W under ideal conditions. This is hardly enough power to illuminate a light bulb! Also, moderate sunny temperature needs to be ideal, as extremely high temperatures can reduce the efficiency of the solar panels. Cars must work in all weather conditions, so if a solar panel limits the car’s functionality, it becomes practically useless. More importantly, the cost of the panels and development required to power the electronics using the sun’s energy outweighs the benefits that solar panels provide.

Most cars today that have solar roofs, use the solar energy to power only a few basic functions of the car. While there is still time before we will be able to drive cars fully powered by solar energy, there are some alternatives, such as solar power stations, which are being designed to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels for electricity.

Solar-powered vehicles are surely the future, but not the near future. As the cost of solar panels continues to fall and their efficiency increases, things will begin to look much “brighter” for this alternative and sustainable option!

1. Why aren’t electric cars environmentally friendly?

A．They won’t work as well as the common cars.

B．They are not powered by solar energy.

C．They run on electricity produced by burning fuels.

D．They cause more pollution to the world.

2. What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A．Temperatures have little effect on solar panels.

B．Powering the electronics costs little.

C．A car’s roof generates enough power to light a bulb.

D．The performance of current solar panels depends on various factors.

3. What can we infer about solar energy in the car industry?

A．Most cars have solar roofs.

B．Cars can be currently powered from solar power stations.

C．Cars partly powered by solar energy are on the road.

D．Solar cars will soon be available.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．What do solar cars look like?

B．Why don’t we power the car with solar energy?

C．How do solar cars work?

D．Could solar cars replace the electric cars?

8 . 阅读下面材料，在题后空白处填入适当的内容（每空一词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Located at the foot of Haba Snow Mountain, the White Water Terrace, known as Baishuitai in Chinese,     1    (be) a gorgeous natural terrace with beautiful Cliffside pools. It is about 100 kilometers southeast from Shangri-La County,     2     takes about 3 hours by vehicle.

    3     (measure) 140 meters in length and 160 meters in width, the terrace is one of the biggest of its kind in China. It looks like a large white marble carving among the green mountains and local people call it “a field     4    (leave) by fairies”. The terrace is covered by a layer of white deposits of calcium carbonate. Spring water runs down from the mountain     5     (steady), leaving crystallized sodium carbonate along its slopes, giving the impression of a marble sculpture.

The White Water Terrace is the birthplace of Dongba culture of the Naxi Ethnic Group. It is a sacred place for the Naxi people. A Dongba     6     ( believe) passed down from ancestors explains that the white color represents good luck and dignity. According to the Naxi culture, a man     7     any experience of visiting the White Water Terrace cannot be a true believer.

In addition to the splendid terrace     8     (it), travelers can also learn more about the Naxi ethnic culture in the nearby Baidi village. On the eighth day of the second lunar month, the Naxi people come     9     (show) their respect for this sacred site. Dressed in their holiday costumes, they sing and dance to celebrate     10    ethnic festival.

9 . It was midnight, and I was on my knees, burying head in my hands. I struggled to________the sobs that threatened to wake my two tiny children. The call came just hours ago—I got the job. After five interviews and three presentations, I received a generous ________, one that needed my answer by tomorrow.

To others, the decision was ________—live the dream, with its security. But to me, taking the job would_______ compromise my heart.

Exhausted, I rose to my feet, and made my way upstairs to check on my children, finding each curled up in a________sleep. I heard their breathing, soft and even I became one with the moment. And in that breathtaking silence, I heard a voice:________your heart. The words echoed through my soul.

The decision, indeed, was simple. I would ________ somebody else's dream job and keep my own. I felt a great ________ lift off my shoulders. I pursued my options for working for myself. I started to write and edit, ________pages of scripts. I stretched myself and discovered that I could learn anything if I ________ some time to it.

To be sure, I lost a number of business opportunities. But I was available to ________the simple moments with my children. On sunny days, we'd ________ to the zoo with my backpack of work projects. Each night, when I tucked my kids into bed, my ________ was full. Over time, as my kids grew, my business did, too.

Now I have no regrets. I am ________ for the life that I have, a cherished closeness with my now adult children and a variety of fulfilling, passion-filled work. I'm glad I trusted my inner ________.

1.

A．put out

B．jump at

C．turn down

D．hold back

2.

A．card

B．offer

C．letter

D．essay

3.

A．simple

B．smart

C．casual

D．cautious

4.

A．carefully

B．nervously

C．critically

D．eventually

5.

A．light

B．sound

C．fresh

D．hard

6.

A．relax

B．follow

C．rescue

D．inspire

7.

A．decline

B．change

C．respect

D．accept

8.

A．honour

B．backpack

C．weight

D．project

9.

A．publishing

B．preserving

C．exploring

D．accumulating

10.

A．devoted

B．connected

C．limited

D．donated

11.

A．imagine

B．report

C．embrace

D．adjust

12.

A．adapt

B．refer

C．turn

D．head

13.

A．heart

B．room

C．mood

D．book

14.

A．anxious

B．grateful

C．ready

D．famous

15.

A．design

B．hope

C．worry

D．voice

10 . Everybody experiences self-doubt from time to time. When feelings of self-doubt last for long periods, however, you may have low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is used to describe someone with a negative view of oneself, feelings of worthlessness. Generally people fall on a continuum from low to high self-esteem.    1    

Fortunately, low self-esteem doesn’t have to be permanent. Recognizing symptoms of low self-esteem, understanding its causes and learning steps to overcome it can go a long way toward making you feeling worthy and confident.

What Causes Low Self-Esteem?

Low self-esteem can have many triggers and begin at any time in life. Some experts say low self- esteem is more the result of negative experiences.    2     Although it seems that our emotions and motivations result directly from the events and circumstances we encounter, they are instead reactions to our self-talk.

Symptoms of Low Self-Esteem

Poor self-esteem can affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, and patterns of behavior. Sometimes these signs can be more apparent, but in some cases that can be much more subtle. Some common signs of low self-esteem are outlined below.

Poor confidence.

Negative social comparison.

    3    

Trying to please others.

Trouble accepting positive feedback.

Ways to Build Self-Esteem

You can build self-esteem with many techniques. Here are some to get you started.

Write down your definition of worth.    4     When we use general phrases, it’s easy to say we don’t feel good, because we can’t even truly define what we’re saying. Furthermore, make sure that the worth is coming from a healthy place. If all of our worth is coming from a source like how many followers we have on social media, that’s not healthy.

    5     A path to self-acceptance is often a long one and has many peaks and valleys. It takes effort and adaptation. It also requires us to be mindful in our interactions with ourselves and our world around us.

A．Be specific.

B．Set more realistic goals.

C．Friends serve as a mirror for one’s image.

D．Being quiet or withdrawn in group settings.

E．Others say it comes from a critical inner voice.

F．Don’t beat yourself up if change doesn’t happen overnight.

G．This can vary from day to day and from situation to situation.