1 . I am the “Laundry Goddess”. Well, that’s what my kids call me anyway because I have the talent for finding the right ______ for any stain. From spaghetti sauce and grass marks to ballpoint ink stains, whatever my family ______ me, I seem to be able to find a way to make it look brand new again. It’s a skill I got from my mother. My mom wouldn’t admit it, but I think she ______ doing the laundry.

The laundry room was Mom’s territory. It was ______ , with only the shushing (沙沙声) of the washing machine or the hum of the dryer to interrupt her. She would ______ down early in the morning, often still in her housecoat, to put in the first ______ of the day. We would find her there, leaning on the freezer, happily having a coffee and reading the newspaper or her library book.

I don’t remember Mom teaching me the ways of the laundry room. I learned to ______ towels and small items as a youngster. I spent many hours ironing clean cotton handkerchiefs and pillowcases. But the ______ wasn’t part of my training. So when I left home and moved ______ the country, stain ______ required an expensive long-distance phone call home.

My washer and dryer seem to have more ______ than a jet plane, certainly many more than the machines used by my mom. I have made the ______ from laundry powder to liquid, and I have my own favorite stain ______ . But every time I step into the laundry room and think about how to deal with a particularly difficult stain, I ______ the Laundry Goddesses who came before me for her wisdom and perseverance. And each clean item of clothing is a ______ force in a chaotic world.

1.

A．place

B．reason

C．cover

D．solution

2.

A．provides for

B．aims at

C．throws at

D．makes for

3.

A．meant

B．hated

C．loved

D．bothered

4.

A．neat

B．quiet

C．messy

D．secure

5.

A．count

B．put

C．lay

D．head

6.

A．load

B．item

C．burden

D．work

7.

A．display

B．edge

C．make

D．fold

8.

A．washing

B．ironing

C．weaving

D．tidying

9.

A．to

B．across

C．within

D．over

10.

A．approval

B．control

C．appeal

D．removal

11.

A．issues

B．appliances

C．settings

D．commands

12.

A．model

B．knob

C．cycle

D．switch

13.

A．fighters

B．partners

C．producers

D．keepers

14.

A．find

B．thank

C．mourn

D．ask

15.

A．troubling

B．calming

C．amusing

D．conflicting

2 . A wildlife photographer was waiting, hoping to get a shot of a relatively rare bird, a particular kind of heron(鹭). He’d waited several frustrating hours in the woods, but with no luck at all. Suddenly, to the photographer’s delight, a heron settled on a branch right in front of him. The photographer raised his camera and took the shot. Feeling particularly pleased, the photographer looked at the image. To his astonishment, he saw that behind the heron, his photograph had also captured a very, very rare woodpecker flying past. He hadn’t seen it, but without even trying, he’d photographed an even rarer bird than the one he was aiming for. This is an example of serendipity.

Cases of serendipity can be found in numerous fields, such as science. Back in the 1800s, a man called Wellswas at a demonstration (演示) of laughing gas. After being given the gas, the patient started laughing, as expected. But then he suddenly fell over and cut his le g rather badly. To everyone’s surprise, the man reported that he couldn’t feel any pain. Wells hadn’t been looking for it, but he’d made a medical discovery — certain gases reduce and can even almost eradicate pain. Had Wells not been there that night, anesthesia (麻醉) might have taken longer to be discovered.

Most of us can probably think of at least one example of serendipity in our own lives. Jane, a friend of mine,was trying to come up with an idea for an article but got completely stuck. Frustrated, she decided to go out to a local café. As she was sipping her coffee, she heard two people talking behind her. A man was telling a story that sounded so unbelievable that she knew it had to be true. She asked the people if she could interview them for the article. They agreed and her article turned out to be one of the top trending articles of the week.

1. The word “serendipity” in paragraph 1 means the fact of __________.

A．observing rare birds in person	B．achieving important aims in time
C．finding valuable things by chance	D．taking interesting photos by mistake

2. What surprised Wells at the demonstration?

A．The gas’s hidden damage.	B．The gas’s pain-killing effect.
C．The patient’s scientific discovery.	D．The patient’s balance-losing moment.

3. Why did Jane go to the café?

A．To take a break.	B．To meet a friend.
C．To write an article.	D．To do an interview.

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

A．To explain a concept.	B．To promote a culture.
C．To introduce a person.	D．To recommend a method.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where did the man get his hat?

A．From Russia.

B．From Korea.

C．From Japan.

2. How does the woman feel?

A．Cold.

B．Pleased.

C．Tired.

3. What do we know about Liz’s trip?

A．She found it exciting.

B．She went mainly on business.

C．She had no time for sightseeing.

4 . Why has the woman been absent from the office for a long time?

A．She has been sick.

B．She has been on a holiday.

C．She has been in California for business.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the man think of self-service stores?

A．Convenient.

B．Unsafe.

C．Time-wasting.

2. What wasted the woman’s time?

A．Collecting shopping data.

B．Signing in before shopping.

C．Reading advertisement messages.

3. What will the speakers do next?

A．Ask a salesperson for help.

B．Shop in the self-service store.

C．Look for a convenience shop.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What did the man do?

A．He drove too slowly.

B．He made the wrong turn.

C．He nearly hit a person.

2. How does the woman feel?

A．Excited.

B．Annoyed.

C．Disappointed.

3. What does the woman mean in the end?

A．She expects to have a day off.

B．She wants to avoid heavy traffic.

C．She hopes not to see the man again.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1. When does the man reserve a table for?

A．This evening

B．Tomorrow morning.

C．Tomorrow evening.

2. What does the man prefer?

A．A table by the window.

B．A table with a lake view.

C．A table in the non-smoking section.

3. How many persons will dine with Tyler?

A．Six.

B．Nine.

C．Ten.

8 . Younger generations of Chinese citizens have developed new methods to relieve stress, which include raising unconventional “pets”, hugging trees, watching stress relief videos and so on.

On social media platforms, a new toy called “mango dog” recently emerged.     1     In the eyes of some netizens, the “mango dog” has special meanings. “Every time I see it, it heals me,” “It’s fluffy (毛茸茸的) and cute.”     2     For example, college students have shared online their experiences of raising stones and paper box “dogs”. These “pets” share similar characteristics—they don’t cry, make noise or get sick.

Tree hugging has also become a new stress relief for young people. “You may think you are hugging the tree, but in fact, the tree is embracing you,” this is a feeling shared by a netizen. Many netizens with such experiences have expressed that their anxiety has been reduced, and they feel a sense of communication with nature.     3    

“I came across the idea online. I tried it and felt truly relaxed,” said a young office worker. “In those brief seconds, it felt like the tree released a lot of pressure and stress from me.”     4     “I especially enjoy watching stress relief videos, like washing blankets and cutting soap. After watching them, I feel like the stress of the day is relieved and it’s easier to fall asleep.”

    5     According to public data, there are currently more than 800 companies in China with names, business scopes, products, services or trademarks containing the term “stress relief”. In 2023 alone, more than 70 new registered companies with this focus were added.

A．Various “pets” are made to cater to different people.

B．It is claimed to bring a sense of calmness and give a healing effect.

C．This is not the first time that young people have raised novel “pets”.

D．A young media worker also finds the relief in watching short videos.

E．In some cities people have even organized “tree hugging interest groups”.

F．Other toys such as squeeze balls have also gained popularity as a way to relieve stress.

G．The popularity of these methods reflects an increasing need to release people’s pressure.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Sarah think of Red Bull?

A．A bit expensive.

B．Quite useful.

C．Very sweet.

2. What would Sarah like to drink after playing sports?

A．Soda water.

B．Red Bull.

C．Chocolate milk.

3. What do we know about Tom’s Milka chocolate?

A．It was bought from the airport.

B．It was Tom’s favorite chocolate.

C．It was brought by Tom’s sister.

4. How does Sarah sound in the end?

A．Worried.

B．Upset.

C．Surprised.

10 . 阅读下面短文, 根据所给情节进行续写, 使之构成一个完整的故事。

Caleb slipped his hand into mine as we stood on the bottom step of the staircase, watching the road. He was afraid. “Will she be nice?” asked the five-year-old softly, “will she sing, like mama did?” “She will.” I confirmed. But even papa didn’t sing anymore since mama died years ago. “Anna,” Caleb said, his voice low, “if you remember her songs, then I might remember her, too.” My eyes widened and tears came.

Sarah arrived that afternoon, tall and plain, wearing a bright yellow bonnet(软帽). She took Caleb’s hand, then mine, giving us some beautiful seashells. “Now we have some sea here.” she grinned. Then we walked through green grass fields that bloomed with India paint bush, red and orange, to home.

Sarah came from Maine, a faraway place by the sea, while we have vast plains and violent storm here. Sarah’s stew was tasty. She brushed my hair and tied it up with a rose ribbon. We picked flowers, hanging them from the ceiling in little bunches. “I’ve never seen this before,” said Sarah. “What is it called?” “Bride’s(新娘)bonnet,” I told her. Caleb smiled at the name.

The days grew longer. Papa taught Sarah how to ride his horse and drive his wagon(马车). When the housework was done, we sat in the meadow with Sarah, watching papa finish his job. His eyes shone when he smiled at her.

Sarah sang a song we had never heard, it was about the sea, blue and gray and green. “There are always things to miss, no matter where you are.” She smiled a sad smile, and then held us in arms. She promised to teach us how to sing and to paint the sea with real colored pencils.

“Will she leave us or stay and be our new mom?” Caleb secretly asked me, “I could be sick and make her stay.” I shook my head, upset with Caleb’s question, tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. But there was no time to cry, for suddenly papa called out from the barn “Caleb! Anna! Get inside!”

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, 每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Looking up, we saw a huge cloud, horribly black, moving towards us over the north fields. “A storm!”
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Paragraph 2:
The next morning, we awoke to find Dad and Sarah out, thus feeling a bit worried.
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