Wang Wei was a
Among all works, he is
In the bustling (繁忙的) schoolyard of a primary school, a volleyball team trial (选拔赛) was taking place. Kids of all sizes and shapes had come forward to show their skills, most of them towering over six feet tall, like young giants.
Suddenly, the gym door creaked open, and a small figure appeared. It was Joseph, a boy who barely reached five feet in height. His appearance caused a ripple of giggles. He seemed like a lost elf (精灵) in a world of giants.
“Is this the volleyball trial?” Joseph asked. Despite the laughter, he squared his shoulders and prepared to show his skills. He wasn’t bad at bumping the ball and passing it, but not good enough to make the team. The coach took him aside and told him so. Joseph’s eyes flashed with determination. “I’m not the best at bumping the ball,” he said confidently. “I’m a hitter.”
The coach raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Hitters were the tallest players on the volleyball team. They jumped high, slamming the ball down on the other side with force. Joseph’s small size seemed an impossibility.
But Joseph was serious. The coach finally agreed and handed him a ball. Standing by the net, he set the ball into the air. Joseph’s small frame seemed to explode with energy. He ran forward, leaped into the air, and hit the ball with such force that it whistled through the air.
Everyone was stunned. Joseph’s jump was so high, it seemed as if he were flying. His small size didn’t matter; his skill and determination were enough. The ball slammed into the court with a resounding thud (砰的一声), and the crowd erupted into applause. Of course, he made the team. All the team members took pains to drill for the coming volleyball match. Two months later, the big day came. The match was very fierce. The players were tall and strong except Joseph, who just ran on the court, not yet given a chance to touch the ball. At the sight of Joseph, the other team were laughing, which made us mad. But Joseph just shook off their laughter with a confident smile. As the game progressed, it turned out to be a tough game. After the four sets, the score was 2:2.
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。
During a timeout (暂停) in the final set, Joseph’s team gathered to discuss their plan.
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The whole audience cheered up.
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3 . Have you ever heard people say that laziness is the mother of poverty? Laziness is a sin (罪), everyone knows that. We have probably all had lectures pointing out that laziness is immoral, that it is wasteful, and that lazy people will never amount to anything in life. But is it often the case?
In fact, laziness is often caused by more complex reasons than simple wish to avoid work. Some people who appear to be lazy are suffering from much more serious problems. They may be so distrustful of their fellow workers that they are unable to join in any group task for fear of ridicule (嘲笑) or having their idea stolen. These people who seem lazy may be paralyzed by a fear of failure that prevents fruitful work. Or other sorts of fantasies may prevent work; some people are so busy planning, sometimes planning great deals or fantastic achievements that they are unable to deal with whatever “lesser” work is on hand. Still other people are not avoiding work; strictly speaking, they are merely procrastinating — rescheduling their day.
Laziness can actually be helpful. Like procrastinators (拖延者), some people may look lazy when they are really thinking, planning, contemplating (沉思), researching. We should all remember that great scientific discoveries occurred by chance. Sitting “lazily” under the tree, Newton wasn’t working in the orchard (果园) when the apple hit him and he devised the theory of gravity. All of us would like to have someone “lazy” build the car, particularly if that “laziness” was caused by the worker’s taking time to check each step of his work and to do his job right. And sometimes, being “lazy” — that is, taking time off for a rest — is good for the overworked students or executives. Taking a rest can be particularly helpful to the “lazy” athlete who is trying too hard or the “lazy” doctor who’s simply working himself overtime too many evenings at the clinic. So be careful when you’re tempted to call someone lazy. That person may be thinking, resting, or planning his or her next work. See for yourself!
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The impacts of being lazy on work. |
| B．The reasons for some people being lazy. |
| C．The work model of lazy people. |
| D．The approaches to avoiding laziness. |
| A．Laziness is a serious physical disease. |
| B．Laziness is more beneficial than harmful. |
| C．Some people appear lazy because they feel insecure. |
| D．Some people avoid serious work for lack of patience. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Pessimistic. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．To introduce how to avoid being lazy. |
| B．To compare different attitudes to lazy people. |
| C．To remind the reader laziness is not always what it appears to be. |
| D．To encourage the reader to become independent individuals. |
4 . Antarctic stories are always filled with mystery, exploration, adventure, ground-breaking science, tragedy, and triumph. Some Australians who have been back from Antarctica shared one of their tales of adventure, bringing a
Journalist David Killick, also a(n)
“My job was
Killick said
“What you miss and what you don’t miss are both amazing.” Killick
Like many who have been to Antarctica, Killick continues to return to the mysterious place. “You better yourself a lot, especially your ability to keep a
| A．feeling | B．bite | C．taste | D．dream |
| A．artist | B．architect | C．teacher | D．chef |
| A．design | B．decorate | C．conserve | D．construct |
| A．elder | B．previous | C．stronger | D．later |
| A．survive | B．prevent | C．beat | D．strike |
| A．wind | B．sunlight | C．power | D．view |
| A．buying | B．watching | C．running | D．moving |
| A．engages in | B．refers to | C．comes across | D．figures out |
| A．because | B．when | C．while | D．since |
| A．behaviors | B．routines | C．expressions | D．manners |
| A．recalled | B．imagined | C．predicted | D．denied |
| A．key | B．way | C．excuse | D．access |
| A．break down | B．worry about | C．think of | D．focus on |
| A．dull | B．dark | C．sunny | D．logical |
| A．basically | B．normally | C．dramatically | D．fortunately |
5 . We, a group of psychologists, believe people can gain a sense of meaning from small moments. Just
We recently set out to better
At first, to
| A．think of | B．turn in | C．bring up | D．leave behind |
| A．recall | B．predict | C．design | D．understand |
| A．curious about | B．familiar with | C．tolerant of | D．skilled in |
| A．response to | B．harmony with | C．approach to | D．standard of |
| A．abandon | B．test | C．publish | D．state |
| A．assessed | B．relieved | C．suffered | D．increased |
| A．taking over | B．setting aside | C．concentrating on | D．making up |
| A．cautiously | B．highly | C．frequently | D．possibly |
| A．relevant | B．blind | C．accustomed | D．sensitive |
| A．theory | B．proposal | C．appearance | D．existence |
| A．popular | B．original | C．easy | D．abstract |
| A．Mistakenly | B．Ridiculously | C．Officially | D．Sadly |
| A．in the way | B．out of sight | C．on the go | D．behind the scenes |
| A．miss | B．judge | C．notice | D．explain |
| A．relationship | B．tension | C．significance | D．expense |
6 . The Chinese Students and Scholars Association in the UK held a Spring Festival gala (庆典) on Wednesday in London to count down to the Chinese New Year. More than 900attendees, including representatives from British universities and education institutions, as well as Chinese students and scholars, joined to enjoy a feast of Chinese culture.
This year’s Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, and 2024 is the year of the dragon based on the Chinese zodiac. The dragon is considered by the Chinese people to represent dignity, prestige, and fortune.
The festival gala, with a theme of “Soaring Dragon’s Spring Melody”, featured Chinese folk music, dance, singing, martial arts performance and more.
During the event, Zheng Zeguang, China’s ambassador to the UK, made a speech to the attendees, highlighting major accomplishments achieved in the past year and stating China’s future development focuses.
He pointed out that China will determinedly pursue high-quality development and Chinese modernization to advance the great rejuvenation (复兴) of the Chinese nation. China will also call for an equal and orderly multipolar (多级的) world as well as for inclusive economic globalization that benefits all, Zheng noted. “Our motherland has bright prospects for future growth,” he said.
The ambassador praised Chinese students and scholars for being hardworking and behaving in a controlled way, saying that the number of Chinese students in the UK has significantly increased due to the transformation of China. “I hope you will carry on the tradition of patriotism. I hope you will ai m high and work hard. I hope you will unit e and help each other, as well as make friends widely. I hope you will grow into the backbone of the nation in the near future,” he said.
Alistair Fitt, vice-headmaster of Oxford Brookes University, extended warm wishes of good fortune and prosperity in the year of the dragon and expressed hope for progress in Sino-British relations. “I am very sure that our two great nations will continue to expand all of our very successful relationships,” he said.
1. What does the underlined word “prestige” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．The condition of being strange and alone. | B．The condition of being respected and admired. |
| C．The condition of being large and frightening. | D．The condition of being followed and monitored. |
| A．Advertising activities have been organized well in China to promote British universities. |
| B．Chinese students are most attracted by the scenery in the UK. |
| C．The education fees in the UK have been reduced. |
| D．Great changes have taken place in China. |
| A．His suggestions. | B．His surprises. | C．His arrangements. | D．His expectations. |
| A．Spring Festival gala brings joy to Chinese students in UK |
| B．Chinese students in UK count down to Chinese New Year |
| C．Warm wishes of good fortune expressed in year of dragon in UK |
| D．China’s ambassador to UK states China’s future development focuses |
7 . Jennifer and James Crumbley were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter (过失杀人罪) due to their failure to prevent their son Ethan from carrying out a deadly school shooting in Michigan, US. They were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison on April 9, reported The New York Times. The sentence for them marks the first instance in the US where parents have been held legally accountable for their child’s involvement in a mass shooting.
Prosecutors (检察官) argued that the couple ignored clear signs of their son’s mental health issues and emphasized that they purchased the gun he used in the 2021 attack. Ethan, who was only 15 when he killed four students in the shooting, was sentenced to life. “Opportunity knocked over and over again, louder and louder, and it was ignored,” Judge Cheryl Matthews told the court.
Instances of extreme and violent crimes committed by minors consistently stir shock and controversy globally. Such issues urge widespread societal reflection, leading nations to consider revising laws to lower the age of criminal responsibility. While most countries and regions have maintained a standard minimum age of criminal responsibility at 12 or 14 years for an extended period, there are exceptions. For example, Japan lowered the age from 16 to 14 in 2000, according to Xinhua.
In 2010, Denmark lowered its minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14 years old. However, researchers found that this change did not reduce crime rates among 14-year-olds. Instead, the punitive measures (惩罚措施) had negative effects. These young individuals often fell behind their peers academically, especially on high school graduation exams, and the rate of reoffenders increased. Consequently, Denmark reversed this policy two years later, restoring the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 15 years old, The Paper reported.
Denmark’s experience showed that the law doesn’t always stop people from committing crimes again. Furthermore, preventing young people from committing crimes poses a complex challenge.
In Germany, imprisonment is considered a last resort, with a focus on educational, rehabilitative (善后的) and disciplinary measures, as noted in a 2018 paper published in the Justice Evaluation Journal. According to the paper, youth imprisonment is applied in only 2 percent of all cases. Additionally, some prisons offer vocational programs for young inmates, including woodworking, metalworking, and farming. Meanwhile, most of these teenage offenders are placed in community programs where social workers help educate and guide them toward a normal life.
1. Why were Jennifer and James sentenced ?| A．They were the murders of involuntary manslaughter. |
| B．They offered a gun to Ethan who carried out a school shooting. |
| C．They didn’t take the parenting responsibility for their son’s problems in growth. |
| D．They ignored their son’s mental health problems. |
| A．Parents should be the key power to stop young people from committing crime. |
| B．Solving the problems of minor’s crime needs joint efforts and diverse measures. |
| C．Lowering the age of criminal responsibility can effectively prevent minors from crime. |
| D．Increasing the rate of youth imprisonment can effectively prevent minors from crime. |
| A．action to take | B．a place to visit |
| C．an end to happen | D．a chance to take |
| A．to show the severity of youth crime |
| B．to show the efforts countries have made to stop youth crime |
| C．to show the measures countries have made to stop youth crime |
| D．to raise parents’ awareness of regulating and educating responsibility |
8 . I moved from America to Italy 14 years ago and I have learned a lot along the way. Here are several money-saving tricks I have picked up from living in Italy — most of which can apply to wherever you live too!
Buy fewer groceries at a time.
Italians tend to buy more fresh food — and buy it in smaller quantities. We have just what we know we’ll consume in a few days, before anything has a chance to spoil and go to waste.
Eat seasonally.
I love strawberries, cantaloupe and watermelon, but in Italy, I can only get them in the summer, when they’re ripe. Out of season, these fruits would have to be imported.
Cook more meals at home.
I live in a small town where we have no fast-food restaurants other than a pizzaria that does carry-out. OK! Not only do we save money on expensive restaurant meals, but we get more quality family time by cooking, eating and cleaning up together.
Yes, bigger cities have more options for fast food, delivery and carryout.
| A．Of course, it takes a little more meal planning. |
| B．We also end up having healthier meals. |
| C．Another way Italians save is by growing their own produce. |
| D．It takes a long time to transport goods from foreign countries. |
| E．McDonald’s plans to open 200 new restaurants and hire 12000 staff in Italy by 2025. |
| F．They’d be a lot more expensive, of lesser quality and quite possibly grow n in an industrial greenhouse. |
| G．But even where the community is less closely connected, cooking and sharing meals with family and friends is still a big part of the social structure in Italy. |
9 . “What exactly is a nervous breakdown?
You can’t concentrate.
In the short term, stress can increase your brainpower by releasing hormones that improve memory storage and improve concentration. But in the long term, long-time stress makes it difficult to block out distractions from outside.
You can’t stop eating.
Do you reach for a cup of ice cream or a packet of cookies after a long day? There’s a good reason for that.
Your stomach is upset all the time.
Sometimes stress and anxiety can appear as stomach aches and cramps. But if you notice some symptoms that include abdominal (腹部的) pain or different pains, you could have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Skipping basic daily practices can signal you are having a period of depression or an emotional breakdown. You don’t shower or brush your teeth as usual. You spend little or no time on your clothing or hair style. Stress puts burdens on the mind and body, leading to tiredness and indifference, which can cause a loss of happiness or lack of motivation for activities you used to enjoy.
You have a different posture.
Have you ever looked at someone and thought, “That person looks depressed?” We communicate a lot through our posture and non-verbal gestures, including our mental state.
| A．You stop caring about how you look |
| B．You recover from your serious breakdown |
| C．Depressed people may mix up their words |
| D．Stress causes the brain to release hormones |
| E．It affects your ability to focus on projects at hand |
| F．It shows they are feeling very stressed and defensive |
| G．It generally describes the feeling of being under long-term stress |
10 . In a groundbreaking project, China First Metallurgical Group has completed its first overseas waste-to-energy plant in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The largest waste incineration (焚化) power plant in Vietnam has not only revolutionized waste management in the country but has also involved the training of local workers. The plant has addressed the city’s growing waste problem by processing 4,000 metric tons of urban waste every day, about 60 percent of the city’s daily waste, the group said. The technology in the facility not only converts waste into green energy but also ensures environmentally friendly treatment.
Hu Changbing, manager of the group’s Vietnam branch, said, “The plant is an achievement of the cooperation between China and Vietnam. It is a green project that benefits local residents.” Since the first unit started generating electricity in July, 2022, the plant has been operating well, Hu said.
The project was built on the former site of Hanoi's waste treatment center, where the majority of the city’s waste was previously buried in landfill. In addition to generating clean energy through incineration, the plant also produces environmentally friendly bricks from the residue (残渣). The emitted gases and wastewater are treated to meet European Union emission standards and achieve drinking-water quality. Covering an area of 170,000 square meters, the plant consists of waste storage pools, incinerators, treatment and processing plants, and waste gas treatment facilities.
Recalling the start of the project, Hu said to gain the trust of local residents, his group set up a dedicated team of Chinese and Vietnamese personnel to explain the benefits of the project and take on local people. Vietnam lacked experience in waste incineration power plant construction. The Chinese team has set a bench mark (标杆) for the local industry and left behind valuable technical knowledge, Hu said. During the peak of construction, over 80 percent of the 2,000 workers employed were locals. “The local workers proved to be intelligent and diligent. They learn skills quickly,” Hu said.
In 2021, Hu took over the management of the Vietnam project. Hu, a native of Yichang city, Hubei province, has been working with the group for 23 years since graduating from Hubei University of Technology with a degree in civil engineering. Chinese masters led groups of Vietnamese workers, teaching them skills and safety regulations, and assessing their qualifications before allowing them to work.
This success has also inspired the construction of multiple waste incineration power plants in Vietnam, with many workers having gained their skills and experience from the project, he added. The project was carried out under the framework of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and was aimed at contributing to the sustainable development of the Vietnamese capital.
1. How many metric tons of urban waste are produced daily in Hanoi?| A．About 4,000 metric tons. | B．About 5600 metric tons. |
| C．About 6000 metric tons. | D．About 6600 metric tons. |
①Making full use of solar and wind energy
②Planting a lot of trees and growing flowers
③Producing clean energy through incineration
④Dealing with wastewater to reach drinking-water quality
⑤Making environmentally friendly bricks from the residue
| A．②③④ | B．①④⑤ | C．③④⑤ | D．①②③ |
| A．Stubborn. | B．Courageous. | C．Gentle. | D．Hardworking. |
| A．China aids Hanoi with waste-to-power plant |
| B．Chinese masters train local workers in Vietnam |
| C．Achievement of cooperation between China and Vietnam |
| D．Project built on former site of Hanoi’s waste treatment center |
