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。

I thought my parents were crazy when they said over dinner one night that I was going to have a brother or sister in about nine months. I always wanted a little brother or sister, and now I was finally going to get one. However, I was at a point in my life where I was used to not having brothers or sisters, and being the center of attention at home.

The next several months were filled with excitement as we prepared for the new addition to the family. My Aunt Dorothy and Aunt Lynda threw her a wonderful baby shower. To my surprise, I also received presents. My family was worried about how I would feel once the baby was born, so they showered me with attention. All of my friends were excited for me. In a way, I thought they were looking forward to me experiencing the pains of being an elder sister.

The following days went by rather quickly. Before I knew it, one summer morning in June my mom was taken to the hospital. I was visiting my Aunt Lynda in Missouri when we got the call that my mom was in labor (分娩), so we drove to the hospital, hoping that we wouldn’t miss the big event. We stepped into the hospital at 12:03 p.m., which was the exact time my sister, Bekah, was born.

My mom had some complications (并发症) after the delivery. What was supposed to be a time of celebration now became a life-or-death waiting game. My first reaction was to hate the baby, since I felt it was all her fault (错误) that this happened. I had my mom to myself for fifteen years of my life, and now it looked as if she was going to be taken away from me forever.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

When I saw Bekah for the first time, those bad feelings went away.

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One week later, my mom pulled through, and it was time to go home.

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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。

In today’s world, English has been the language of international communication, and has played an increasingly significant role in     1    (drive) China’s economic (经济的) growth and social development. For big economies like China     2     is playing a growing role in world affairs (事务), the English language is of great     3    (important). Good English proficiency (熟练) opens doors to greater opportunities     4     strengthens China’s overall international competitiveness.

“Foreign language learning is not only about learning a second language,” said Shi, a member of China’s first generation of English learners after its reform and opening up. “    5    (eventual), it is also about learning a fresh way of thinking. It is a     6    (power) tool for you to connect to the outside world.”

English language education in China has come a long way over the past 40 years. 1978 was a historic year for the field, as it was made one of the test     7    (subject) in China’s national college entrance exam. The language     8    (become) increasingly significant ever since.

“China has the biggest English education market in the world,” said Zou, founding editor of China’s English newspaper China Daily. “Although Chinese people are proud     9     their own culture and language, they are generally willing     10    (learn) about Western cultures and languages.”

4 . In 2014, Trieste Belmont was struggling with hardships. She had just gone through something _________. Her grandmother recently passed away. It felt like nothing was going right. Around that time, Belmont was teaching a dance class. She didn’t have a driver’s license and depended on friends and family to _________ her rides to and from work. But one day, her ride didn’t _________.

“I waited for about an hour and they never came. So, I decided to just _________ home,” Belmont said. The way that she took home _________ a high bridge. When she got there, she decided to stop walking. “I was just having one of the worst days of my life. And I was looking down at the _________, just feeling so _________ and like such a burden (负担) to everyone in my life,” Belmont remembered. But right at that moment, a person in a car behind her shouted, “Don’t jump!”

“The _________ just changed everything for me,” she said. “Having a _________ care about me in my hard time brought warm feelings to my heart and it __________ my life.” Soon after that experience, Belmont decided to __________ support. With the help of her family and friends, her mental (精神的) health has since __________ improved. And that moment still remains in her life, __________ her to move in a whole new direction.

“Something that I __________ is that even if something’s not a __________ moment in your life, just the small gesture (举动) that you can make for other people really makes a difference,” Belmont said.

1.

A．eye-catching

B．breathtaking

C．low-lying

D．heartbreaking

2.

A．ask

B．give

C．book

D．rate

3.

A．slow down

B．drop out

C．turn up

D．take off

4.

A．walk

B．stay

C．move

D．leave

5.

A．blocked

B．needed

C．caused

D．crossed

6.

A．time

B．air

C．traffic

D．pressure

7.

A．careless

B．useless

C．carsick

D．seasick

8.

A．topics

B．journals

C．scars

D．words

9.

A．stranger

B．passenger

C．neighbor

D．friend

10.

A．wasted

B．saved

C．created

D．shocked

11.

A．refer to

B．come across

C．seek out

D．put off

12.

A．significantly

B．impatiently

C．secretly

D．uniquely

13.

A．forcing

B．leading

C．inviting

D．advising

14.

A．remembered

B．preferred

C．realized

D．updated

15.

A．painful

B．nice

C．familiar

D．huge

5 . There is seemingly endless advice to help parents raise healthy and responsible children.     1    . Aunts, uncles, and even trusted neighbors play a unique role in shaping the little members of our society. Here are some tips on how to be a supportive adult to the kids in your life.

    2    

The great part about not being a parent to a child is that you get to choose how much you want to engage (参与) and in what ways. Some aunties and uncles want to send cards full of money on birthdays and holidays.     3    . Whatever your style, the first step in being a supportive adult in a kid’s life is understanding your own interests and being clear about what you can and can’t give.

Come up with a routine (常规做法) for staying in touch

Once you know your role, start thinking about how often you want to practice it. Are you checking in every day or once a week? Do you go to all the football games? When it comes to building relationships with kids, try to stick to a schedule that you find proper.     4    . It could be something more like buying the kids lunch every once in a while.

Provide non-judgmental support

Kids might be afraid to share certain things with their parents because they’re afraid they’ll get in trouble. However, in an auntie-child relationship, for example, you’re not the primary caretaker. Unlike being a parent, there’s less pressure for you to always be the perfect role model. In this safe zone (区域), you can listen to kids a little bit more differently than their parents.     5    .

A．Figure out your role

B．Provide kids with various options

C．Others want to do school pickup every week

D．Something good will take place in the future

E．But parents aren’t the only people who help raise kids

F．That could be a simple word of encouragement at times

G．In this case, kids are free to share certain things with you

6 . Antarctica (南极洲) is a great, icy land, surrounded by the huge Southern Ocean. The ice in Antarctica doesn’t just cover the land. There’s also a large area of sea ice, which floats (漂浮) on the ocean’s surface.

Scientists have been measuring the area of the sea ice in Antarctica since 1979. For most of this time, Antarctica has seemed to be almost not influenced by the changing weather conditions experienced in other parts of the planet. In fact, until recent years, Antartica’s sea ice area mainly set records for growing.

That began to change around 2016. Now, for several years, the area of Antartica’s sea ice has been getting smaller. This year, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported that Antartica’s sea ice reached its maximum on September 10 — almost two weeks earlier than normal. And the sea ice was at a new record low — not just by a little bit, but by a lot.

The last time Antartica’s low sea ice set a record at the end of winter was in 1986. And this year, there’s about 1.03 million square kilometers less sea ice than in 1986. It’s hard to picture such a large area, but it’s around 1.6 times the size of France.

Scientists are still trying to understand what is driving the change in Antarctica. Ted Scambos, a research scientist at the University of Colorado, says, “Antarctica’s ice levels have always changed some, but the situation this year is pointing towards warmer ocean conditions around the area.”

The new low record has scientists worried. The sea ice is important, because it helps cool the planet. When it’s frozen, sea ice reflects sunlight back out into space. But when the sea ice melts (融化), the water left behind is darker, and takes in and keeps more heat.

1. What did NSIDC find about the sea ice in Antarctica this year?

A．It protected the wildlife in the ocean.	B．It grew and covered a wider area.
C．It turned out to be difficult to observe.	D．It reached a new record low level.

2. Why does the author mention France in paragraph 4?

A．To present the total area of the country.

B．To introduce a new topic for discussion.

C．To show the sharp loss of Antarctica’s sea ice.

D．To explain the position of the wonderful land.

3. What causes the change in Antarctica according to Ted Scambos?

A．Low rainfall.	B．Rising temperatures.
C．Cold weather.	D．Short summer months.

4. What can we know about Antarctica’s sea ice?

A．It’s key to the earth’s cooling system.	B．It’s just a short-term problem.
C．It reminds us to find water resources.	D．It offers humans a bright future.

7 . As children returned to school in Sweden last month, many of their teachers were putting a new importance on some traditional skills. These included reading printed books, quiet reading time and handwriting practice. Teachers were spending less time on digital products, online research and typing skills.

The return to traditional ways of learning might be the answer to questions raised by experts. They have questioned the country’s dependence on electronic technology in education. For example, schools in Sweden have introduced tablets (平板电脑) in preschools.

Lotta Edholm, Swedish Minister for Schools, was one of the biggest critics (反对者) of the level of technology in schools. “Sweden’s students need more textbooks,” Edholm said. “Physical books are important for student learning.” Edholm said last month that the government wants to reverse the decision made by the National Agency for Education to make digital products required in preschools. The ministry plans to stop digital learning for children under the age of six.

Sweden’s students score above the European average (平均分) for reading ability. But an international test of fourth grade reading levels showed Sweden’s children had lost ground between 2016 and 2021. “An overuse of electronic products during school lessons may cause kids to fall behind,” education experts said.

Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, a medical school centered on research, said in a statement last month, “It has been proved that digital tools harm rather than benefit student learning.” It added that schools should instead center on teaching using printed textbooks.

Not all experts think Sweden’s move away from digital technology is only about what is best for students. “It ignores the fact that technology improves learning,” said Neil Selwyn, a professor of education.

1. How does digital technology influence schools in Sweden?

A．They act as a role model.	B．They tend to depend on it.
C．They center on written tests.	D．They value students’ talents.

2. What does the underlined word “reverse” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Acquire.

B．Change.

C．Recover.

D．Follow.

3. What does Neil Selwyn think of Sweden’s move?

A．It is an ill-considered step.	B．It achieves great results.
C．It is easy to be carried out.	D．It opens children’s mind.

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

A．The Advantage of Traditional Skills

B．Recent Advances in Electronic Technology

C．Sweden Starts to Control Digital Products in Schools

D．Students in Europe Gave an Impressive Performance

8 . At 104 years old, Dorothy Hoffner fell. Then she kept falling, and falling. When the lifelong Chicagoan finally touched the ground last Sunday, she landed in the history books and became the oldest person to ever sky-dive (跳伞).

As Hoffner prepared to board, she pushed her red walker out and walked slowly to the plane, where two expert instructors helped her up the steps into the hold. “Let’s go!” she said, finally seated. The plane quickly rose, Hoffner looking calm and confident all the while.

When the aft (机尾) door opened to show the crop fields far below, she and the instructor were ready to stand up. When Hoffner first sky-dived at 100 years old, she was pushed out, she said. This time, she wanted to lead the jump.

Seven minutes after her jump, she moved slowly in the air for her historic landing. The wind pushed back her white hair. A look of excitement and wonder spread across her face. She picked up her legs as the ground approached. And finally, she managed to land on the ground.

The crowd gathered along the landing area. Friends rushed to share the moment. Someone brought over Hoffner’s red walker. She rose fast, and a reporter asked how it felt to be back on the ground. “The whole thing was wonderful, and couldn’t have been better,” she said.

The Guinness World Record for oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103-year-oldLinnéa Ingegard Larsson from Sweden. When asked how it felt like to break the record, Hoffner replied quickly, “Like I’m old.” But the record didn’t seem to interest Hoffner before the jump. Instead, she focused on the peaceful falling through the sky. Hoffner strongly encouraged others to sky-dive like her. “It’s surprisingly affordable and so amazing,” she said.

1. What did Hoffner do last Sunday?

A．She reported a sports event.	B．She managed to sky-dive.
C．She celebrated her birthday.	D．She wrote a history book.

2. How did Hoffner feel after landing on the ground?

A．Surprised.

B．Anxious.

C．Excited.

D．Hopeless.

3. Which probably attracted Hoffner most before her jump?

A．The falling in the air.	B．Her family’s help.
C．The low cost of the jump.	D．Her friends’ support.

4. What can we learn from Hoffner’s story?

A．To see is to believe.	B．Time tells everything.
C．Hard work pays off.	D．Age is just a number.

9 . National Parks in Utah

Zion National Park

It’s perfect for scenic drives and outdoor adventures. One of the park highlights is the Zion Canyons, which offers different hiking (远足) opportunities. Late spring or early fall is the best time to visit Zion National Park, since most facilities are open during this time. However, if you don’t mind cold weather, visit during the late fall and winter.

Bryce Canyon National Park

It’s home to the greatest number of hoodoos (石林) on earth, which are one of the natural wonders of the world. You can see most of Bryce Canyon’s highlights in one day by taking the scenic drive and making stops at various views. Most people visit the park between May and September since the weather is warmer.

Canyonlands National Park

Although it’s the 23rd largest National Park in the US, Canyonlands is the largest out of the four national parks in Utah. The best time of the year to visit is when the weather is pleasant in the spring and fall. The park has four main parts: The Maze, Island in the Sky, The Needles, and Horseshoe Canyon. If you plan to visit every part, you can go on a boat tour to explore it.

Arches National Park

Known as a red-rock wonderland, Arches National Park is popular for its stone arches (石拱).The park has over 2,000 stone arches, with Landscape Arch the largest. The park is busiest from March through October. However, the spring and fall temperatures are the most comfortable. So, the best time to visit is April, May, September and October.

1. When is the best time to visit Zion National Park?

A．Late spring.

B．Early summer.

C．Late fall.

D．Early winter.

2. What is special about Canyonlands National Park?

A．It features hike programs.	B．It is known for stone arches.
C．It is the largest one in Utah.	D．It requires advance bookings.

3. What can you do in Arches National Park?

A．Take a journey down a river.	B．Explore the Zion Canyons.
C．Tour Island in the Sky.	D．Admire the red rock.

10 . When natural disasters happen, animals are very often left alone to defend themselves against the violence of nature. However, today, a man has changed this by using drones(无人机)to locate them.

Douglas Thron, a person from California, has been helping wildlife around the world in zones where a natural disaster has just happened, whether it is caused by a fire, a tornado, a hurricane or even a tsunami. With the help of his drone, he can locate animals still alive that could be trapped somewhere they cannot get out. Once he finds one or more, wildlife rescuers move in to free them or bring them back to safety to be treated, if they are wounded.

Thron has been involved in various actions to help the environment since the 1990s. He took a special interest in saving the ancient redwood forests of California but his job then was to shoot videos with his camera. In 2019, a Category Five hurricane hit the Bahamas. Thron decided to volunteer with a group called Sea Shepherd with the mission of documenting the damage. He brought drones with him. However, as he was flying them, he noticed a great number of trapped dogs. That is when he took the decision to try and save as many animals as he could.

To recognize animals at the distance easily, he decided to add infrared(红外线的) cameras to update the drone, which would recognize the heat of animals and make it easier to identify those needing help. He says that the ability for drones to help and save animal lives is just too great. He also insists that although it works in cases of disasters for wild animals, it can also apply to the search of domestic ones.

1. What does Thron do with the help of drones?

A．Lead the animals to safe places.

B．Locate trapped animals in the disasters.

C．Detect where there is a natural disaster.

D．Defend himself against the violence of nature.

2. What did Thron used to be?

A．A forest guard.

B．An animal rescuer.

C．A video photographer.

D．An environmental expert.

3. When did Thron decide to take up saving animals?

A．When he bought drones.

B．When he went into redwood forests.

C．When he began to volunteer in California.

D．When he noticed the dogs needing help in a hurricane.

4. Why did Thron update his drone?

A．To replace the old one.

B．To measure the heat of animals.

C．To identify animals more easily.

D．To rescue the people in disasters.