1 . Hotels are full, local specialties are nearly sold out, tourists came in droves from all parts of China…Rongjiang, a small county in a remote mountainous area with a population of less than 400,000 in Southwest China, has recently gone viral for its “Village Super League”, creating a spectacular sports carnival in China.
Every week, more than 40,000 audiences flock to the stadium for the “Village Super League”. As of the end of June, 2023, the tournament has had more than 20 billion views on the Internet.
During a match in May, Wu Chuguo, a decoration worker from Liubaitang village, Rongjiang County, scored a spectacular 40-meter goal that ignited the crowd. Wu said he was influenced by elders in his village and fell in love with the sport. In the county, rural soccer matches have taken place regularly since the 1990s. When there was a lack of facilities, soccer players used barren land as a field and wooden stakes for the posts. The boundaries were marked out with lime powder. When they can’t gather enough players, they play futsal, a soccer-based game played on a smaller hard court.
In recent years, the county has focused on gymnastics, soccer, rock climbing and other sports, which has developed outstanding national and provincial-level sporting talent. What sets the Village Super League apart from other sports events are the vibrant displays of ethnic cultures and traditions at the tournament. As players of both teams walk on the field for a game, they are accompanied by their cheering squads(啦啦队)dressed in traditional ethnic costumes and carrying local specialties. The halftime break features folk songs and dance performances, while ethnic costumes are also on display.
“I hope that more and more tourists will come to Rongjiang to watch the matches, enjoy the folk customs and local cuisine, and have fun,” said Xiong Zhuqing, a melon grower who is also a cheerleader. She says she has sold over 10,000 kilograms of watermelons since the start of the tournament. As of June 27, a total of 654 new businesses were established, including 91 in the catering sector, 188 in retail, and 195 in agriculture and food processing, the local government said.
By combining tourism with sports, Rongjiang has found a creative and meaningful way to promote rural vitalization(振兴)and rural economic growth.
1. What do the underlined words “gone viral” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Won a prize. | B．Made a promise. |
| C．Faced great challenges. | D．Become popular instantly. |
| A．Rural soccer matches are demanding on facilities. |
| B．Wu Chuguo started the sports event at Liubaitang village. |
| C．Rongjiang County has a deep tradition of soccer matches. |
| D．The small court greatly limits soccer players’ performances. |
| A．It covers players from all walks of life. |
| B．It combines ethnic elements with sports. |
| C．It aims to select athletes for national-level games. |
| D．It has a cheering squad consisting of football fans. |
| A．The matches can help promote economic growth. |
| B．Rongjiang’s tourism has fueled the sports industry. |
| C．Selling agricultural products is key to rural vitalization. |
| D．Local companies have offered significant financial support to the matches. |
2 . Does using an eco-friendly paper straw (吸管) give you a good feeling because you’re doing something for the environment? “Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic,” says researcher Dr. Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp. “However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that could be discredited.”
PFAS chemicals, infamous for their longevity and potential harm, can adversely affect humans, wildlife and the environment. They biodegrade (生物降解) very slowly over time and can persist over thousands of years in the environment, a property that has led to them being known as “forever chemicals”. They are linked to various health issues, including thyroid disease, liver damage, kidney cancer and so on. Furthermore, these chemicals are used in everyday items, such as outdoor clothing and non-stick pans, to make them water and heat-resistant.
For a more in-depth analysis, the research team purchased 39 different brands of drinking straws made from five materials — paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel and plastic, and then conducted two rounds of testing for PFAS. They found that most brands (69%) contained PFAS, with 18 different PFAS detected in total. In paper straws, PFAS was detected in 90% of the brands tested. PFAS was also detected in 80% of brands of bamboo straws, 75% of plastic straw brands and 40% of glass straw brands. They were not detected in any of the five types of steel straws tested.
“The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows they are not necessarily biodegradable,” says Dr. Groffen. “We did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws, so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw — or just avoid using straws.”
The PFAS concentrations (浓度) were low and, considering that most people only use straws occasionally, pose a limited risk to human health. However, PFAS can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over time. “Small amounts of PFAS, while not harmful in themselves, can add to the chemical load already present in the body,” Dr. Groffen concludes.
1. What does the underlined word “discredited” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Plain. | B．Relevant. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Forceful. |
| A．They are resistant to water and heat. |
| B．They take a long time to break down. |
| C．They exist widely in daily necessities. |
| D．They may cause various common diseases. |
| A．PFAS was found in all five types of straws. |
| B．Paper straws were most likely to contain PFAS. |
| C．Stainless steel straws are harmless to human health. |
| D．Glass straws were the most environmentally friendly straws. |
| A．To stress the potential risks of PFAS. |
| B．To show approaches to using straws safely. |
| C．To present the advantages of stainless steel straws. |
| D．To appeal to consumers to avoid using straws in daily life. |
The class was over. Karl was delighted that he had created a very satisfying work. So he walked to the back of the classroom to put his work away carefully. There, lying on the carpet in front of the classroom bookcase, was a golden ticket! Karl picked it up. His heart beat faster when he saw that the name line was blank(空白的). He couldn’t believe his luck!
The boys and girls in Karl’s class could earn golden tickets by doing well in their study or by being extra helpful or kind. Once a week their teacher drew a ticket out of a box on her desk and let the winner choose a prize.
Today was the golden ticket drawing, and here was another ticket, just for him! Karl looked around. No one else was near the ticket. All his classmates were at their desks, laughing and talking with each other. Miss Evans was engaged in grading the papers collected earlier in the morning.
Karl decided to write his name on the blank line. Then he could put it into the prize box with the six tickets he’d already earned. With so many chances, one of his tickets would most likely be picked! Then he could choose the pink toy pig for his sister’s birthday, just like he had been hoping.
He smiled and reached for the pencil in his pocket. Suddenly his fingers stopped. There was a strange feeling in his chest, and it wasn’t his heartbeat. “Finders are keepers, right?”, he wondered. He looked out of the window and tried to figure it out. On the one hand, he did find the ticket, but he hadn’t earned it. Somebody must have lost it. But on the other hand, he did need this extra ticket for his great plan!
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。Paragraph 1:
Karl looked at the blank name line for a moment.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
“Karl, I intend to give you another ticket!” Miss Evans said.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . If you’re homeless and looking for a temporary shelter in Hawaii’s capital, expect a visit from a robotic police dog that will scan your eyes to make sure you don’t have a fever. That’s just one of the ways public safety agencies are starting to use Spot, a new robot that runs around with quick movement.
The police officials experimenting with the four-legged machines say they’re just another tool to keep emergency responders out of harm’s way as they search for dangers.
Joseph O’Neal, an officer of the Honolulu Police Department, said the robot has protected officers, shelter staff and residents by scanning body temperatures between mealtimes at a shelter where homeless people could quarantine (隔离) and get tested for COVID-19. The robot is also used to remotely interview individuals who have tested positive.
The company that makes the robots, Boston Dynamics, says it’s trying to do a good job of explaining to the public and its customers what Spot can and cannot do. “One of the most difficult tasks is accurately explaining the state of the technology to people who have never had personal experience with it,” said Michael Perry, vice president of the company.
There are roughly 500 Spot robots now in the wild. Perry said they’re commonly used by companies to check dangerous areas. Spot is also used to monitor construction sites, mines and factories, equipped with whatever sensor is needed for the job.
It’s still mostly controlled by humans, though all they have to do is tell it which direction to go and it can climb stairs or cross over rough areas. It can also operate autonomously, but only if it’s already memorized a road and there aren’t too many surprise obstacles (障碍). “The first value that most people see in the robot is taking a person out of a dangerous situation,” Perry said.
1. What do police officials use Spot robots do?| A．Treat patients’ fever. | B．Take people’s body temperature. |
| C．Protect homeless people. | D．Find out patients’ eye problems. |
| A．The shelter where people get tested. | B．The characteristic of the four-legged machine. |
| C．The future development of the robots. | D．The function of the robotic police dog. |
| A．How to describe the technology. | B．How to win its customers’ trust. |
| C．How to promote Spot robots. | D．How to produce more Spot robots. |
| A．They can plan their own road easily. | B．They can choose direction themselves. |
| C．They can overcome many obstacles. | D．They can remember a familiar road. |
6 . A mother of nine who started medical school when her youngest child was 4 years old graduated with her degree and plans to be a neurosurgeon (神经外科医生).
Sarah Merrill, now 41, said her journey to medical school began at age 17. She then met her husband and got married. Merrill first thought about going to school part-time to get a degree, but later she decided to follow her dream of attending medical school. Certainly, it was a challenge. Speaking of her successfully returning to university, Merrill thought it was credited to her family largely. “When I was accepted at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, we moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona,” said Merrill, who is moving to Indiana with her family to begin her residency (实习期) in neurosurgery. “In fact, they volunteered these movements. I know it was tough for all of us.”
Merrill and her children often have “homework parties” where they study for their own courses. Merrill’s choice has given a stimulus to her children. Merrill felt touched knowing her 11-year-old daughter wants to become a surgeon and overhearing her son tell his friends his mom’s going to be a cool brain surgeon, though he doesn’t understand that really.
Merrill’s next step into a neurosurgery residency will take her into a male-dominated field where only 5% of board certified neurosurgeons are women. Dr. Michele Halyard at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine said Merrill was known as a focused student. Halyard said, “If you can deal with nine children and keep your reason, the residency should be a piece of cake because no amount of stress will make you fail.”
Merrill had considered choosing a more family-friendly specialty, but, again, chose to dream big and follow her original pursuit. It’s the same advice she would give to all. “Set the goal that is what you’re really enthusiastic about, and it helps to think small. If you know what your priorities are, focus on the next step. Then you’ll get where you want to go.”
1. Why does Merrill speak of their movements?| A．To show the support of her family. |
| B．To stress her determination to be a doctor. |
| C．To reflect difficulties in attending college. |
| D．To describe the process of pursuing her dream. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Inspiration. |
| C．Commitment. | D．Confusion. |
| A．Merrill will have more stress to handle. |
| B．Staying focused and sensible is key to success. |
| C．Being Mom makes Merrill a better doctor. |
| D．She is confident of Merrill’s being a neurosurgeon. |
| A．Starting with small things. |
| B．Getting your priorities right. |
| C．Being true to your passion. |
| D．Having the courage to dream big. |
Like the Christmas before, we didn’t send Christmas cards; we called my family in Canada. Ginny and I talked to my mom. We spoke to my uncles and aunts. I hadn’t seen any of them in seven years and Ginny hadn’t met them yet, but she hoped to one day.
Those calls were completed, but I couldn’t relax. I still had one more call to make, and I was afraid. I paced up and down inside the room. I wasted time at my computer. I needed to call but I couldn’t.
Five years ago, I received an e-mail from my brother. At that time, I had been out of work for several months. My life was very stressful. My brother’s e-mail was nothing terrible but it made me angry.
I wrote back. As I typed, my anger grew. Months of frustration (沮丧) flowed into my unkind response. I said things that were not nice, but I sent the e-mail without hesitation. More thoughts occurred to me. I wrote a second e-mail.
I screamed abuse at my brother in the emails. I didn’t care if I ever heard from him again.
The next day I received another e-mail from him. I didn’t read it. I just deleted it, and then I blocked his e-mail address.
For five years, he tried to get through to me but I ignored him. I had lived with this terrible guilt. I thought about contacting him, but was ashamed of myself for what I’d said.
It was time to fix it. I picked up the phone and stepped outside. I wanted privacy. Ginny didn’t know I was calling my brother. I took a deep breath, blew out a cloud of my breath into the cold December air, and dialed (拨号) his number. Even after five years, I still knew it by heart. A phone rang 3,700 miles away in Nova Scotia.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
There was no answer, so I left a voice message.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then a week after I called, I received an e-mail.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . When rains fell in the Atacama Desert for the first time in centuries, scientists had expected to see life blossom (繁盛). Instead, almost everything died. The shocking discovery was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Found in northern Chile, the dry core of the Atacama Desert hadn’t experienced rain for the past 500 years. But three years ago, rain started to fall once again in the region.
A changing climate in the Pacific Ocean resulted in the desert’s dry core experiencing rain on March 25 and August 9, 2015, and it rained again on June 7, 2017. There was no evidence of rain in this region for the past 500 years, although climate models suggested it should occur every century.
The international team of scientists who studied the region were hoping for deserts springing to life. “Instead, we learned the contrary, as we found that rain in the dry core of the Atacama Desert caused a massive extinction of most native microbe (微生物) species there, ”said study co-author Alberto Fairén.
Before the rain fell, this region of the Atacama had been home to 16 different ancient microbe species. But after the rain fell, just two to four species were still found to be surviving in the resultant pool of water. The cause of the extinction event, believed to have been about 85 percent of life in the soil, was caused by the sudden influx of water. In particular, these microbes were adapted to survive in extreme dryness. They were unable to adapt quickly enough to the unexpected rainfall.
But it’s not all bad news. The team also found nitrates (硝酸盐) in the Atacama Desert that were indicative of a lengthy dry period, while also acting as food for the microbes. And we’ve recently found nitrates on Mars, which could be indicating a similar process there.
1. How did the scientists find their discovery according to Alberto Fairén?| A．Satisfying. | B．Astonishing. | C．Amusing. | D．Comforting. |
| A．Shortage. | B．Need. | C．Arrival. | D．Test. |
| A．The resultant pool of water was a wildlife habitat. |
| B．The team plans to turn the desert into a green land. |
| C．Scientists have observed lots of microbes on Mars. |
| D．The finding brought some hope to relevant studies. |
| A．Unexpected Rainfalls Hit a Desert Badly |
| B．A Science Magazine Increased in Popularity |
| C．Scientists Unlocked the Secret behind Drought |
| D．A Breakthrough Occurred in Space Exploration |
1. 安慰对方； 2. 你的建议； 3. 你的希望。
注意：1. 词数80-100左右。
Dear Tom,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
| hand out leave alone apply for be suitable for make up take control of make a good impression on |
2. The boy’s good deeds (行为)
3. I want to buy some books that
4. I have been busy
5. She realized that she should
