1 . 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。
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。

She was the prettiest puppy we had ever seen, and the whole family immediately fell in love with her. We named her Onyx because of her black, shiny black coat. She spent her first vacation with us when she was only ten weeks old and had her first bath and swim in the St. Lawrence River. We had no clue that this amazing little ball of fur would end up being our hero.

As she grew older, Onyx became more and more involved in our family activities. On hot summer days, Onyx enjoyed floating on the river with us in her own rubber tube (橡皮圈). Amazingly standing on the top of the tube, she smiled while showing off her perfect balance. Resting her front legs and paws over the edge of the rubber tube, she kept her eyes shut as she floated until she’d had enough of the warm sun on her black coat.

One day, our eighteen-year-old daughter, Margie, announced she was going to swim across the bay. No one in the family was free to go swimming with her. The unwritten rules, regardless of swimming ability, was to have a companion in the water with you, especially when swimming the width of the bay. I was not a good swimmer, so I said to Margie, “Take Onyx with you.” Having heard her name, Onyx woke up from a nap and was ready for action. Margie signed the dog to follow her. Onyx ran to the water next to her. They entered the freezing river together and swam side by side across the bay.

I watched from the bank as they reached the sandbar (沙洲) on the far shore. They rested a few minutes before diving into the water for the return trip. I felt uneasy for some reason and continued to watch the pair swim side by side.

Suddenly I heard Margie calling out, “I have a cram (痉挛) in the leg! ”

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Seeing the pair approaching the riverbank, I breathed a sigh of relief.

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2 . 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。

I’ve always known that I’m very quick with my hands. If someone throws something, I catch it almost before I’m aware it has been thrown. When I was young, I had no idea how useful this skill would become.

Last week, I was going to visit a friend with her newborn and was on my way to a toy store to buy a gift. I’d once lived in the neighbourhood and I decided to head back to my old cupcake shop for a coffee. Sitting alone at a table outside with my drink, I was approached by an older man, who in a calm and very matter-of-fact way told me to call 911, because there was a baby on a fire escape.

I jumped up to see where the baby was. I was so surprised to see it, wearing a little onesie (连体衣) and lying on the fire escape railings (栏杆) between the second and third storeys. I was nervous, so the baby boy became my only priority.

As I was on the phone to the emergency services, I made eye contact with the child, keeping him calm, telling him to stay there. Some people were going up the stairs to find the parents, who were apparently sleeping through the whole drama.

I just wanted the child to feel safe. I hoped he’d stay there until somebody could rescue him. Apparently he had slipped through pieces of cardboard placed next to an air-conditioning unit in the window, and without bars to protect him he’d crawled (爬) out and up the fire escape towards the next storey. He was only 16 months old. For him to even climb up and balance in that position was incredible.

Then he slipped. Instinctively (本能), he grabbed on the railing as he fell, hanging by his arms. I knew he couldn’t hold on, 25 feet above the street, for long. I sensed people had gathered behind, but my attention was purely focused on my intention to catch the baby.

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。

I made sure I was positioned to catch him.

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The moments after he was saved were exciting.

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3 . A vast majority of people usually argue that cycling can make a significant contribution to our world. In reality, there is a gap between desired and actual numbers. In Germany, for instance, only 20% of the everyday short-distance trips are covered by bicycle. When enquiring about the causes, researchers found one point repeatedly tops the list: the perceived or potential risk on the bike routes used. Increasing the share of cycling trips thus depends crucially on well-developed bike paths.

However, designing efficient bike path networks is a complex task that involves balancing a variety of limitations while meeting overall demand. In addition, many districts are confronted with a shortage of funds available for improving the infrastructure. Researchers propose a new approach to generating efficient bike path networks. This considers demand distribution and the route option of cyclists based on preferences for secure outings. Typically, minimizing the travel distance is far from the solely goal. Aspects such as attractiveness of a route are also taken into account.

Under real conditions, a bike path network is created by constantly adding bike paths to more streets. This time, researchers start with an ideal, complex network, in which all streets in a city are equipped with a bike path. In a virtual process, they gradually remove less used bike path sections from this network. The route selection of cyclists is continuously updated. Thus, a series of bike path networks is created and is always adapted to the current usage. Each stage of it corresponds to a variant that could be carried out with less financial support.

“We illustrate the applicability of this demand-driven planning for crowded urban areas of Dresden and Hamburg,” explains researcher Christoph Steinacker. “We are approaching a real-life issue here using the theoretic toolbox of network dynamics and compare efficient bike path networks under different conditions.”

1. Why do people rarely cycle?

A．They think of cycling as inefficient.	B．They usually take long-distance trips.
C．They’re concerned about the security.	D．They’re unable to find special bike roads.

2. What is a challenge for good bike path networks?

A．Tight budgets.	B．Complex routes.
C．Maximized travel distance.	D．Decreasing cycling demand.

3. What can be learned about the planning put forward by researchers?

A．It will be updated once in a while.	B．It is contrary to the real-life design.
C．It ensures every street has a bike path.	D．It serves as a model for other districts.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Good Planning Gets the Bike Rolling	B．A good Network Benefits More People
C．Cycling Paths Change Crowded Urban Areas	D．A New Concept Contributes to a Better World

5 . So few adults can remember the details of their own preschool or kindergarten years, it can be hard to appreciate just how much the early-education landscape has been transformed over the past two decades. The changes are not restricted to the physical environment of classrooms. Teaching methods and curricula have changed too. Much greater parts of the day are now spent on what’s called “seatwork”(a term that probably doesn’t need any explanation) and direct instruction, formerly used mainly in the older grades, in which a teacher carefully controls the content and pacing of what a child is supposed to learn.

One study, titled “Is Kindergarten the New First Grade?” compared kindergarten teachers’ attitudes nationwide in 1998 and 2010 and found that the percentage of teachers expecting children to know how to read by the end of the year had risen from 30 to 80 percent. The researchers also reported more time spent with workbooks and worksheets, and less time devoted to music and art. Kindergarten is indeed the new first grade, the authors concluded. In turn, children who would once have used the kindergarten year as a gentle transition into school are in some cases being held back before they’ve had a chance to start.

Until recently, school-readiness skills weren’t high on anyone’s agenda, nor was the idea that the youngest learners might be disqualified from moving on to the next stage. But now that kindergarten serves as a gatekeeper, not a welcome mat, to elementary school, concerns about school preparedness kick in earlier and earlier. A child who’s supposed to read by the end of kindergarten had better be getting ready in preschool. As a result, expectations that may arguably have been reasonable for 5- and 6-year-olds, such as being able to sit at a desk and complete a task using pencil and paper, are now directed at even younger children, who Jack the motor skills and attention span to be successful.

Preschool classrooms have become increasingly difficult spaces, with teachers asking pre-schoolers to finish their “work” before they can go play. And yet, even as pre-schoolers are learning more pre-academic skills at earlier ages, I’ve heard many teachers say that they seem somehow less curious and less engaged than the kids of earlier generations. More children today seem to lack the language skills needed to retell a simple story or to use basic connecting words and prepositions. They can’t make a conceptual analogy between, say, the veins(纹理) on a leaf and the veins in their own hands.

That’s right. The same educational policies that are publishing academic goals down to ever earlier levels seem to be contributing to the fact that young children are gaining fewer skills, not more.

1. What can be inferred from the sentence “Kindergarten is indeed the new first grade”?

A．Kindergarten is going to replace the first grade in the future.

B．Kindergarten kids are asked to learn what first-graders learn.

C．Today’s kindergarten kids are smarter than first graders in the past.

D．Some kids choose to skip kindergarten to go to the first grade directly.

2. By “kindergarten serves as a gatekeeper”, the writer implies that some kindergarten kids________.

A．might not be able to go to the kindergarten

B．are worried about their school-readiness skills

C．are not allowed to move on to elementary school

D．think of the kindergarten year as a gentle transition

3. What idea does the writer intend to convey in Paragraph 4?

A．Pre-schoolers need to be academically prepared.

B．Preschool teachers are not as kind as they used to be.

C．Today’s preschool education doesn’t prove successful.

D．Children pick up their first language later than before.

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．What Preschool Kids Should Be Taught

B．How the New Preschool Is Damaging Kids

C．Why We Should Take Preschoolers Seriously

D．Who Is to Blame for Preschoolers’ Lack of Skills

7 . With climate change continuing to worsen, our situation is beginning to feel increasingly serious.     1     Is it right? Maybe not.

Techno-optimism is one of the greatest misconceptions when it comes to solutions to ensure our future. It can be defined as a belief that future technologies will solve all of our current problems. This definition reinforces (强化) the idea that there’s no reason to panic or change our current energy-intensive lifestyle. All society needs to do is look to green technology to work its magic.     2    

One of the best examples of this optimistic misconception is the electric car. Despite being highly regarded as an eco-friendly way to get around, electric cars are not the end for the future of transport. Batteries in electric cars use chemical elements which we could be seeing a shortage of by the midcentury.     3     Techno-optimism has led many to believe that if everyone just switched to driving electric vehicles, we would be making incredible steps towards sustainability. However, the reality is that the amount of resources and energy needed to produce enough electric vehicles for everyone is not even remotely sustainable.

    4     Investing in public transportation and moving away from individually owned vehicles. Producing fewer cars. Improving recycling practices of old batteries. The solutions we seek should not be rooted in new technology, but be about changing the way our society functions.

Techno-optimism puts too much emphasis on technology and not enough on what we can do right this minute. Unfortunately, people seem to like the picture that techno-optimism paints.     5     It is important to understand that the problem begins when we see those technologies as a way to make our current lifestyles eco-friendly. Until we are ready to face the need for a less complex life, we cannot make true progress towards sustainability.

A．So where should we look for answers instead?

B．The modern world’s simple solution is technology.

C．Moreover, they are more energy intensive to produce.

D．Is it a trap that many people have fallen into in recent years?

E．Unfortunately, this is an incredibly dangerous opinion to hold.

F．Despite any technology, we as a whole are not living sustainably.

G．Nevertheless, the truth is, we need a widespread change in our lifestyles.

8 . Society tells us we should socialize to the fullest, and that those who are surrounded by people are the most successful and the happiest. These days, we’re almost always connected, whether in person or through our phone screens and online social networks. But there’s something to be said for solitude (独处) Being alone “ doesn’t necessarily mean ” being lonely”. In fact, spending time by yourself is an essential element of self-care.

Around the globe, different cultures have wide-ranging perspectives on what it means to spend time alone. If you live or have spent time in the United States, you’re probably aware that Americans tend to reject solitude. For many younger people, weekends are packed with social activities, ranging from brunch with friends to dinner parties to game nights to drinking at bars and everything in between.

The United States isn’t the only place where you’ll find a heavy emphasis on social time. Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom is known for being an extremely extroverted (外向型的) country. A survey of Brits found that more than half had never done and would be unwilling to do activities like going to theme parks or seeing live music alone. Most Brits spend almost twice as much of their leisure time socializing with others a as they do being alone.

The home can be a place of rest, relaxation and recharge-that is, if you live by yourself or have the space to be alone in your home. The country in which people are least likely to live alone is India, at about 4 percent of the population. China is also quite fond of multiple-person households, with only about 10 percent of people living by themselves. In more collectivist cultures like these, many aspects of life revolve(围绕) around community. Thus, spending time alone isn’t as ingrained (根深蒂固的) as a social convention in places like these, and the good of the group takes priority over the needs of one person.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．People can benefit more from solitude.	B．People tend to socialize more nowadays.
C．Bring alone generally equals being lonely.	D．Being alone enables people to be carefree.

2. Which of the following best describes young Americans?

A．Imaginative and wild.	B．Sensitive and energetic
C．Outgoing and sociable.	D．Optimistic and dutiful.

3. How does the author prove his point?

A．By making a summary.	B．By drawing comparisons.
C．By explaining a concept.	D．By providing examples.

4. Why are most Chinese people more likely to live together?

A．Because they share a specific culture.	B．Because they lack some local customs.
C．Because they possess enough home Space.	D．Because they give priority to their own needs.

9 . Live-stream marketing: A rural rags-to-riches story?

For many years, quality agricultural products were unable to sell in faraway provinces.     1     It prevented them from accessing a wider, urban client. In most cases, because farmers failed to directly reach consumers, their heavy physical labor resulted in very little income. In this regard, live-stream marketing may appeal to young migrant workers and convince them to return home in the countryside.     2    

In Yunnan Province, southwest China, live-stream marketing is currently the most popular way of pushing local products to consumers across the country.     3     It is turning the smartphone into a new farming tool by fashioning new shopping centers. Live-streaming has greatly boosted the province’s produce sales in the past two years. We now have a great business model in place, combining products with high-quality live stream platforms and support packages from the government.     4     Anyway, the continuous development of live-stream marketing is ready to play a big role in raising rural incomes in relatively backward provinces like Yunnan. E-commerce live-streaming is doing pretty well nowadays, but farm produce only accounts for a small share, mainly due to the lack of experienced hosts and infrastructure in rural areas.

    5     How to grow live stream marketing for farm products? Short videos or live-streams, the key is to meet consumers’ demand. High-quality products alone aren’t enough; they must consider buyers’ preferences as well.

A．There arises a question.

B．Government policies and guidance should follow up.

C．The expansion of 5G technology is a vital contribution.

D．The biggest barrier is lack of efficient marketing channels.

E．China has a tradition of intensive cultivation and a huge rural population.

F．But we should establish a complete supply chain based on strict standards.

G．Once back they can introduce more digitally advanced approaches to agricultural management.

10 . How would you feel if you were invited to the moon? If you found a gold coin, would you save it, give it to charity or use it for a holiday? Personality quizzes of this kind, known as “psychometrics”, have bothered many job seekers. Now, it is being applied to the oldest problem in finance: will a borrower repay?

In rich countries, lenders use credit scores to weigh risk. But just 7% of Africans and 13% of South Asians are covered by credit bureaus (征信机构). Bailey Klinger of the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL), which explores new kinds of credit data, argues that psychometrics could include many more people in the financial system. Everyone has a personality, after all.

Judging character is not new. Psychometrics attempts to make it a science. The model developed by EFL has undergone many tests and adapted to different cultures. Its collected data reflect something unnoticed. For instance, young optimists are risky, but old ones are a safe bet.

Clever design cuts cheating. There are no obvious right answers; responses are cross-checked for consistency. The model monitors mouse movements for signs of indecision or distraction. When borrowers lie to get a loan, they often do so in predictable ways. In an EFL test, people are shown pictures of five drinks and asked which one they would be. Choosing water over something with small bubbles may be a sign of cheating.

This sounds fanciful, but there is evidence that it works. In one Indonesian bank, combining psychometrics with existing customer data cut default (违约) rates for small businesses by 45%. A study by the World Bank found that EFL’s model increased lending to those without a credit history.

The technique needs further development. At present, turning to credit bureaus is still the best way to tell if somebody will repay a loan. But bureaus improve more slowly than technology. Lenders will find ever more ways to look into their customers’ souls.

1. What are the figures intended to show in the second paragraph?

A．Racial discrimination from lenders.

B．Uncertain property of poor people.

C．Great risks brought by credit scores.

D．Current weakness of credit bureaus.

2. What can we learn about EFL’s model in the third paragraph?

A．It has been greatly improved.

B．Its data confirm some ideas.

C．Its effects vary with cultures.

D．It can’t tell character exactly.

3. What does “mouse movements” refer to in the fourth paragraph?

A．Borrowers’ responses.	B．Lenders’ answers.
C．Pictures of five drinks.	D．Drinks with bubbles.

4. What does the last paragraph imply about psychometrics in finance?

A．It will replace credit bureaus.

B．It will be mature in the future.

C．It has won most lenders’ love.

D．It is far from satisfactory.