1 . There’s nothing more frightening than feeling adrift (漂浮着) and out of control — now imagine if you were a six-year-old girl in the ocean!

When a little girl recently was swept out to sea on a raft (橡皮艇), her father frantically ( 拼命地) called for a(n) _________ — but there was none to be found. _________ , the four Butler brothers took action, running to the ocean and _________ toward the little girl as fast as they could. The _________ rescue, which took an hour, inspired everyone around them. “I knew the water was getting deep, but I didn’t _________ ,” Declan Butler, who, at age 18, is the youngest brother along with his twin Eoghan, told The Washington Post. “I just didn’t want to _________ her.”

At one point, the little girl appeared to _________ the raft, and the brothers were _________, but then they saw her rise above the water again. From that point, the brothers _________ to swim for another half-hour before getting close enough to call out to the girl to keep her __________.

“It was emotional,” Alex Thomson, brother-in-law to the Butlers, said. “If anything, it was extremely rewarding __________ we got to her.”

In the time it took them to __________ her, the young girl’s father was __________ to carry on swimming and was also in __________ of rescuing. Once the little girl was __________ on the beach, twins Declan and Eoghan swam out to __________ her father too.

“Seeing her jump around and kiss her mom was really __________,” Declan said. Two days after they saved the six-year-old, the brothers were reflecting on the strange __________ of it all. Their grandfather __________ on that same day, decades before their rescue. By saving a young girl, they felt they had __________ their grandfather.

1.

A．shelter

B．lifeguard

C．organizer

D．instructor

2.

A．Still

B．Otherwise

C．Moreover

D．Instead

3.

A．boating

B．surfing

C．swimming

D．walking

4.

A．unpleasant

B．unfortunate

C．successful

D．medical

5.

A．notice

B．care

C．refuse

D．insist

6.

A．give up on

B．break away from

C．get along with

D．stand up for

7.

A．put off

B．switch off

C．show off

D．fall off

8.

A．excited

B．disappointed

C．terrified

D．embarrassed

9.

A．waited

B．continued

C．pretended

D．happened

10.

A．healthy

B．silent

C．modest

D．calm

11.

A．once

B．until

C．because

D．though

12.

A．call

B．reach

C．remind

D．stop

13.

A．hesitating

B．expecting

C．struggling

D．intending

14.

A．celebration

B．search

C．need

D．memory

15.

A．ready

B．found

C．trapped

D．safe

16.

A．recognize

B．assist

C．join

D．welcome

17.

A．shocking

B．confusing

C．amazing

D．challenging

18.

A．symbolism

B．wisdom

C．intention

D．outcome

19.

A．survived

B．drowned

C．volunteered

D．appeared

20.

A．inspired

B．forgiven

C．repaid

D．honored

2 . Now it seems that more and more animals are showing up in cities where we would not expect them to. But scientists have learned that some species do better in cities. Take peregrine falcons (游隼) for example. They use tall city buildings to make homes, man-made lighting to hunt at night, and warm air currents created when the sun beats down on city surfaces to fly with less effort.

Some animals adapt well to city life, and some do not. For example, squirrels (松鼠) do amazingly well living in cities, while wolves have never seemed to get the hang of it. Usually, animals that eat a lot of different things, called generalists, do much better in cities than specialists, which eat one specific kind of food. Smaller animals are also more likely to live in cities than bigger animals. Some people believe animals that do well in cities might be smarter than the ones that do not, but more research is needed on this.

Many animals have even learned cool tricks to live in cities, and these behaviors help them find more food or mates (伴侣), or avoid people. To learn about these behaviors, we use recording devices to spot animals, microphones to record their sounds, and tracking equipment to follow them. Scientists use many different tools to study what animals eat, how healthy they are, how they compete with each other, and more.

Humans are turning the planet into cities and farms, which does not leave many other places for most wildlife to live in. So, what can we do? At home, we can cover our garbage carefully because it is not good for wild animals. We can also plant some native plants that wildlife might like. Seeing animals in a city, we can give them space and watch them from far away. We could also try some creative things like green roofs where birds and insects can live in.

To do that, we need to know what kind of habitats different species need, and how to prevent human-wildlife conflicts. We still have a lot to learn.

1. How does the author develop paragraph 1?

A．By providing statistical data.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By giving an example.	D．By stating arguments.

2. What kind of animals survive better in cities according to the author?

A．Those with close mates.	B．Those with long diet lists.
C．Those with fast movement.	D．Those with high intelligence.

3. What does the author suggest we do in paragraph 4?

A．Restrict urban and agricultural development.

B．Make our cities wildlife-friendly.

C．Plant new varieties of plants.

D．Sort our garbage carefully.

4. Where can the text be found?

A．In a short story.	B．In a health journal.
C．In a business report.	D．In a science magazine.

3 . 你校学生李华在上学路上做了一件好事。为了弘扬社会正气、树立助人为乐的社会风尚，你校决定在下周一的升旗仪式上宣读此事。请你结合下列要点写一篇表扬稿。
1. 时间、地点；
2. 事情的经过；
3. 向他学习。
注意：1. 词数100左右：
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear fellow students,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That’s all. Thank you.

4 . In the late 19th century, there was a poor farmer in Scotland named Fleming. He was ________ and always ready to help others. One day when he was ________ in the field, he suddenly heard a cry for help in the wetland nearby. It ________ that a boy was trapped in the wetland. Seeing the mud up to his ________, Fleming immediately jumped into the wetland and ________ to save the boy. The next day, a brand-new ________ from a distant place stopped at the farmer’s door. An elegant gentleman got off the carriage and ________himself as the boy’s father. The gentleman brought the farmer many precious gifts ________saving his son, but the farmer refused. He ________ that saving others was what he should do. It ________ that the gentleman saw the farmer’s son playing in a dirty suit. He thought about it and said to the ________, “In this case, I have a ________. You saved my son’s life and I want him to ________ the best education in Britain.”The farmer agreed ________. Later, the farmer’s son graduated from St. Mary’s Medical School in England and became the ________ Sir Fleming Alexander. He is the inventor of penicillin (青霉素), which has saved ________ lives. Years later, the gentleman’s son caught pneumonia. What saved his life? Penicillin. Who was the gentleman’s son? Churchill, the prime minister of Britain during World War II.

This story tells us that the simple and kind Scottish farmer’s ________ in saving others without ________ any return, brought his own child a good opportunity. And because of his child’s achievement, he ________ the gentleman’s child, who became British prime minister of World War II. The kindness of an ordinary farmer ________ changed the whole world.

1.

A．determined

B．kind

C．anxious

D．disappointed

2.

A．working

B．drinking

C．regretting

D．weeping

3.

A．figured out

B．pointed out

C．worked out

D．turned out

4.

A．leg

B．ankle

C．chest

D．foot

5.

A．managed

B．tried

C．decided

D．hoped

6.

A．bicycle

B．car

C．carriage

D．truck

7.

A．recommended

B．introduced

C．treated

D．served

8.

A．in honor of

B．in favor of

C．in exchange for

D．in return for

9.

A．felt

B．announced

C．declared

D．sworn

10.

A．happened

B．seemed

C．followed

D．appeared

11.

A．son

B．farmer

C．parent

D．witness

12.

A．demand

B．suggestion

C．decision

D．plan

13.

A．spread

B．promote

C．obtain

D．continue

14.

A．clearly

B．eventually

C．interestingly

D．unexpectedly

15.

A．world-famous

B．good-looking

C．easy-going

D．hard-working

16.

A．energetic

B．extraordinary

C．countless

D．unbelievable

17.

A．approach

B．behavior

C．anecdote

D．manner

18.

A．receiving

B．sending

C．reporting

D．seeking

19.

A．defeated

B．recognized

C．cured

D．adopted

20.

A．commonly

B．necessarily

C．especially

D．actually

5 . Brewing Up the Best Cup of Coffee

Editor’s note: In the world of coffee, there is a hierarchy (等级) based on brewing (酿制) methods and coffee bean quality. Manual brewing is superior to machine brewing. Italian-style coffee is usually preferred over the American style. At the top of this world, it is specialty coffee (精品咖啡). And becoming a specialty coffee barista (咖啡师) requires specific training. Let’s go to the story of one such barista.

To customers, specialty coffee may be just a simple drink, but for specialty coffee baristas, it is a demanding science. Fei Teng, a 35-year-old barista with 10 years of experience, considers various factors like altitude, climate and grinding (研磨) when making specialty coffee. Fei also has his own principle of developing creative coffee. The Salty Mocha, created by Fei, gained popularity among coffee enthusiasts. “The sea salt neutralizes the sweetness of the mocha, adding layers of flavor to the taste. By introducing innovative changes to classic coffee, it can bring new and wonderful experiences to the taste buds,” Fei told Teens.

Fei majored in fine arts in college but chose to become a coffee apprentice (学徒) after graduation. He began by learning the basics of coffee, including its varieties and roasting levels. Through training and participating in competitions, Fei improved his barista skills, like grinding beans and frothing milk (打奶沫). “Becoming a barista is easy to get started, but difficult to master,” said Fei. To enhance his sensitivity to the quality of coffee beans, Fei tasted a wide variety of coffee, often drinking more than 20 cups a day. That led to diarrhea (腹泻)at times.

“In addition to coffee knowledge, service skills are crucial but often overlooked by baristas,” Fei said. Baristas need to patiently address customer questions and convey the concept behind their coffee in an attractive manner. “Some baristas even create music introductions for their coffee and share them with customers,” added Fei.

“Many view being a barista as a cool job, but actually, it is quite hard and there is a lot of physical labor, like cleaning the cafe,” Fei said. However, despite the challenges, career prospects are promising. A 2023 report reveals that Chinas coffee industry reached 200.7 billion yuan in 2022.

Having dedicated a decade to the coffee industry, Fei plans to continue focusing on specialty coffee and further contribute to the growth of the Chinese coffee sector.

1. What sets the Salty Mocha invented by Fei apart?

A．Its flavor.

B．Its popularity.

C．Its aroma.

D．Its price.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Why Fei chose to be a barista.	B．What Fei learned about coffee.
C．How Fei understood his career.	D．How Fei upgraded his skills.

3. What does Fei think of baristas service skills?

A．They determine a baristas success.	B．They are more important than basic skills.
C．They require creativity and talent.	D．They are frequently ignored.

4. What does Fei want to do?

A．Promote Chinese coffee overseas.	B．Establish his own unique cafe.
C．Continue pursuing his barista career.	D．Teach people how to make coffee.

6 . How to Start Applying for Colleges

Most U. S. universities follow the same standard application process. If possible, begin the following approach several months before the submission deadline.

Get Informed.

Colleges want to know the real you. When applying, don’t try to make yourself look better by listing the accomplishments or writing the essay you think they want to see. Be honest and you’re more likely to end up at a college that’s a good fit for you. Here’s how you can prepare to apply to colleges:

● Understand the common terms you’ll see during the application process. Have a good grasp of such things as frequently used acronyms, supporting documents, and government departments.

● Review the appropriate application timeline you should follow when signing up for college. Every school has its own deadlines, but you may have certain milestones to hit during your senior or even junior year.

● Discover the individual components of a complete application. For example, schools usually ask for supplemental application materials like letters of recommendation, transcripts, and written essays.

Get Organized.

How do you apply for colleges efficiently? If you can keep track of everything you need and get organized, you’ll be ahead of the game. For each college you’re applying to:

● Create a real and a virtual folder for storing documents.

● Print a checklist to track your progress on each part of the application.

● Build a spreadsheet to stay on top of submission deadlines.

Gather the Necessary Documents.

● Your Social Security number.

● Your high school code.

● A copy of your high school transcript.

● Your score report from a college admission test.

Review Your Application Before Hitting the Submit Button.

● Make sure you’ve included all required information and that the information filled out on the forms is accurate and spelled correctly.

● Confirm that any required attachments are the correct files and have been properly uploaded.

● Double-check that you filled out all fields and followed all instructions.

● Take a deep breath. Click submit!

1. How many parts will you generally go through before applying to the college?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

2. Which of the following is helpful for the application?

A．Show a perfect you so that you will get more qualified.

B．Discover the individuals who also apply to the same college.

C．Get fully prepared in the second or third year of school in case of some specific deadlines.

D．Figure out every single technical term to better understand the application process.

3. At the very last minute before submitting the application, you’d better __________.

A．check whether you have filled out all the forms and followed all instructions

B．gather all the necessary documents like your high school transcript

C．create a physical and virtual folder for all the documents

D．confirm the submission deadline

7 . Have you ever paid attention to the color of the airplane seats? They’re almost always blue and there are very few exceptions to this rule. Some people think it reminds us of the sky. But the explanation isn’t that simple!

It is calming.

Color psychology plays an important role in selecting the fabric for airplane seats. “The idea is to help passengers feel at home, with relaxing colors and restful designs,” explained Shelly Zundell in a Boeing press release.     1     Blue is a calming color that suggests peace, calmness, and relaxation.

    2    

In a study reported by Popular Science, 48 percent of participants thought soda in a blue glass was more thirst-quenching (解渴的) than that served in glasses of other colors, probably because they connected blue with cold. Colors such as red and orange can make people feel warmer. Although it’s not unheard of, red is a less common color for airplane seats.     3    

It is a universally well-liked color.

    4     It’s a universal color that’s appealing to most. This is also the same reason why many brands have blue logos. People universally connect the color with positive things — such as clean water and blue skies — so they tend to like it. Across ages and across cultures, it’s the world’s favorite color.

The right shade hides stains (污渍) well.

Dark blue seats are also just practical. Imagine how many people sit in them per day.     5    

Darker shades are better at hiding stains and don’t show their wear as easily. Those dark blue seats will look fresher and newer for longer.

A．It physically feels cooler.

B．It reflects a cool professionalism.

C．But is there any other explanation?

D．And who knows what gets spilled on them?

E．People often connect certain colors with certain feelings.

F．Feeling hot when you board an airplane is good for no one.

G．It’s hard to find someone who has strong feelings against the color blue.

8 . I had been swimming for years but was ready to quit. My _________ reason was that I kept receiving “Honorable Mentions”, just because I showed up.

One day before a big swim meet, I decided to _________ the news to my grandma that I was _________ the swim team. When I told her, she said, “Baby, remember: Quitters never win and winners never quit.” I was _______   to say anything but “Yes, ma’am.”

The next day we arrived at the swim meet late, _________ my group. My coach _________ I swim with the older group. I knew she was _________ me in the race so our journey to the meet would not be wasted, and she had no expectations that I would _________ anything but eighth place as there weren’t nine _________.

As I was __________ the board, my grandmas words rang in my head. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

SPLASH! I swam harder than ever. After a little while, I was __________ to find that I had a half-body length ________ over others. However, they soon __________ the gap. Halfway through the race, the girl to my left almost ________ me. Right then, the powerful words __________ again in my ears. I __________ my arms and legs and used every last bit of __________ to swim the last 50 meters.

I made it! Narrow victory as it was, I did win my first real __________ that day. Everything felt like a dream as I stood on the winner’s __________. Back at home, I __________ replaced all the “Honorable Mentions” on my shelf.

1.

A．laid-back

B．number-one

C．first-hand

D．ground-breaking

2.

A．break

B．deliver

C．acquaint

D．remind

3.

A．choosing

B．depositing

C．joining

D．quitting

4.

A．satisfied

B．choked

C．excited

D．exhausted

5.

A．missing

B．finding

C．departing

D．building

6.

A．assumed

B．defended

C．insisted

D．expected

7.

A．telling

B．endeavoring

C．inviting

D．including

8.

A．come out

B．come about

C．come in

D．come to

9.

A．arenas

B．lanes

C．courts

D．tracks

10.

A．assessing

B．approaching

C．inspecting

D．mounting

11.

A．surprised

B．energized

C．terrified

D．refreshed

12.

A．pioneer

B．lead

C．edge

D．session

13.

A．jumped

B．bridged

C．widened

D．narrowed

14.

A．joined up with

B．put up with

C．drew level with

D．filled up with

15.

A．blessed

B．echoed

C．called

D．clarified

16.

A．willed

B．tried

C．shook

D．swung

17.

A．confidence

B．motivation

C．strength

D．pursuit

18.

A．goal

B．medal

C．reward

D．diploma

19.

A．podium

B．orbit

C．zone

D．format

20.

A．devotedly

B．awkwardly

C．hesitantly

D．joyfully

9 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Space tourism is fast becoming a reality, thanks to pioneers like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson who have ventured to the edge of space, making it     1     (access) to individuals. The era of space vacations is on the horizon,     2     (offer) multi-day escapes that rival traditional getaways.

A space hotel will have been opened     3     2027 by Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC). Voyager Station, the world’s first luxury space resort,     4     (accommodate) 280 guests and 112 crew members with complete facilities, providing an unparalleled space experience in the near future.

    5     space tourism may seem novel, it dates back hundreds or thousands of years, with Voyager Stations design inspired by the concept of a rotating wheel that generates artificial gravity.     6     (initial), the station will offer lunar-level gravity, like Earth’s gravity. This unique lunar environment     7     (promise) exciting possibilities for individuals with disabilities and the able-bodied.

Guests will embark on their celestial journey, arriving at a central, zero-gravity docking hub (对接枢纽) before     8     (transport) to habitation modules(独立仓) not far away. It’s at the edge of the wheel     9     centrifugal (离心的) force will provide gravity for daily activities.

As technology advances and transportation costs decrease, the dream of space tourism could soon become       10     reality. The rapidly growing space commerce industry and competition among companies further support the possibility of this ambitious vision.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the speaker mainly talking about?

A．Cooling fans.

B．Air conditioning.

C．Room design.

2. Which country might have invented the first cooling device?

A．Egypt.

B．Rome.

C．China.

3. Which cooling method has the longest history?

A．Wet plants.

B．Cold water.

C．Hand fans.

4. Where is the passage most probably taken from?

A．A radio programme.

B．A culture magazine.

C．A history book.