1 . With gas prices rising and airport security lines snaking longer than ever, why not book your next domestic vacation on a train? Compared to other alternatives, it’s comfortable and relaxing. Here is some advice on how to make a trip by rail as pleasant as possible.

Plan ahead. Most long-distance trains, especially the sleeping car accommodations, sell out very quickly.     1     But no matter when you travel, it’s a good idea to make your reservations at least 90 days in advance.

Use a travel agent. Consider turning your travel plan over to a travel agent and letting him double-check all the details, make suggestions, and then handle the actual reservations. A good one can sometimes find you discounted tickets.     2     Then you won’t have to walk through several cars on a moving train three times a day for your meals.

Bring a blanket. When you’re riding on trains, you won’t be provided with a blanket for free, even if your trip is an overnight one.     3     In the summer in particular, the air conditioning can make them quite cold.

Arrive early. Most trains operate just once a day and some run only three times a week, so missing yours can be a disaster.     4     Note: The times listed on the schedules are departure times, not arrival times.

Have fun.     5     Read a book, knit, do a crossword puzzle, or simply watch the world unfold outside the window. To calculate your speed as you do, divide 3,600(the number of seconds in an hour)by the number of seconds it takes you to travel one mile(the distance between two mileposts). If it takes the train 53 seconds to travel one mile, you’re going 67.92 mph.

A．Train trips aren’t for impatient types.

B．You’ll have views from both sides of the train.

C．The temperature on rail cars is often hard to control.

D．That’s particularly true during busy summer months.

E．You might have to wait longer than 24 hours to catch the next one.

F．Chances are the cost will be a lot less than the cost of one bedroom.

G．He may also book you in a sleeping car that’s right next to the diner.

2 . Like many young people, Jessica wants to travel the globe. Unlike most of them, this 25-year-old is doing it _______ . She and her husband have spent the last two years traveling the world, stopping everywhere from Paris to Singapore. It might sound like one long, expensive _______ , but the couple has an unusual way to make their travel _______ .

They’re part of a new form of the _______ economy: an online group of house sitters. Throughout their no-cost stays in _______ homes, they feed pets and water plants in the homeowner’s _______ .

It’s not all sightseeing. The two travelers carefully _______ their trips, scheduling their days around the pets that are sometimes difficult to _______ . But house sitting also offers a level of _______ they can’t find in a hotel. “It’s like ________ at a friend’s house,” Jessica says.

The couple has a high ________ rate in getting accepted as house sitters and they always go beyond the homeowner’s ________ . For Jessica, that means ________ plenty of pictures of happy pets, keeping the house ________ and leaving a nice small gift before heading to the next house. “You want to make the homeowner feel that they made the right ________ ,” she says.

1.

A．indoors

B．online

C．single-handed

D．full-time

2.

A．game

B．service

C．vacation

D．procedure

3.

A．safe

B．busy

C．helpful

D．affordable

4.

A．local

B．private

C．sharing

D．agricultural

5.

A．strangers’

B．parents’

C．co-workers’

D．neighbors’

6.

A．favor

B．defense

C．honor

D．absence

7.

A．plan

B．explain

C．compare

D．complete

8.

A．buy

B．transport

C．choose

D．please

9.

A．support

B．comfort

C．control

D．attention

10.

A．cooking

B．staying

C．waiting

D．studying

11.

A．success

B．survival

C．growth

D．unemployment

12.

A．budget

B．abilities

C．expectations

D．understanding

13.

A．admiring

B．donating

C．sending

D．borrowing

14.

A．clean

B．open

C．simple

D．empty

15.

A．guess

B．decision

C．response

D．impression

3 . As we age, even if we’re healthy, the heart just isn’t as efficient in processing oxygen as it used to be. In most people the first signs show up in their 50s or early 60s. And among people who don’t exercise, the changes can start even sooner.

“Think of a rubber band. In the beginning, it is flexible, but put it in a drawer for 20 years and it will become dry and easily broken,” says Dr. Ben Levine, a heart specialist at the University of Texas. That’s what happens to the heart. Fortunately for those in midlife, Levine is finding that even if you haven’t been an enthusiastic exerciser, getting in shape now may help improve your aging heart.

Levine and his research team selected volunteers aged between 45 and 64 who did not exercise much but were otherwise healthy. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group participated in a program of nonaerobic (无氧) exercise—balance training and weight training—three times a week. The second group did high-intensity aerobic exercise under the guidance of a trainer for four or more days a week. After two years, the second group saw remarkable improvements in heart health.

“We took these 50-year-old hearts and turned the clock back to 30-or 35-year-old hearts,” says Levine. “And the reason they got so much stronger and fitter was that their hearts could now fill a lot better and pump (泵送) a lot more blood during exercise.” But the hearts of those who participated in less intense exercise didn’t change, he says.

“The sweet spot in life to start exercising, if you haven’t already, is in late middle age when the heart still has flexibility,” Levine says. “We put healthy 70-year-olds through a yearlong exercise training program, and nothing happened to them at all.”

Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, says Levine’s findings are a great start. But the study was small and needs to be repeated with far larger groups of people to determine exactly which aspects of an exercise routine make the biggest difference.

1. What does Levine want to explain by mentioning the rubber band?

A．The right way of exercising.	B．The causes of a heart attack.
C．The difficulty of keeping fit.	D．The aging process of the heart.

2. In which aspect were the two groups different in terms of research design?

A．Diet plan.	B．Professional background.
C．Exercise type.	D．Previous physical condition.

3. What does Levine’s research find?

A．Middle-aged hearts get younger with aerobic exercise.

B．High-intensity exercise is more suitable for the young.

C．It is never too late for people to start taking exercise.

D．The more exercise we do, the stronger our hearts get.

4. What does Dr. Nieca Goldberg suggest?

A．Making use of the findings.	B．Interviewing the study participants.
C．Conducting further research.	D．Clarifying the purpose of the study.

4 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入一个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

If a traditional sport bores you, it’s time to try something new! Cycling, but outdoors on city roads; surfing, but on the land; playing frisbee, but with a group of people... New sports begin to thrive with great attention     1     (pay) in support of national fitness. Nearly 1,200 young people participated in a study by Houlang Research Institute, more than 93 percent of     2     born after 2000 are interested in urban sports.

Why do young people favor new sports? Apart from keeping fit as a type of exercise, many young people pick them up to socialize,     3     (allow) them to build up their social circles. Players tend to have online group chats announcing their usual activities and     4     (simple) sharing their lives.

“The new sports are also suitable for taking photos and less restricted by venues”, Zou Qingling, the CEO of Lvmama,     5     tourism website in China,     6     (tell) China News Service. People can enjoy new sports from parks to spacious     7     (sidewalk).

The new sports are easier for new players to start,     8     other traditional sports, such as soccer and basketball, which usually require strict and complicated rules. Thus, the new sports are less     9     (compete) but could bring more fun. People have also gained a stronger passion for outdoor activities and healthier lifestyles.

Urban sports have unlocked new lifestyles in China as they reflect     10     (diverse), youth and fun. This new trend is also proof that more people are exposed to and willing to enjoy sports.

5 . I’ve reached the turn-around point of the day’s kayaking (皮划艇) trip. Sweat runs down my cheek as I ______ my fingers through the cool water. I look around. It’s just me, a couple of seagulls, and shining freshwater to the horizon. This, I whisper to myself, is ______.

Solo outings had never ______ my mind before because I always had loyal friends willing to tag along. But three years ago, I moved to Cleveland. Meeting close friends in a new city is ______. And a world wide health crisis made ______ impossible.

In October 2022, I decided to ______ a whole day on a solo hiking trip. I went to Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) to ______ the autumn leaves. Five miles in, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so alive. I was more ______ of my surroundings than I’d ever been while hiking that day. I studied the markings of trees, focused my ears on each forest sound and did something I had almost never spared ______ for: I listened to my own thoughts. Every word in my mind pointed to a newfound ______—solo hiking is my happy place. From then on, I have adjusted myself to any solo activity.

Pride ______ through my body when I first launched my kayak. My chest, ______ tightened by nerves, was bursting with happiness as I finally reached the middle of the river that I’d long ______ standing on shore before.

Adventuring alone has become like medicine for me! It’s also pushed me to go ______ my comfort zone and to meet new people. Through meetups and social media, my adventure friend circle has ______. But at least once per month, I schedule time to hit nature with my favorite trail buddy: me.

1.

A．dip

B．raise

C．point

D．slip

2.

A．exhausting

B．awesome

C．surprising

D．terrible

3.

A．crossed

B．lost

C．cleared

D．occupied

4.

A．available

B．crucial

C．tough

D．common

5.

A．admissions

B．circumstances

C．connections

D．relationships

6.

A．bring up

B．take up

C．pull up

D．put up

7.

A．appreciate

B．collect

C．cut

D．sweep

8.

A．ashamed

B．scared

C．aware

D．tired

9.

A．time

B．effort

C．room

D．money

10.

A．myth

B．regulation

C．definition

D．truth

11.

A．pulled

B．looked

C．coursed

D．carried

12.

A．occasionally

B．initially

C．constantly

D．instantly

13.

A．visited

B．swam

C．rowed

D．admired

14.

A．within

B．into

C．beyond

D．through

15.

A．emerged

B．ballooned

C．surrounded

D．encountered

6 . It is never too late to develop great study habits. However, starting making some changes is hard. Even if you want to do well enough in school and improve your grades, you’re probably having trouble getting started in the first place!     1    .

Plan your time carefully. Make a list of your weekly tasks. Make a schedule of your time. Then decide on good, regular time for studying.     2    , but it will make you more aware of how you spend your time.

Find a good place to study. Choose one place for your study area. It may be a desk or a chair at home or in the school library, but it should be comfortable and quiet. When you begin to work, you should be able to concentrate on the subject.

Skim before you read.     3    . As you preview the material, you get some idea of the passage and how it is organized.

    4    . Listening to what the teacher says in class means less work later. Taking notes helps you remember what the teacher says.

Develop a good attitude to tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject.     5    . Tests provide grades, but they also let you know that you need to spend more time studying.

There are other skills that might help you with your study. Share with your classmates some of the skills you have found to be helpful.

A．Study regularly

B．Make good use of your time in class

C．There are several ways that can help you

D．Develop a positive attitude by setting realistic goals

E．This weekly schedule may not solve all of your problems

F．The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t worry too much about a test

G．This means looking over a passage quickly before you begin to read it more carefully

7 . 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。

Once there lived a girl named Melanie. The little girl was living with a dream. She wanted to be a ballet dancer. Her body was very flexible and she had a strong will power. Melanie’s parents never knew of the great dancing skills their daughter had until one day, they saw the little girl dancing with the beautiful steps of a ballerina.

“Isn’t it strange? Melanie is dancing so well without any formal training!” the mother said.

“We must give her ballet lessons to help her improve her skills,” her father said.

The following day, Melanie’s parents took her to a local dance training school. The teacher asked Melanie to dance. The little girl was happy and showed some of her favorite dance steps. However, the teacher didn’t seem interested in her performance.

“That’s OK. You can leave now!”the teacher said.

Melanie was shocked to hear this. So were her parents. They couldn’t believe their ears.

“The girl is common. She does not have the possibility to become a ballerina, ”the dance teacher said. “Don’t let her waste her time dreaming of becoming a dancer.”

Disappointed, Melanie and her parents returned home. Tears rolled down Melanie’s face. Her dreams were broken within a matter of minutes. Without confidence, Melanie never attempted to dance again. She completed her studies and went on to become a teacher in school.Life was good and she kept herself busy with family and work. However, whenever she happened to pass the school’s ballet room, memories of childhood dreams danced before her eyes.

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。
One day, the ballet teacher in her school was late.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“What a performance, Melanie! You are a true ballerina!” said the ballet teacher entering the classroom.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . My mother turned ninety. I knew I needed to find a senior _______ center. Not for her — for me. If I were at her age, I would want to stay in shape to _______ life, getting a lot of pleasure. Yes, walking in local parks was my _______, but I wasn’t so active as before.

I called a nearby center, “Do you have aerobics (有氧运动) classes _______ for seniors?” “Sure. Come and check us out! We start at 10 am,” the receptionist (接待员) replied and _______. The next morning, I went there. One part of me was _______ that the class was too easy, not doing me any good. The other part feared it was too hard for me to _______.

When I came into the room, a woman _______ me, “Oh, you’re new. Welcome.” Then the music started. The hour-long workout woke up the muscles I didn’t often _______ in daily walks, suiting me fine. I became a member there. My classmates ranged in age from fifty to ninety. Most gave the exercises their own ________, doing as much or little as they could. ________ no one kept score. Soon I learned physical well-being wasn’t the only ________ there. During breaks, people chatted happily. Whenever some people were ________ we asked around. Were they busy? Were they in hospital? Moreover, we signed cards for those who were ill.

I ________ to be in good shape now as I’ve hoped. Still, I’m grateful for things more valuable from the class — close friendships and new social ________.

1.

A．leisure

B．fitness

C．community

D．learning

2.

A．change

B．remember

C．wait

D．enjoy

3.

A．routine

B．aim

C．challenge

D．plan

4.

A．attached

B．familiar

C．appropriate

D．vital

5.

A．comforted

B．invited

C．promised

D．welcomed

6.

A．sure

B．disappointed

C．anxious

D．hopeful

7.

A．make up for

B．look down on

C．get down to

D．keep up with

8.

A．greeted

B．recognized

C．helped

D．introduced

9.

A．relax

B．stretch

C．strengthen

D．use

10.

A．improvement

B．agreement

C．interpretation

D．conclusion

11.

A．Fortunately

B．Consequently

C．Naturally

D．Surprisingly

12.

A．problem

B．contribution

C．standard

D．focus

13.

A．lonely

B．absent

C．unhappy

D．tired

14.

A．fail

B．manage

C．attempt

D．continue

15.

A．backgrounds

B．connections

C．skills

D．duties

9 . For my daughter's 19th birthday, we bought her tickets to go and see Linkin Park, as they were playing in our city. We didn't really have the ________ but we knew how much this band meant to her.

The night before she was like a ________ at Christmas. Every so often she got up and came to ________ with us, because she couldn't ________ . On the night of the concert it was good to see her so ________ and excited, as she and her boyfriend set off.

Needless to say when they ________ after midnight, with T-shirts and lots of pictures of the band, ________ her telling about how fantastic they had been, we knew the money had been well ________ . This will be a memory she would never forget, and nor would we.

________ full of excitement from the night before, the following day they ________ to go shopping on the other side of the city. My husband and I laughed, loving the fact that she had not ________   that quality as she grew up.

Later that day they returned, with faces full of happiness and warmth. They presented my husband and me with a ________ each. On each present were the words "Because you are the ________ mum/dad in the world. "When we expressed our thanks and told her she didn't have to, we asked her why she had bought us gifts. Her answer was simply "Just because I love you."

This wasn't something ________ from our daughter; she had always given us gifts when she wanted to express her ________ , and each gift was always a welcome surprise. It could have been anything, it wouldn't have mattered, and it was the act itself and the feelings behind it.

1.

A．money

B．time

C．interest

D．news

2.

A．worker

B．baby

C．kid

D．parent

3.

A．dance

B．learn

C．walk

D．sit

4.

A．speak

B．sleep

C．stand

D．leave

5.

A．healthy

B．happy

C．pretty

D．surprised

6.

A．stayed

B．left

C．returned

D．turned

7.

A．worrying about

B．caring for

C．looking at

D．listening to

8.

A．lent

B．earned

C．saved

D．spent

9.

A．Still

B．Only

C．Just

D．Also

10.

A．continued

B．tried

C．decided

D．struggled

11.

A．kept

B．lost

C．realized

D．discovered

12.

A．gift

B．prize

C．ticket

D．picture

13.

A．richest

B．oldest

C．best

D．cleverest

14.

A．important

B．ordinary

C．new

D．valuable

15.

A．feelings

B．concerns

C．understandings

D．opinions

10 . 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。

Mixing traditional Chinese tea with coffee has     1     (recent) become a new trend for both suppliers of both drinks. They are making every effort     2     (open) the market. Mixing tea and coffee is not a new thing as yuenyeung or yuanyang, which generally consists     3     brewed coffee and black tea with sugar and milk. Yuenyeung     4     (be) a popular refreshment option in Hong Kong over the past few years. Yuenyeung refers to a pair of mandarin ducks, one male and one female. The drink usually combines a harmonious mix of equal parts of coffee and milk tea.

As China’s coffee and tea markets are both developing quickly, the new drinks have become a window through     5     young customers can understand and learn about traditional tea culture,     6     (break) the stereotype (成见) that only the middle-aged and elderly drink tea. Domestic and international coffee brands have expanded in the past couple of years, with new products continuously being     7     (launch) that feature Chinese tea or other Chinese cultural     8     (element).

Lu Yongchen, CEO of Tim Hortons China, says, “We have seen the rise of China’s coffee consumption market     9     personally experienced the continuous improvement of the business environment and the     10     (strength) support from the government for business development.”