1 . Standing on a hill at Cliveden Gardens on a sunny winter day, its dark-green lake surrounded by centuries-old trees took my breath away.     1     It’s just a local park near London that I’d never heard of during my eight years living in the UK. As I admired the serene garden, it taught me a lesson about the British culture of understatement.

“The English landscape is more beautiful because its beauty is understated,” my friend Will said to me later as we walked through an exhibition at Tate Britain. He pointed to a painting of a peaceful countryside. “This is the landscape I grew up with”, he said. Unlike grand waterfalls or wild forests, this scenery doesn’t shout about its beauty.     2    

I wonder if Chinese tourists will explore beyond London.     3     Indeed, Oxford and Cambridge and the beloved Lake District National Park are some iconic symbols of Britain. But it would be a pity if they miss out on the lesser-known parts of the English landscape.

    4     I remember a straight-A classmate once telling me he “survived exams” and another friend from Oxford introducing himself as “studying in the countryside”. This modesty also has its mirror in Chinese culture. I remember my parents’ telling me to work hard but not to brag about my achievements. Chinese culture is full of proverbs such as “real gold will shine sooner or later”, to encourage long-term dedication to one’s chosen area of expertise.

Experiencing both cultures, I’ve realized that the English and Chinese both express achievements with understatement.     5     It reflects the unspoken charm in both British and Chinese traditions. And it’s an off-the-beaten-path attraction well worth exploration.

A．Cliveden isn’t a famous holiday place.

B．Rather, its beauty is reserved for the locals only.

C．I’ve been impressed by British humor all the time.

D．They tend to prefer places with a strong reputation.

E．But the more I looked, the more I saw its quiet elegance.

F．Over the years, I’ve become familiar with British modesty.

G．This mix makes me appreciate the unusual beauty of Cliveden.

3 . What you believe in has a magic way of shaping your reality. The concept of “you can become what you believe” is more than just a motivational quote. It’s a truth that stresses the remarkable influence of your mindset (心态) on your journey through life. At the heart of this idea lies the distinction between two fundamental mindsets: the growth mindset and the fixed mindset.

The growth mindset is a mindset that embraces the idea that abilities and intelligence can be developed through devotion, effort, learning, and perseverance. Those with a growth mindset grow better on challenges, viewing them as opportunities to learn and improve. Effort is seen as a path to mastery, and setbacks are viewed as stepping stones on the journey to success. Criticism is taken constructively as a chance to improve skills, and the success of others serves as inspiration and a blueprint for one’s own progress.

In contrast, the fixed mindset is characterized by the belief that your abilities, intelligence, and talents are fixed characteristics that cannot be changed. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, fearing that failure might reveal their limitations. They avoid pushing themselves because they see it as a sign of their weakness. Criticism is frequently interpreted as a personal attack, and envy or anger can be stirred up by others’ achievement. In nature, a fixed mindset limits individuals to their current abilities and limits their potential for growth.

The power of a growth mindset lies in its capacity to drive positive change. By believing in the potential for growth and improvement, individuals open themselves to a world of possibilities. “If you imagine less, less will be what you, undoubtedly deserve. Do what you love and don’t stop until you get what you love. Work as hard as you can, and think big, “Debbie Millman, a writer, designer, educator, artist and brand consultant said.

1. What is the author’s argument?

A．People’s mindsets are diverse.	B．One’s heart affects one’s mindset.
C．Mindset determines what one can be.	D．Mindset depends on one’s character.

2. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about the growth mindset?

A．Its limitation.	B．Its possibility.
C．Its disadvantages,	D．Its characteristics.

3. What way does the author use to illustrate the two different mindsets?

A．Giving examples.	B．Making comparisons.
C．Conducting analysis.	D．Quoting famous sayings.

4. What might be Debbie Millman’s suggestion?

A．Think carefully before you act.	B．Imagine less and practice more.
C．Stay true to yourself and never change.	D．Pursue your dreams and never give up.

5 . That gentle attendant might have said something like, Excusez-moi? Or Pardon? But I could not even register (表达出) that he was speaking to me. I, in Paris for the very first time, was apparently deaf to even the cues (提示) of vocal tone and facial expression. Though I knew that my French was not good, it was then that I realized just being able to count to 15 and say “Je m’appelle Kyla” was not going to work.

I had tried very hard to learn some French before I went on my long-weekend. Despite all the available resources, I’d really had no intention of studying French in a meaningful way until I was in Paris. But as soon as I’d made up my mind, I ran into a roadblock. As a teenager. I’d learned Spanish almost passively, never receiving less than an A. Meanwhile, I’d taken Russian for a year, and learning a new alphabet and its grammar had given me an almost unshakable sense of confidence. So why, when trying to take up French, a language closest to English, could I not even remember how to use the most ordinary verb, etre?

When, months after my trip, I still hadn’t gotten much further, I started to wonder... am I bad at this? And though I was only in my 30s, was my lack of facility a result of aging?

Yet alongside my frustration (沮丧), a surprising feeling emerged. Not discouragement—but delight in my failure. At 32, having lived in the same city for over ten years, having finished school and started a career, having achieved many of the milestones of young adulthood, it had been so long since I’d been an absolute beginner that being bad at something actually felt refreshing.

What so many people experience when they travel is the realization of how big the world is and how much more of it there is than you could have imagined. That’s what I gained—an expanded sense of belief, not limited by what I had already seen; a humble belief in the power of what I didn’t yet know.

1. What prevented the author understanding the attendant?

A．The attendant’s accent.	B．The author’s disability.
C．The author’s poor French.	D．The attendant’s low tone.

2. How did the author feel about the lack of progress in learning French?

A．Disappointed and embarrassed.	B．Delighted and refreshed.
C．Indifferent and unconcerned.	D．Confident and motivated.

3. What did the author gain from the travel experience in Paris?

A．An increased ability to speak French.	B．A desire to go abroad for further study.
C．A sense of openness to unknown world.	D．A feeling of accomplishment in career.

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To share an unexpected blessing.	B．To tell about an unpleasant trip in Paris.
C．To offer advice on traveling abroad.	D．To recommend ways to learn a language.

8 . 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。

Be What’s Missing

Where was that cashier? Angry, I glanced at my watch. I barely had enough time to eat my hamburgers and then dash back to the hospital where I worked.

I looked around the nearly empty fast-food restaurant but the cashier was nowhere in sight. A woman whom I guessed to be about my age stood wiping the far end of the counter with a towel. When she thought I wasn’t looking, she looked at me with sad, dark eyes.

I waited, drumming my fingers on the counter. The woman pushed the gray hair from her lined forehead and continued wiping the counter.

I glanced again at my watch. I planned to write a letter about the lack of service in this place. But just as I mentally made up my letter, I had a memory of Rosie, a former coworker of mine. I could hear her sweet voice recommend me, “Be what’s missing.”

“What do you mean, ‘Be what’s missing’?” I had asked the first time I heard her use that phrase. “Whenever you find yourself in an unpleasant situation,” she explained, “just think about what is missing.” Rosie smiled at my blank stare. “It’s really simple when you think about it. If someone is mean, then kindness is missing. If someone is inconsiderate, then thoughtfulness is missing. If someone is hateful, then love is missing. If we will be what’s missing, then we’ll provide whatever the situation needs.”

And here I was in an unpleasant situation. How was I supposed to “be what’s missing”? What was missing was service. But then the woman who had wiped the counter walked slowly toward the cash register. With deliberately paced words, she asked, “May I help you?”

I was not satisfied with her service, and I was so angry that I almost lost my temper. But again I heard Rosie’s voice, “Be what’s missing.”

I took a deep breath. It was clear that I was in a hurry to be waited on — by someone who was, no doubt, overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid. With Rosie’s words ringing in my head, I gave the woman my order… and smiled. “How are you today?”

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My greeting seemed to surprise her.
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After dinner, I placed everything in my tray and wiped the table more thoroughly than usual.
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9 . In casual conversations, there is a seemingly simple question I can never answer without hesitating — “Where are you from?”

I could say I am from Thailand, where I was born. Or I am from Mexico, where I spent the majority of my childhood. Or I am from the US, whose language is rooted into my life. In my mind, none of these answers are satisfying enough. After all, to be from somewhere carries expectations of understanding “your” culture and “your” home.

I feel envious whenever my friends say they’re “going home” for school breaks. As a student who frequently moves, I have never seen my living space as “home”, but “shelter”, another location to stay in before I unavoidably move again.

So, does this mean I do not have, and will never have, a home? I resign myself to living with this sense of sadness, until very recently.

In my dorm, inside my drawer is a specially designed white bath towel that I have not used since I brought it with me from my parents’ house. One day, I took it out, but stopped after smelling the soft, sweet laundry detergent (洗衣粉), the one my parents used back in Thailand. I felt my eyes water as that random smell brought my mixed emotions to the surface: sadness and nostalgia, a strong feeling of missing home. I still avoid using that towel until now because I don’t want to replace the smell of nostalgia with my newly-bought detergent.

Sadly, even with this new discovery, I will still struggle when answering where I am from, and I will always feel a sense of loss in not having a physical home to “go back to”. Yet, in random moments, when a smell catches me off guard (让我猝不及防) with the memories it brings, I like to believe that the things I feel then are things people feel when they are home. And if these moments can make me smile, even with a sense of loss, what better home can I ask for?

1. Why is the author unable to see his living space as “home”?

A．His living places often change.	B．He is unsatisfied with the place.
C．His expectations of “home” are high.	D．He can’t understand the culture there.

2. Why does the author treasure that towel?

A．It was made in his hometown.	B．It is a present from his parents.
C．Its smell awakened his memories.	D．Its design wins his preference.

3. What does the author want to convey in the last paragraph?

A．He no longer feels a sense of loss.

B．He feels a physical home is unnecessary.

C．He has got the answer to “Where are you from?”

D．He has found a sense of home in some moments.

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．A Man’s Home Is His Castle	B．There Is No Place Like Home
C．The Smell Brings Me Home	D．The Emotion Connects Me With Home