1 . Karen Sturges was knitting a sweater for her daughter’s future baby. Bad news came — she was diagnosed with cancer.

“What she was most concerned about was finishing the sweater,” said her daughter Annie Gatewood. “She was just distraught when thinking she wasn’t going to be able to finish it.” Sturges worked on the sweater until four days before she died in 2021, with it unfinished. No member of the family knew how to knit.

Then in 2022, Gatewood was matched with a “finisher” Sarah in Portland, — one of the over 1,000 volunteers who complete unfinished arts projects for grieving loved ones through a group called Loose Ends. Finishing knitting the sweater, Sarah handed it off to Gatewood. “I saw her and burst into tears, because she looks like my mom,” said Gatewood. “We know for sure my mom would have been just delighted.”

Kaplan and Simonic started Loose Ends. Both are expert knitters knowing what it is like to have a loved one leave behind an unfinished project. The finisher doesn’t charge any money. The only cost is for mailing.

Opuda signed up as a finisher. She is crocheting (用钩针编织) a blue blanket for someone whose mother passed away. The blanket was one of three the mother was working on throughout her cancer treatments, and although they are not perfect, the children wanted to keep everything their mother made. “People just don’t really know how much time something takes, especially a blanket. Yet even through her illness and all her pain and challenges, she still managed to make so much progress. I didn’t want her kids to lose that,” said Opuda.

“We all experience pain,” said Simonic. “You don’t know what someone’s going through on a day-to-day basis that’s going to make them give up, but I do know these little acts of kindness make people realize there are people out there willing to help.”

1. What can be learned about Loose Ends?

A．It charges receivers lot.	B．It meets patients’ unreal wishes.
C．It consists of generous helpers.	D．It recycles valuable unfinished pieces.

2. What did Opuda want the blanket receivers to know about their mother?

A．She was a well-trained crafter.	B．She suffered a lot from cancer.
C．She hoped to keep the family tradition.	D．She had a great affection for them.

3. What does Simonic intend to tell us?

A．A small act of kindness can mean a lot.	B．Actions speak louder than words.
C．A patient’s work should be respected.	D．Love begins with a little smile.

4. What might be a suitable title for the text?

A．Loose Ends to Help Finish Undone Handicrafts	B．Artworks to Make up for Family Regrets
C．Finishers to Help Restore Family Treasures	D．Remains to Convey Love to the Beloved

2 . Four Future Technologies to Change the World in the Next Decade

Underwater gloves

Researchers have developed “octa gloves” that copy the suction (吸力) properties of an octopus (章鱼). Using a network of microsensors, the suction cups on the gloves can tighten and relax to grab underwater items without breaking them.

This technology could potentially be employed by underwater archaeologists, rescue divers, bridge architects, and other similar professionals.

Health-monitoring “Digital Twins”

A scanner has been developed, which can test hundreds of indicators within an hour. The information about these indicators can be used to create a 3D digital twin of a patient’s body, which can be monitored over time and changed with each new examination.

It is predicted that with this new technology, we will enter a new era of preventative and individualized medicine.

3D-printed bones

One of the most interesting applications of 3D printing technology is the creation of 3D-printed bones. A substance similar to human bones’ can be used to create a 3D model of the required patient-specific implantation (移植) according to the images and be used in an operation.

Due to the use of the special substance, the muscle will change these 3D-printed implants into real bones, allowing for the complete healing of bones’ functions.

Hydrogen planes

A team has put forward a proposal for a mid-sized plane powered by liquid hydrogen. It would be capable of carrying about 279 persons around the globe nonstop.

If this innovation could occur, a nonstop , zero-carbon flight connecting any two places in the world would be possible.

1. Which innovation is inspired by the feature of an animal?

A．Digital Twins.	B．3D-printed bones.
C．Octa gloves.	D．Hydrogen planes.

2. Who might be most interested in 3D-printed bones?

A．A frogman in search of sunken treasures.

B．An athlete in need of ankle replacement.

C．A student majoring in preventative medicine.

D．A navigator promoting environmental protection.

3. How will the four technologies impact us?

A．They will improve our life and work.

B．They will better our environment.

C．They will boost our work efficiency.

D．They will help prolong our life.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What threat do many tropical birds face?

A．Being wiped out.

B．Being caged.

C．Being trained.

2. What does National Bird Day strongly propose?

A．Global birds’ transportation should be banned.

B．Wild birds should live in natural habitats.

C．A proper environment should be created for birds.

3. Which country was the largest importer of wild birds?

A．Senegal.

B．France.

C．America.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What made the woman distracted?

A．The football match.

B．The exhaustion.

C．The loud noise.

2. How did the man sound at first?

A．Apologetic.

B．Regretful.

C．Excited.

3. Who is the woman talking with?

A．Her dad.

B．Her neighbour.

C．Her friend.

4. Which footballer does the man favor?

A．Messi.

B．Mbappe.

C．Ronaldo.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the man need to do to enter the poetry competition?

A．Hand in his work on February 15th.

B．Pay an entry fee of 29 dollars.

C．Submit a poem collection of at most 48 pages.

2. What will the woman probably submit?

A．A prose poem.

B．A series of short stories.

C．A short novel.

3. Which of the following offers the most prize money?

A．Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry.

B．Michael Waters Poetry Prize.

C．Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How much did the picture sell for at last?

A．$3.8 million.

B．$2 million.

C．$1.8 million.

2. Who did Georges Remi give the original drawing to?

A．A famous editor.

B．A young reporter.

C．A 7-year-old boy.

3. What can be seen in the original picture?

A．A blue lotus floating.

B．A man in a vase.

C．A dog behind the vase.

7 . Last year I attended the annual autumn saffron (藏红花) harvest festival on a trip in Italy, known as the sagra. Giovannina Sarra and her family ________ me at their home. Early the next morning, we ________ among the fields and participated in the harvest.

Saffron , taken from the stigmas (柱头) of the saffron flower, is a(n) ________ crop. Also called red gold, it is a(n) ________ from Spain, first introduced into the region around the 13th century. Saffron is ________ in the hours just before ________, while the petals (花瓣) are closed. This helps protect their precious stigmas and makes the flowers easier to ________, especially preferred by the acquirers (收购商). Later, on the same day, the stigmas — three ________ strings per flower — are separated from the petals. It’s a delicate ________ that takes hours with a skilled and ________ hand. In the evening, over an open wood fire, the stringlike stigmas are ________ to make saffron powder to add to the richness of the color and the flavor, which brings considerable income.

Now sitting at a mouth-watering plate of Risotto alla Milanese, a dish cooked with saffron, I ________ the freezing morning with Sarra and her family. There’s no ________ that it is the families like the Sarras that stick to the many ________ that have survived from generation to generation. ________ more people will join them.

1.

A．interviewed

B．accompanied

C．hosted

D．recognized

2.

A．fell behind

B．fanned out

C．sat around

D．hung around

3.

A．profitable

B．tropical

C．unavailable

D．unaffordable

4.

A．technology

B．patent

C．investment

D．import

5.

A．harvested

B．stored

C．watered

D．monitored

6.

A．noon

B．sunrise

C．dusk

D．midnight

7.

A．bloom

B．tend

C．grow

D．sell

8.

A．frozen

B．sticky

C．tiny

D．wet

9.

A．object

B．issue

C．adventure

D．process

10.

A．rough

B．careless

C．patient

D．sweaty

11.

A．boiled

B．dried

C．fried

D．warmed

12.

A．recall

B．remind

C．cherish

D．record

13.

A．doubt

B．evidence

C．reason

D．chance

14.

A．wonders

B．platforms

C．traditions

D．relations

15.

A．Fortunately

B．Immediately

C．Gradually

D．Hopefully

8 . Welcome to the North Carolina Zoo

We are excited to welcome you to the zoo. The North Carolina Zoo serves and welcomes everyone. Tickets can be bought in advance online or at the gate on the day of your visit.

Hours

The zoo is open all year round, closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

April -October 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.

November -March 9 a. m. to 4 p. m.

The last entry (进入) is one hour before closing.

Prices

Adults (ages 13 -61): $15                           Seniors (ages 62+): $13

Children (ages 2-12): $11                           Under 2: Free

Meet the Keeper

Take your zoo day to the next level and plan to attend a “Meet the Keeper” meeting where you can see a range of activities, such as animal feeding and training sessions.

Animal	When	Where
Gorillas	11:30 a.m. Saturdays &Sundays	Gorilla Habitat
Giraffe	2:30 p.m. Saturdays &Sundays	Giraffe Overlook One
Seabirds	2:00 p.m. daily	Rocky Coast
North American Porcupines	10:30 a.m. Saturdays &Sundays	Rocky Coast

Notes

We do not allow picnic-style meals inside the zoo, and bringing branded outside foods (McDonald’s for example) into the zoo is also prohibited (禁止). Guests are welcome to enjoy these foods at one of our picnic areas before entering the zoo. If you exit (出去) to picnic during your visit, please check in with our staff to get a mark on your hand.

Address

4401 Zoo Pkwy, Asheboro, NC 27205

1. How much should a middle-aged couple with their 5-year-old son pay for a visit?

A．$26.

B．$30.

C．$37.

D．$41.

2. What animals may visitors see if they join a “Meet the Keeper” meeting on weekdays?

A．Giraffe.	B．Seabirds.
C．Gorillas.	D．North American Porcupines.

3. What is a special feature of the North Carolina Zoo?

A．Same-day re-entry is allowed.

B．It provides picnic areas inside the zoo.

C．Visitors can feed animals with their own foods.

D．Ticket booking can be made at the gate in advance.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What does the speaker do?

A．A medical doctor.

B．A fitness instructor.

C．A swimming coach.

2. What is the common mistake people make in workouts?

A．Focusing on only muscle training.

B．Doing too many types of workouts.

C．Keeping the same routine all the time.

3. How often does the speaker suggest people do hard workouts?

A．Once a week.

B．Twice a week.

C．Three times a week.

10 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Chinese martial arts (武术), African tribal dances, and Brazil’s Samba set off waves of     1     (applaud) from the audience in mid-October. The 8th International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage was held     2     Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province.

The five-day event brought together around 6,000 performers     3     engaged in more than 900 performances of intangible cultural heritage from 47 countries and     4     (region).

It was co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Sichuan government and the National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, and aimed     5     (show) China’s efforts to implement the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and promote     6     (tradition) Chinese culture.

Five exhibitions,     7     (include) those featuring intangible cultural heritage in modern life, and international craftsmanship,     8     (stage) to expose the public to the cultural charm, and thus promote the inheritance of heritage.

“The framework of the convention     9     (full) recognizes the significance of intangible cultural heritage in empowering and ensuring sustainable development,” Shahbaz Khan, representative of UNESCO Multi-sectoral Regional Office for East Asia, said as he addressed the forum via     10     video.