1 . ※ Brown Girl Dreaming

By Jacqueline Woodson

As a winner of the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and a Newberry Honor Book, in her book, Brown Girl Dreaming, the author uses poetry to tell her true story of growing up as a black woman in the 1960s and 1970s. Woodson’s beautiful language explores big ideas while describing her family, her growing awareness of race and the civil rights movement, and her life in South Carolina and New York City.

※ When You Were Everything

By Ashley Woodfolk

Cleo and Layla have been best friends for years. But in their second year of middle school, everything changes. Layla starts hanging out with her new friends, and the two girls’ friendship slowly ends. Cleo is still trying to make sense of what happened as she tries to make new friends. Told across two timelines, Cleo’s story of sadness surrounding a lost friendship will be relevant for many 8th graders trying to deal with past middle school friend drama and looking forward to high school.

※ The Hound of the Baskervilles

By Arthur Conan Doyle

The famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Watson set out to look into a new case in Dartmoor, England. A man is dead, with many dog paw prints leading to his body. Holmes and Watson arrive in Dartmoor to find several unexplainable events and clues. Together, they start to figure out a puzzle that has defined mystery and detective fiction ever since.

※ The Hobbit

By J. R. R. Tolkien

This story is an opener to the longer and more challenging The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s an adventure story set in a fantasy world. With dwarves (小矮人), hobbits, sword fights, wizards and dragons, the book’s plot and humor have stood the test of time.

1. How is Brown Girl Dreaming different from the other books?

A．It focuses on city life.	B．It uses clear language.
C．It has won many awards.	D．It tells humorous stories.

2. What is When You Were Everything mainly about?

A．Friendship and growth.	B．Lost love and gained hope.
C．Learning to be more independent.	D．Dealing with pressure from schoolwork.

3. Which book suits whoever wants to read about adventures?

A．The Hobbit	B．Brown Girl Dreaming
C．When You Were Everything	D．The Hound of the Baskervilles

2 . 任务型阅读

On a windy day, Emily invited Nora to play football in her garden, “I go first!” Nora shouted as she kicked the ball towards Emily.

“Is that all you got? Watch me, the champion, hit the ball. It will travel off to infinity (无穷大)!”

Emily ran like the wind to the ball and kicked it so hard that it flew over the fence of her garden and into the neighbor’s house. There was a sharp cracking sound.

“Uhoh...what did you do?” Nora asked, feeling afraid.

“I...I don’t know. Ohno! I think I broke my neighbor’s window, “Emily cried as she dashed across her garden and hid behind some cherry bushes. Nora faded into thin air.

Terror was written all over Emily’s face. She saw the neighbor, Mr. Mason, picking up the pieces of sharp glass. There was anger, as well as panic, on his face.

The sun was setting. Emily knew that it was not secure for her to stay out so late. Eventually, as the light faded, she returned home, keeping her eyes wide open for the neighbor.

Her heart was shaking as she cautiously arrived home. Her mother saw the sweat on her face. She knew, her daughter had done something wrong. Mothers at next to Emily on the comfortable sofa and then asked, “Emily, are you okay? Is something wrong?”

Emily held her mother’s hands. Her eyes were wet with tears. “Mom, I did something bad, but it was unintentional. I hit the football so hard that it flew out of our garden and broke Mr. Mason’s window.”

Mother listened to her patiently as she calmed her and wiped her tears away. Then she held a sharp-tipped pencil. “Do you know why pencils have erasers?” Mother asked, surprising Emily since she wasn’t expecting such a question.

1. 根据语篇内容填写表格(每空不限词数)

Where	In the garden
Who	Emily, Nora, Mr. Mason, Emily’s mother
What	. On a windy day, Emily invited Nora to play football in her garden. Emily _________ by accident. . Emily was so frightened that _________.Nora faded into thin air. . Emily saw her neighbor Mr. Mason, _________. She dared not return home until darkness fell. . Emily arrived home _________, and told her mother what had happened. . Mother calmed Emily and asked her _________.

按情节推进，用完整句子回答问题
2. How did Emily react when realizing what her mother wanted to say?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What did Emily decide to do to make up for her mistake?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What did Emily do to reduce her nervousness before knocking on the door?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. How did Mr. Mason react to Emily’s late but sincere apology?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
6. How did Emily feel when she got forgiveness from Mr. Mason?
____________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the first job of the day?

A．Check the notice.

B．Feed the animals.

C．Clean the animals’ places.

2. What time does the work finish in the zoo?

A．At 6 p.m.

B．At 7 p.m.

C．At 8 p.m.

3. How can visitors know about their favorite animals?

A．By reading the notice.

B．By asking the workers.

C．By listening to the talks.

4. What can we learn about the zoo?

A．There is a restaurant in it.

B．Drinks and food can be bought in it.

C．Three gift shops in it are open the whole year.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the topic of the photos of this year?

A．Flowers.

B．Animals.

C．Food.

2. How should the photos be sent?

A．Bye-mail

B．By post.

C．In person.

3. What is the prize?

A．A cup.

B．A camera.

C．Some money.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When were the wooden houses built?

A．In the 10th century.

B．In the 13th century.

C．In the 17th century.

2. Where did the man have lunch?

A．On a hill.

B．By a river.

C．In a garden.

3. How was the weather during the man’s trip?

A．Rainy.

B．Sunny.

C．Windy.

6 . Love it or hate it, we live in the digital age and there’s no going back. Distracted by endless notifications and emails, we can hardly focus on our tasks. To stay focused, we probably need some apps to keep us on track.

1. Rescue Time

Rescue Time helps you to find out how much time you’re really on-task. Label activities as productive and non-productive so you can block your biggest distractions. Get a categorized breakdown of how you spend your time.

Price: Free(Web)

2. Pomodoro Time Tracker

The Pomodoro Technique keeps your mind sharp and prevents you from becoming tired. It in volves working and taking breaks at set intervals (间隔).This popular time management method asks you to alternate focused work sessions with frequent short breaks to promote concentration.

Price: Free(Web)

3. Freedom

Freedom allows you to block the Internet, social media, and apps that eat up your time.

*Categorize how you spend your time, decide how long you Freedom need to work without interruption, and block items that take you off track. Freedom is superior to many other blockers because you can block applications-not just websites.

Price: One month free trial, $6.99 monthly (Mac, Windows, X and iOS)

4. Forest

Forest turns productivity into a game. “Plant” a virtual tree at the beginning of your work time. If you maintain focus for the duration of the timer, you’ll grow a tree to add to your “forest”.

Forest makes you think twice about traveling down Internet rabbit holes when you’re supposed to be working.

Price: $1.99(iOS and Android), Free (Chrome extension)

1. What does Pomodoro Time Tracker help us to do?

A．Manage our time.	B．Arrange our tasks.
C．Prevent all distractions.	D．Combine work with rest.

2. How is Freedom different from other blockers?

A．It blocks websites.	B．It is completely free.
C．It blocks applications.	D．It brings us to the track.

3. Which of the following uses the policy of reward?

A．Forest.

B．Freedom.

C．Rescue Time.

D．Pomodoro Time Tracker

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What has the boy begun to learn about in the geography class now?

A．Rivers.

B．The sea.

C．Fish.

2. What did the boy do in the geography class?

A．He watched a film.

B．He drew a picture.

C．He read the textbook.

3. What does the girl think of the homework of this week?

A．It is easier.

B．It is more interesting.

C．It is harder.

8 . Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova is a physics professor at Texas A&M who aims to show her students, especially the young women, that there are no limits.

Only 25% of physics undergraduate students are female. Perhaps it is because boys grow up playing with machines and making drawings of fast cars and rocket explosions. But girls are just as curious about the way the world works — they just haven’t jumped into the culture of chemical reactions, energy and magnetic force with as much enthusiasm. That is, until they see one of Tatiana’s videos showing the science behind real life’s magic. Tatiana is really one of the few living female examples they could follow.

Her videos get millions of views. She is a ball of energy with a short haircut, a Russian accent and a lively personality that makes physics accessible to the younger audience. Young girls are attracted to Tatiana’s attractive demonstrations the way they flock to pop concerts. This is real. This is science they can participate in. This is an open door to endless possibilities.

“These short clips are the spark that inspires,” Tatiana says with so much excitement that it lights up the room. Everything she does involves students. She believes the magic in learning is when your peers are part of the demonstration, when you are part of the teaching process.

“She wants everything to be a celebration of science,” says one of Tatiana’s former students. And indeed, the classroom is in a party atmosphere, with students cheering when amazed by Newton’s law of motion, demonstrated by a spinning bicycle wheel held upright by the professor. It’s hard to tell who is more delighted, Tatiana or her students. She is an attraction for female students who are graduating college and working in the sciences in higher numbers than ever before.

Dr. Tatiana’s story began in Russia and her parents were both physicists. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Tatiana moved to Texas with her husband, also a physicist. They both teach at Texas A&M, and when Tatiana isn’t in the classroom, she is doing outreach with schoolchildren, amazing them with spinning lights that soon form words, liquid oxygen that shrinks objects and chemical reactions that expand matter to 10 times its size. But most importantly, she is expanding the audience of female physicists.

1. According to the passage, why do girls sometimes hesitate to jump into the culture of physics?

A．Lack of interest in chemical reactions.

B．Cultural differences in curiosity.

C．Absence of female role models.

D．Fear of liquid oxygen demonstrations.

2. Which of the following is TRUE about the videos mentioned in the passage?

A．They were made by a female physician.

B．They feature engaging demonstrations.

C．They are meant for Tatiana’s homeland.

D．They have received millions of likes online.

3. What is the primary focus of Dr. Tatiana’s outreach activities with schoolchildren?

A．Appealing to students with fascinating demonstrations.

B．Teaching students some difficult physics concepts.

C．Explaining the history of Newton’s law of motion.

D．Encouraging girls to attend parties and pop concerts.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Female Professor Rejecting Gender Barrier

B．Russian Physicist and Female Scientists

C．Physics Professor Stimulating Girls’ Passion

D．The Significance of Online Short Videos

9 . We all want to know what happiness means and try to find ways to help make our life better. Happiness — you know it when you see it, but it’s hard to define. You might call it a sense of well-being, optimism or meaningfulness in life, although those could also be treated separately.     1     we know that we want it, and that is just somehow good.

We also know that we don’t always have control over our happiness. Research suggests that genetics may play a big role in our level of happiness, so some of us may start out at a disadvantage. On top of that, environmental factors can bring down mood and dry up our thirst for living.     2    . Many studies have found a connection between psychological and physical well-being.

A 2022 review of more than 200 studies found a connection between positive psychological features, such as happiness, optimism and life satisfaction, and a lowered risk of heart disease.

    3    . If you have a good sense of well-being, it’s easier to maintain good habits: exercising, eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep.

    4    , and they do not provide hard evidence of cause and effect. But some researchers believe that positive mental states do have a direct effect on the body, perhaps by reducing damaging physical processes. For instance, they found that optimism is associated with lower levels of inflammation (炎症).

If what you mean by happiness is specifically “enjoyment of life”, there’s newer evidence to support that, too. A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that people aged 60 and over who said they enjoyed life less were more likely to develop disability over an 8-year period.     5    . This study does not prove that physical problems are caused by less enjoyment of life, but suggests a relationship.

A．But whatever happiness really is.

B．It might take more work if your mood is low.

C．For now these studies can only show associations.

D．That refers to the person, and the situation he or she is in.

E．Being able to travel around was also related to enjoyment of life.

F．To manage our emotions is important for both our body and mind.

G．It’s not as simple as “you must be happy to prevent heart attacks”, though.

10 . That day was Nancy’s 30th birthday and she was alone at home. She was standing by the living room window, with her eyes filled with _________. She was sure her sister would _________ her like she always did.

Looking out from the window, Nancy _________ her journey. All these years, she took up different _________, from a factory worker, a waitress to a hotel clerk. Her only goal was to _________ Kate, her younger sister. To her relief, Kate was a(n) _________ student, always doing well at school. For Nancy, Kate _________ much to her. She was her dream and happiness.

As lost in thought, Nancy was _________ by footsteps approaching her room. Her eyes lit up right away. She rushed to the door and sniffed (嗅) the air to catch the _________ smell of the chocolate cake. However, unlike usual, Kate arrived, __________ this time. No cake; no beautiful gift box. Nancy’s __________ disappeared. Kate gave Nancy a big hug and said, “Happy birthday!” “Thank you,” Nancy just replied __________. And then Kate took an envelope from her pocket and said, “Here is your birthday gift.” Looking at Kate questioningly, Nancy __________ it. Inside was a(n) __________ letter. Kate continued, “I signed you up for the community college with the money I earned through part-time work. I want you to __________ from where you left.”

Nancy hugged Kate tightly, crying with joy. She finally got the best ever birthday gift.

1.

A．loneliness

B．determination

C．hope

D．longing

2.

A．surprise

B．comfort

C．forget

D．fool

3.

A．imagined

B．arranged

C．reflected on

D．broke down

4.

A．occupations

B．hobbies

C．adventures

D．examinations

5.

A．recognize

B．follow

C．support

D．inspire

6.

A．easygoing

B．outstanding

C．helpful

D．humble

7.

A．owed

B．meant

C．brought

D．left

8.

A．distracted

B．shocked

C．annoyed

D．frightened

9.

A．rare

B．strange

C．familiar

D．distinct

10.

A．open-minded

B．strong-willed

C．light-hearted

D．empty-handed

11.

A．nervousness

B．excitement

C．embarrassment

D．disappointment

12.

A．gratefully

B．coldly

C．sincerely

D．normally

13.

A．addressed

B．noticed

C．opened

D．recorded

14.

A．congratulation

B．application

C．introduction

D．admission

15.

A．pick up

B．wake up

C．get up

D．end up