1 . Ahmed was a middle-class businessman and used to go to his office in a car that he had bought seven years ago. Despite being _________ stronger than most of his co-workers, he was _________. Ahmed always wanted more than he had. Whenever he got into his car, he would start finding _________ with it, and drown in self-pity for being so poor.

One weekday, Ahmed left his home to go to his office. It was raining heavily. Ahmed drove _________, for he had to be careful with his _________ car. Then, a man on a motorbike grabbed his _________. The man was _________to keep the bike steady in the thunderstorm. Ahmed was _________ the fact that he was travelling safe and dry in his car. He said to himself, “I’m travelling _________ without getting affected by the rain, while this person is in serious difficulty. I am more __________ than him.”

The day passed quickly. When Ahmed drove back home, the rain had stopped. He saw a homeless man sleeping on the wet sidewalk.

Ahmed remained __________ that night, lost in deep thought. Happiness was around him, yet he always ________ about his life. Neither his car, his house nor status was depressing; what was saddening him was his __________. He knew he had to __________ his thoughts. That day, he __________ an important lesson — happiness comes from optimism!

1.

A．physically

B．spiritually

C．intellectually

D．financially

2.

A．annoyed

B．ashamed

C．dissatisfied

D．discouraged

3.

A．things

B．faults

C．money

D．chance

4.

A．slowly

B．dangerously

C．absent-mindedly

D．self-confidently

5.

A．small

B．old

C．lovely

D．electric

6.

A．balance

B．breath

C．attention

D．imagination

7.

A．longing

B．marching

C．wandering

D．struggling

8.

A．aware of

B．excited about

C．anxious for

D．surprised by

9.

A．freely

B．comfortably

C．quickly

D．frequently

10.

A．hopeful

B．impressive

C．content

D．advanced

11.

A．awake

B．curious

C．disappointed

D．silent

12.

A．cared

B．wondered

C．worried

D．complained

13.

A．attitude

B．intention

C．identity

D．memory

14.

A．share

B．change

C．follow

D．appreciate

15.

A．missed

B．gave

C．learnt

D．observed

2 . Most people as they get older start to take life a little slower and enjoy a leisurely pace. But it is not for Kerry, who ________ pole dancing in her 50s, has no ________ of slowing down any time soon. She’s even ________ her life “began at 50”.

The super fit gran ________ an eating disorder from a young age. Now in the best ________ of her life, she looked back on her youth and claimed she was once told she was “too fat to be a dancer”, sparking an eating disorder and being ________ conscious of her weight. After taking up dancing she felt ________ in her new lease of life.

“At the age of 47 I made a list of things I wanted to ________ and I’ve always wanted to do dancing, but I was worried I was too ________. It was so late in life,” said Kerry. ________ planning on doing one class to ________ it off her list, she found a passion and love for the sport and made a living from it, even participating in ________ too. “I feel like fate really put this in my ________, not only to recover my body but to get rid of the ________ that comes with it,” she explained. Now, she’s on a mission to ________ women that their age doesn’t have to hold them back.

1.

A．kept on

B．took up

C．hoped for

D．subscribed to

2.

A．intentions

B．doubts

C．tasks

D．feelings

3.

A．promised

B．predicted

C．checked

D．claimed

4.

A．remembered

B．indicated

C．battled

D．regretted

5.

A．shape

B．hobby

C．emotion

D．aspect

6.

A．occasionally

B．permanently

C．constantly

D．purposely

7.

A．curious

B．competitive

C．confident

D．awkward

8.

A．make

B．try

C．quit

D．win

9.

A．old

B．fat

C．weak

D．sensitive

10.

A．Still

B．Hardly

C．Never

D．Only

11.

A．cross

B．cut

C．see

D．drop

12.

A．races

B．parades

C．parties

D．shows

13.

A．opinion

B．strategy

C．path

D．dream

14.

A．memory

B．danger

C．power

D．negativity

15.

A．contact

B．protect

C．inspire

D．warn

3 . “You like pottery (陶艺) more than you like science,” a family member said. I knew the comment was made lightly, but I felt frustrated and disappointed. I had worked so hard to achieve a balance between my scientific and artistic pursuits. Why was my creative side still seen as a weakness and a disturbance, in opposition to my science?

As a little girl, I created art by breaking up eggshells, dying them, and gluing them to a cloth. I also conducted science experiments with my mom, a high school science teacher, on the back porch. In college, I loved my chemistry courses and research work, and I regarded cooking as my creative outlet, hosting weekly dinner parties for friends.

Yet I heard time and again that creative expression and science were not possible together. When my college roommate concluded with a personality test that I was the “creative” type, the rest of my friends said that couldn’t be right, because “I was a scientist and therefore was not creative.” As I was preparing for graduate school and studying for the chemistry GRE test, I realized I talked about science the same way I would paint a picture, explaining concepts in broad strokes (粗线条地) — in part because I struggled to remember technical scientific terminology. I worried my way of thinking wouldn’t fit in with “proper” scientists. In the end, though, my desire to pursue a scientific career won out. I figured I would continue to find a way to balance my research with my creative pursuits, regardless of what others thought.

When in graduate school I found pottery, which I could pursue on evenings and weekends. After my first class, I was attracted. It has inspired me to more intentionally mix my art with my science. I keep a notebook at my lab table filled with words of mug (马克杯) designs inspired by my experiments. Through the challenge of getting my paper into its core concepts in such a way that it could be displayed on a mug, I gained a better understanding of my project. Pottery has now turned into a way for me to train my brain to be creative and think outside the box.

1. What did the family member think of the author’s pottery?

A．It still had room for improvement.

B．It would relax the author in her work.

C．It made up for the author’s weakness.

D．It did no good to the author’s career.

2. How did the author show her creativity as a college student?

A．By dying eggshells.

B．By performing science experiments.

C．By doing some cooking.

D．By attending social parties.

3. What can be inferred about the author from paragraph 3?

A．She didn’t get along well with her classmates in college.

B．She nearly gave up her pursuit of art.

C．She once doubted her way of understanding science.

D．She was angry about being misunderstood by friends.

4. What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．The notebook.	B．The design of the mug.
C．The challenge of the paper.	D．The author’s science research.

4 . One night, our house burned down. As a single mother with four kids, she cried bitterly. We had to move into the Ramada Inn, where my mother worked. This was the room where putting one foot in front of the next felt impossible. After four months of not having any of our own air to breathe, we were on the edge of just giving up.

One day Mother stood up, looking crazy. “Let’s go for a ride,” we looked at one another cautiously, not sure if we had heard right. “Come on,” she urged. “It’ll be fun.” We didn’t have fun in our family. Fun was something we might have known about once, which, however, seemed foreign to us now. Still, we piled into our 1972 blue Ford Torino, a blue so faded as to appear almost white. Mother started the car, saying “I thought we’d go to look at all the houses we’ve lived in.”

Embarking on rides that night was my first. Gradually, going for a ride in my mother’s car became a regular thing. Every night we piled into the car and the world changed. We even sang “You Are My Sunshine” and a million other songs. The hope we seemed to have lost in the rest of our life was real again in the car as we sang. One night as we were singing loudly, “In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines and you shiver when the cold wind blows ...” Mother suddenly stopped the car. “This is it!” she cried.

“This” was a house, and a for-rent sign in the front yard brought me more joy than I could believe. “Really?” I asked in a low voice. My mother was excited and we all went to look. We might have a house again. That night, I realized my mother was like us. The following weekend, we moved in. The nights in the car were over. Better off, we had new jobs and activities now. One summer in the Torino had saved us. We had lost our home, but my mother had found a way to bring us together and keep us that way.

1. What did the author think of the room in the Ramada Inn?

A．It was comfortable.

B．It was tiny.

C．It was fashionable.

D．It was broken.

2. How did the kids feel at first when their mother said “It’ll be fun.”?

A．Excited.

B．Embarrassed.

C．Confused.

D．Bored.

3. What does the underlined phrase “Embarking on” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Starting.

B．Desiring.

C．Designing.

D．Fixing.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Singing in the Rain	B．Taking the Easy Path
C．Ringing to the Rescue	D．Running Through Life

5 . A few weeks earlier, my pastor (牧师) had called upon me to be one of ten team leaders to help with the church’s upcoming fundraiser for building improvements. Though I said yes, this was definitely outside my _________.

Each team leader needed to find five to seven people to _________. I already had three team members. I only needed a couple more. _________ the crowd, I noticed Beth. I thought she might have time for the project. I explained everything to her. She listened _________ and agreed that the church needed some _________, and then she said, “I’ll happily donate towards the improvements, but I had the _________ to say no.”

I stood there shocked by her _________. I wasn’t upset about her refusal. _________, I was completely awed (充满敬畏的) by the way in which she _________ it. “I’m giving myself the right to say no.” It had never __________ me that I could say no when asked to help out or volunteer for a project. I was afraid that by saying no, they would __________ me.

Beth had just opened up an entirely new world to me, and I __________ it was time that I gave myself right to say no as well. The next time I was asked to __________ in a project that I didn’t feel was a good fit, I __________, just like Beth had taught me. I discovered that there were no hard __________ when I said no, and it gave me the necessary free time to do a better job with other projects.

1.

A．common practice

B．safety rule

C．comfort zone

D．rock bottom

2.

A．examine

B．follow

C．concentrate

D．participate

3.

A．Scanning

B．Greeting

C．Introducing

D．Inquiring

4.

A．partly

B．attentively

C．accidentally

D．aimlessly

5.

A．improving

B．recovering

C．attempting

D．risking

6.

A．chance

B．right

C．time

D．power

7.

A．application

B．comment

C．response

D．performance

8.

A．Therefore

B．Somehow

C．Otherwise

D．Instead

9.

A．made

B．put

C．got

D．took

10.

A．struck

B．shocked

C．satisfied

D．amazed

11.

A．get hold of

B．catch up with

C．think less of

D．put up with

12.

A．pretended

B．guessed

C．assumed

D．realized

13.

A．assist

B．interview

C．explore

D．observe

14.

A．nodded

B．agreed

C．doubted

D．declined

15.

A．bottoms

B．principles

C．feelings

D．rules

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。

In fifth grade, my family moved across town. I hated being the new kid at school.

I was tall for my age and already wore a size nine shoe—how awkward! My ponytails (马尾辫) and short bangs (刘海) seems quite different from others. I wanted to fit in, but in vain.

Theresa was thin but strong, with blond bangs and tightly pulled-back hair. For a reason unknown to me, she decided that I was worthy of her attention, and every day she walked up to me and kicked me in the back of the legs. Theresa was smart and quick. No teacher ever saw her, and within a week, my legs were bruised (淤青) black and blue.

One day on the playground, as Theresa was about to close in on me again, I escaped away. I glanced over one shoulder and, with relief, didn’t see her and thought she had given up. I stopped abruptly and turned around, unaware that Theresa had been running full-speed toward me. She didn’t expect my sudden stop and crashed into me and fell to the ground. A group of kids standing nearby laughed. Angry, she got up and began to kick me. I couldn’t stand any more. So I made a fist and swung my arm wildly. I caught Theresa in the nose, and she was bleeding. I didn’t know which of us was more surprised. Then we made a big fight. Consequently, we were taken to the principal’s office. He said we should be punished and then filled a form, I stared at his desk and realized that I could read the form upside down. It reads, “Labor punishment for one week.”

Theresa leaned toward me and whispered, “I guess we should get a two-week labor punishment.” I shook my head and said, “No, one week. I can read the form upside down.” Both of us were surprised that we should talk with each other.

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。
We were arranged to take care of the flowers and plants in the school garden together.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I was surprised that Theresa and I have so many things in common.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . We cannot argue with reality. We cannot argue with science. Therefore, we simply cannot argue with the fact that there are no straight lines in the universe.

Let’s start with science. The science of a straight line falls under the subject of physics. It might seem like a complicated topic, but the theory behind it is pretty simple. If you start rowing in a boat from one place and keep sailing, the concept of the curved (弯曲的) Earth will take you in a circle and you will end up where you started. The brain forms the concept of a straight line to simplify what you see in nature. Consider it a tool for the mind to recognize reality.

The concept of straight lines was controversial and heavily influenced the politics and society of Europe from the 15th century to the 17th century. Greek thinkers and scholars like Aristotle in the 5th century already proved that the Earth was a globe, but many Europeans at that time did not believe in this idea! However, some Europeans during the Age of Exploration denied this belief. Just as the famous Italian scientist Galileo Galilei was persecuted (迫害) for advocating a heliocentric (日心的) model of the solar system, many thinkers like Giordano Bruno were shamed for believing that the Earth was round.

Well, my friends, let’s move on to life. The concept of nothing going in a straight line can be associated with life as much as it relates to science and architecture. Whenever you do something, it never turns out to play out exactly as planned. I especially know that as a thirteen-year-old! Life is a rough road—every time you go forward, it is followed by two steps back or to the side. Just like how science explains it, life is a curvy path full of unexpected twists, turns, and adventures that nobody can ever predict.

1. What does paragraph 1 function as?

A．An introduction to the topic.	B．A means to attract readers.
C．An explanation of a common sense.	D．A proof of the author’s opinion.

2. What would happen without the concept of straight line?

A．The mind could not recognize realities.	B．Things in nature might look complicated.
C．What you see in nature could seem simple.	D．People in the 16th century might find the Earth flat.

3. Which can best describe the road of proving the Earth round?

A．Plain and smooth.

B．Easy but fruitless.

C．Long and tough.

D．Bothersome but safe.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．A Straight Line: Everything Simple	B．A Straight Line: People’s Good Wish
C．A Straight Line: Difficult To Prove	D．A Straight Line: Simply Nonexistent

8 . 选词填空

A.Even if       B.move on       C. pick up       D. break down       E. benefit from       F. common sense       G. in a mess       H.in touch with       I. turn out       J. make a difference       K. in fear

Life is full of challenges, but we must learn to    1    after facing difficulties.     2       we encounter setbacks, it's crucial to stay positive and not get caught up     3    . Sometimes, things may not    4     as planned, but we can still     5     the experiences we gain. By staying strong and determined, we can    6     in our lives and the lives of others. It's important to     7    the pieces when we fall and keep moving forward. Staying     8     loved ones provides support and encouragement when times are tough. However, even the strongest of us can     9     sometimes, and it's okay to ask for help. Remember,     10       is our best guide in navigating through life's ups and downs.

9 . My friend and I recently took an art class together through our town’s community education program. Our classmates were a mix of ages, stages of life, and experience with making art. We stood out in the class—not for our artistic talent, but for our consistent encouragement of ourselves, each other, and the group. It got me thinking how encouragement had become a routine.

It became something of a joke between the two of us to compliment(赞美) each other, offer a positive comment when another student showed his or her work, and generally chat around the table about how fun our project was going. But reflecting back, our positivist was anything but a joke. It was a bright light in my week, a space where I knew I could be surrounded with kindness, gentleness, and positivist.

Here’s the most special thing about it; my friend’s and my positive conversation wasn’t just encouraging, it was true. We didn’t go for cheap or false compliments like, “This painting should be in a museum!” Instead, we went for authentic(真实的) expressions of support and encouragement, like, “I love how you did that cloud!”

Over time, the class became something of a sacred space, because we had made a habit of using encouraging, supportive language. Sentence-starters like, “I like,” “I appreciate,” “I want to try”,   kept us present, positive, and honest.

The encouragement also kept us engaged in the work of making art. I feel sure that I learned more—and practiced more at home—because the activity was shown in such consistently positive terms, grounded in a growth mindset, self-acceptance, and encouragement.

Having a friend to share an encouragement habit is fantastic, but you can practice it on your own as well. Compliment yourself in the mirror every morning. Keep a running “great work.” list of thing? you are doing well today. Trust in your ability to find something loving—and true-to comment today and every day.

1. What do we know about the author’s classmates?

A．They admired those talented in art.

B．They didn’t take art class seriously.

C．They were of the same artistic level.

D．They were on good terms in the class.

2. How did the classmates turn their class into a sacred space?

A．By showing false compliments to others.

B．By decorating their class as a museum.

C．By displaying abstract art works in the class.

D．By offering supportive language around them.

3. What did the author think of the art project?

A．It made him hopeful and confident.

B．It needed to provide more practice.

C．It was cheap and easy to carry out.

D．It promoted his communication skills.

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

A．To introduce a community education program.

B．To call for good action to support those in need

C．To describe how to make encouragement a habit.

D．To comment on the power of authentic expressions.

10 . As a little girl, I’d sit in the kitchen and watch my mother cook, but I didn’t really get into cooking. When I graduated from college and moved lo Washington DC, I left all of my friends behind. There were no new roommates. I was on my own and felt lonely. Home-cooked meals were my best attempt at changing my condition.

So, I started calling my mom and asking for the recipes (食谱) for my favorite dishes. It turned out that my mom didn’t have any recipes. She couldn’t give me a single measurement (计量) for any dish. She grew up in the kitchen with her mom too, and my grandma shared her knowledge through oral (口头的) tradition. Then it was my turn. My mom taught me how to “measure with my heart” when cooking. I learned to cook by tasting and feeling my food. And my food was pretty good. Soon enough, everyone was asking me for the recipes. That was why Bun Bo Bae, my cooking blog, came into being in 2019.

Bun Bo Bae was a space for me to put what I learned into writing. I didn’t want all of the secret knowledge behind dishes like my mom’s noodles and my dad’s tomato soup to disappear if the oral tradition ended one day. I wanted to write down every piece of advice I was given in detail.

These days, I experiment more. I’m not as strict with myself about recreating the dishes exactly as I remember about eating them. I use seasonal food materials when I can’t find some items. My food blog and flower count grew, and so did my confidence in the kitchen.

Bun Bo Bae also increased my confidence at work and gave me a space to write about what I love. It has connected me to countless new Internet friends.

Most importantly, writing for Bun Bo Bae has taught me that celebrating my culture doesn’t have to be about perfectly recreating my parents’ tradition. It’s about mixing what I’ve been taught with my own experiences, and cooking up something entirely new.

1. Why did the author begin her home-cooked meals?

A．To lead a healthy lifestyle.	B．To get rid of her loneliness.
C．To try out her mother’s recipes.	D．To improve her cooking skills.

2. What do we know about the author’s early effort at cooking?

A．She had trouble creating new recipes.

B．She followed strict measurements in cooking.

C．She made tastier dishes than her mom and grandma.

D．She mastered cooking skills under her mom’s oral guidance.

3. Why did the author create her cooking blog?

A．To bring her family members together.

B．To discuss local fine foods with followers.

C．To keep a record of her family’s cooking tradition.

D．To encourage people to develop healthy eating habits.

4. What has the author realized from her cooking experience?

A．It’s important to learn a basic living skill,

B．It’s necessary to share her food knowledge online.

C．It’s better to understand different cooking cultures.

D．It’s wise to connect traditional cooking methods with new ideas.