1 . Picking tomatoes

For as long as I can remember Grandma’s plentiful tomato garden has been a sign of summer’s end. Each September, just as the decreased heat of the sun suggests cooler days, Grandma requests my help in her tomato garden. She convinces me she cannot pick tomatoes without my youthful eyes and quick mind. She says we need to examine each tomato and agree on its readiness for picking. While Grandma’s request for my help in the tomato garden is always the same, her desire for my help seems to increase each year.

Grandma has eyes for finding even the tomatoes hidden by undergrowth and other tomatoes. I, however, just turn circles looking for the ones I think Grandma will like. I spot what looks like a ripe tomato, head in its direction, and then get sidetracked by another that appears to be equally ripe. I usually end up watching Grandma and trying to stay out of her way, which seems the only way my eyes and mind are useful.

There we are, lost in the tomato vines (藤). Grandma’s eyes are always knowing, and they are no different in the vegetable garden. From afar she spots what looks like a ripe tomato. As she walks toward the garden, she evaluates the tomato for a second time, but from a different angle. I already know it will end up in the basket with the pile of others Grandma has carefully chosen. However, Grandma acts as if she needs final look to be sure. She calls me to her side, kneels beside the vine while enjoying the warmth of the fading sunlight on her face, and grasps the tomato in her hand. She turns each round, red ball toward the sunlight before disconnecting it from the vine with a halfhearted smile.

She then looks at me. I nod my head and smile. Grandma assumes I smile in agreement with her tomato selection. I know I smile, instead, at her.

1. Why does Grandma ask the author to go to the tomato garden with her?

A．He can help pick more tomatoes.

B．He can learn the hardship of labor.

C．She enjoys staying with him while working.

D．She tries to share the happiness of harvest with him.

2. The second paragraph shows that the author ________.

A．is an inefficient tomato picker

B．really has youthful eyes and quick mind

C．has spent a lot of time gardening with Grandma

D．is a naughty child trying to be out of Grandma’s sight

3. In the last paragraph, the author smiles to Grandma because he ________.

A．realized her true intentions

B．felt very happy to pick potatoes for her

C．confirmed that her choice of tomato is great

D．appreciated her skill in finding ripe tomatoes

4. What can we infer from the story?

A．The grandchild will become more skillful at gardening than Grandma.

B．Grandma will develop more patience in working with the grandchild.

C．The grandchild will gradually become more independent of Grandma.

D．Grandma’s need for the grandchild’s company will grow over time.

2 . A primary school teacher who left a class of 25 pupils in tears after she told them Santa Claus(圣诞老人) did not exist has been fired. When excited youngsters became rowdy as they talked about Santa, the supply teacher said out suddenly, “It’s your parents who leave out presents on Christmas Day. ”

The class of seven-year-olds at Blackshaw Lane Primary School, Royton, Greater Manchester burst into tears and told their parents when they arrived home. Mothers and fathers then complained about the incident and were sent a letter by the school saying the teacher, who only worked at the school for one day last week, has been disciplined.

The school has now said it will not hire her again.

One father said, “My son came home and said that his teacher had told the class that Santa doesn’t exist and it’s their mum and dad that put out presents for them. Obviously, they were all talking about Christmas and being a bit rowdy. She just came straight out with it. ”

“My son was in tears and so was everyone else in the class—especially as it was so close to Christmas. I thought it was wrong. He was crazy about it. He’s only seven years old and it’s part of the magic of Christmas to him. ”

“We told him that she did not believe in Father Christmas because of her religion and he’s fine now. ”

“The father described the incident as ‘shocking’ and believed it was done with malicious intent (恶意地). A lot of parents were angry and complained to the school. The teacher, who was supplied by Rochdale and Oldham Supply Agency, is still listed and will work with other schools,” the agency said.

However, the head teacher in Angela McCormick refused to comment on the incident.

1. Who felt the angriest about the incident?

A．The teacher who was fired.	B．The pupils who were in tears.
C．The parents whose children cried.	D．Santa Claus the teacher talked about.

2. The seven-year-old children cried because of ________.

A．their teacher’s leaving	B．the letters by the school
C．something about Santa Claus	D．the presents left out by the parents

3. We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．the teacher was fired and couldn’t continue her career in teaching

B．the parents complained about the discipline of the school

C．the little pupils felt disappointed after hearing the news told by the teacher

D．in reality, Santa Claus exists and gives out presents once a year.

4. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “rowdy”?

A．Surprised.

B．Noisy.

C．Discouraged.

D．Annoyed.

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。

Huawei has joined the list of companies that want to be all about artificial intelligence.     1     is known to all, Huawei Mate60 pro has become a hit recently. Early     2    , Huawei announced the pre-order of its high-end mate 60 smartphone series,     3     (say) it will let some consumers experience the “most powerful” high-end mate series ever.     4     (remarkable), Huawei has made a comeback.   

The latest Huawei Mate60 pro,     5     (price) at 6999 yuan ($960.52), is the world’s first for-public use smartphone, which is much     6     (advance) than the previous products. The device     7     (equip) with a domestically made 5G chip, supports satellite calls and runs on Huawei’s newest Harmony4.0 operating system.

    8     this sense, this is a significant step for the Chinese tech giant to overcome US sanctions, some analysts say.   

Huawei has been committing     9     (it) to innovation and laying emphasis on artificial intelligence. It is amazing that Huawei should make so major     10     breakthrough in such a short time.

4 . 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。

10-year-old Aiden went to the first door and knocked on it. An older woman answered the door.

“Good morning!” Aiden said. “My name is Aiden. My mom is sick, and I want to get food for her. Can I get some money, please?” But the woman suspected and refused. Aiden didn’t lose heart and knocked on the second door. “Can I please ask for some money, ma’am? My mom is very sick!” he begged sadly. The woman who answered the door gave him a concerned look. “Oh! Should I call the CPS (儿童保护署) or an ambulance? Do you want me to come with you?”

“Ugh, well,” Aiden hesitated. “It’s alright. I just remembered I had to go somewhere,” he ran away. That whole day, Aiden went from door to door asking for money, but sadly, he got none.

A couple of days later, Aiden returned to the neighborhood and saw a new couple had moved into what used to be an empty house. He decided to try his luck and knocked on the door, and a young woman answered.

Aiden told her his name and repeated what he said to the other residents. The woman smiled, “I’m Lauren. Just wait here. I’ll get you some money and food, okay?” Aiden nodded as Lauren went inside. She returned with two huge bags of groceries and a $100 bill. “I hope these can help your mother,” she said.

“Thank you!” he exclaimed happily as he carried the two bags over his shoulder and ran away.

Waving him goodbye, Lauren realized that Aiden was hiding something. She decided to drive after him secretly to find out more about his story. Soon, they came to an area without houses, and then Aiden disappeared under a bridge. Lauren pulled over and walked to the bridge. She spotted him and froze. Aiden was living with a little girl in a tent under the bridge. She heard Aiden saying to the girl, “Beth, we have food now. You won’t go hungry.”

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。

Lauren turned up suddenly in front of them.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After listening to Aiden’s story, Lauren had an idea.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Addiction and recovery are the two sides of the same coin. In many cases, addiction starts off at a relatively low level — misuse.     1     From this, a stage of addiction known as dependency may come about. However, addiction and recovery go together at each of these stages. In other words, it is never too late on the road down an addictive route to seek help.     2     Addicted people can be anything from a substance (物质) user to someone who has become fully dependent on an activity to be able to function normally. Consequently, addiction and recovery programmes tend to be tailored to individual needs and circumstances, often based on theoretical models of behaviour. Some addicted people find that a recovery programme they have tried is not for them. This does not mean they cannot recover, however.     3    

One of the most dramatic recovery pathways available to substance users is called “cold turkey” (突然戒毒方法).     4     Although this sometimes works for smokers and alcoholics, it is not suited to everyone. It is worth remembering that recovery pathways are not just for people who have become addicted to substances like drugs and alcohol. Other common behavioural problems can also cause great disruption (扰乱).

Nearly all forms of addiction have a negative impact on the loved ones of addicted people.     5     It is particularly hard on families when only very slow progress is made.

A．Addiction is not a single state of being.

B．If left unchecked, it may then progress to abuse.

C．What recovery pathways are there for behavioural issues?

D．There are many others they might try if they do not succeed the first time.

E．This will take a lifelong commitment, but the results often speak for themselves.

F．This means that they completely stop their usage and avoid such behaviour in the future.

G．Supporting someone who is overcoming an addiction often requires a long-term commitment.

6 . The needs of plus size consumers have long been the elephant in the room of the fashion industry until body positivity and fat acceptance movements promoted the slogan (口号) that large-bodied people are not those who are left behind. This size-inclusive (尺码包容) trend has become so popular that it is influencing mainstream culture. As a result, fashion brands have finally decided to extend their size ranges. In 2022, the plus-size market grew twice as fast as the standard size market in both North America and the UK.

Yet, many consumers say fashion brands broadening their ranges are not truly inclusive. “Inclusive sizing means that all bodies are included in fashion, not just the ones who fit in standard sizes,” says Marie Southard Ospina, a UK-based journalist who covers body-image issues. “However, what many designers do right now is pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and stop. This is even more disrespectful.”

Researchers also criticize that some brands are just taking advantage of the trend. “Brands that used to promote so-called perfect bodies in their advertisements are now trying to get in on the trend by adding a few sizes. It doesn’t feel like they really care about plus-size people,” says Tom Burgess, analyst in fashion industry. “If brands cared about large-bodied consumers, then it wouldn’t have taken until now to acknowledge that they exist,” he says. “It gives the impression that companies are just trying to gain a share of the market without a real commitment to the community.”

The fashion industry must go beyond merely producing clothing in a range of sizes if they hope to succeed with a body -diverse world. The whole industry has to connect on a personal level with consumers. That involves showing shoppers that they are seen, understood and important to brands. “Consumers care about values, and so they want to buy from brands that reflect the values they believe in. Everyone should enjoy the same range of fashion options,” says Ludovica Cesareo, professor of marketing at the College of Business in the US.

1. What do the underlined words “the elephant in the room” mean in the first paragraph?

A．The hot issue that is valued.

B．The obvious truth that is ignored.

C．The important principle that is recognized.

D．The common phenomenon that is criticized.

2. Why do consumers say fashion brands are not truly inclusive?

A．They pick sizes randomly.	B．They offer limited plus sizes.
C．They treat designers disrespectfully.	D．They haven’t broadened standard sizes.

3. For what do researchers mainly criticize some brands?

A．Their designs.	B．Their quality.
C．Their motivations.	D．Their advertisements.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．Buyers may deserve fashion that fits their figure.

B．Consumers prefer brands with personalized values.

C．Brands should catch up with the size-inclusive trend.

D．A good brand image is critical in the fashion industry.

7 . 在去年的山火中，他们向世界展示了惊人的智慧。
They _____________amazing _____________to the world in the wildfire last year.

8 . 一个家庭的父亲应该有强烈的责任感。
The father of a family should have a strong ____________ of____________.

9 . 他没办法减肥，因为他的第一个挑战就是如何保持均衡的饮食。
He can’t lose weight, because his first ________ is how to keep a balanced ________.

10 . 虽然被埋在废墟里整整两天，他最终因为警察的营救在从地震中幸存了下来。
________ being buried in ruins for two days, he finally ________ the earthquake because of the police’s rescue.