1 . A family attempting to travel to Australia without flying have arrived in the country after a three-and-a-half-month journey. Shannon Coggins, Theo Simon and their daughter Rosa, 19, left England to begin their 10 thousand-mile trip to Sydney on 16 August. The family was hoping to make it in time for Ms. Coggins’ sister’s wedding on 28 December.
The family saved up for several years to pay for the trip, which has cost them much more than air tickets would have done. They travelled through Kazakhstan, China, Laos, Thailand and Indonesia, and finally arrived in Dili, hoping to find a boat to cross the Timor Sea to Darwin, Australia. From there they planned to take a bus to Sydney.
“The world is a huge thing, and one personal thing that I do will never make the difference that we need but I want to live by my principles,” Ms. Coggins said. “I want a clean world for my daughter when she’s growing up in the future and the grandchildren. But the world is getting hotter. There is so much going on in Australia here at the moment with floods and fires, and I think we’ve all got to take that seriously.”
“All three of us have campaigned in different ways for action on climate change, so we decided our journey to Australia would have to be as low-carbon as practical,” Mr. Simon said.
The family arrived on the other side of the world just in time. But they said there were many moments during their journey across continents and oceans when they thought they might not make it to Australia. A conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the danger of travelling through Iran, forced them on a four day detour (绕行) through Russia where Mr. Simon almost get arrested.
“It hasn’t always been easy, but it was worth it”, Mr. Simon added. “We want to keep this beautiful planet, don’t we?”
1. Why did the family travel to Sydney?| A．To take a global tour. | B．To attend a wedding. |
| C．To explore the nature. | D．To advocate saving energy. |
| A．They couldn’t afford the air tickets. |
| B．They joined a nationwide campaign. |
| C．They were afraid of the terrible weather. |
| D．They tried to reduce their carbon footprints. |
| A．Mr. Simon was arrested when going through Russia. |
| B．The family was discontent with the adventurous trip. |
| C．The family’s journey was not quite straightforward. |
| D．The family didn’t manage to reach Australia at last. |
| A．Tough but worthwhile. | B．Smooth but expensive. |
| C．Relaxing and incredible. | D．Inappropriate and disappointed. |
Desire Is Different from Wish
The last ray of sunlight sh one through the window. A small figure sat at the corner of the room surrounded by a cloud of misery (痛苦) as he had been forbidden to go out by his mother for a whole day but he didn’t make a serious mistake.
This young boy studied in the local school and dreamed to be an artist but his mother was against his dream. She thought the profession of artist couldn’t aid a person to meet his daily expenses. The boy didn’t want his mother to worry as he knew about the hard work his mother did in order to survive after his father died in an accident.
As each day passed his dream became more passionate and practiced more. One day the young boy wandered in the hill to gather inspiration from the nature. Then he stopped at a picturesque spot and watched those green grass at the bottom, but after a few seconds he fell asleep. In his dream he was creating a master piece of art that shook down the whole world. After some time he woke up and went back.
The following day he read about a painting competition that was being held in the town. He got the perfect opportunity to fulfill his desire but he didn’t have the courage to ask his mother for money to buy acrylic paints (丙烯颜料) and some brushes for the competition. In the evening when his mother returned from work, he saw that his mother had a few notes and that money would be enough for him to buy those materials.
The next morning before his mom woke up he quietly took the money and headed to the place where the competition was being held. As the competition began, he was quite nervous but he calmed down after a few seconds. He drew the place that he saw in his dream. He was so focused at his own work that he lost the track of time but he submitted his work just a couple of seconds before the end.
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。
When he went back home, he was frightened to see his mother.
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After a week, there was a call for the child from the competition.
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Sharpen your axe
Once upon a time, there were two woodcutters named Charles and John. Both of them were from the same town. They were often arguing with each other over who cut down more wood. So one beautiful morning, they decided to hold a woodcutting competition to determine the winner between them. The rules of competition were pretty simple—whoever produces the most wood in half a day wins.
They moved towards woodland nearby. Both of them took up their positions in the jungle and started cutting away trees in their fastest possible speed. Chop, chop, chop...The sound of axes hitting wood echoed(回响) throughout the forest. This lasted for an hour and all of a sudden Charles stopped. When John noticed that there was no chopping sound from Charles’s side, he thought: “Ah Ha! Charles must be tired already!” And he continued to chop down his trees with double motivation and pace.
A quarter of an hour passed, and John heard his opponent chopping again. After this both Charles and John carried on. John was starting to feel exhausted and the chopping from Charles stopped once again. Feeling motivated and sensing victory close by, John continued on, with a huge smile on his face. But after 15 minutes, John could hear the chopping sound again from Charles end. John brought his all energy together and kept cutting the trees to go ahead with the competition.
This went on the whole morning. Every hour, Charles would stop chopping the wood for fifteen minutes while John kept going persistently. So at 12 o’clock when the competition ended, John was totally confident that he would win the competition. He walked to Charles’s side and wanted to show off his great work.
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。
But to John’s surprise, Charles had actually chopped down more wood.
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Charles smiled and replied, “It is very simple. I just stopped to sharpen the axe.”
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4 . Last weekend, a couple, Katie and Zack Watson, headed to Birmingham to see Garth Brooks’ concert. They were supposed to attend the show with an old friend, but their friend was in hospital because of his long-term staying up late to work and couldn’t go.
“We have the third ticket. We try to give it away. It is just sitting out there, no takers,” Katie said. They were staying in a Homewood hotel and thought a Uber would be the best way to get to the concert. Their first Uber driver canceled the order, and the clock was ticking. Katie called another Uber driver and hoped for the best. “Your driver is Vicky,” came the message from Uber.
On the way to the stadium, Vicky told the couple about how much she loved Garth Brooks. She was not even from Birmingham but came to drive people in the area. “I guess you’re heading to the Garth Brooks’ concert,” said Vicky. “I love Garth so much-seeing one of his concerts is on my dream list. Someday I might get a chance to see him in person. He has such a beautiful soul.”
Zack and Katie looked at one another and smiled. “Would you like to go to the concert with us?” Katie asked. Vicky’s heart jumped. A country girl from Guin, Alabama, got a chance to see Garth Brooks? “Look, there’s an empty parking spot!” shouted Katie. “Quick, Vicky! Pull in to the space and you can go to the concert with us!”
The three new friends sat together for hours at Protective Stadium-a memory of all three would last forever.
“There’s no doubt that getting to take Vicky to the concert makes me feel good,” Katie said. “It is the least we can do, and we believe it really made Vicky’s night.”
Vicky said she felt exultant, and she was reminded that there are good people in the world. “Zack and Katie are so kind. I still can’t believe I once was inside the stadium,” she said. “I’m just a country girl at heart. A country girl who achieved a dream.”
1. What made the couple’s old friend unable to attend Garth Brooks’ concert?| A．The bad weather. | B．His little interest. |
| C．His illness. | D．The busy work. |
| A．Vicky used it. | B．No one took it. |
| C．It was left in the hotel. | D．It was kept for the couple’s old friend. |
| A．Confused. | B．Excited. | C．Stressed. | D．Bored |
| A．She is a bus driver. | B．She is a fan of Garth Brooks. |
| C．She was born in Birmingham. | D．She is an old friend of the couple’s. |
5 . One day in summer, as Terry passed through the crossroads, a truck ran a red light, crashing into his car violently, throwing him out of his seat belt and sending him flying five meters through the air. Within minutes, Terry’s unconscious body was picked up by the medical workers at the side of the road. Noticing his skin had taken on a deep blue color — indicating a lack of oxygen — the medical workers put a pipe down Terry’s throat, and he was rushed to nearby Oshawa General Hospital. “ By the time Terry came in, we were ready and waiting for him, ” said Marianne Timmermans, one of the nurses who initially worked on him. He was in severe condition.
Moments later, police arrived with the news. Lorraine, Terry’s wife, remembered seeing him in the Intensive Care Unit for the first time after the accident. There was nothing but ma-chines all over him. He wasn’t a pretty sight. He lay deep in a coma (昏迷). But Terry’s powers of recovery were as unbelievable as his injuries seemed to be. Three weeks after being thrown from his vehicle, he came out of his coma. Although he was by all appearances intact, Terry would soon reveal an injury far more severe than whatever damage had been done to his body.
When Terry awoke from his coma, he had been all but reduced to the level of a child. Everything from his ability to talk and walk to his understanding of what it meant to be a husband and a father seemed gone. Much as Terry had a problem, he never gave up and he also had the support of his family, marked by small victories and a renewed bond between him and his three daughters when they taught him how to play football again.
It has taken years to rebuild his shattered life, but today, more than 20 years since his playing days, Terry is a highly popular motivational speaker. He tells his story of perseverance and courage and family’s support in his presentation Seize Each Day.
1. Why did the car accident happen?| A．Terry drove his car too fast. | B．Terry didn’t fasten his seat belt. |
| C．The truck driver didn’t obey the traffic law. | D．The driver lost control of his truck. |
| A．Lorraine’s care for Terry. | B．The police’s response to the accident. |
| C．Terry’s health progress after the accident. | D．Terry’s effort to recover from injuries. |
| A．He has lost the ability of talking and walking. |
| B．He owes success to his family and his determination. |
| C．He finds it hard to get along well with his daughters. |
| D．He don’t bear the responsibilities of husband and father. |
| A．An inspiring story. | B．A successful father. |
| C．A harmonious family. | D．An extraordinary accident. |
6 . One day after work, I was using a pay phone when suddenly I found a wallet on the floor. I
Looking in the wallet a little further, I found a ticket of buying the wallet with a phone number listed. I took a
The next day the man came to my office early. I returned him his
But the following thing that happened caught me by
| A．gave up | B．looked through | C．took out | D．dealt with |
| A．engineer | B．customer | C．advertiser | D．owner |
| A．asked | B．explained | C．wondered | D．knew |
| A．chance | B．trip | C．photo | D．shower |
| A．delivery | B．office | C．website | D．home |
| A．pick up | B．find out | C．search for | D．focus on |
| A．shocked | B．tracked | C．appreciated | D．attacked |
| A．quickly | B．curiously | C．finally | D．bally |
| A．forgot | B．limited | C．set | D．stayed |
| A．pocket | B．budget | C．ticket | D．wallet |
| A．informed | B．reformed | C．harmed | D．ignored |
| A．touched | B．approached | C．frightened | D．reminded |
| A．stressed | B．discussed | C．chatted | D．cheated |
| A．time | B．accident | C．surprise | D．contrast |
| A．strange | B．small | C．powerful | D．common |
7 . Zara Rutherford, at age 19, became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in January, 2022. Her history-making journey covered five continents and more than 28,000 sea miles in 155 days. Her incredible achievement broke two Guinness World Records as Zara became the youngest woman to fly around the globe in a microlight(超轻型) airplane.
“I made it,” Zara said as she reached home and her final destination, Kortrijk-Wevelgem airport in western Belgium.
A large, joyful crowd that included her proud parents awaited her with a hero’s welcome. Reporters surrounded her as she got off the aircraft, eager to hear about her amazing journey firsthand.
Zara first left Belgium in a microlight plane named Shark UL plane. Along her journey, she landed in 41 countries. The record-breaking trip took 155 days—a little longer than she expected due to unexpected challenges. She was grounded in some countries for weeks, awaiting safe flying conditions and visa entry approval to her next destination.
Zara flew through wildfires, typhoons and dangerous, sub-zero temperatures to reach her destination and make history. “The hardest part was flying over Siberia—it was extremely cold and, if the engine was to die, I’d be hours away from rescue. I’m not sure I would have survived,” she reflected. One particularly painful moment occurred when she had to make an unscheduled landing in California because of wildfire smoke. “At one point, I just couldn’t see anymore,” she said. “It got really turbulent.”
At several points on her journey, Zara said she was struck by the beauty of the natural wonders below. She also came across many kind strangers throughout her trip.
1. What happened to Zara Rutherford?| A．She traveled around the globe with her parents. |
| B．She traveled alone around the world on a boat tour. |
| C．She made a name by flying alone around the world. |
| D．She bought her own microlight airplane at age 19. |
| A．It took less time than expected. | B．It was always full of danger and fright. |
| C．It went smoothly from beginning to end. | D．Its start and end were both in Belgium. |
| A．significant | B．dangerous | C．amazing | D．unforgettable |
| A．A young woman’s amazing solo flight |
| B．A beautiful but frightening flight |
| C．How long does it take to fly solo around the globe? |
| D．What difficulties did Zara encounter on her journey? |
I go to work by bus almost every day, although I have my own car, because it is cheaper and I like the feeling of being with others. I’m the kind of person who likes to watch people. I live in a small town, so I see many of the same people getting on the bus with me every day, on their way to and from work. For many months, I noticed an elderly man get on at one of the stops and always head to the back of the bus.
He wore the same clothes every day. The clothes were well-worn, but clean. I could tell he led a simple life. I had never spoken to this gentleman, but he usually gave me a smile when he passed by. One day, it was snowing so I drove to work, for I didn’t want to be late. I noticed the gentleman standing on a street corner. He held a sign in his hand asking for money.
I went home that day and wrote him a note saying I was grateful for what I had in my life and that I wanted to share some of it with him. In the note I wrote: Hi, I am Larissa. Maybe I seem like a stranger to you, but I am on the same bus as you almost every day. I saw you the other day on the street, and I hope this money can help you. I wish you a pleasant week.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段开头语已为你写好;
Paragraph 1:
I put a small amount of money in an envelope...
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Paragraph 2:
The note read: " Hi Larissa...
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9 . “Your mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds,” William Wordsworth wrote. In the above quote, William suggests that the process of gardening mirrors human life. Depending on what we “plant” in our lives, we bloom (生长茂盛) or don’t. Before you start to work in your garden, it’s necessary to have a vision for it. Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step in making your vision a fruitful reality. In life, you should consider what you want to create and what you want to achieve, because your mind-garden is like the white paper and the possibilities are endless.
Regardless of what you choose to plant, poor soil isn’t suitable for growth. This is why gardeners take the time and energy to upgrade the soil before planting. So, creating the right soil is important to the realization of your goals and dreams. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make your personal bedrock better. Getting an education is one of the most effective ways, which can help you enrich your life’s soil.
You don’t have to be an enthusiastic gardener to understand the meaning of “You reap(收获) what you sow.” When a gardener wants tomatoes, they just need to plant tomato seeds. It’s a very clear act that produces an expected result. Each of us has the power to decide which “life seeds” to plant. For example, if you plant ill seeds, it's likely that you’ll experience pain in return. Contrarily, if you plant seeds of kindness and understanding, your life will bloom with happiness and love.
A gardener’s truly arduous work begins after the seeds are in the ground because a garden requires a lot of care and attention. Regular watering and weeding are required for a healthy garden. So, to ensure your dreams take root, you should be devoted, aware, and present. After countless hours and energy spent, the crops have grown well and are finally ready to be harvested.
1. What is important before gardeners break ground in their gardens?| A．Receiving some training in planting. |
| B．Drawing up a good plan for their gardens. |
| C．Having the courage to accept the worst outcome. |
| D．Doing research on the common local garden plants. |
| A．Improving the condition of the soil. | B．Growing your most favorable plants. |
| C．Taking care of the plants in your garden. | D．Selecting proper goals in gardening work. |
| A．Your quality of life depends on your positive action. |
| B．Your experience can help you understand plants better. |
| C．Your choice of soil is an important part in your gardening. |
| D．Your knowledge of planting will make you a successful gardener. |
| A．Beneficial | B．Creative | C．Boring. | D．Tough |
