1 . Directions: Reading the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage with no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Giving Money to Families with Kids Can Relieve Child Poverty

Nearly 1 in 5 American children is officially poor. That’s roughly 15 million kids. But the number living with a significant deprivation——insufficient food, seriously overcrowded housing or a lack of access to medical care due to cost-is actually much higher. According to the latest studies, it’s more like 1 in 3.

A mountain of evidence now shows that poverty can lead to cognitive (认知的) and emotional damage in children. Child poverty is too harmful and punishing to ignore. A growing number of academics believe there is a solution: the government should give monthly cash allowances, without conditions, to every family with kids.

When Michael Harrington’s classic book, The Other America, called attention to America’s general poverty rate of about 25% in 1962, Washington developed social programs that brought the rate down sharply. Valuable policies intended to relieve child poverty have been enacted since then, but they are not enough: 1 in 3 children does not receive the full benefits of these programs because their parents do not qualify for them.

A family with two children receiving $300 to $400 a month per child could improve their standard of living immediately. Money can buy food, heat, coats, eye-glasses and regular doctors’ visits, including transportation, and help pay for childcare. It can also help reduce family stress and help parents provide a psychologically nourishing environment for learning and social development. Studies demonstrate children’s improved educational performance when families are simply given more money.

For far less money-about $100 billion-the number of children living in official poverty could be cut in half. Such a policy would be a humane, practical, efficient victory for a nation too willing to neglect its poor.

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3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．She had run a long way.

B．She felt weak and tired in the subway.

C．She had done a lot of work.

D．She had given blood the night before.

2.

A．By lifting her to the platform to get others’ help.

B．By moving her with the help of his girlfriend.

C．By holding her arm and pulling her along the ground.

D．By waking her up and dragging her away from the edge.

3.

A．Danger in the subway.	B．A subway rescue.
C．How to save people.	D．A traffic accident.

4 . Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children. It primarily focuses on learning through playing to encourage children’s different kinds of development.     1    

Studies with Head Start programs throughout the United States have shown some evidence that there are quite a few advantages to early childhood education, which can produce significant gains in children’s learning and development. Compared with a child who does not attend pre-school, children completing their early education programs are found to be better at math and reading skills. They are excited to learn and have the tools to do so.     2     These children are more competent in their pre-school, kindergarten and school-age years, and they are usually reported as “friendlier” by parents and the children’s peers.

    3     In studies with matched control groups, more students who had early schooling experiences were employed at the age of 19, fewer were on welfare, and fewer were involved with the criminal activity. What’s more, some studies show that children attending pre-school are more likely to graduate and have higher education, and be well integrated as an adult.

Early childhood education gives most children a jump-start on education for their kindergarten and primary school years. It is clear that early childhood education do a lot of good to children.     4     If early childhood education is less effective, perhaps the best model is finding strategies for allowing a parent to stay home with his or her child for at least the first two to three years. Also important is considering a child’s own personality. Individual differences in children mean that not all children will get equal benefits from early childhood education.

A．The long-term influence of early education is significant as well.

B．They can benefit greatly from encouragement in their early childhood.

C．Yet its quality must be assessed to see what kind of benefits it actually provides.

D．They are also able to relate to others in a superior way and that improves their social skills.

E．Many experts of education, however, are concerned about what early childhood education means today.

F．It consists of activities that serve children in the pre-school years and is designed to improve later school performance.

5 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. numerous            B. regulations        C. compared   D. elaborate     E. advantage       F. adopted G. previously       H. additionally             I. estimated             J. ranging     K. innovation

Live Shows are back, and so are street stalls

With the revival of live music gigs in China this year, stalls outside of concert venues have become increasingly popular again across the country.

Vendors offer goods     1     from essentials like water and raincoats to fan merchandise such as bracelets (手镯) and tattoo stickers. They aim to attract the large groups of fans going to the concerts.

The China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA, 中国演出行业协会) reported that in the first half of 2023, the country hosted over 190,000 performances. The number increased by 400.86%     2     with the previous year. These performances have attracted over 60 million music enthusiasts. Another report     3     that China’s performance market would reach 90.3 billion yuan by the end of this year.

“Where there are business opportunities, there is potential for stalls,” said Hu Xiaowu, an expert on urban science. “As more concerts are organized in different cities, many young people have found the chance to sell goods related to the events.“

Zeng Dexiong, a professor of social sciences, believed more people would take     4     of this new wave. This, he said, would probably bring about fierce competition, which in turn would lead to more creativity and     5    .

Sun Ximin,25, set up a stall as a side hustle when a large venue near her home in Guangzhou hosted its first concert in April. There weren’t many stalls back then, and she sold simple hair accessories (配饰).When more vendors gathered outside, Sun had to offer more     6     services, like braiding (编发), to stand out. To attract more customers, she styled her own hair in complex braids.    7    , she offered free Polaroid photos.

For Li Zhenzhen, a 23-year-old citizen of Xi’an in Shaanxi province, success lies in seeking the best location. She found it was more beneficial to locate her stall near a subway station rather than the concert venue’s entrance. She explained that concertgoers are likely to buy the goods on impulse (一时冲动) as they get out of the station. However, as they walk past     8     stalls on the way to the entrance, their desire to purchase wanes.

The rapid development of the street stall economy offers young people flexible opportunities to earn money, Hu noted.

Recognizing this, local governments are now easing     9     to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit. Cities like Beijing and Shenzhen have already     10     policies to support stall operations, setting aside specific areas for vendors.

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

The term “killjoy parents” has been trending on Chinese social media platforms as many young people complain that their parents would rather criticize than     1     (praise) them for their accomplishments. One poster, for example, remarked that his parents said his high score in math wasn’t good enough because several other students had scored higher. Another complained that, after getting accepted into a “second-tier (二流的)” university, the response he got from his father was “Congratulations. You got admitted to a garbage university.”

It’s a terrible feeling to have someone “burst your bubble” when you think they should be sharing your Joy. And your parents, after all, are probably the people     2     you most want to share the best moments in your life. But why do some parents seem to be so hard to please?

I think a lot of it has to do with Chinese society. Parents know that life can be full of hardship and difficulties, and they want their children to be hardened“ to these realities. Another reason     3     probably be found deep in Chinese culture.

When I asked a Chinese friend     4     Chinese parents don’t praise their children, he said it’s because they don’t want to bring their children bad luck. He told me the story of two women sitting in a park and watching their children play. One of the mothers said to the other, “Your boy is so handsome and healthy.” That other mother replied, “No, he’s very ugly and he’s a very sickly child.” The mother, my friend explained, didn’t want her son praised     5     the “gods” heard and punished him. It’s an old superstition (迷信), but it does have some basis in fact.

American parents, at the other extreme,     6     (teach) to never criticize their children because it may hurt their feelings their self-esteem (自尊). Instead, they are told to always praise their children, even for failure. Psychologists (心理学家) now believe this is a bad idea. According to one study, too much praise can result in negative effects.     7     kids with low self-esteem felt even worse about themselves, kids with high self-esteem became narcissistic (自恋的) or self-centered. Moreover, children who got too much praise were     8     (likely) to take risks, were unable to deal with failure, and tended to give up when     9     (face) with challenges.

Having “killjoy parents “ may not be enjoyable,     10     it’ s important to recognize that their seemingly critical nature doesn’t negate (否定) the love they have for you. In their hearts, they genuinely (真诚地) share in your joy.

8 . Directions: Write an English composition in 100-120 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.
如今一次性塑料制品（disposable plastic products）在我们生活中随处可见，很多人已经将其视为必不可少的生活用品。请简述使用一次性塑料制品的好处和弊端，可参考表格信息；并谈谈你对使用一次性塑料制品的建议。

Advantages	Disadvantages
便利，卫生（hygienic adj.）	塑料制品对人体潜在危害
可回收，反复利用	不可生物降解（not biodegradable） 威胁野生动物存活
用途广泛（如医疗用品）	增大碳足迹，对环境负面影响

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10 .

A．4．

B．5．

C．6．

D．7．