1 . In October, Mediterranean fruit flies were discovered in an area of Los Angeles. California is a big farming state, and this was serious news for farmers. The key to the problem may seem a little unusual: releasing millions more of the flies.

The Mediterranean fruit fly, often known as the “Medfly”, is one of the most serious threats faced by farmers worldwide. Once the pest makes its way into an area, it can be very hard to remove. The flies lay their eggs in over 300 kinds of fruits and vegetables. When the eggs hatch, they turn into worm-like larvae (幼虫) that can destroy these products.

Three Mediterranean fruit flies were discovered in a Los Angeles neighborhood called Leimert Park in October. To stop the problem from spreading, the government set up a large quarantine (隔离) area, which means that no produce (fruits, nuts, or vegetables)can be moved out of that area. The quarantine area is 90 square miles.

That may seem extreme, since only three Medflies were found, but experts believe there are probably more out there. “It’s really important to get on top of this fast,” said Jason Leathers. Luckily, California has developed a program to control Medflies, and it’s been working well for 30 years. The plan involves using planes to drop millions of Medflies over the area. That may sound like a bad idea, but it’s actually a good way to make sure that Medfly numbers go down.

The airplanes only drop male flies, and all of them have been treated so that they can’t help produce new fruit flies. The males are sterile (不育的). This means that even though they can mate with female fruit flies, the eggs produced will never grow or hatch. The plan has worked well in the past. The government says that the number of flies has been cut by over 90%. To deal with the problem near Leimert Park, the government will be dropping two airplane loads of sterile Medflies every week.

1. Why is the figure mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．To show farmers require more help.	B．To stress the great harm done by the Medfly.
C．To remind people to be particular about health.	D．To appeal for urgent concerns about the Medfly.

2. Why was a large quarantine area founded?

A．To destroy the native produce.	B．To limit the spread of the Medfly.
C．To kill the Medfly completely.	D．To reduce the losses of local farmers.

3. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．California values the control of Medflies.	B．Using planes to drop Medflies saves money.
C．Jason Leathers is in charge of Medflies’ study.	D．The public care little about killing Medflies.

4. What is the text?

A．A research article.

B．A short story.

C．A news report.

D．An agricultural research.

2 . 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。

In the 1950s, Liu Wenbin’s father left his hometown in Hebei Province and settled near Ulansuhai Nur, one of the most famous     1     (lake) in Inner Mongolia, attracted by the area’s reputation as a land of fish and rice.

For years, the fishing industry was a     2     (rely) source of income for Liu’s family. However, as urbanization (城市化) and industrialization became faster around the lake in the 1990s, Liu saw the body of water,     3     (wide) known as the “Pearl beyond the Great Wall”, turn into a black and smelly mass that local people avoided as much     4     possible.

Now, with a treatment campaign that follows the philosophy of “mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grassland     5     deserts are a life community”, the local government     6     (make) great progress in just a few years, making the lake a perfect place for birds and raising Liu’s hopes of     7     (see) the return of the Ulansuhai Nur of his childhood.

    8     (locate) in Bayannuur in the west of the region, Ulansuhai Nur is home to the     9     (large) wetland in the Yellow River Basin and a rare large grassland lake in the desert and semidesert (半沙漠) area. As such, it is a natural environmental screen that controls the sources of sandstorms that affect North China,     10     Beijing is lying. It is also an important place on the world’s eight major bird migration routes.

3 . Simple Sports Themed Activities

Kids love learning about sports and engaging in sports themed activities! This free simple activity plan includes doable (可做的) sports activity ideas that are perfect for preschoolers.

Literacy: Football Name Dot (画点) It!

Draw a football outline on a sheet of paper. Label it with letters including letters in your child’s name. Write your child’s name on the page and then have them hunt to find and dot all the letters in their names on the football.

Math: Sports Flag Line Up

Cut out multiple colored paper flags. Label each with a number from first to tenth. Lay the flags flat on the ground or stick on the wall with painter’s tape. Have your child order the flags. Say things like: The second flag is blue. Where is the green flag in the line? What flag is the 4th in the line?

Create: Decorate A Shirt

Draw a painting of a sports shirt on a large sheet of paper. Set out various supplies for decorating like markers, paint sticks, stickers, etc. Ask your child to design and decorate their very own sports shirt! I had my girls include their own name and sports number.

Gross Motor: Sports Themed Obstacle(障碍) Course

Use tapes, chalk, balls and bats and so on to create your own sports themed obstacle course. Add things like making a basket jumping, swimming under the rope, swinging the bat 5 times, etc. Get creative and have fun! This is such a great way to get your kids moving!

1. Who is the text intended for?

A．Coaches.

B．Policemen.

C．Managers.

D．Parents.

2. What is the purpose of Gross Motor: Sports Themed Obstacle Course?

A．To let children know some different sports.

B．To make children do more physical activities.

C．To help children get some sports techniques.

D．To encourage children to play with the best players.

3. Which best shows children’s designing abilities?

A．Literacy: Football Name Dot It!	B．Math: Sports Flag Line Up.
C．Create: Decorate A Shirt.	D．Gross Motor: Sports Themed Obstacle Course.

4 . In recent years, extreme weather has been on the rise. From wildfires in California, US to record-breaking rainfall in northern China this summer and most recently the flood in Libya which claimed thousands of lives, Earth seems to be whipped by extreme climate and weather patterns.

Climate whiplash (气候鞭打), or weather whiplash, refers to a quick change from one extreme weather pattern to another. It is caused by global warming. A warmer atmosphere can hold more steam. As the Earth gets warmer, more water is contained in the atmosphere. Once the temperature gets colder, it often rains more heavily. This explains why a drought is often followed by extremely heavy rain.

The region hit hardest by climate whiplash is California. Over the past decade, California has experienced lasting droughts, wildfires, heavy rainfalls, and floods. It seems that the state is either on fire or in flooding with little in between. Researchers estimate that by the end of this century, the frequency of climate whiplash will jump by 25 percent in northern California as Earth continues to become warmer.

Apart from wildfires and floods, studies showed that climate whiplash also has an impact on water quality. During dry days, the fertilizer (肥料) farmers use for plants cannot be absorbed by thirsty and dying plants. Then the following heavy rain washes the remaining fertilizer into rivers, polluting the water.

How can we deal with climate whiplash? The key lies in fighting global warming. That is to say, humans have to largely reduce the use of fossil fuels (化石燃料). Climate whiplash would happen more frequently in the future, should we fail to fight global warming effectively. Therefore, it is urgent that nations around the world double down on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The effects of global warming.	B．The causes of global warming.
C．The results of climate whiplash.	D．The principle behind climate whiplash.

2. What do we know about climate whiplash in northern California?

A．It has resulted in reduced droughts.

B．It is expected to occur more frequently.

C．It has primarily affected northern California.

D．It causes more floods here than in other US states.

3. How does climate whiplash contribute to water pollution?

A．Unabsorbed plant fertilizer is washed into the water.

B．More plastic waste is brought into the water by floods.

C．Dry weather affects pollutant concentrations in water.

D．Heavy rains carry more industrial waste into the water.

4. What does the author say about climate whiplash?

A．It is not as serious as commonly believed.

B．It can be solved by reducing fossil fuel usage.

C．It is linked with our efforts to fight global warming.

D．It will cause the global temperature to rise annually.

5 . Dark circles under the eyes are a big problem not only for women but also for men.     1    . If you want to get rid of dark circles under your eyes, then follow some home strategies to lighten them.

Tomato and lemon

Tomatoes not only reduce dark circles but also make the skin soft. You take one spoon of tomato juice, add one spoon of lemon to it and then apply this mixture on the eyes. Leave it for 10 minutes and then wash it.     2    .

Potato juice

Potato also helps in reducing dark circles. Grate (磨碎) the potatoes and get the juice of the potato as much as possible.     3    . Soak (浸泡) it completely in potato juice and keep it on the eyes. Keep in mind that the cotton should be on that entire part, which is black. You will see the effect within a week.

Tea bags

You must have seen those tea bags, which are made of fine cloth and inside which tea leaves are filled. With their help, you can also get rid of dark circles. Take a tea bag for this. If it’s green tea, so much the better.     4    . When they cool down, keep them on the eyes. Do this process as often as possible at home.

    5    

Almond (杏仁) is rich in vitamin E and its oil softens the skin. You must have seen many products of almond oil being sold in the market. Its use is very easy. You have to take some almond oil and apply it on the dark circles. When you wake up in the morning, wash your eyes. The effect will start showing in a week.

A．Nut oil

B．Cold milk

C．Then take some cotton

D．Keep it in the fridge for some time

E．Do this at least twice a day, dark circles will start reducing

F．Keep in mind that the entire area with the dark circle is covered

G．There are many reasons for this, including stress, less sleep and so on

6 . I stood at the departure gate in Boston, preparing to cross the Atlantic. Although I had made the journey countless times before, it never really got much _________ to leave my home and family. I looked at my mother, our eyes full of _________ and as we wondered when we would see each other again she handed me a _________, saying it might help me feel better. Little did I know that it would not only help me feel better, but would also teach me one of life’s greatest lessons.

Now, back in Switzerland, I opened my mother’s package. It was a book of recipes; I laughed out loud as I _________ through it. All the sections were _________ but the one section on _________ was full. Here were handwritten cards _________ things like “Double Chocolate Fudge,” many of which were created by my mother. Then my heart _________ as I noticed what she had written:

Make some desserts. Remember all the wonderful times we have had together, and have them now with your family.

She was telling me: we must grow up and _________ our own lives, even when it sometimes __________. But there was more to be enjoyed. Recipes in hand, I remembered Christmases of joy and __________ homemade treats. Now, years later, Mom was telling me about what really __________ in life: the only real gifts we can __________ for our children are the beautiful memories of our time together. It is never too late or too early to create beautiful memories and it is now my __________ to give them to my children.

I hope that my girls will marry the boy next door. But wherever they may be, I hope that they will one day open my mother’s recipes. And like me, they will find a recipe for __________.

1.

A．closer

B．easier

C．faster

D．harder

2.

A．concern

B．hope

C．curiosity

D．light

3.

A．toy

B．gift

C．card

D．package

4.

A．thumbed

B．passed

C．pulled

D．broke

5.

A．vivid

B．empty

C．inspirational

D．complete

6.

A．breads

B．vegetables

C．soups

D．desserts

7.

A．covering

B．deleting

C．reading

D．proving

8.

A．froze

B．skipped

C．bled

D．ached

9.

A．sacrifice

B．risk

C．lead

D．compare

10.

A．hurts

B．repeats

C．stops

D．laughs

11.

A．necessary

B．ordinary

C．special

D．economical

12.

A．changes

B．happens

C．exists

D．matters

13.

A．bargain over

B．leave behind

C．take away

D．deal with

14.

A．headache

B．fault

C．job

D．problem

15.

A．life

B．perfection

C．success

D．promotion

7 . Undoubtedly, music can comfort the soul for some, and it could also be a temporary reliever for physical pain. Listening to favorite songs could reduce people’s sensibility of pain, according to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Pain Research. And the most effective pain relievers were songs describing bittersweet experiences and causing strong feelings.

The study invited 63 young adults to bring two of their favorite songs, which were required to be at least 3 minutes and 20 seconds long. One selection represented their favorite music of all time, and the other was the song they could use to comfort loneliness. The researchers also had the young adults pick one of seven songs that the team considered relaxing and were unfamiliar to the study participants. Each person experienced 7-minute blocks (隔音) where they were instructed to stare at a monitor screen while listening to their favorite music, or one of the seven relaxing instrumental songs, or a scrambled (打乱) version of both songs and the relaxing song chosen. One 7-minute block had people sitting in silence. All the while, the researchers stuck a hot object to the participants’ left inner forearms. When assessing their experiences, people were more likely to report feeling less pain when listening to their favorite songs compared with hearing the unfamiliar relaxing song or silence.

After interviewing the participants about the song they brought and their rating of pain, the researchers found people who listened to bittersweet and moving songs felt less pain than when they listened to songs with cheerful themes. People who listened to bittersweet songs also reported more chills — the thrill and tremble you get on your skin from listening to pleasurable music. “When people are listening to music they enjoy, by our measurements it can reduce the pain that we’re feeling by 10%,” said Patrick, a professor of biomedical and molecular sciences.

1. Which kind of music can best relieve pain according to the study?

A．Relaxing music.	B．Unfamiliar music.
C．Emotive music.	D．Instrumental music.

2. What’s the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The explanation of concepts.	B．The process of the experiment.
C．The presentation of study findings.	D．The application of research methods.

3. What is true about the participants in the experiment?

A．Their sensibility of pain was evaluated.

B．They listened to the music in the open air.

C．They each listened to three pieces of music.

D．They brought two favorite songs randomly.

4. What can we learn from Patrick’s statement?

A．Listening to songs can decrease our pain to 10%.

B．The more music you enjoy, the less pain you feel.

C．Certain types of music can help you feel less pain.

D．Feelings of pain can’t be measured by instruments.

8 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became extremely angry with him. He would squirm (来回扭动) in his seat and make a lot of noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly. Most of the time, however, Jeremy just annoyed his teacher.

One day Doris called his parents and asked them to come in for a talk. As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, “Jeremy really belongs to a special school. It isn’t fair to him to be with younger children who don’t have learning problems.”

Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. “Miss Miller,” he said, “there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here.” Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to flow into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a serious illness. But it wasn’t fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction.

As she thought over the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought. From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy’s noises and his blank stares.

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus (耶稣), and then to highlight the idea of new life, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. “Now, I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Miss Miller,” the children responded enthusiastically — all except for Jeremy. He listened carefully; his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual nose.

The next morning, 19 children placed their eggs in the large basket on Miss Miller’s desk.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Then Doris opened the third egg but it was empty.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Nine-year-old Abdulwal Abdula lifted his right arm and waved guests goodbye as they left his house. What appeared a simple gesture was only possible because people from different walks of life raced against time to save the boy’s severed right arm more than two years ago.

On April 30, 2021, Abdulwal’s right arm was severed when it got caught in the motor of a running tractor. Realizing the complexity involved in reattaching the arm, the local hospital decided to transfer the boy to the traditional Chinese medicine hospital of Urumqi, about 1,400 kilometers away, for a surgery that had to be performed within eight hours. But by the time Abdulwal was sent to the airport in Hotan, the last flight to Urumqi that night was already on the runway and ready for takeoff.

Everyone knew that if Abdulwal missed the flight he would lose his right arm, and possibly his life. Air traffic control workers immediately contacted the pilots and asked them to wait, while officials at the airport rushed to arrange permission for the plane to return to the terminal and pick up the boy. With permission granted, Abdulwal and his severed arm, packed in a medical bag, were carried onboard. None of the passengers complained about the delay.

Once the plane landed in Urumqi, a series of green channels ensured Abdulwal reached the hospital in the shortest time. The surgery started seven-and-a-half hours after the accident. His severed limb was successfully reattached and the broken bone fragments rearranged.

The story went viral (走红) on social media, touching all people who could not stop praising the efforts made by so many people to save the boy. The extraordinary story inspired a film, Ordinary Hero, in 2022.

Abdulwal said he had watched the movie twice. “It reminds me of how many people have helped me. They aren’t ordinary people, but superheroes to me.” His mother said that the doctor who reattached Abdulwal’s arm often calls to check on him and give advice on recovery. “I want to be a doctor when I grow up, so that I can help others,” Abdulwal said.

1. What was the key factor in the process of rescuing the boy?

A．Money.

B．Time

C．Medicine.

D．Information.

2. What do we know about the boy?

A．He was cured in the local hospital.

B．He was badly injured in an air crash.

C．His arm recovered well with joint efforts.

D．His surgery lasted seven and a half hours.

3. Why does the doctor often call Abdulwal?

A．To offer some help.	B．To ask about his ambition.
C．To express his sympathy.	D．To check on his recovery.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A news report.	B．A film review.
C．A medical magazine.	D．A biography.

10 . Practicing Self Care

No matter how far along you are in your education, doing well in school can be difficult. You can do your best in school by having healthy study habits, and keeping things organized.     1    .

Get good-quality sleep.     2    . You can practice good sleep by going to bed early enough each night, turning off bright screens at least half an hour before bed, and keeping your room quiet, dark, and comfortable. To help you sleep better, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Do stress-relieving activities. Take time to relax and do things you enjoy. You’ll do much better in school if you aren’t anxious all the time.     3    . These activities can be relaxing and enriching, and they’re also a good way for you to get to know your teachers and fellow students.

Reward yourself. When you get something done, take the time to celebrate! For example, after an hour of studying, you might reward yourself with a favorite snack. Or, if you do well on a big test, you could celebrate by going out for pizza with your friends.     4    .

    5    . If the stress of school is getting to you, sometimes just talking to a friend about how you’re feeling can help you feel better. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for practical support. You could say, “Mom, I’m really stressing about this test. Can you take a few minutes and quiz me with some questions from the review sheet?”

A．Reach out for support

B．Spend time with your family

C．You can also feel your best by taking care of yourself

D．Consider joining in school clubs or student committees

E．You won’t do well in school if you’re too tired to focus

F．These rewards will help inspire you to keep working hard

G．Have a positive attitude and it will help you do better at school