1 . It seems that the era of fancy, well-known restaurants has ended as people are now more interested in finding which hole-in-the-wall restaurant (苍蝇小馆) has the best food. Nowadays, it’s more fulfilling to post hole-in-the-wall restaurants you have found on Xiaohongshu and be asked for addresses in the comment section.

Hole-in-the-wall restaurants are small restaurants that are not highly decorated but have many delicious local dishes. Though they have long served as the “canteen” of their surrounding neighborhoods, these hole-in-the-wall restaurants have gradually retreated from the busy streets as more high-rise structures are built.

Now, hole-in-the-wall restaurants are often found in the corners of small lanes and alleys in different parts of a city and the most popular ones usually have a history of more than 10 years and are run as family businesses.

Many hole-in-the-wall restaurant lovers desire a more natural lifestyle, with some viewing their dining habits as a protest against consumerism. A native of Wuhan surnamed Tian, appreciates that these humble diners cook food with care. In contrast, some internet-famous restaurants only use pre-made food or simply stir-fry their dishes, she complained. This results in the foods having similar tastes.

A university student surnamed Zhou, tried a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with her boyfriend after friends recommended it to her. She ordered three dishes, which only cost 64 yuan. “The food tastes good, and it’s cheap,” she said.

Still, there are risks for both owners and fans of hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Zou Zhiping, a professor at Hubei University of Economics, said that due to limitations in funds and management as well as lack of food safety awareness, there could be hygiene and food security issues at these locations.

To solve these problems, Zou suggested that the government provide training and more support for these restaurants. These restaurants should also improve their quality of service.

1. What is the author’s attitude to the hole-in-the-wall restaurants?

A．Approving.

B．Dismissive.

C．Neutral.

D．Indifferent.

2. What do we know about the hole-in-the-wall restaurants?

A．They are often run as family businesses in the back lanes and alleys.

B．Pre-made food or simply stir-fried dishes are highly recommended there.

C．Customers can appreciate a natural and overdecorated lifestyle there.

D．Delicious and costly local specialities are served in those humble diners.

3. According to Zou Zhiping, what is NOT one of the causes of the risks?

A．Limitations in funds.	B．Imperfect management.
C．Off-the-map locations.	D．Lack of safety awareness.

4. In which column do we probably find the article?

A．Economy.

B．Cuisine.

C．Security.

D．Management.

2 . Imagine you’re in a sci-fi (科幻小说) world, and you video-call your friends. You might see them in a three-dimensional(3D) way or in holograms (全息影像). Although this isn’t possible in real life yet, researchers recently made holograms easier to create, said a new study.

To take a 3D photo of a person, most hologram technologies need special cameras. They record how the person looks from different angles under different lights. This information makes the hologram look lifelike. However, holograms can’t be widely used because they are difficult to make.

The researchers from Chiba University in Japan made a new computer program. It can turn normal pictures we take into 3D holograms.

Their program used a technology called deep neural networks (深度神经网络). First, it receives information from an image taken by a normal camera. It then predicts the depth of things in the image. For example, in a 3D photo, the background should be deeper than the person.

With all the information, the program creates a 3D hologram. But it can look strange at first. The program will then check the hologram to fix problems and make it look more real.

The program can be used to create holograms in VR headsets (头显设备). For example, a user sends a picture, and the other user can see the “real” look of it in 3D. If it’s used in cars, drivers can see information, such as road signs, in 3D. This makes it easier for the drivers to see and thus makes sure that they won’t miss important information.

In the future, when holograms become more common, they can also help doctors. Medical students can learn quickly by looking at 3D images of the human body, and doctors can better understand a patient’s illness.

1. What does the new program make use of to create a hologram?

A．A normal picture.	B．A special camera.
C．Recordings from different angles.	D．Recordings under different lights.

2. Compared to the traditional technologies, the new program is ______.

A．more natural

B．more expensive

C．easier

D．more predictable

3. How might holograms in cars benefit drivers?

A．They make driving more enjoyable.

B．Drivers will find road information easily.

C．They will help predict dangers and traffic.

D．Drivers needn’t mind the cars behind.

4. What does the last paragraph tell us?

A．Doctors make no mistakes with holograms.

B．Patients won’t suffer with holograms.

C．We can live in a 3D world.

D．Holograms might be used in the medical field.

3 . Mu Sa, a livestream host from Zhongning, Ningxia, demonstrates how the Internet has transformed many young unemployed people into useful talents contributing to society.

After graduating from university. Mu worked as an office clerk in Shanghai, a marketing assistant in Beijing and a data analyst in Hangzhou. Each time he struggled to realize his dream in big cities. However, Mu found that what touched him most was the strong feeling of homesickness. Mu returned home to seek chances.

Depressed, Mu thought of himself a “failure” at first. However, he was not deterred by his difficulties and quickly lifted himself up. Mu decided to create short videos about local people’s daily lives and uploading them online. A video clip showing his mother cooking local food turned out to be a surprise hit, which inspired Mu to carry on. He gradually found that village-related content was popular among his followers. Since then, his families, friends and neighbors, their small courtyards, chickens, sheep, and vast fields have all become the subjects of Mu’s camera lens. Many fans know about his hometown through Mu’s work.

As his work attracted more and more followers, Mu started promoting local specialties on his account. The sesame oil, wolfberries and tea he sold on his first day totaled 700,000 yuan. The popularity of local specialties consolidated his confidence that he could work as a “salesman” for the agricultural produce. With more than 5 million followers on social networking websites, Mu has become the No.1 “salesman” in Zhongning county, helping his fellow-villagers to sell local specialties online.

In January, Mu was invited to take part in a program at China Central Television in Beijing. Possessing millions of fans on social media, Mu still felt nervous sitting in tront of the camera in the studio. “Although livestream host is a common job, as long as I. can take advantage of the platform to do something for my hometown, rather than only for myself, I think I can do an extraordinary job,” said Mu.

1. Why did Mu return to his hometown?

A．He had difficulty in finding a job.	B．He didn’t enjoy life in big cities.
C．He missed his family terribly.	D．He found more chances there.

2. What does the underlined word “deterred” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Discouraged.

B．Motivated.

C．Confused.

D．Shocked.

3. What kind of person was Mu?

A．Caring and cheerful.	B．Confident and selfless.
C．Ambitious and outgoing.	D．Humorous and cooperative.

4. What message does Mu’s story convey?

A．It is never too old to learn.	B．Challenges make life interesting.
C．Success belongs to the persevering	D．All good things come to those who wait.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The National Healthcare Security Administration said on Monday that the coverage of China’s basic medical insurance is stabilized at over 95percent. It also said that the quality     1     the system had continuously improved.

Data from the administration show that from 2003 to 2023, the government’s     2     (contribute) to basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents rose faster than the personal part,     3     offers further support for low-income households and other people in need.     4     (specific), if an ordinary resident is insured continuously from 2003 to 2023, the individual contribution is 2,640 yuan (about 371. 9 U. S. dollars),     5     (account) for about 30 percent of the total insurance expenses.

Throughout the years, a total of 744     6     (drug) have been added into the medical insurance catalog, and more than 80 percent of innovative drugs can     7     (include) within two years after entering the market. Currently, the compensation rate for inpatient medical bills     8     (cover) by basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents is about 70 percent. In 2023, individuals     9     (pay) 349.7 billion yuan of the total insurance expenses of basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, while the government subsidy (补贴) was nearly 697.8 billion yuan. In this year’s government work report, the government committed to improve medical services with     10     patient-centered approach.

5 . In China, people call a man of great virtue a gentleman. In the world of flowers, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums are known as the four gentlemen in China because these plants’ natural characters have something in common with human virtues.

Plum blossoms

Plum blossoms are cold-resistant flowers that bloom in early spring and together with pines and bamboos they are considered as the “three trends in winter” “Without going through the bone-chilling cold, how can the plum blossom smell fragrant?” By praising the strong character of plum blossoms, the motto poem aims to inspire people to overcome difficulties and make achievements with firm determination.

Orchids

Orchids are one of the top ten well-known flowers in China. With delicate fragrance refreshing people’s minds, and the elegant figures swaying slightly in the wind, orchids are equal to elegance in Chinese people’s eyes. It is said that Su Shi, a famous poet in Song Dynasty, once painted orchids with some thorns between them, implying that a gentleman can put up with a mean person.

Bamboo

In traditional Chinese culture, bamboo is a metaphor of energy, elegance, plainness, longevity and perseverance. Their firm and unbeatable willpower was admired by many ancient literati (文人). Famous poet Su Shi once wrote down “Rather eat without meat than live without bamboo” in his poem to express his deep love for bamboo.

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemum is a traditional flower loved by Chinese people. When nearly all the flowers are dried-up and bare in late autumn, only the chrysanthemums resist the heavy frost and bloom energetically in graceful shapes and bright colors. Chrysanthemums have been given more meanings under the pen of literati. The most well-known poem about chrysanthemums comes from the amous poet Tao Yuanming. Drinking, showing the leisure of Tao’s reclusive life.

1. Which can be used to describe a person who is tolerant?

A．Chrysanthemums.

B．Plum blossoms.

C．Orchids.

D．Bamboo.

2. What do plum blossoms and chrysanthemums have in common?

A．They bloom in spring.	B．They can resist cold.
C．They imply energy.	D．They stand for elegance.

3. Which column in a newspaper might the passage come from?

A．Health.

B．Culture.

C．Nature.

D．Science.

6 . I had spent an hour in the bank with my dad for transferring money(转账). I asked, “Why don’t you use online banking?” He already opened one. “Why would I do that?” he________. “Well, then you won’t have to _____an hour here to transfer your money. Everything will be so________!” I was so excited to tell him all kinds of advantages of online banking. He asked, “If I do that, I won’t have to________of the house?”

“Yes, yes!” I said. I told him how Amazon delivers（递送）everything.

His answer made me________. He said, “Since I entered this bank today, I have met four of my friends; I have chatted a while with them. You know I’m lonely…this is what I need________. I like coming to the bank. I have enough time and it is the ‘physical touch’ that I________. Two years ago when I got sick, the store owner from whom I often buy fruits came to see me and chatted with me. When your mum fell down while on her morning walk, the flower shopkeeper saw it and soon got his car to drive her home________he knows our address. Would I have that ‘human’________if everything became online? I like to know the person that I’m dealing with and not just the ‘seller’. It creates relationships; does Amazon deliver this kind of service as well? Technology isn’t________. Spend time with people. Not with devices.”

1.

A．accepted

B．suggested

C．complained

D．replied

2.

A．save

B．reduce

C．waste

D．take

3.

A．cheap

B．easy

C．crazy

D．awful

4.

A．draw out

B．step out

C．look out

D．stand out

5.

A．surprised

B．worried

C．bored

D．excited

6.

A．recently

B．rapidly

C．simply

D．exactly

7.

A．refuse

B．expect

C．offer

D．remind

8.

A．as

B．although

C．if

D．unless

9.

A．spirit

B．sense

C．touch

D．nature

10.

A．society

B．power

C．money

D．life

7 . China Daily网站中的Culture版块中有一项“Telling Chinese traditional stories in English”征文活动。假定你是李华，你想参加此次活动，请根据下面的信息，向负责本次活动的英语老师 Mr. Yang写一封自荐信。

Content	a letter of recommendation
Introduction	an outgoing boy read lots of classics on Chinese history know plenty of traditional folk stories

注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
3. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr. Yang,

I’m excited to hear that our school will hold the activity “Telling Chinese Traditional stories in English”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

8 . Refresh Your Bedroom

Whether you’ve outgrown the theme of your bedroom or just want to make a few changes to give it an updated look, you don’t need a big budget to make it happen.     1    

Clear out the clutter (杂乱)

Before you start freshening up your space, take a look around to see what could give away to someone who could use it. Ask an adult for two bags or boxes, one for items you want to donate and one for anything that can go directly in the trash.     2    

Think about light

One simple room update that has a big impact is switching up your lighting.     3     Or you could try neon wall lights or a retro lava lamp on a nightstand or desk. Moving a lamp to your room, with permission from an adult, can also add soft lighting to your space.

Consider color

    4     Ask an adult if they’re willing to help you paint an accent wall in your room. An accent wall is a good chance to take a risk with color since it’s only one wall. You can choose to paint the wall behind your headboard or even a closet door. If you don’t want to paint, you could check out peel-and-stick wallpaper in fun patterns.

Layer your space

Ask a parent whether your family has extra blankets or pillows you could use in your room. They will add new colors, textures, and patterns that will instantly liven up the look and feel of your space.

    5    

Personalize your room with photos of family and friends. You can ask a parent for any spare picture frames or pick some up together at a shop. Print out photos and frame them for display. You could also frame your own artwork to hang on a wall or prop up on a dresser.

A．Pick up photos.

B．Add personal touches.

C．Lighting is actually an essential decoration of a room.

D．One idea is to hang inexpensive LED string lights on a wall.

E．Another inexpensive change that can have big results is paint.

F．With a few smart strategies, you can give your room a whole new feel.

G．Once your room is neat, you can see what changes you might want to make.

9 . A simple honk (汽车喇叭声) from the bus is one part of a secret code between the driver and students living in a remote village in Wanzhou district, Chongqing city.

Noticing a schoolbag hanging on the door of an old house along his _________, the bus driver pulls over and honks to answer the “code”. After a moment, he leans (倾斜) out of the bus and _______ a loud reminder. A boy then rushes outside and _________ the bus.

The boy's parents work far from home, leaving him in the _________ of his grandmother. Despite this separation (分离), the boy is determined to pursue (追逐) his education, making the _________ journey to the city to go to school. He and the driver, Mr Cheng Lin, have _________ a special routine. Whenever the boy's schoolbag is hanging outside the house, it signals to Cheng that the young student needs to catch the bus. This simple interaction between the driver and the student became their _________ “secret code”, a non-verbal (非语言) way of saying,“Today, it's time to go back to school.”

Mr Cheng, who has been _________ the Luotian to Wuqiao Nan Station route for many years, shared his ideas on the matter. He mentioned that this rural route had a significant number of left-behind children due to their parents' work _________. Recognizing the importance of his role in their lives, he paid extra __________ on Fridays and Sundays, the days when these children typically traveled back and forth to school.

1.

A．street

B．travel

C．path

D．river

2.

A．shouts

B．gives

C．sees

D．hears

3.

A．gets on

B．takes into

C．pulls up

D．tries out

4.

A．control

B．hope

C．honor

D．care

5.

A．daily

B．weekly

C．monthly

D．yearly

6.

A．created

B．promoted

C．developed

D．improved

7.

A．current

B．shared

C．devoted

D．convenient

8.

A．walking

B．working

C．running

D．driving

9.

A．experiences

B．levels

C．approaches

D．solutions

10.

A．thankfulness

B．movement

C．attention

D．performance

10 . My five sisters, two brothers and I grew up in West Islip in the 1950s and 1960s. I was third oldest. Big families were pretty common back then.

Our sweet and gentle mother, Joan Young, had a motto. She told us that all she required of us was that we love and ______ each other always. It was a(n) ______ goal to achieve day to day, as sibling rivalry (兄弟姐妹间的争斗) can be messy. ______, Mom never wavered (妥协).

One Thanksgiving, my sister Kate, the second oldest, came home during her junior year in college in Indiana. She had carpooled (拼车) with other kids. At every ______, Kate saw each student greeted with hugs and kisses.   

Kate arrived at our ______ house with siblings and parents all asleep. Kate was ______ and the next morning announced that she was done with our family forever. Small fighting followed. Mom, of course, ______ went into fix-it mode. She demanded that the older siblings, Cyndi, Kate, Stephanie and I, go into her bedroom. Our father, James Burrough, was in charge of the younger ones. Mom ______ us, closed the door behind her and locked it. She told us that we would not ______ until we forgave each other.

As you can imagine, we were not ______. At first we just stared at each other, then brought up any and every complaint we could think of. Mom ______ our requests to leave the room until love ______. In time — a long time — someone started to giggle (咯咯笑), then someone laughed. ______we were all laughing so hard we could barely breathe, and we gave in, hugging happily. Mom smiled, opened the door and we were ______.

As my brothers and sisters and I approach our senior years, with grown children and grandchildren, we still live by the ______ that Mom taught us: love, forgiveness and unity.

1.

A．forgive

B．respect

C．help

D．believe

2.

A．important

B．realistic

C．tough

D．personal

3.

A．Instead

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Besides

4.

A．stop

B．corner

C．moment

D．crossing

5.

A．private

B．large

C．comfortable

D．dark

6.

A．regretful

B．angry

C．excited

D．anxious

7.

A．nearly

B．quietly

C．immediately

D．patiently

8.

A．followed

B．questioned

C．criticized

D．watched

9.

A．eat

B．speak

C．grow up

D．get out

10.

A．happy

B．relieved

C．touched

D．proud

11.

A．realized

B．repeated

C．received

D．refused

12.

A．returned

B．worked

C．changed

D．lasted

13.

A．Certainly

B．Naturally

C．Eventually

D．Hopefully

14.

A．lucky

B．interested

C．free

D．confident

15.

A．sense

B．step

C．choice

D．motto