1 . If you desire to write for magazines, you’ll have to adapt to a medium that’s been rapidly transformed by digital technology. Many of today’s magazines are primarily consumed online.     1    . Here are some writing tips to help you break into the world of magazine writing.

Become a specialist.     2    . ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was well-versed in all professional sports, but he strategically chose basketball when he began penning articles for ESPN The Magazine. If you have specialized know-how in a particular discipline, lean into it. Specialization can help you break through as a new writer.

    3    . It’s always better to have more sources, quotes, and statistics than you can use in your story. Often times a magazine writer’s document of notes will be longer than the first draft of their story. If you have a great article planned, the urge to start writing immediately can be intense.     4    , make sure you are truly overloaded with the facts that will populate your story.

Consider the magazine’s target audience. A magazine’s most important relationship is with its readers. If you meet those readers on their terms, you could have a long career in magazine journalism. For instance, if you’re writing pop astronomy articles for national magazines like Wired or Discover, you cannot weigh down your prose with technical terms that interfere with your storytelling.     5    , you should absolutely pepper your article with tech specs. It’s what your readers want.

A．But before you begin

B．Today’s media world values specialization

C．Do more research than you think you need

D．Keep track of personnel changes during writing

E．If you writing for trade magazines in the telescope industry

F．On the other hand, new online publications are seeking new writers

G．Follow a publication’s submission guidelines while expressing ideas

2 . Nearly every family trip we went on when I was a kid was spent flying across the plane from Boston to Rio de Janeiro, and then driving to the tiny town where my grandparents grew up in Minas Gerais. There you’ll find rolling hills as far as you can see. That’s where my cousins live, work and grow coffee. That trek — a five-hour flight, then an eight-hour flight, and then a road trip — was always just the lead-up to the last leg of the journey.

I here we’d drink the coffee out of little glass cups and get to catching up by the wood stove. My brother and I would sometimes wander out while the adults were talking. Coffee in Minas Gerais is usually served sickly sweet, but never with milk, and never iced, even in the middle of summer.

Most of the highest-quality beans in Minas Gerais are sold abroad. When I was a kid especially, there wasn’t really a coffee culture in Brazil the way there is in New York or Boston.

But in college, I worked at a cafe. There I was taught to notice all those things I’d never learned about coffee, even though I’d seen the coffee fruit on the trees and watched firsthand as my cousins spread the fruit onto big, wavy multicolored sheets under the sun to dry.

I learned then that my cousins’ process for preparing coffee was just one of many ways to do it — you could dry it in the sun or in a big machine, or it could be fermented, or washed first. All these methods could change the way the coffee tasted. I also learned that different regions have different taste profiles. I learned to think about tasting coffee as playing a word-association game. What does it make you think of? What memory comes up for you?

Today when I get up and make my first cup of coffee, I do it like performing a sacred ritual. I know that those beans traveled far, and were cared for. They were grown, and watered, and dried, and then roasted. Someone probably lost sleep over them when frost was in the forecast. And when I take my first sip, I make sure to let my brain go blank, listen to the coffee and see where it takes me.

1. What was the author’s family journey to Minas Gerais like?

A．Short but tiring.	B．Long but exciting.
C．Long and wearing.	D．Short and appealing.

2. What does paragraph 5 mainly talk about?

A．What effect the coffee culture had on the author.

B．Why coffee from different regions tastes different.

C．How the author’s cousins’ farming differs from other regions’.

D．What the author obtained during his dealing with coffee.

3. Why does the author make coffee with great respect?

A．It’s a kind of coffee culture.

B．It is his daily routine.

C．The coffee comes from his hometown.

D．It takes great effort to grow and produce coffee.

4. What message is conveyed in the author’s story?

A．Live to learn.	B．Love what you do.
C．Cherish something after knowing it.	D．Prepare before acting.

3 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Daniel, a young architect, had recently moved to a new city for a promising job opportunity. Although excited about his new life, he found it difficult to adjust to the busy pace and distance from his family, particularly his younger brother, Vincent. Growing up, the two brothers had been inseparable, sharing a close bond despite their six-year age difference. Daniel had always taken on the role of Vincent’s protector and friend, guiding him through the ups and downs of childhood and adolescence, and supporting him in his pursuits.

One evening, after a particularly challenging day at work and feeling homesick, Daniel received a phone call from his mother. She told him that Vincent had been struggling with school and his personal life, and she believed that he needed his older brother’s guidance now more than ever. Feeling a sense of responsibility and concern for his brother, Daniel decided to take some time off work and return home for a surprise visit.

Upon arriving in his hometown, Daniel was greeted with a sense of nostalgia (怀旧) and familiarity. He immediately noticed the changes that had taken place in Vincent’s life during his absence, as well as the undeniable signs of his brother’s distress. Determined to help, Daniel took Vincent under his wing, spending hours talking and reconnecting with him. Together, they revisited their favorite childhood spots, looking back upon the happy memories they had shared and the lessons they had learned together.

Through their conversations, Daniel discovered that Vincent had been facing significant academic pressure and was struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. The once-confident and outgoing teenager now seemed lost and unsure of himself. As the brothers continued to spend time together, they openly discussed their fears and aspirations, strengthening the bond they had always shared, and finding comfort in each other’s company.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

As the days went by, Daniel could see the positive impact their time together was having on Vincent.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On the last day of his visit, Daniel had a heart-to-heart conversation with Vincent.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . Matt and Leah Prior have quit their jobs and set off on a round-the-world overland journey with their two children: Jack, 3, and Charlotte, 1. ________ has always been part of the Prior family’s DNA.

The couple once ran into the Zapp family, who had traveled globally for 22 years, which ________ the seed that one day they could do something ________.

The Priors had been prepared for their journey. Leah worked as a teacher and Matt held many roles. Then something unexpected happened,________ them to press pause. They had to ________ everything. “We were reassessing our plans and ________ a new start. This was a family ________, not just what we might want to do ________,” says Matt.

While weighing their options, they still ________ to do an overland journey like the Zapps. “It’s probably not the most sensible decision from the perspective of career or finance, but it felt right,” they say. When deciding how to ________ their time on the road, they regarded protecting nature as their north star, naturally leading them to ________. They planned to raise conservation awareness through ________ on their social medial accounts, believing that stories can get people to ________ from within.

By including their kids in the journey, the Priors hope to ________ them to as much diversity and natural beauty as possible. “The life skills they will pick up as well as overcoming challenges will be ________.

Now the journey is on. The Priors will travel through 100 countries over the next five years.

1.

A．Travel

B．Education

C．Charity

D．Exchange

2.

A．planted

B．removed

C．selected

D．distributed

3.

A．extraordinary

B．similar

C．real

D．typical

4.

A．encouraging

B．forcing

C．persuading

D．forbidding

5.

A．replace

B．renew

C．repeat

D．reconsider

6.

A．showing off

B．giving up

C．looking at

D．getting over

7.

A．impression

B．disaster

C．decision

D．sacrifice

8.

A．individually

B．temporarily

C．desperately

D．perfectly

9.

A．applied

B．preferred

C．continued

D．struggled

10.

A．evaluate

B．calculate

C．dedicate

D．save

11.

A．success

B．conservation

C．power

D．connection

12.

A．accounting

B．photographing

C．interacting

D．storytelling

13.

A．adapt

B．change

C．shine

D．follow

14.

A．submit

B．apply

C．attach

D．expose

15.

A．advanced

B．effortless

C．unprepared

D．priceless

5 . Pieces of houses and big trees are tossed around like toys during extreme weather, but palm trees seem able to stand their ground. Given their location they are obviously well suited to stand up to angry storms, but how?

Most palm trees have a large number of short roots spreading across the upper levels of the soil, which work to secure a large amount of soil around the root ball. As long as the soil is relatively dry, this works to create a super large, heavy anchor. As opposed to having just a few very strong roots, this wider network creates a bottom-heavy base that helps keep the tree in place.

The trunk of a pine or oak tree grows in a radial pattern; the annual rings effectively make a series of hollow cylinders (圆柱体) inside each other. Meanwhile, the stem of a palm tree is made of many small bundles of woody material, like the bundles of wires inside a telephone cable. The cylinder approach provides great strength to support weight, which means that an oak tree’s trunk can support a huge weight of branches, but with limited flexibility compared to the bundle approach, which allows the palm stem to bend over through 40 or 50 degrees without snapping (折断).

While most trees rely on their beautiful canopy (树冠) of branches, twigs, and leaves to spread out and grab as much sunlight as possible, the canopy can also grab a lot of wind and water. In a bad storm, the canopy can act as a sail and pull the poor thing over. Branches can easily be torn off, as well as the detachment of the whole canopy.

Meanwhile, think of a palm tree. They have no wide-spreading branches, rather huge leaves with a central, flexible spine— like enormous feathers. In nice weather, the leaves spread out and make a fine canopy, but in instances of strong wind and water, they fold up. With less resistance against the elements, they are much more likely to make it through without much damage. Of course some leaves may suffer and are part and parcel of storm clean-up, but they are much “cheaper” for the palm to replace than a whole canopy of branches would be.

1. The trees with the stems growing in the bundle approach have ________.

A．stronger branches	B．more annual rings
C．more flexible trunks	D．greater weight capacity

2. How do the leaves help palm trees survive a bad storm?

A．By acting like a sail to stand up to wind.

B．By grabbing a lot of wind and water.

C．By spreading out to protect the spine.

D．By folding themselves up to resist bad weather.

3. What does the underlined part “the elements” probably refer to?

A．Strong wind and water.	B．Huge leaves.
C．Enormous feathers.	D．The canopies of branches.

4. Which of the following can best describe palm trees?

A．Rare.

B．Adaptable.

C．Nutritious.

D．Delicate.

6 . Free Summer Concerts in Downtown Gastonia

Gastonia presents 4 downtown concert events. As usual, profits from adult beverage sales support local charities.

May 19: On the Border with Garrett Huffman
Garrett Huffman 6:00 pm

Garrett Huffman entertains audiences with a variety of musical styles, including 80’s hits, country, and alternative pop.

On the Border: The Ultimate Eagles Tribute 7:30 pm

On the Border treats fans to an authentic concert experience while journeying through the Eagles songbook. The band covers every big hit, from ballads such as “Desperado” to rockin’ hits like “Heartache Tonight”.

June 23: The Voltage Brothers with Emerald Empire
Emerald Empire 6:00 pm

Playing all your favorite songs from the 70’s to the 90’s, Emerald Empire will get you dancing all night long.

The Voltage Brothers 7:30 pm

The Voltage Brothers’ repertoire consists of your favorite R & B, Swing, Disco, Funk, Hip Hop, Jazz, Motown, and even Classic Rock hits.

August 11: Caleb Davis with Tangerine Trees
Tangerine Trees 6:00 pm

Tangerine Trees is the Carolinas premier Beatles tribute band, recreating the authentic sounds of the original The Beatles.

Caleb Davis 7:30 pm

Caleb Davis takes crowds to experience a diverse mix of blues, rock, pop, and dance hits from the 60’s through the 90’s.

Sept 15: Kids in America with Akita
Akita 6:00 pm

A funk band, Akita creates a wave of infectious beats that draws a crowd and gets your feet moving.

Kids in America 7:30 pm

Kids in America is a high-energy, power-packed fun band. It covers from new wave, pop, dance, rock, hair metal, and sing along iconic ballads.

New in 2023!

Games, activities, and toys are provided for kids!

Local favorite food vendors (摊贩) are on hand for tasty treats!

In addition to beer, we’ve got seltzers, IPAs, and sodas.

Water is available free of charge.

1. Who originally sings the song “Desperado”?

A．Garrett Huffman.	B．Caleb Davis.
C．Eagles.	D．Emerald Empire.

2. When can people enjoy Motown?

A．May 19.

B．June 23.

C．August 11.

D．September 15.

3. Which concert should The Beatles fans go to?

A．On the Border with Garrett Huffman.

B．The Voltage Brothers with Emerald Empire.

C．Caleb Davis with Tangerine Trees.

D．Kids in America with Akita.

7 . 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。

Hotpot is one of China’s favorite dishes. The recommended place in the country to enjoy the food is Chongqing in Southwest China. Hotpot is not a one-person meal. The atmosphere in hotpot restaurants is     1     (live). People chat while putting meat or vegetables into the pot and waiting for it     2     (boil).

Though the origin of hotpot     3     (be) hard to determine, the current “hotpot capital” is Chongqing. Eating hotpot is part of the city’s culture. The city has more than 20,000 hotpot restaurants     4     own 50,000 franchises around the country, according to the Chongqing Hotpot Association.

It is said that Chongqing hotpot     5     (invent) in the ports along the river by sailors and porters who sought     6     simple and cheap way to cook. This may explain     7     the typical raw ingredients for Chongqing hotpot are animal organs such as duck intestines, tripe and pork arteries—as they were leftovers coming     8     the markets near the ports. For first-timers, the ingredients may be a bit difficult to stomach. But there is no     9     (short) of choices— lamb, beef, seafood, potato, bamboo shoots, lettuce—for today’s diners.

There is a health consideration for eating hotpot in the summer from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. Chongqing is very humid which increases the dampness in the body, so     10     (eat) hotpot can burn off the excessive moisture.

8 . 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 shelves in most supermarkets are full of family-size this and multi-buy that. However, if you’re shopping for one, buying extra     1     (benefit) from price reductions doesn’t make sense. Either your shopping is then too heavy to carry home     2     you can’t use what you’ve bought while it’s still fresh.

Of course, shops are not charities — they price goods in the way     3     will make them the most money. If most of their customers are happy to buy larger quantities, that’s     4     they’ll promote. But that leaves the solo (单独) customers out of pocket and disappointed.

Many supermarkets are no longer doing “buy one get one free” promotions because of the     5     (criticize) that they lead to waste. Consumers prefer money off individual items. However, though it’s nice to get a few cents off a pack of sausages, it would help even more if they could sometimes     6     (offer) in smaller packs. Even the biggest sausage fan doesn’t want to eat them every day.

If your supermarket sells loose produce, then buying smaller quantities is easier. Over the last two years, some supermarkets     7     (start) selling chicken or salad in packs     8     (design) with two halves containing separate portions (份). Then, when you use one section,     9     other stays fresh.

Who knows, perhaps some of the more forward-looking     10     (one) may yet come out with a whole range of “just for you” pack sizes with special offers as well.

9 . Dmitry was an artist. He lost his sketchbook (速写本) while ________ to meet a friend. Containing a decade of his work and being a visual account of the 40 year old artist’s life, the sketchbook was ________ to him.

Dmitry felt a deep sense of loss when he found his sketchbook missing. ________ the sketchbook must have fallen out of his bicycle’s back basket, he ________ set out to find it but had no luck.

Then he decided to ________ social media. He shared a post to a community group on Facebook, detailing his ________. A few other community-oriented Facebook groups reshared the post.

________, as Dmitry was looking for it, a man named Chris found the sketchbook.   As he looked through the pages, he realized the ________ of the artwork. Because he could find no name or address on it, Chris ________ hanging the sketchbook on the tree near where he found it, but feared rain might ruin it. So he took the sketchbook home, hoping to find a way to ________ the owner. Then he saw Dmitry’s Facebook ________. Chris immediately contacted Dmitry.

“And then I lectured him like his elder,” Chris ________. “I told him, ‘Put your name and number in it!’”

Dmitry tried to present Chris with a finder’s ________ but Chris refused, saying he was simply ________ to complete an act of kindness.

“I am left with a deep sense of ________,” said Dmitry.

1.

A．driving

B．cycling

C．walking

D．running

2.

A．precious

B．accessible

C．favorable

D．visible

3.

A．Hearing

B．Assuming

C．Announcing

D．Predicting

4.

A．temporarily

B．aimlessly

C．secretly

D．hurriedly

5.

A．turn to

B．bring in

C．stand for

D．look over

6.

A．interest

B．principle

C．career

D．trouble

7.

A．However

B．Instead

C．Meanwhile

D．Therefore

8.

A．variation

B．value

C．style

D．content

9.

A．suggested

B．admitted

C．considered

D．enjoyed

10.

A．repay

B．remind

C．thank

D．locate

11.

A．video

B．letter

C．post

D．introduction

12.

A．recalled

B．explained

C．promised

D．reported

13.

A．title

B．reward

C．qualification

D．ceremony

14.

A．lucky

B．shy

C．confident

D．pleased

15.

A．direction

B．achievement

C．gratitude

D．responsibility

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I could hear one of my classmates expressing her impatience with my slow crawl up the ladder (梯子),“If she’s afraid of heights, why would she sign up for a Bungee Jumping (蹦极) class?” My friend was at the top of the ladder, trying to cheer me up. How did I wind up on a ladder hanging above the Hudson River?

It was my friend who invited me to the Bungee Jumping class. At first, I was doubtful, but her enthusiasm and guarantees of strict safety procedures won me over.

I had been fearful of heights since primary school. Avoiding my fear of heights became second nature. I tried not to look down at balconies or staircases. I avoided traveling by plane as much as possible. I declined invitations from friends to join them on roller coasters (过山车).

But here I was, at age twenty-six, facing my fear of heights in a rather extreme way. I had come around to the idea of trying Bungee Jumping. I figured it wasn’t much different from swinging on the monkey bars as a kid. The one obstacle I didn’t expect was the ladder. In order to reach the Bungee Jumping, I had to climb up a twenty-two-foot ladder.

My friend’s distraction techniques helped to take my mind off my dangerous task. I found a rhythm and kept going. With a slow and steady (稳定的) pace, I made it to the top.

An instructor tied me to a safety belt and told me to step to the edge of the platform. I held the Bungee Jumping bar with sweaty hands, surprised that it was too thick to fix my hand around. Instead of a firm grasp, my hands were in a weak, bear-claw position.

The cheers from my classmates rang out below. An instructor reminded me of the safety rules, including the net below that would catch me at the bottom. He reminded me to listen to the directions while in the air, so I could perform well.

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。

I stood face to face with my fear of heights.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My second round of Bungee Jumping went a bit more smoothly.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________