1 . Living in Iowa and trying to become a photographer specializing in landscape (风景) can be quite a challenge, mainly because the corn state lacks geographical variation.

Although landscapes in the Midwest tend to be quite similar, either farm fields or highways, sometimes I find distinctive character in the hills or lakes. To make some of my landscape shots, I have traveled up to four hours away to shoot within a 10-minute time frame. I tend to travel with a few of my friends to state parks or to the countryside to go on adventures and take photos along the way.

Being at the right place at the right time is decisive in any style of photography. I often leave early to seek the right destinations so I can set up early to avoid missing the moment I am attempting to photograph. I have missed plenty of beautiful sunsets/sunrises due to being on the spot only five minutes before the best moment.

One time my friends and I drove three hours to Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin, to climb the purple quartz (石英) rock around the lake. After we found a crazy-looking road that hung over a bunch of rocks, we decided to photograph the scene at sunset. The position enabled us to look over the lake with the sunset in the background. We managed to leave this spot to climb higher because of the spare time until sunset. However, we did not mark the route (路线) so we ended up almost missing the sunset entirely. Once we found the place, it was stressful getting lights and cameras set up in the limited time. Still, looking back on the photos, they are some of my best shots though they could have been so much better if I would have been prepared and managed my time wisely.

1. How does the author deal with the challenge as a landscape photographer in the Midwest?

A．By teaming up with other photographers.	B．By shooting in the countryside or state parks.
C．By studying the geographical conditions.	D．By creating settings in the corn fields.

2. What is the key to successful landscape photography according to the author?

A．Proper time management.	B．Good shooting techniques.
C．Adventurous spirit.	D．Distinctive styles.

3. What can we infer from the author’s trip with friends to Devil’s Lake?

A．They went crazy with the purple quartz rock.

B．They felt stressed while waiting for the sunset.

C．They reached the shooting spot later than expected.

D．They had problems with their equipment.

4. How does the author find his photos taken at Devil’s Lake?

A．Amusing.	B．Satisfying.
C．Encouraging.	D．Comforting.

2 . My life as a tax-paying employed person began in middle school, when, for three whole days, I worked in a baking factory.

My best friend Betsy’s father was a manager at Hough Bakeries, which, at Easter time, _________ little bunny (兔子) cakes for all its _________throughout Cleveland. It happened that the plant downtown needed eight kids for _________ help during our spring break, for which I had no_________ beyond listening to my favorite records. I’d _________ minimum wage. I’d see how a factory_________. My parents thought all of this was a grand idea and called Betsy’s dad with their _________.

Our_________in the factory were simple: Place cakes on a moving belt. Attach icing (糖霜) ears. Apply icing eyes and nose._________ bunny from the belt. This was ____________ than it sounds.____________ a bit and the cakes pile up. As I told my parents at dinner that first night, it was all a little more high-pressure than I’d   ____________ .

Dad __________. The son of a grocer, he’d spent the summers of his childhood____________ food in Benardsville, New Jersey. This was the sort of work that made you____________ the dollars you earned and respect those who did the work, he told me.

1.

A．sold

B．ordered

C．made

D．reserved

2.

A．stores

B．families

C．schools

D．citizens

3.

A．generous

B．financial

C．technical

D．temporary

4.

A．plans

B．problems

C．excuses

D．hobbies

5.

A．offer

B．earn

C．set

D．suggest

6.

A．worked

B．closed

C．developed

D．survived

7.

A．ambition

B．permission

C．experience

D．invitation

8.

A．joys

B．ideas

C．roles

D．choices

9.

A．Save

B．Keep

C．Stop

D．Remove

10.

A．harder

B．better

C．longer

D．cheaper

11.

A．Calm down

B．Slow down

C．Stay on

D．Move on

12.

A．indicated

B．witnessed

C．expected

D．remembered

13.

A．cried

B．smiled

C．hesitated

D．refused

14.

A．tasting

B．finding

C．sharing

D．delivering

15.

A．withdraw

B．donate

C．receive

D．appreciate

3 . When I was 9, we packed up our home in Los Angeles and arrived at Heathrow, London on a gray January morning. Everyone in the family settled quickly into the city except me. Without my beloved beaches and endless blue—sky days, I felt at a loss and out of place. Until I made a discovery.

Southbank, at an eastern bend in the Thames, is the center of British skateboarding, where the continuous crashing of skateboards left your head ringing .I loved it. I soon made friends with the local skaters. We spoke our own language. And my favorite: Safe. Safe meant cool. It meant hello. It meant don’t worry about it. Once, when trying a certain trick on the beam(横杆), I fell onto the stones, damaging a nerve in my hand, and Toby came over, helping me up: Safe, man. Safe. A few minutes later, when I landed the trick, my friends beat their boards loud, shouting: “ Safe! Safe! Safe!” And that’s what mattered—landing tricks, being a good skater.

When I was 15, my family moved to Washington. I tried skateboarding there, but the locals were far less welcoming. Within a couple of years, I’d given it up.

When I returned to London in 2004, I found myself wandering down to Southbank, spending hours there. I’ve traveled back several times since, most recently this past spring. The day was cold but clear: tourists and Londoners stopped to watch the skaters. Weaving(穿梭)among the kids who rushed by on their boards, I found my way to the beam. Then a rail—thin teenager, in a baggy white T—shirt, skidded(滑)up to the beam. He sat next to me. He seemed not to notice the man next to him. But soon I caught a few of his glances. “I was a local here 20 years ago,” I told him. Then, slowly, he began to nod his head. “Safe, man. Safe.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Safe.”

1. What can we learn about the author soon after he moved to London?

A．He felt disappointed.	B．He gave up his hobby.
C．He liked the weather there.	D．He had disagreements with his family.

2. What do the underlined words “Safe! Safe! Safe!” probably mean?

A．Be careful!

B．Well done!

C．No way!

D．Don’t worry!

3. Why did the author like to spend time in Southbank when he returned to London?

A．To join the skateboarding.	B．To make new friends.
C．To learn more tricks.	D．To relive his childhood days

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?

A．Children should learn a second language.

B．Sport is necessary for children’s health.

C．Children need a sense of belonging

D．Seeing the world is a must for children.

4 . 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。

Living in the shadow of my two elder sisters at college who already had their lives planned out since they were little, I was always undecided about everything. As a teenager, I was fickle (反复无常的). I would like one thing for a week and then hate it the next. But I was constantly searching for the beginning of the rainbow. Changing my dream from a vet to an astronaut, I thought there were various options available to me. However, my parents would shake their heads and repeatedly asked me such questions as, “Why can’t you be more like your sisters? What are you going to do with your life? Aren’t you interested in anything at all?” After a couple of shrugs (耸肩), my parents usually stopped talking. I was not sure if they gave up or anticipated my dull reactions. I often responded, “I couldn’t answer all of your questions now.”

Actually, my parents just had high expectations that never seemed to be fulfilled. Plus, like other parents, they just wanted to give the best to me and expected me to achieve success. The arguments with my parents seemed childish. One day, my mother made her thoughts clear, “Your grades aren’t high enough. No schools are going to want you, dear. We didn’t pay so much money for nothing.” Hesitating for a while, I said, “No matter what you say, I believe I will enter a good college.” Still, I let my emotions control myself.

Certainly, I had never planned not to go to college. After another debate with my mom, I decided to make a change. No longer would I sit back and let my parents mistake me for a bad boy. It was time to take action.

I knew it was a crucial year at high school. Releasing my feelings, I began to collect all the knowledge I had learned and review it with all my heart. I didn’t argue with my parents any more, but instead turned to my sisters for help and tried my best to study. Finally, I took the national college entrance examination with ease and confidence.

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。
A few days later, I received a call from my school, saying my college acceptance letter had arrived.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My parents excitedly said behind me, “Well, open the envelop!”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . During my stay at the University of Michigan, one of the senior professors asked me to join a seminar on culture and emotion. In a general________of self-introductions, I introduced myself in a(n)________Dutch way as one of those who are “interested in culture and emotion”. The professor supplemented (补充) my self-introduction to________American standards, saying I was one of the world’s experts on the________. In response, I looked down in________, and thought that “expert” was a big word.

When I lived in North Carolina, my new friends came over to ________. Conversations were full of interest and energy, and there was a lot of ________. At the end of the evening, when my guests left, they thanked me for the dinner. My heart________, because I was born and raised in the Netherlands, where “thanking for dinner” means the relationship is ________. Emotions are different enough to feel out of________when you move from one culture to another. The professor at the University of Michigan meant to make me feel________, but instead made me uncomfortable. My friends meant to show ________, but they made me think they were distancing themselves from me.

We think about emotions as feelings deep inside us, but in________, our emotions happen in interactions with others. In my own culture, it was hard to observe the________emotions of others, but I was able to see them when I moved to the US—a different________from where I was raised.

1.

A．analysis

B．state

C．letter

D．round

2.

A．understated

B．interesting

C．dramatic

D．proud

3.

A．set

B．fit

C．evaluate

D．recommend

4.

A．approach

B．situation

C．topic

D．course

5.

A．curiosity

B．pity

C．disappointment

D．embarrassment

6.

A．play

B．dine

C．work

D．perform

7.

A．support

B．noise

C．fun

D．arguing

8.

A．sank

B．melted

C．raced

D．opened

9.

A．harmonious

B．normal

C．strong

D．distant

10.

A．date

B．shape

C．place

D．sight

11.

A．reliable

B．good

C．serious

D．careful

12.

A．gratitude

B．respect

C．admiration

D．affection

13.

A．total

B．advance

C．detail

D．reality

14.

A．unbelievable

B．pure

C．invisible

D．powerful

15.

A．level

B．culture

C．standard

D．value

6 . 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。

Trust

“Settle down!” Mr. Taylor was trying to calm the boys with a loud voice. The moment they entered the gym and saw the climbing walls towering over them, the boys got excited and started making noises. But Stevie was an exception, who was standing aside looking at his thin arms silently. Stevie didn’t like climbing. It wasn’t his thing. Getting along with people wasn’t his thing, either. He just felt nobody liked or trusted him at school.

Then came the coach, who taught the boys some basic skills. He said everyone should have a climbing partner and showed them how to belay (保护) their partner. “If you are a climber, trust your belayer and challenge yourself. Belayers, please remember that your partner’s life depends on you.”

The moment he finished, the boys couldn’t wait to match themselves with a partner except Stevie, who was left alone wandering around the gym. Noticing his embarrassment, Mr. Taylor raised his voice and said, “I need someone I can really trust to team up with!” He looked around. Then his gaze fell upon Stevie. “How about you, Stevie? Would you like to be my belayer?” “Me?” Stevie widened his eyes, surprised to hear Mr. Taylor even say his name. He had thought he was invisible. “I guess,” Stevie managed a weak smile.

Nervous as he was, he plucked up courage. “It doesn’t matter who gets to the top first. It’s about giving it a go.” Hearing Mr. Taylor’s words, Stevie gritted (咬紧牙关) his teeth and moved up slowly, his face pressed against the rough surface. “Done it!” Stevie finally called from the top with excitement. Then Mr. Taylor started to let him down through a perfect control of the rope.“Well done,” said Mr. Taylor when Stevie landed on the floor.

Now it’s Stevie’s turn to control the rope. Bearing in mind his responsibility, Stevie carefully watched as Mr. Taylor climbed up, pulling in the rope hand over hand. He felt his heart racing wildly. Finally, Mr. Taylor arrived at the top. “Ready to let me down now?” said Mr. Taylor. “Okay,” Stevie took a deep breath, his palms sweating uncontrollably.

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。

As Stevie loosened the grip, the rope slipped through his hand much faster than expected.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Suddenly, the boys burst into wild applause and yelled encouragement at them.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . An extreme sport like BMX (Bicycle Motocross) may not be the first thing that comes to mind to help overcome a mental health condition. However, that is _________ what enabled Nikita Ducarroz to fight her fears.

As a child, Ducarroz spent every _________ moment on the soccer field. But at 13, the talented athlete began to suffer from _________ anxiety attacks that made it hard for her to leave home. When her mother told her she had to continue playing a sport, Ducarroz found BMX as a way to _________ that rule. Little did she know that BMX would soon _________ every aspect of her life, and become the reason she would push through her fears one step at a time.

The tale began when a BMX video on YouTube inspired her to try the extreme sport. She saved up for a bike. Then she began practicing _________ in her driveway. Soon, her excellent skills brought her enough _________ to ride at the local skate park. With that confidence, Ducarroz was _________ to ride in the competition in 2016, and she has not looked back since.

“The bike made me get out of the house, go to the skate park, and _________ get on a plane,” said Ducarroz. “It __________ me to overcome all my fears.”

The 26-year-old is now one of the world’s best female BMX freestylers. Ducarroz now has her __________ set on the 2024 Paris Olympics. She says, “My goal in Paris is another medal. I can get that done with the training.”

Though she still suffers occasional __________ attacks, Ducarroz now knows how to manage them. To help others with mental health conditions, Ducarroz has started an Instagram page called MindTricks. It is where people discuss their fears __________.

“MindTricks started because of my own __________ that I was making on Instagram about mental health,” she explained. “And I thought, ‘Why don’t we create a place where others can do the same, a central spot where everyone can read about these stories and also feel __________ to share their own stories?’”

1.

A．precisely

B．automatically

C．roughly

D．temporarily

2.

A．expectant

B．boring

C．spare

D．urgent

3.

A．slight

B．mild

C．occasional

D．severe

4.

A．end

B．fulfill

C．measure

D．resist

5.

A．put off

B．ate away

C．took over

D．slowed down

6.

A．concepts

B．tricks

C．facilities

D．models

7.

A．confidence

B．muscle

C．patience

D．fortune

8.

A．likely

B．hesitant

C．ready

D．effortless

9.

A．slowly

B．abruptly

C．swiftly

D．eventually

10.

A．blocked

B．pushed

C．left

D．hooked

11.

A．luck

B．sight

C．standard

D．training

12.

A．panic

B．heart

C．delight

D．annoyance

13.

A．carefully

B．privately

C．safely

D．humbly

14.

A．appearance

B．medals

C．posts

D．choices

15.

A．ashamed

B．reserved

C．collapsed

D．enlightened

8 . Five years ago, I was a trail ride leader at a holiday farm in Victoria. My favourite horse was a warmblooded called Holly, a chestnut mare. Aged seven, she was _________, sweet-natured and well-trained; the only _________with Holly was her vivid imagination. I was constantly surprised by Holly’ s ability to be_________ by rabbits, the wind or even shadows - sometimes her own shadow!

One day, as we headed back from a ride on the beach, Holly and I were_________the way over the hilly area. When we got to one particularly long, steep hill, Holly began to twitch (抽动) her ears and step in place. So, when she_________ to sniff(嗅) and give all the _________that she believed the ‘horse-eating monsters’ were close, I became a little worried.

At the bottom of the hill as we rounded a corner, Holly_________with caution, and so I followed her gaze to the path ahead. There, sunning itself in the middle of the track, was a brown_________. This time it was my _________to get scared; I was on a nervous horse, leading a group of eight inexperienced pre-teen riders. Unexpectedly, Holly was firmly__________, ears forward. With the snake in her sight, she was no longer worried.

I have heard that horses have a better sense of__________ than dogs. I hadn't seen it __________ before that moment.__________, while we waited in reality for just a second or two - but for what felt like a century - the snake awoke and glided calmly off into the bush.

Holly then__________, leading the horses with caution and care. She had been alert to danger and had been __________for the safety of us all. Following in the footsteps or their lead mare, not one of the other horses showed any fear.

1.

A．negative

B．graceful

C．pitiful

D．aggressive

2.

A．solution

B．reaction

C．problem

D．difficulty

3.

A．frightened

B．delighted

C．touched

D．attracted

4.

A．chasing

B．leading

C．following

D．pushing

5.

A．proceeded

B．preferred

C．hesitated

D．refused

6.

A．evidence

B．truth

C．signals

D．symbols

7.

A．sped

B．rushed

C．escaped

D．slowed

8.

A．rabbit

B．horse

C．monster

D．snake

9.

A．turn

B．case

C．chance

D．rule

10.

A．sealed

B．planted

C．fastened

D．frozen

11.

A．vision

B．direction

C．smell

D．hearing

12.

A．proved

B．denied

C．ignored

D．demonstrated

13.

A．Unfortunately

B．Undoubtedly

C．Thankfully

D．Instantly

14.

A．fell off

B．went back

C．came out

D．stepped forward

15.

A．responsible

B．regretful

C．grateful

D．available

9 . If you ask 100 people what subjects they wish they had been taught in school, there is a chance that the vast majority of them will complain about the lack of personal finance education. In my case, I did learn a bit about financing while in school — just not in the classroom. One of my earliest lessons on the basics of budgeting came from an unlikely source: the cafeteria.

My lunch budget was a set amount each week. Without a plan, it would be all too easy to blow through the budget long before meeting all expenses. Therefore, my very first budgeting lesson was to make a budget well. A bit of simple arithmetic (算术) helped me determine exactly how much money I could spend each day if I wanted to actually have lunch all week.

Besides, my school had relatively diverse lunch offerings. You could not only get the common hot school lunch but also find many other foods of varying attractions. As far as I was concerned, what attracted me most was the ice cream. Unfortunately, I couldn’t blow my daily lunch budget on ice cream. And I’d already figured out that splurging early in the week made for a rough time for the rest of the week. Hence, I learned my second important budgeting lesson: save for a goal. Because of this lesson, when Friday rolled around, I would have just enough left over for a wonderful lunch and the highly desirable ice cream.

Nowadays, my budget is a bit more complicated than the lunch budget in the past. Although I no longer have to save my pennies for a frozen treat, budgeting my money today uses the exact same skills I learned all those years ago. Actually, whether you’re budgeting for school lunches or credit card bills, the basics remain the same. And it’s never too early — or too late — to learn how to make a proper budget.

1. What can we learn about the author while she was in school?

A．She showed no interest in financial affairs.

B．She often complained about her school subjects.

C．She learned about financing from her own experience.

D．She eagerly expected to get personal finance education.

2. What did the author probably realize after eating at the cafeteria?

A．She should plan her lunch budget carefully.

B．Her health mattered more than anything else.

C．Her budget for lunch was far from reasonable.

D．She should improve her arithmetic as much as possible.

3. What does the underlined word “splurging” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Trying to save money.	B．Making a plan for money.
C．Spending much money freely.	D．Being concerned about money.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To introduce some lessons about making a budget.

B．To encourage people to learn some budgeting skills.

C．To stress the significance of saving money in our life.

D．To remind people to pay attention to their lunch budget.

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

Nature, while beautiful, could also be unpredictable and merciless. But most importantly we bear in mind that in the darkest times, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, just like Mrs. Evans‘ cabin light.

One bright summer day, my friend Peter and I decided to venture into the unexplored trails of the Great Smoky Mountains. Blessed with rich biodiversity and fascinating landscapes, the national park seemed a perfect getaway. Little did we know that our casual hike would soon turn into an unexpected personal incident, forever engraved in our memories.

We set off early in the morning, equipped with our backpacks and a map that was supposed to guide us through the winding trails. The sun was up, casting long shadows on the forest floor as we set off on our journey. We trekked (艰难行走), laughed, and marveled at the beauty of nature around us.

As we trekked through the dense forests, taking in the natural wonders around us, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of adventure coursing through our veins. The trail was rugged and uneven, but we persevered through the challenging landscape.

Midway through our expedition, we stumbled upon a breathtaking waterfall, its glistening waters cascading down the rocks in a quiet and peaceful melody. We sat down by the water’s edge, taking a moment to get lost in the beauty of nature. The cool mist from the waterfall enveloped us, and we felt refreshed and energetic.

As the day wore on, we ventured deeper into the wilderness, eager to explore every corner of this natural paradise. We were so absorbed in the beauty of nature that just didn't notice our way and it seemed that we could not find the way back to the familiar part of the forest. Panicking, we scrambled to find our way back but the dense vegetation and winding trails only served to confuse us further. We tried to remember any possible signs that might lead us back, No sooner had we celebrated our return to the clear trails than something worse happened.

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。
Para.1:Suddenly, the weather took an abrupt turn.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Para.2:Just when we were about to give up, a faint light flickered in the distance
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________