1 . Last week, I participated in a spelling bee competition along with my friend, Emma. The competition began with a lot of
As I stood there, lost in my thoughts, past
With that in mind, I decided to help her. I reminded her of the correct
Although I had lost the race, I had
A.excitement | B.tension | C.surprise | D.depression |
A.competing | B.struggling | C.debating | D.heading |
A.significant | B.creative | C.graceful | D.impressive |
A.got bored | B.got away | C.got stuck | D.got tired |
A.hardly | B.finally | C.immediately | D.extremely |
A.encouragement | B.authority | C.inspiration | D.assistance |
A.curious | B.confident | C.focused | D.concerned |
A.affect | B.promise | C.reject | D.predict |
A.spots | B.scenes | C.topics | D.virtues |
A.high | B.down | C.up | D.out |
A.friendship | B.competition | C.memory | D.effort |
A.writing | B.meaning | C.pronunciation | D.spelling |
A.chatted | B.paraded | C.clapped | D.greeted |
A.appreciating | B.congratulating | C.protesting | D.promoting |
A.gained | B.created | C.performed | D.reflected |
My mother was a busy working woman who was in charge of a big company when I was young. In my memory, she was always on business trips and hardly had time with my family. It was mostly my father who took care of my daily life and saw my growth. Unfortunately, my father suffered from an incurable cancer 20 years ago. Right after his death, I moved 2000 miles away to New York city and started my own family and career. When I moved back near my hometown five years ago, I promised myself that I would spend more time with mom, a 75 year old lady, who had lived alone since my father died. But with the demands of my job and three kids, I never got around to seeing her much beyond family get-togethers and holidays.
She was surprised and doubtful, then, when I called and suggested the two of us go out to dinner. “What’s wrong?” she asked. My mother thought anything out of the ordinary signals bad news. “I thought it would be nice to spend some time with you,” I said. “Just two of us,” “I’d like that a lot.” She replied.
As I drove to her house, I was actually nervous. What would we talk about? What if she didn’t like the restaurant I chose. When I pulled into her driveway, she was waiting by the door with her coat on. Her hair was curled, and she was smiling. “I told my lady friends I was going out with my son, and they were all impressed,” she said as she got into my car. “They can’t wait to hear about our evening.”
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。
We didn’t go anywhere fancy, just a neighborhood place where we could talk.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________From then on, mom and I went out a couple of times’ a month.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.对他近况的关心。
2.充足睡眠对学习的重要性。
3.你的建议。
注意:词数80左右
Dear Tony,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
Zong Qinghou,
As the chairman of one of China’s
Zong returned to the provincial capital in 1978
5 . “Oh no, Haley. Why are you crying?” A question we often hear when we’re chopping onions.
Well, it all starts underground. Life for an onion is pretty sweet when they’re down there in the dirt. Except when bugs (虫子) come by wanting a bite. Onions don’t like that at all.
This chemical is called syn-propanethial-S-oxide, which is what causes the tears when we cut into them. When we slice into onions to cook them,
So, how can we avoid crying while cutting onions? Well, here are a few tips.
In conclusion, onions make us cry because of the gas they release when we cut into them. Although it may be an annoyance,
A.If you are asked such a question, you’re not alone. |
B.Have you ever wondered why onions make us cry? |
C.Luckily, they’ve got a secret plan to keep bugs away. |
D.our eyes then produce tears to flush out the irritant. |
E.this gas also has a silver lining to help drive bugs away. |
F.we break open the cells and release this gas into the air. |
G.One trick is to put the onion in the fridge before you want to cut it. |
6 . Ants have the ability to smell cancerous cells in humans, a new study has discovered, suggesting they could be used for cancer diagnosis in future. Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) discovered that ant species Formica fusca has a well developed sense of smell. It was able to differentiate (区分) cancerous cells from healthy cells in humans, thanks to their sense of smell, limited trials revealed.
To conduct their research, the scientists performed tests with 36 ants, smelling cells under a laboratory setting. First, the specialists exposed the ants to the smell of a sample of cancerous human cells. This smell was then associated with a reward of sugar solution. In a second step, the researchers exposed the ants to two different smells. One was a new smell and the second was the smell of the cancerous cells. Once this test was successful, the researchers exposed the ants to different cancerous cells.
As such, the scientists found that ants discriminate between cancerous and healthy cells and between two cancerous lines. After training, Formica fusca ants are able to detect volatile organic compounds given off by cancerous cells. This first study shows that ants have high potential, are capable of learning very quickly, at lower cost, and are efficient, CNRS points out in a news release.
This isn’t the first time that scientists have used the animal sense of smell to locate cancerous cells. “Dogs’ noses are well suited for medical diagnosis. However, training them to do so requires several months to a year. Ants therefore represent a fast, efficient, inexpensive, and highly discriminant detection tool for detection of cancer cell volatiles,” the team explained, “our approach could potentially be adapted to a range of other complex smell detection tasks including the detection of narcotics, explosives, spoiled food, or other diseases.”
But more clinical tests must be carried out before they could be used in clinical settings like hospitals, the team said. They suggest that in future, ants could turn out to be better than dogs when it comes to locating cancerous cells in humans. Who knows? Let’s wait and see.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of ants’potential use in cancer diagnosis?A.By comparing ants to dogs. |
B.By presenting the results of a new study. |
C.By describing the training process of ants. |
D.By discussing the history of cancer diagnosis. |
A.The process of the research. | B.The reason of the research. |
C.The limitation of the research. | D.The conclusion of the research. |
A.Ants have already been used in clinical settings. |
B.Ants’ noses are more sensitive than dogs’ noses. |
C.Ants may become a cost-effective diagnostic tool. |
D.Ants will replace dogs in cancer detection entirely. |
A.Doubtful | B.Negative | C.Objective | D.Indifferent. |
7 . South Korea’s birth rate, already the world’s lowest, has dropped yet again in the latest setback to the country’s efforts to boost its declining population.
The national statistics body reported Wednesday that the birth rate fell to 0.72 in 2023—down from 0.78 the previous year. Countries need a birth rate of 2.1 to maintain a stable (稳定的) population, in the absence of immigration. South Korea’s birth rate has been falling since 2015 and the country recorded more deaths than births for the first time in 2020, a trend that has continued since. In 2022, the country recorded about 249, 000 births and 372,800 deaths. Meanwhile, Korean women are also having children later in life. The average age of childbirth in South Korea was 33.5 last year.
Similar population declines are being seen in several other Asian countries including Japan and China, raising concern that there will be too few people of working age to support the ballooning elderly population.
Experts say the reasons for these population shifts across the region include demanding work cultures, stagnating wages, rising costs of living, changing attitudes toward marriage and gender equality, and rising disappointment among younger generations.
But despite the economic factors at play, throwing money at the problem has proved ineffective. Last September, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol admitted that more than $200 billion has been spent trying to boost the population over the past 16 years. The South Korean government has introduced various initiatives such as extending paid paternity leave, offering monetary “baby vouchers” to new parents, and social campaigns encouraging men to contribute to childcare and housework. But experts and residents say more support is needed throughout a child’s life, as well as change on several deep-rooted social issues.
1. What do the data imply in Paragraph 2?A.South Korea has a stable population. |
B.The birth rate differs among countries. |
C.The ideal birth rate is possible to reach. |
D.South Korea’s birth rate declines seriously. |
A.Increasing rapidly. | B.Staying unstable. |
C.Decreasing slowly. | D.Remaining the same. |
A.Solve various social issues. |
B.Extend paid paternity leave. |
C.Focus on a child’s life continuously. |
D.Encourage men to take care of children. |
A.Population crisis is worth public attention. |
B.South Korea’s birth rate has become an emergency. |
C.Efforts to increase population has paid off in South Korea. |
D.Social problems result in population crisis in South Korea. |
8 . All the external parts of your life are like a dream. Let go of the shell you’re in while you’re alive so you can get out of the cage that holds you.
Not long before I made the decision to leave the rock band, I invited a friend of mine over for Friday night dinner. Though I waited all long, he didn’t turn up. However, what happened instead changed my life. My neighbor Alex, who was near to me, saw me sitting there waiting, and said, “Hey, come on over and join us.”
Alex and I sat around the dinner table for about an hour and a half, talking about the band, touring, and all the great things we had accomplished.
“Well, do you have a picture of what you would like your life to look like in ten years?”
I hadn’t thought about it until he asked me, but I closed my eyes and could see a vision of who I wanted to be. It was so clear. I started describing the vision of a young man who was walking his kids to school and helping and assisting others with their spiritual pursuits. When I finished describing the vision I had seen, I looked at Alex, and his eyes were filled with tears.
“Alex, I know I paint a pretty picture, but why on earth are you so emotional about it?”
He looked me in the eyes and said, “I had that kind of clarity once. I chose to listen to others about what I should do and how I should live my life. I didn’t want to go to law school, but I did because of my parents, my scholarship, and a lot of external pressure. It’s been ten years, and I am just figuring that out now. You know, if you are adding a black and white pixel onto the screen of your life. Soon, the vision will be gone, the inspiration will fade, and you will have had your life chosen for you instead of choosing your life for yourself.”
After he said those words, I changed my decision. It was a moment of grace, a moment where I was given another chance and an opportunity to start again and live a life I wanted to live.
1. What does “cage” indicate in paragraph 1?A.The external pressure you face. | B.The decision you made. |
C.The pretty picture you paint. | D.The house you live in. |
A.To give advice on how to live. | B.To ask for help from the author. |
C.To explain why he chose law school. | D.To share his great regrets about his life. |
A.Saddened by Alex’s unhappy past experiences. |
B.Confused about what his future should look like. |
C.Inspired to run after his own dreams and goals in life. |
D.Relieved because he made the right decision to leave the band. |
A.By comparing his own life with that of Alex. |
B.By describing a specific event and its impact on his life. |
C.By listing a series of achievements he had made in the past. |
D.By analyzing the causes and effects of following others’ advice. |
9 . A swimming pool is a wonderful addition to a home that the whole family is sure to enjoy! The luxury of being able to slip into a nice, cool pool on a hot summer day in the privacy of one’s backyard is well worth the cost! The swimming pool is a lot of fun, but it also presents some hazard! The following is a list of things you can do to make sure your family is protected and your pool is a safe space to enjoy!
Learn To Swim — Being unable to swim makes you an accident waiting to happen, be it at the pool, the beach, or around any body of water! Our advice for guests is to have all visiting children have a basic swimming test at the shallow end to judge their skills — if they don’t pass, then the deep end is strictly off limits to them, even with floatation (漂浮) aids since they can be dangerously unreliable!
Children Supervised — Any children under the age of ten should be actively supervised by a responsible and vigilant adult who knows how to swim! Children should always be kept in sight, and children under the age of five should always be within easy arm’s reach.
Sun Protection — The water is not the only potential hazard in a swimming pool, exposure to harmful UV rays can be compounded as they reflect off the water’s surface, and if no measures are taken can deliver a nasty sunburn that may even require a doctor’s care! Apply waterproof sunscreen to all exposed parts of the body. Don’t use water-resistant products, they don’t resist for very long, and can just make matters worse!
Swimming pools are a lot of fun, but it’s up to you to play it safe!
1. Why are swimming tests recommended for visiting children?A.To ensure them to swim safe. | B.To help them learn to swim faster. |
C.To make sure they enjoy swimming. | D.To keep them away from the deep end. |
A.To stay indoors during the day. | B.To apply waterproof sunscreen. |
C.To use water-resistant gloves. | D.To wear dark-colored swimming suits. |
A.In a travel brochure. | B.In a school document. |
C.In a swimming magazine. | D.In a science research paper. |
10 . Early in my teaching career, I heard countless excuses from my students for not having their homework. Many of them were made up and
Then, one afternoon, Anthony
The next day, I
A.confusing | B.amusing | C.touching | D.frightening |
A.sick | B.glad | C.proud | D.afraid |
A.worries | B.signs | C.jokes | D.explanations |
A.encouraged | B.warned | C.ordered | D.persuaded |
A.disturbed | B.invited | C.rejected | D.approached |
A.take | B.matter | C.exist | D.mean |
A.attend | B.replace | C.visit | D.raise |
A.happy | B.fit | C.sorry | D.anxious |
A.answered | B.continued | C.repeated | D.changed |
A.get | B.make | C.help | D.work |
A.announced | B.apologized | C.replied | D.admitted |
A.turn down | B.stand out | C.show up | D.drop out |
A.letters | B.directions | C.choices | D.stories |
A.interesting | B.real | C.crazy | D.boring |
A.wait | B.believe | C.listen | D.remember |