1 . With mounting evidence that nanoplastic particles (纳米塑料微粒) are in our bodies, there is growing concern over their potential health impacts. Now a new study finds a relation between nanoplastics in the brain and a higher risk for Parkinson’s disease.

Nanoplastics appear when the plastic packaging breaks down into small pieces. These particles can enter the blood and cross the blood-brain barrier, with European researchers reporting earlier this year that in animal experiments, it can take two hours or less for certain nanoplastics to reach the brain after being eaten.

In humans, it’s long been thought that environmental factors play a role in Parkinson’s disease but specific causes are still unclear. The new study from the Duke University School of Medicine details how nanoplastics cause chemical changes in the brain that can, in turn, make Parkinson’s and related types of diseases more likely.

That’s because the nanoplastics attract a protein (蛋白质) called alpha-synuclein, known to play a role in Parkinson’s and related disorders. In lab and animal studies, the plastic’s interaction with it leads to increases in the affected neurons in the brain. This interaction appears related to favorable conditions in which Parkinson’s can develop.

The study authors note that Parkinson’s disease existed long before nanoplastics appeared in the environment, but they think that this “nanoplastics pollution in the human brain” may prove a new poison.

Further, the Duke team led by Dr. Andrew West notes that Parkinson’s disease is among the fastest growing nervous diseases in the world, even as the amazing amount of plastic pollution builds across the planet. This is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

“The technology to monitor nanoplastics is still at the earliest possible stages and not ready yet to answer all the questions we have,” West said. “But hopefully efforts in this area will increase rapidly, as we see what these particles can do in our experiments.”

1. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A product advertisement.

B．A science journal.

C．An art magazine.

D．A travel brochure.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The conditions leading to Parkinson’s.

B．The cause of alpha-synuclein’s appearance.

C．The principle of nanoplastics’ impact on Parkinson’s.

D．The difference between Parkinson’s and related disorders.

3. What can be inferred from West’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Plastic pollution will by no means be avoided.

B．Nanoplastics are impossible to deal with at present.

C．Fewer people will suffer from Parkinson’s in the future.

D．More efforts in the study of nanoplastics will be put in.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Nanoplastics can enter the brain through blood

B．Nanoplastics may promote Parkinson’s disease

C．Alpha-synuclein plays a role in Parkinson’s disease

D．Nanoplastics will do serious harm to human health

2 . How to Come Up with Innovative Ideas

Success in today’s dynamic and competitive business environment is significantly influenced by innovation, serving as a key driver for progress.     1     So, how can you unlock your creative genius and come up with ideas that will set you apart from others? Let’s explore expert tips on how to come up with innovative ideas that will help you stand out in your industry.

Embrace failure. Innovation often involves taking risks and going to unfamiliar places, making failure an unavoidable aspect.     2     When faced with failure, invest time in analyzing what went wrong and draw on that insight to start your subsequent attempts.

Look for inspiration everywhere. Innovative ideas can come from anywhere — from your customers and competitors to pop culture and nature.     3     Attend industry events, and read books and articles to help stimulate your creativity.

Cooperate with others. Cooperation is a key ingredient in innovation. Working with others who have different skills and perspectives, you may generate new ideas and solutions that you might not have thought of on your own.     4    

    5     Where you work significantly influences your creativity and ability to generate innovative ideas. Ensure your workspace promotes creativity by minimizing distractions and chaos. Surround yourself with inspiration, such as art, quotes, and photos.

A．Keep an open mind and reflect.

B．Be mindful of your environment.

C．But coming up with innovative ideas is easier said than done.

D．Make sure to view it as an opportunity for learning and growth.

E．It’s essential to remain open to inspiration from diverse sources.

F．Sometimes the best ideas come when you’re not actively thinking about them.

G．Look for opportunities to work with colleagues, industry peers and even customers.

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。

Having nice things can make you feel good, but at the end of the day, what truly matters is that we have people we love and care about in our lives.

Still, when someone is asked to sacrifice something in order to be with their loved ones in good health, it can be hard. That was the situation one man was put in two decades ago when his wife was diagnosed with cancer.

Years ago, Wesley Ryan learned his wife, Laura, had been diagnosed with cancer. The medical bills were piling up, and he knew in order to continue making ends meet, he would have to sell his beloved car.

Wesley loved that car and even nicknamed it Christine, based on the 1958 Plymouth Fury from Stephen King’s book, Christine. However, Laura meant more to him, and Wesley wanted her to continue getting the care she needed. So he handed over the keys.

“I know how much it broke him in half seeing that car drive away from him,” his son, Jake, wrote online. “It’s a day that I’ll never forget.” Jake and his sister, Jeni, knew they wanted to help their dad reunite with the car he’d loved so much. And over the years, the siblings had saved up enough money. So they started an online search and surprisingly, they were able to track down the old car online.

Actually, the man who bought the car found out about Wesley’s story and the meaning behind the beloved vehicle by accident. Moved by the sacrifice one man had made for his family and how his family stepped up to repay him in the sweetest way possible, he soon got in touch with Jake, who purchased it as soon as possible. And after careful consideration, Jake and Jeni decided to surprise their dad in a nearby parking lot. Moreover, Laura, cancer-free for 13 years at the time, joined them for the big reveal.

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。

Finally, the day came when Wesley reunited with his beloved car.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wesley’s hands trembled as he reached out to confirm that it was real.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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。

A special tea picker has been operating at a West Lake Longjing tea plantation in Hangzhou recently. It is the world's first tea-picking robot. The robot uses two mechanical arms to move back and forth as it searches     1     tea buds （芽）. When it locates one, it uses a pair of scissors and a suction （抽吸） device     2     (attach) to the end of its arm to cut and collect the tea buds. It     3     (equip) with a pair of 3D eyes that can     4     (automatic) identify tender tea leaves through artificial intelligence technology. People firstly take many photos to tell the machine about the targets     5     it can pick, and when the photos are enough, the machine will learn by     6     ( it). The technology is also constantly improving. It has now been upgraded to the fifth generation, and it takes just 1. 5 seconds     7     (pick) a tea bud, with an     8     (accurate) rate of 86 percent.

Ruan Jianyun, a tea expert, said, "We still have two problems. One problem is the efficiency and quality of tea picking, and     9     other is the cost of the machine."

In recent years, mechanization has been widely applied in the tea production industry. However, the picking of high-quality tea still     10     (rely) on human labor.

5 . Jason Allen was almost too nervous to enter his first art competition. Now, his award-winning image has caused controversy (争议).

In August, Allen, a game designer from Pueblo West, won first place in the Colorado State Fair Fine Arts Competition. His winning image was made with Midjourney—an artificial system that can produce detailed images when fed written prompts (提示符).

Allen’s winning image is one of three such images he entered in the competition. The definition for the category in which Allen competed states that digital art refers to works that use digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process. Allen used Midjourney to create his image.

Midjourney is one of a growing number of AI image generators. Others include Google Research’s Imagen and OpenAI’s DALL-E 2. Anyone can use Midjourney, while DALL-E 2 requires an invitation, and Imagen has not been opened up to users outside Google.

Whether these tools can truly make art or assist humans in making art came into sharp focus not long after Allen’s win. Some artists were angered by his win because of his use of AI to create the image. “This is really bad for the exact same reason we don’t let robots participate in the Olympics.” one artist wrote.

Cal Duran, an artist and art teacher who was one of the judges for the competition, said that while Allen’s piece included a mention of Midjourney, he didn’t realize that it was generated by AI when judging it. Still, he stuck by his decision to award it first place in its category, calling it a beautiful piece. “There’s a lot involved in this piece and I think AI technology may give more opportunities to people who may not find themselves artists in the conventional way.” he said.

Allen won’t yet say what the text prompt was behind his winning image—he’s planning to keep it a secret until he publishes a larger related work that he hopes will be finished later this year.

1. Which of the following is most accessible to common users to create images?

A．Imagen.

B．Google.

C．Midjourney.

D．DALL-E 2.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “came into sharp focus”?

A．Went viral.	B．Be in a dilemma.
C．Made people surprised.	D．Come under the spotlight.

3. What is Cal Duran’s attitude toward using AI to create artworks?

A．Supportive.

B．Ambiguous.

C．Doubtful.

D．Uninterested.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．AI Defeated Human Artists in the Art Field

B．AI Won an Art Contest and Artists Were Angry

C．An Artist Won State Fair Art Contest and Laughed

D．An Artist from Pueblo West Was Defending His Work

6 . 假定你是李华，你们学校英文校报正在进行有关“工匠精神”的征文活动，请以“Father of Hybrid Rice”为题写一篇短文投稿， 简要介绍“杂交水稻之父”袁隆平。
要点：1.生于1930年，北京；
2.被誉为“杂交水稻之父”(Father of Hybrid Rice)；
3.一生致力于科学研究，具有无私奉献的工匠精神；
4.不注重名誉和金钱。
注意：1.字数80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Father of Hybrid Rice

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . When you come across different situations in your daily life, you may often end up feeling stressed, anxious, or obsessed over the worst-case scenarios (场景).     1     It could be caused by negative thinking. Negative thinking is something that most of us end up doing from time to time in our everyday lives. It is usually triggered by difficult circumstances and stress.

    2     When we think negatively over a long period of time, it starts to affect our bodies, and our physical and mental health deteriorates (恶化). Some side effects of negative thinking are headaches, body aches, nausea, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, etc. And thinking negatively can be a hindrance (阻碍) on the path toward positivity and happiness.

As a result, we should learn to think positively. Positive thinking means focusing on the good parts of any given situation.    3     So one must try to see the good in the bad.

There are many benefits of positive thinking. With positive thinking, we can deal with problems and situations in our life in a much easier way.    4     Some of the physical health benefits include having a longer life span, a lower risk of having a heart attack, better pain tolerance, etc. Mental health benefits include being more creative, having better coping skills, clear thinking, better moods, etc.

There are many ways to learn to think positively. You can try positive thinking by practicing gratitude, keeping a gratitude journal, laughing more often, and spending time with positive people.    5    

A．You should ignore what is bad for you.

B．And positive thinking can help you feel better.

C．Thinking negatively can be very harmful.

D．As they say, “Every cloud has a silver lining.”

E．You may also overthink a lot and struggle to think positively.

F．If you try these ways, you’re very likely to stop thinking negatively.

G．Also, positive thinking has a lot of physical and mental health benefits.

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。

Chinese opera, has a rich history dating back thousands of years. There are various types of Chinese opera, each with its own unique characteristics and traditions. Kunqu Opera, for example,     1     (consider) an old form of Chinese opera, characterized by its elegant lyrics and beautiful melodies. Peking Opera, another famous type, is noted     2     its colorful costumes, facial makeup and movements.

One of the     3     (remarkable) features of Chinese opera is its integration (融合) of singing, dancing, acting, and acrobatics. The singing in Chinese opera is an impressive aspect. In addition to singing,     4     fascinates people most is actors’ dance and acrobatics. These     5     (performance) require years of training and dedication, making Chinese opera actors true masters of their craft.

The stories     6     (tell) through Chinese opera are often drawn from historical events, legends and folklore. These narratives not only entertain but also educate,     7     (pass) down cultural values and moral lessons from generation to generation. The themes of loyalty, bravery and filial piety (孝) are repeated, which promotes social harmony and moral behavior.

In     8    (conclude), Chinese opera is a treasured art form     9     (deep) rooted in Chinese culture. Whether you’re a fan of theater     10     simply interested in Chinese culture, Chinese opera is definitely worth exploring.

9 . On August 21, 1986, a man making his way to Nyos, a village near a lake in northwest Cameroon, found dozens of dead animals along the road. He called into a home to see if the residents knew what had happened. Instead of getting answers, the man discovered that everyone in the village was dead, though they seemed otherwise unharmed.

Within days, officials confirmed that more than 1,700 people had died, along with several thousand animals. The strange and tragic event seemed similar to one that occurred at Lake Monoun two years earlier, just 60 miles to the south, where villagers found 37 people and many animals dead along its shores.

Initially, authorities were confused about the cause. Witnesses reported hearing strange sounds and seeing a sudden rise of white cloud from the lake, which quickly disappeared. Fortunately, the disaster caught the world’s attention. Scientists from around the globe gathered in Nyos to investigate. Because Lake Nyos sits on an inactive volcano, their first theory was that the volcano had erupted and sent poisonous gases into the air. After further research, however, they found the cause was much more unusual. The deadly events were called limnic (湖泊的) eruptions.

Although deadly and terrifying, limnic eruptions are extremely unlikely. They occur when dissolved (溶解的) carbon dioxide (CO₂) suddenly erupts from the deep waters of a lake, forming a deadly gas cloud above the surface. Because carbon dioxide is heavier than air, the cloud will sink toward the ground, killing wildlife, livestock and humans.

Carbon dioxide dissolves more easily in the deep, cold parts of lakes. As a result, the bottom of deep lake can have very high levels of carbon dioxide, while the levels decrease towards the lake’s surface, and the pressure at the bottom builds and builds. Any changes in pressure can set off the rapid and forceful release of the accumulated carbon dioxide, causing an eruption.

It’s unclear what caused the lakes to explode, but considering they’re near the Oku Volcanic Field, it’s possible that an earthquake or a small volcanic eruption occurred before each disaster.

1. Why are the numbers mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To arouse the empathy of the readers.

B．To display the destructive effect of the events.

C．To prove the necessity of preparing for disasters.

D．To highlight the difficulty looking into the cause.

2. What is to blame for the mass deaths in Nyos?

A．High concentrations of CO2.

B．The great power of the lake explosion.

C．Poisonous gases from a volcano eruption.

D．The lake water flooding the nearby villages.

3. Which may have nothing to do with limnic eruptions?

A．An earthquake.	B．Dissolved carbon dioxide.
C．Great pressure differences.	D．Warm environments.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A charity poster.	B．A biography.
C．A science magazine.	D．A cultural website.

10 . Life is a series of unexpected and unforeseen events. Some of them bring about welcome and pleasant consequences, while sometimes they do not _________ any joy. In fact, they can be destructive and unfortunate.

But during these trials and hardships, the love and kindness of others can make a world of _________. It can even save a life, as was the case for a paralyzed (瘫痪的) man in a wheelchair from Dallas, Texas.

Dennis Brown, who is _________ to a wheelchair, was in a rental car when the vehicle burst into _________ suddenly. When he looked up, he _________ the fire extending several feet from the front of the car, _________ him immediately and sending smoke high into the sky above.

_________, a complete stranger put her life at risk to rescue Dennis, who didn’t _________ to take action. The woman _________ Dennis out of the burning car, shifting him to __________. But before Dennis was able to show his __________, she had left quietly. Dennis said that he was eager to have the opportunity to say thanks to his rescuer.

But Dennis is not the only person grateful to the __________ woman. Dennis’ mother, Julia Brown, will forever ________ appreciation to the woman for her __________ deed. “I cannot thank her enough,” Julia said. “Because if she hadn’t __________ the assistance in time, I would have lost him. She was a hero!”

1.

A．yield

B．request

C．deserve

D．extend

2.

A．imagination

B．challenges

C．difference

D．possibilities

3.

A．connected

B．restricted

C．committed

D．applied

4.

A．smoke

B．water

C．explosions

D．flames

5.

A．judged

B．spotted

C．thought

D．doubted

6.

A．blaming

B．searching

C．surrounding

D．distracting

7.

A．Fortunately

B．Obviously

C．Gradually

D．Eventually

8.

A．hesitate

B．attempt

C．reflect

D．bother

9.

A．attracted

B．dragged

C．persuaded

D．stroke

10.

A．optimism

B．freedom

C．safety

D．reality

11.

A．kindness

B．interest

C．wealth

D．gratitude

12.

A．creative

B．mystery

C．modest

D．intelligent

13.

A．reward

B．rescue

C．honour

D．owe

14.

A．incredible

B．consistent

C．elegant

D．bad

15.

A．concentrated on

B．come across

C．got involved in

D．taken responsibility for