Oliver was a small and introvert (内向的) boy who kept to himself. He was quiet and preferred indoor activities. Sitting in the corner of the class, he was very much a loner.
At the beginning of the semester, Oliver had a new classmate, Alan, who had just returned to England. Alan was assigned a seat next to Oliver. To his surprise, within weeks, he became good friends with Alan even though they were poles apart in personality. Alan was popular, outspoken and artistic. “Alan is all that I want to be,” Oliver thought to himself. He began listening to the music Alan listened to and having similar haircut. He even quit his drama club and started playing the online games that Alan played. He seemed to have been out of his loneliness.
It was not long before Oliver was introduced to Alan’s “cool” friends. He told himself that he would try all means to be part of the group. He would follow them to the football games and join the art club after school so he could spend more time hanging out with them. Oliver followed them around laughing when they told jokes, agreeing when they had opinions—most enthusiastically at the ones he disagreed with. He did not dare to differ in opinions as he would not want them to think badly of him. This continued for several months. At last, Oliver felt relieved that he had finally fitted in.
One day, Oliver overheard Alan and his cool friends talking. “Oliver is such a loser,” one boy commented in a playful tone. “He just follows you around trying to be you. He copies you; he does not have a personality of his own!” another boy exclaimed. Alan laughed, to make matters worse, he added, “That fellow wears me out. I wish he would leave me alone. He thinks we are best friends. A thorough fool!”
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Oliver stood still to the ground and could not believe his ears.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Oliver decided to change himself after hearing his mother’s words.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jenny was the only child in her family. She had a quarrel (吵架) with her mother that afternoon and she ran out of the house angrily. She couldn’t help weeping sorrowfully when she thought of the scolding from her mother. Having wandered aimlessly in the street for hours, she felt a little hungry and wished for something to eat. She stood beside a stand (货摊) for a while, watching the middle-aged seller busy doing his business. However, with no money in hand, she gave a sigh and had to leave.
The seller behind the stand noticed the young girl and asked, “Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?”
“Oh, yes, but I don’t have money on me.” she replied.
“That’s nothing. I’ll treat you today,” said the man, “Come in.”
The seller brought her a bowl of noodles, whose smell was so attractive. As she was eating, Jenny cried silently.
“What is it?” asked the man kindly.
“Nothing. Actually, I was just touched by your kindness!” said Jenny as she wiped her tears. “Even a stranger on the street will give me a bowl of noodles, while my mother drove me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so merciless compared to a stranger!”
Hearing the words, the seller smiled, “Girl, do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thanked me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were a baby. Can you remember the times she cooked for you? Have you expressed your gratitude to her?”
Jenny sat there, speechless and numb with shock: she remembered her mother’s familiar face and weathered hands. “Why didn’t I think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel grateful. Why haven’t I thanked my mum for what she has done for me?”
On the way home. Jenny made up her mind to make an apology to her mother for her rudeness as soon as she arrived home.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Nearing the doorway, Jenny took a deep breath.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At that time, her mother came back and touched her hair gently, which called her mind back.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . An owl (猫头鹰) named Flaco escaped New York’s Central Park Zoo last week after his cage was broken. This set off a bird-hunt of police officers and park rangers (护林员). Zoo officials worried that Flaco, who had been kept in his zoo cage for 13 years, may have lost the survival abilities he needed in the wild. They placed some of his favorite treats in the open air to attempt to trap him.
Flaco was not fooled. Instead, he was sighted flying over5th Avenue, and Central Park’s skating rink. A number of New Yorkers came into Central Park to try to catch a glimpse of Flaco, taking photos with excitement.
But this week, zoo officials announced they accepted that Flaco remained in Central Park because he had been seen bringing up bones and fur from the park’s community of rats. “He has been very successful at hunting and consuming lots of rats in the park.” zoo officials told the New York Post.“ And that’s amazing. He’s hunting on his own. He’s flying better. Flaceo really seems to be enjoying himself out there.”
There is a caution attached to this story of an owl who is making it on his own in the city that never sleeps. Owls are nocturnal. They go around searching for food at night. They sleep during the day, or try to, like lots of people who work the overnight shift. Yet some New Yorkers who don’t know proper bird-watching behavior reportedly see Flaco sleep in a tree during the day, and begin to shout at him. It interrupts his sleep. Flaco can’t try to say “shh, shh” with the traditional New York reply. After all, a bird can’t give someone the bird.
1. Why were zoo officials concerned about Flaco’s ability to survive?| A．Because his favourite food was too little. | B．Because he might be attacked by police. |
| C．Because his cage was severely damaged. | D．Because he was kept in his cage for long. |
| A．He has adapted to the wild. | B．He has found his previous home. |
| C．He still faces great challenges. | D．He dislikes the rats in the park. |
| A．Scary-looking. | B．Shy and quiet. |
| C．Active at night. | D．Badly-behaved. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Favorable. | C．Unclear. | D．Disapproving. |
Life at thirteen was tough for me. On the one hand, I had to adapt to my changing body; on the other hand, I was forced to deal with the upsetting move from my country home to a crowded suburb. I had to stop travelling around quiet country with my cute buddies, riding on the back of my handsome companion, a small brown pony. When we moved, I was forced to sell him. The moment he was taken away, I was grasped by a strange thought. I was abandoned. Feeling helpless and alone, I couldn’t eat or sleep, and I cried all of the time. I missed my friends, my country home and my pony. Finally, my parents, realizing how much I missed my pony, purchased an old red horse— Orion for me at a local market.
Orion was without doubt the ugliest horse in the world. He was pigeon-toed and knock-kneed. But I didn’t care about his weaknesses. I loved him beyond all reason. I joined a riding club and endured rude comments and mean snickers (窃笑) about Orion’s looks. I never let on about how I felt, but deep down inside, my heart was breaking. The other members rode beautiful registered horses. When Orion and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly “shown the gate”. No amount of brushing, vitamins or unconditional love would turn Orion into a beauty. I finally realized that my only chance to compete would be in the timed-speed events.
I chose “barrel racing” (绕桶赛) . There were so many experienced competitors with their lovely partners. It looked like they have got it in the bag, laughing, greeting and chatting with each other. One girl named Ann rode a big brown thorough bred (受过严格训练的) horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. Needless to say, she didn’t feel threatened when I competed against her at the next show. She didn’t need to. I came in next to last. The stinging memory of Ann’s laughs made me determined to beat her.
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。
For the whole next month I woke up early every day.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The big day finally arrived.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 . Tired of the busy and chaotic life in Las Vegas, Nevada for nearly ten years, my family and I decided to slow things down. We wanted to lead an environmental-friendly life.
None of us felt that this could be accomplished where we were living and we all agreed that a move to the country would be great for everyone.
Before long we set about looking for a home in Yucca, Arizona, a very small town of less than 1, 000 people. When I called to inquire about the property, I was informed that there was no electricity available in the area. What? No electricity? I almost denied the idea immediately. But what better way is there to go green? After giving it a second thought, we decided to put in an offer and moved in on Thanksgiving Day.
When we first moved to the property, we did some remodeling (改造) and stayed in our motor home. We were faced with real challenges at the time, which just made us work harder. We slowly got things fixed and moved into the house after 38 days.
While living here for the past four months has been a big adjustment, there are many benefits to living off the grid (电线). I think one of the most educational lessons is teaching my kids the importance of conservation. They used to take water, power and gas for granted. We started taking quicker showers, turning off the water while brushing our teeth. What’s more, we are also trying to make other changes which include reducing the amount of trash we generate by recycling, growing our own organic vegetables and re-purposing things that we would normally throw.
Overall, going off the grid has been great for our family. I hope that once my kids move out of the house, they will keep the habits that they have learned by living off the grid.
1. What caused the family move to a remote town?| A．The financial trouble. | B．The popular trend. |
| C．The desire of a green life. | D．A discounted property. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Astonished. | C．Relieved. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．The awareness of saving. | B．The pleasure of a modern life. |
| C．The skills of classifying trash. | D．The techniques of cooking vegetables. |
| A．Leading an eco-friendly life is urgent. |
| B．A family has managed to live a simple life. |
| C．A green lifestyle has sprung up nationwide. |
| D．Getting off the grid made no difference to people. |
6 . The Hero’s Journey
Have you ever thought of yourself as the main character of a heroic adventure? It could be good for your health. Research suggests that imagining yourself on a hero’s journey could help you achieve a more meaningful life. How can you start imagining your life as a hero’s journey?
Keep a journal.
Ask yourself: What makes you you? Describe your personality and core values. Think about events in your life that made you who you are today. Then reflect on the challenges that stand in your way, and who can help you on your journey.
Ask: Who’s my favorite character in a movie or book?
Change the way you see obstacles.
Going through a tough time? See your problems as challenges. Think of them as opportunities for growth and learning. A challenge is a chance to develop strength and be the hero of your own story.
Go on more heroic adventures.
We like people who have new experiences and grow from their challenges. So seek out something new.
Say you’re facing a big challenge. Lou Ursa, a therapist in California, suggests thinking of a favorite hero’s story. “It can help you have that eagle-eye view of what might be next for you, or what you should be paying attention to,” Ursa says. “Stories become this map that we can always turn to.” That can be reassuring. It reminds you that a new chapter almost certainly awaits you.
| A．Here, experts share some strategies. |
| B．Writing down a few sentences can help. |
| C．You don’t have to live a super heroic life. |
| D．When you need a motivation, think of your heroes. |
| E．Think of what appeals to you about that character. |
| F．It can be simple, like walking a new route to school. |
| G．Seeing your life as an adventure can enhance well-being. |
7 . It wasn’t until 1985 that an exploration led by Robert Ballard and Jean-Louis Michel discovered the Titanic’s final resting place. Shortly after, Ballard urged the U. S. Congress to declare the ruins to be a memorial. In July 1986, Ballard placed a plaque (牌匾) on the ship, asking that the site be left undisturbed in memory of the more than 1, 500 people who died there.
But that didn’t happen. More than a century after the ship’s sinking, interest in the Titanic is insatiable. Although most satisfy their curiosity by visiting the museums, exhibitions, and permanent collections around the world dedicated to the ruins, those able to pay for a ticket desire to see it for themselves.
The first official salvage (打捞) effort was undertaken by the Titanic Ventures Limited Partnership (TVLP) and L’Institut Francais de Recherche pour 1’Exploitation de la Mer in 1987, when around 1, 800 items of treasure were collected and conserved. In 1992, a federal court ruled TVLP was the first and exclusive salvager of the Titanic— though in following decades, the company pushed for more. The company has conducted eight explorations to the Titanic while giving rise to a small but pricey tourism market. Researchers, salvagers, and even filmmakers like James Cameron, who directed the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, have made countless trips to the wreck. And for a pretty penny, tourists have been able to go too.
The Titanic was damaged significantly upon impact with the seabed, and slowly, iron-eating bacteria is consuming what remains. Less than a decade after it was found, rapid worsening was being noticed. In 2019, a dive confirmed huge portions of the ship were collapsing.
Today the surrounding site is littered with trash, including beer and soda bottles, chains, and cargo nets from salvage efforts. Visitors have also littered the area with plaques and memorials. In 2001, a couple was even married in a submersible resting on the Titanic’s bow.
1. What was Ballard’s purpose of planting a plaque on the Titanic?| A．To protect the sunk wreck. | B．To build a marine memorial. |
| C．To honor his dead teammates. | D．To prepare for next discovery. |
| A．Easily satisfied. | B．On the decline. | C．Growing steadily. | D．Under criticism. |
| A．It is mostly for treasure. | B．It is money-consuming. |
| C．It is filmmaker-targeted. | D．It is accessible to most people. |
| A．Salvage efforts are in vain. | B．The ship is loaded with trash. |
| C．Visitors do damage to the ship. | D．Underwater wedding enjoys popularity. |
8 . Stroke is the most important cause of disability for adults in the EU, which affects about 1. 1 million people each year. After a stroke, patients commonly need recovery to relearn to walk, talk, or perform daily tasks. Research has shown that music treatment can help stroke patients to recover language and motor function.
But for people who suffered a stroke, playing music may itself be a skill that needs to be relearned. Now, a study has shown novel soft robotics can help recovering patients to relearn playing music and other skills that require flexibility and coordination (协调) .
Dr Maohua Lin, a professor at Florida Atlantic University and colleagues designed and tested a “smart hand exoskeleton (外骨骼) ” in the shape of a multi-layered, flexible 3D-printed robo-glove, which weighs only 191g. The entire palm and wrist area of the glove are designed to be soft and flexible, and the shape of the glove can be custom-made to fit each wearer’s hand.
“While wearing the glove, human users have control over the movement of each finger to a significant extent,” said senior author Dr Erik Engeberg. “The glove is designed to assist and enhance their natural hand movements, allowing their fingers to bend and stretch freely.”
At the same time, the authors used machine learning to successfully teach the glove to “feel” the difference between playing a correct and incorrect versions of a beginner’s song on the piano. The glove can give feedback to the wearer either by touching, looking or listening. These would enable her or him to understand their performance and make improvements.
“But several challenges in this field need to be overcome. These include improving the accuracy and reliability of tactile sensing, enhancing the adaptability and flexibility of the exoskeleton design, and improving the machine learning algorithms to better interpret and respond to user input,” added Lin.
1. What is the smart hand exoskeleton?| A．A flexible robo-glove. | B．A light 3D-printed palm. |
| C．A multi-layered hand supporter. | D．A smart monitor worn round wrist. |
| A．Its simplicity of wearing. | B．Its flexibility and softness. |
| C．Its assistance to patients’ fingers. | D．Its significant application ranges. |
| A．To get charged in time. | B．To regulate wearing period. |
| C．To control hand movements. | D．To better musical performance. |
| A．It is hitting a bottleneck. | B．It is far from satisfactory. |
| C．It is a challenge to human hands. | D．It is well-received in the market. |
1. 节日意义；2. 发出呼吁。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Hello everyone,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for listening.
Chinese products shine among Hangzhou Asian Games participants
Chinese products won the admiration of many foreign participants at the 19h Asian Games, which
Oksana Chusovitina,
Moreover, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) continues to draw international visitors. An athlete from the UAE bought wormwood heating compress packs,
