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。

Grandma tried to straighten out her fingers.“You know, Ann, I think I am done knitting.” she said.“My fingers just won’t do what I tell them any more.”

I looked at her hands.When I was little, she had taught me how to sew dresses for my dolls and how to embroider (刺绣) the faces of my dolls on the dresses.

But now she can hardly bend her fingers.The doctor said she should keep her hands warm.I made her cups of tea to hold and moved her chair closer to the fire.But it didn’t work.

I wasn’t used to seeing her hands so still.When I came downstairs, her quiet hands made even her voice stay still.I missed her voice more than ever.

I tried to help her find her voice.“Grandma, tell me about when you were a little girl,” I begged, knowing she loved to tell stories.“Tell me about Peti and Zoe.” Peti and Zoe were her brother and sister.“That was so long ago, Ann,” whispered Grandma.“I can barely remember.” But I still remembered her story about Peti cutting off Zoe’s two beautiful long braids (辫子) and then hiding them in the closet.Were those words still moving silently in her head?

Mom was sorting through our clothes for spring.“Ann, take these out to the trash,” Mom said.“There’s no need to keep worn-out clothes.”

I looked sadly at the pile of sweaters and then picked it up.

“Wait,” Grandma said as I walked by her and put the pile downstairs.“Let me see those.”

“Ann, wind the yarn (纱线) of the old sweater into a ball, like this.Then you can use the yarn to knit something new.” Grandma wrapped yarn around and around her fingers, first in one direction and then the other to keep the ball round.

After dinner Grandma fell asleep in her chair.

Mom came downstairs with an old pair of gloves with small holes to add to the pile of sweaters.

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。

Suddenly, the pair of old gloves gave me an idea.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Your family,” I said, handing the gloves with the faces of Peti and Zoe to Grandma.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 . The opening of California’s commercial crab season, which normally starts in November, is delayed once again to protect whales searching for their prey (猎物) along the coast.

California has been affected by a marine heat wave since May. The Blob, as this mass of warm water has become known, is squeezing cooler water preferred by whales and their prey close to shore, where fishermen set their traps. This crowding can lead to tangle (缠结) between whales and fishing equipment, endangering the animals’ lives and requiring rescue missions.

In a new study, scientists say they can now use global temperature models, commonly used in climate science, to predict up to a year in advance when hot ocean temperatures raise the risk of tangles between whales and fishing equipment.The tool analyzed in the new study, called the Habitat Compression Index, works by feeding sea-surface temperature measurements into an equation (方程式) that estimates the likelihood of whale habitat shrinking closer to shore.Regulators and fishermen agree that the new forecasting research could help them walk the tightrope between protecting whales and protecting local livelihoods (生计).

Mr Ogg, a commercial fishing boat captain, describes himself as a conservationist who doesn’t want to see whales harmed.“Fishermen have a big motivation to protect the natural environment,” he said, “because that’s where they make their living.” Previously, the challenge was adapting to changing conditions and fishing regulations on short notice, especially for smaller business owners and their crews.“One of the biggest problems we had was the unpredictability,” Mr Ogg said, “We were living from week to week then.”

Though scientists have shown the Habitat Compression Index can now forecast months in advance, state officials would probably wait to see conditions in real time before making decisions about the crab fishery, said Ryan Bartling, an environmental scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

1. What do the whales come to shore for according to the first two paragraphs?

A．Safety.

B．Shelter.

C．Leisure.

D．Food.

2. What does the underlined phrase “walk the tightrope” probably mean?

A．To take a risk.	B．To join in an act.
C．To strike a balance.	D．To walk on a rope.

3. What’s the state officials’ attitude towards the tool in the study?

A．Supportive.

B．Indifferent.

C．Cautious.

D．Pessimistic.

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

A．How climate data gives whales room to swim

B．What causes the decrease in whale population

C．Why global temperature models are in great need

D．Whether to protect whales or the local livelihoods

3 . 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。

Livestreamers help spread reach of e-commerce, intangible heritage and cultural diversions in different ways nowadays.

In the     1     (absent) of a professional setting and a fill light, a mobile phone and a mobile phone holder are     2     Du Zhanping can count on for his livestreaming efforts.

Yet it was through this basic set-up that the 46-year-old man     3     (manage) to get a traditional felt-making (毛毡制作) skill     4     (know) to viewers across the country.

Felt-making skill is on the regional intangible cultural heritage list.     5     the improvement of people’s living standards over time, however, felt has been used less and less.

Starting from scratch, Du learned by himself how to film and then edit video, and is now     6     proud owner of an account with 150,000 followers.    7     (normal), he receives three to five orders during a single livestreaming session.

“In the past few months, my number of felt orders     8     (double) thanks to social media, with those from online platforms     9     (account) for about 70 percent of the total,” he said.

By bringing intangible cultural heritages into livestreaming studios, we can introduce them to more people while preserving traditional techniques,     10     expand their markets to boost both the confidence and income of inheritors.

4 . I knocked lightly on Mrs. B’s door. “I’m Barbara, a hospice (临终安养院) volunteer.” I said nervously. It was my first week on the job, and my biggest ________ was figuring out how to begin with a patient.

“Please, sit down,” Mrs. B said, indicating the chair beside her bed. We chatted ________ about the ________ on her windowsill — her two daughters, many grandchildren, even great-grandchildren. Then she grew ________.

“What were you thinking about when I walked in?” I asked, sensing she might be waiting to see if I would ________ her to the truest place where this conversation could go.

“I know I’m not going to be around much ________. I’m at peace with that. But my grandson called yesterday. He’s ________ that he can’t make it to see me before I pass.”

“Have you thought about writing him a(n)________?”

Mrs. B seemed to ________ a little. “I can dictate (口述) if you’d write for me,” she said.

I walked down the hall and ________ pens and paper materials. Mrs. B ________ her grandson’s letter and decided to dictate others — for her daughters, the other grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Then she ________ her church community and her bridge club too.

She asked me to put away the letters before I left. “I asked God to send me a(n)________ this morning,” she said. “Now I know it was you.”

At the very moment I came to realize that we all ________ a loving spark. Kissing Mrs. B on her forehead, I knew simply showing up might be a precious ________.

1.

A．pity

B．concern

C．shame

D．strength

2.

A．calmly

B．eagerly

C．easily

D．proudly

3.

A．photos

B．albums

C．posters

D．stickers

4.

A．active

B．careful

C．polite

D．silent

5.

A．accompany

B．follow

C．expose

D．introduce

6.

A．faster

B．earlier

C．longer

D．quicker

7.

A．sensitive

B．awkward

C．sad

D．stressed

8.

A．article

B．e-mail

C．note

D．letter

9.

A．brighten up

B．clear up

C．spring up

D．keep up

10.

A．submitted

B．returned

C．distributed

D．fetched

11.

A．continued

B．finished

C．delivered

D．received

12.

A．described

B．assessed

C．targeted

D．added

13.

A．angel

B．expert

C．hero

D．doctor

14.

A．perceive

B．advocate

C．defend

D．carry

15.

A．skill

B．gift

C．clue

D．sign

5 . Everyone feels lazy from time to time, but sometimes you get stuck in an anxious mood.     1     We’re here to help you break out of your pattern of laziness so you can start tackling the things that are important to you. With our help, you’ll be able to beat procrastination (拖延) and regain your motivation.

    2     You spend all day with yourself, so it’s time you started treating yourself like a best friend. You may catch negative thoughts from time to time. Next time, replace thoughts like, “I’m so lazy,” with “I needed this rest. Now, I can tackle a new task.”

Practice mindfulness.     3     So many of us don’t take time to stop and smell the roses. We’re always thinking about the next great thing instead of living in this wonderful moment that is right now. Really engage your five senses to look at the scene around you, listen to music, smell a lovely scent. Just enjoy being rooted to the earth.

Set yourself up for success. Be honest about what motivates you, and what distracts you. Set up your environment and your schedule so that you can easily stick to your goals. Also, do your best to balance working hard and getting proper rest. Set deadlines for yourself, but be flexible.     4    

Make a checklist to check off small tasks. Every bit of progress that you make is worthy of a celebration.     5     Place your checklist somewhere you’ll see it, like on your desk or refrigerator. Once those checks start accumulating, you won’t want to stop. You’ll literally see what you’ve been working towards and what you’re capable of.

A．Practice more positive self-talks.

B．Reward yourself for achievements.

C．Learn to focus on the present moment.

D．Everyone encounters failures, so don’t get discouraged.

E．Keep track of all you’re accomplishing so you can pat yourself on the back.

F．Sometimes you have to adjust your expectations because you underestimated a task.

G．What you’re experiencing is totally normal, and you can change your habits for the better.

6 . Sharon Roseman was five years old when her world changed forever.She was playing Blind Man’s Bluff with friends outside her house.When she removed her blindfold (眼罩), she couldn’t recognize where she was.From that moment on, Roseman has been lost every day of her life.

Roseman is not alone in her experience.As an adult living in Denver, Colorado, in 2008, Roseman was diagnosed with a rare and newly discovered condition called Developmental Topographical Disorientation(DTD), which is a disorder that dramatically affects people’s abilities to navigate their familiar environment.

Dr. Giuseppe Iaria of the University of Calgary in Canada is credited with first identifying DTD.He confirms that odd as it sounds, people with DTD have no brain damage. He thinks genetic factors are likely to be responsible for it.

Paul Dudchenko, from the University of Stirling in the United Kingdom, has what he calls a place-cell theory. He says we get lost because all our hippocampal cells appear to be connected to landmarks. “They use things in the environment to orientate (确定方向) themselves and create a cognitive map,” he says. “If we don’t have things in the outside world to update the cognitive map, then it is likely to error.” That’s why people who are lost in a snowstorm, for instance, tend to go in circles. They think they’re heading in the right direction, but without external reference points their brain is unable to form a cognitive map, so they naturally tend to get lost.

“There seems to be a systematic error in the way people with DTD place landmarks in their mind,” Dudchenko says. How exactly this happens is still under investigation, but Dudchenko thinks the answer lies in the relationship between the various regions of the brain responsible for spatial cognition (空间认知).

For his part, Giuseppe Iaria is continuing with his research.Some of his recent work has focused on the role genes play in DTD.As well as helping sufferers of DTD, Iaria believes his research will offer an explanation for why some people are better at finding their way than others.While top researchers have more to learn, they are confident the answers won’t stay lost in the complexity of the brain forever.

1. Why does the author mention Roseman’s experience?

A．To inform us of a sad story.

B．To give us background information.

C．To introduce a rare disease.

D．To support the author’s argument.

2. What trouble would people with DTD have?

A．Navigating novel and unfamiliar environments.

B．Remembering the layout of their neighborhood.

C．Understanding the detailed information on a map.

D．Recalling the names of familiar places and people.

3. What does Dudchenko say about DTD?

A．It gives rise to severe brain damage.

B．It happens when cognitive map fails.

C．It connects one’s brain and cognition.

D．It arises from a systematic genetic error.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Genes play the most important role in DTD.

B．The ability to find one’s way can be improved.

C．Iaria’s research has already helped sufferers of DTD.

D．The truth about DTD will be brought to light someday.

7 . Award-winning Chinese shoe designer, Huang Qinqin, shares her transformative journey, combining cultural heritage and international design to shape the art of practical wear.

Believing that the value of her products doesn’t lie in business operation, Huang always focuses on how to convey the stories behind her shoes to customers instead.“It is like storytelling, a natural ability I possess,” she said with a smile.

However, Huang’s journey into design was unforeseen and it took her several years to discover her true passion. Huang switched her major from physics to international communications studies at university.While she found great enjoyment in these courses, she still didn’t know what she could do in the future.

“One day, I grabbed a sheet of paper and began drawing some shoe designs I saw online.It was at that moment that the light suddenly dawned.” recalled Huang.

To her astonishment, Huang discovered while international luxury shoe brands like Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin are household names, Chinese brands are rarely seen.This finding fueled Huang’s determination to pursue her career as a shoe designer, hoping to fill the blank in the international market.

After returning to China from the UK, Huang established her own shoe brand.“I think Chinese students studying abroad today all share a strong sense of mission—to showcase what China truly has to offer to the world,” Huang said.

Looking back, Huang said that she took a long time to finally find her lifelong passion.“There is a saying that one must achieve fame at a young age, but I believe it is never too late to unlock one’s potential, since everyone operates on their unique ‘time zone’,” she said.

Before her current career path, Huang never stopped trying new things, including garden design and dance.These diverse experiences have all become precious treasures in her life, nurturing her self-directed learning abilities, which have turned out to be essential skills for her startup business today.

1. What does Huang value most about her products?

A．Design concept.	B．Market share.
C．Quality standard.	D．Business operation.

2. What further motivated Huang Qinqin to be a shoe designer?

A．Passion for fashion and design.

B．Lack of Chinese brands in the field.

C．Desire to challenge conventional norms.

D．Love for international luxury shoe brands.

3. What can best describe Huang?

A．Creative and flexible.

B．Ambitious and easy-going.

C．Talented and accessible.

D．Responsible and humorous.

4. What might Huang agree with?

A．Well begun is half done.

B．Think twice before you leap.

C．Every step counts in your life.

D．It matters much when you succeed.

8 . There are thousands of science books on a huge variety of topics.Which ones should you choose? Luckily for you, we have made a list of the best science books that you should not miss.

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Written by Bill Bryson, it is a popular science book that explains some areas of science.It was published on February 4,2003, and was one of the best-selling popular science books of 2005 in the UK.It explains a variety of scientific topics in a vivid and comprehensive way, which makes it accessible for people with no science knowledge.But it’s quite long.

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words

It is a 2015 non-fiction book created by Randall Munroe, in which the author explains various complex subjects using common English words.It covers a wide range of topics and explains complex ideas using illustrations, so it’s entertaining and easily understood.However, the words and phrases used to describe the subjects are too technical to understand.

Ask an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space

Published on October 19,2017, the book is Tim Peake’s personal guide to life in space, based on his own experience. Q&A format makes it easy to quickly find answers and images are used to illustrate some of the more complex ideas, making it suitable for both children and adults. The disadvantage is that the Q&A format can become boring sometimes.

Brief Answers to the Big Questions

Written by Stephen Hawking, the 2018 book examines some of the universe’s greatest mysteries and promotes the view that science is very important in helping solve problems.It provides a great introduction to Stephen Hawking’s thoughts.Since complex ideas are communicated in a simple and understandable language, your previous physics knowledge is not required.For more advanced readers, it’s too basic.

1. Which is the oldest of the following books?

A．A Short History of Nearly Everything.

B．Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words.

C．Ask an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space.

D．Brief Answers to the Big Questions.

2. What is the challenge of reading the second book?

A．Various topics.	B．Technical terms.
C．Complicated subjects.	D．Scientific illustrations.

3. What do the last two books have in common?

A．They stress the practical use of science.

B．They use Q & A formats to explain ideas.

C．They require previous science knowledge.

D．They seem to appeal to the general public.

9 . The term “artificial intelligence” was coined in the mid-1950s.

A．advised to do sth.

B．asked for sth very firmly

C．invented a new word or phrase

10 . If someone misses the best chance in everyday life, which idiom can you use?

A．Three strikes and you are out.

B．Throwing someone a curveball.

C．A ballpark estimate.