1 . The winning artworks from the first Young Botanical Artist Competition are appearing in an exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London. The competition was open to young people aged 16 to 25 and received more than 1, 000 entries from people in 77 countries.
Botanical art is a special type of drawing or painting that helps botanists describe plants and fungi. It brings to life the tiniest details of grasses, flowers and trees, including their colour and shape, and has been an important scientific tradition for hundreds of years. In fact, Kew Gardens, which is 264 years old and home to 50, 000 plants, has always had a botanical artist in its team.
The theme of the competition was trees, and the winner of the 16 to 18 age group was Marianna Zych (aged 17) from Poland. Her entry, Prunus Serrula, shows the delicately peeling bark of the Tibetan cherry tree, which Zych created with watercolours after just one month of painting classes. The winner of the 19 to 25 category was Khanh Ly Nguyen from Vietnam, whose watercolour, Bauhinia Variegata Leaf, reveals the clear details of an orchid tree leaf.
Both will appear in an exhibition of 50 artworks at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at Kew Gardens. All of the featured artworks were picked for their creativity and accuracy by a panel of judges that included botanical artists from around the world. The exhibition runs until April 2024 and visitors are also being asked to vote for the People’s Choice award, which will be announced in April.
Maria Devaney, who manages galleries and exhibitions at Kew Gardens, said botanical art is about inspiring curiosity and discovering the natural world. “It’s been wonderful to see such an enthusiastic response to the competition as a whole,” she said. Dr Shirley Sherwood, a writer and botanist who collects plant pictures, said she was delighted to see first-hand the next generation of talented botanical artists.
1. What can be inferred about Marianna from the third paragraph?| A．She has formally studied painting since childhood. |
| B．She is from Poland which is full of Tibetan trees. |
| C．She has limited experience in watercolor painting. |
| D．She is famous for revealing the details of tree leaves. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Indifferent. | C．Disappointed. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．The Historical Significance of Botanical Illustration |
| B．Young Talents Blossom at the Royal Botanic Gardens |
| C．The Evolution of Botanical Art in Modern Times |
| D．Gardening Tips from the Experts at Kew Gardens |
| A．On a fashion website. | B．In a gardening magazine. |
| C．In an academic textbook. | D．In a cooking review journal. |
2 . Four of the World’s Toughest Ultramarathons
Ultramarathons, as a niche activity (小众活动), involve longer races than the usual 42.2-kilometer marathon. Here are four of the toughest ultramarathons around the globe, attracting runners to challenge themselves.
Badwater 135
Badwater 135 is a 217-kilometer trek (长途跋涉) from California’s Death Valley to the Mt. Whitney trailhead. Some of the hottest temperatures on Earth have been recorded here, and it’s not unusual for runners to face temperatures around 48.9℃ during the July event. Participants typically dress in white and step only on the road’s white painted markings, as the blacktop (柏油路) melts oboes.
Barkley Marathons
There’s no question that the Barkley Marathons is one tough race, for its 99 percent dropout rate. Since its start in 1986, only 17 people have managed to complete its approximate 161 kilometers. It’s difficult only because there are no markers or aid stations on the course, and runners must find the way without phones or GPS devices, running through the thick forest and climbing up and down mountains.
Marathon des Sables
This 250-kilometer trek through the Sahara Desert began in 1986. Participants have to carry their own food and sleeping equipment for seven days across unending sand, and the temperatures there take over 37.8℃. Participants experience sunbum, poisonous snakes and maybe even sandstorms.
Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra
Known as the world’s coldest and hardest ultramarathon, this February event covers 692 kilometers with a 13-day time limit. Runners can face temperatures well below 0℃, plus the strong cold wind. Fresh snow or high winds can make the journey extremely challenging, while river crossing can be deadly if the ice is unstable.
1. What do Badwater 135 and Marathon des Sables have in common?| A．Runners may encounter wild animals. | B．Runners must wear light-colored clothes. |
| C．Runners may suffer extreme heat. | D．Runners will be offered enough food. |
| A．Badwater 135. | B．Barkley Marathons. |
| C．Marathon des Sables. | D．Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra. |
| A．It sets no road signs. | B．It has a high dropout rate. |
| C．It involves lots of fun skiing. | D．It covers the longest distance. |
3 . Last month, on Oct.15, there was a marathon (马拉松赛) in the city of Luoyang, Henan Province. A lot of people in and around the city participated (参与) in it.
It was Sunday. There were some clouds in the sky in the early morning but the sun was shining when the race began. Eighteen boys and girls in my class, as well as four of my teachers, gathered on the south side of Luohe River to take part in the marathon. It was the first time that we had been in a marathon. We were excited and had fun running with people. We had to run 10 km. It was not a race, but an event to challenge ourselves. We helped each other during the run. When someone fell behind, others would go to encourage him or her not to give up. Tired but happy, all of us made it in about 90 minutes.
The marathon is like life, in which we can choose whether or not to keep going when we feel tired or meet difficulties. The biggest enemy is ourselves, whom we should fight with and defeat (打败). We never know what will happen in the future, but what we can do is try our best. If we can keep running, success will belong to us, because it’s impossible to defeat a person who never gives up.
Challenges make life interesting and meaningful. This very first marathon will always be remembered as an unforgettable event in my life.
1. The marathon was held __________ according to the passage.| A．on a very cold morning | B．on the playground of the writer’s school |
| C．on a Sunny day | D．on Saturday |
| A．Four. | B．Fourteen. | C．Eighteen. | D．Twenty-two. |
| A．encouraged each other | B．stopped to have a rest |
| C．never noticed each other | D．wanted to defeat others |
| A．should fight with and defeat the others during the race |
| B．must try our best to do everything |
| C．can defeat a person who never gives up |
| D．didn’t feel tired or meet difficulties in the marathon |
| A．We should face challenges bravely and defeat ourselves. |
| B．Life is meaningful and we should value it. |
| C．Smile to all the challenges in our lives. |
| D．Remember all the wonderful experience happening in our lives. |
4 . For many runners, a marathon can often be a challenge — but sometimes what gets a runner through the tough 26.2 miles is looking out into the crowd and seeing his or her loved one holding up a sign and shouting words of encouragement. For one mom, though, her loved one was a bit more hands-on.
While running the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon in Salt Lake City, Courtney Rich, a self-taught baker and mother of two, was beginning to run out of energy just yards from the end when she was suddenly joined by her 10-year-old daughter, Avery.
The touching moment, caught on video and posted on social media, shows Avery running to her mother’s side to support her as she approached the end of the race. Rich’s face lit up when Avery joined her and helped her cross the finish line.
Rich later said in the video’s caption that being joined by her daughter to finish the race was “a moment I hope neither of us ever forget”. Rich said that her daughter could tell she was struggling after a phone call near the end of the race. “She knew I had struggled the last few miles,” Rich said. “She saw tears in my eyes when I called on mile 24.”
In the video, Rich’s facial expression changes from tiredness to a smile after seeing her daughter emerge from the crowd to join her. Then, Rich and her daughter ran hand-in-hand to the finish line. “Nothing could have prepared me for the moment my 10-year-old daughter would jump out of the crowd and run with me to the finish line,” she said. When the race was done, the two hugged each other at the finish line. The video ends with a final caption, “And then she just held me. She held me.”
In the past, the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon has had other memorable moments of mothers caring for their children, but perhaps not as hands-on as this one.
1. What happened to Rich when she was coming to the finish line?| A．She fell down all of a sudden. |
| B．She was far behind others. |
| C．She felt herself struggling. |
| D．She was interrupted by Avery. |
| A．She helped Rich run to the finish line. |
| B．She tried to call for help at once. |
| C．She ran the rest in place of Rich. |
| D．She shouted encouraging words to Rich. |
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Content. |
| C．Concerned. |
| D．Expected. |
| A．A Mother Would Never Give Up On Her Marathon Dream |
| B．A Mother Encouraged Her Daughter To Pursue Her Dream |
| C．A Daughter Got Involved In Her Mother’s Race By Mistake |
| D．A Daughter Cheered For Her Mother By Joining In Her Race |
There was a important basketball match yesterday. I had a quickly lunch and went to school. I found difficult to work in class because I kept on thinking about the match in the afternoon. Match ended a little earlier. Our teams was playing against the team from No.6 Middle School. Their team was a very big and strong. And we felt a little afraid for them. Our team was neither very big or very strong. But we were sure we can beat the other team because we had very good teamwork but we could play together very well.
6 . Mathea Allansmith isn’t your typical grandmother, and she’s the oldest woman in the world to have completed a marathon. She was 92 years 194 days old when she triumphantly crossed the finish line at the 2022 Honolulu Marathon, setting up the record for the oldest person to complete a marathon (female).
Mathea, now 93, of Koloa, Hawaii, USA, stays in shape all year round by running six days a week, no matter the weather. Come rain or shine, she covered 36 miles every week, even when she’s on holiday. The retired doctor didn’t take up running until she was 46 years old. After a colleague suggested running two miles per day.
“The Honolulu Marathon is my favourite marathon partly because they don’t close the gate at a certain time which allows even the slowest runners to finish the race,” she said. “It’s one of the best-executed races. Fantastic registration, set up and management makes it a joy to participate in.
Mathea, who doesn’t allow her age to slow her down, says she is happiest when she’s on the road. She enjoys running for miles and waving and saying hello to the people she passes. To stay in shape, Mathea, who runs year around, keeps a steady training routine. “I train year-round but increase the mileage starting 18 weeks before a marathon,” she said.
Mathea says it was her career as a physician that allowed her to understand how her body and mind respond to diet and exercise. “I see the direct connection between moving and health,” she said. It is important to reduce stress rather than ignoring it without a plan on how to do so in the long run. Of course, exercise of any kind is a natural stress reducer. ”
Mathea intends to keep running marathons for as long as she can and would like to attempt the record titles for the oldest person to complete a half marathon (female) and the oldest person to complete a 10K (female) within the next year.
1. What does the underlined word “triumphantly” in the first paragraph mean?| A．Absolutely. | B．Literally. | C．Successfully. | D．Precisely. |
| A．It provides the most awards. | B．It’s easy to break a world record. |
| C．It has the strictest management. | D．It has no time limit policy. |
| A．Her profession. | B．Her hobbies. | C．Her colleagues. | D．Her family. |
| A．achievements | B．ambition | C．independence | D．adventurous life |
On a bright Saturday, my peaceful lunchtime was suddenly interrupted when my dad surprised me with an unplanned idea. I couldn’t hide my annoyance as what was supposed to be a relaxing Saturday turned into a day focused on football — a sport I wasn’t very excited about.
Many of my friends loved sports, while I preferred to find comfort in the pages of a good book rather than run around on a football court. My lack of interest resulted in average performance on the team, and I often felt like I was a problem for both my coach and teammates.
Things changed last week when our coach announced a coming match against the champions scheduled for a month later. The realization that this important game would have a big audience only made me more anxious. The fear of possibly letting down the team weighed on me.
Determined to make a positive impact, I decided to practice hard every day. My motivation came from wanting to help the team and to overcome the self-doubt affecting my performance.
As the match day approached, my teammates seemed unsure about including me in the lineup (阵容). I wouldn’t have minded sitting out, but the situations were different. With one player short, they reluctantly (不情愿地) included me, and The Thunder Strikers, our team, stepped onto the field to enjoy cheers from the crowd.
The pressure was intense. The game started, and within the ten minutes, I received a warning. Before long, the referee showed me a second yellow card, forcing me to leave the field. When I got back into the game, the score was tied, and the next goal would decide the winner.
As the ball came toward me, I felt a bit scared. My teammates seemed tired, and the other team really wanted to win. With great courage, I kicked the ball. The opponents (对手), maybe not expecting much from me because of my earlier struggles, were surprised when the ball went past the goalkeeper.
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。
The Thunder Strikers won!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After this win, football became different for me.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jim stared at the ground and sighed in disappointment. Players from the opposing team raced past Jim, celebrating their shocking victory. They’d scored the game-winning goal just seconds before the end of the game.
“Just one word to describe a loss like that,” Jim mumbled to his teammate Devin.
“Terrible!” Devin sighed. “It was a tough one.” He trotted (小步快跑) toward the middle of the field to shake hands with the winning team. Jim walked slowly behind Devin. He unhappily slapped hands with the winners, then stopped to shut his eyes as the autumn air cooled his sweaty face.
“Terrible,” he repeated to himself as he sat on the bench and pulled his jacket on. “Let’s get some hot chocolate and watch the next game,” Devin said. There were eight teams in the YMCA league, so games would go on all morning. “Sorry. I’m heading home,” Jim said, “I’ve had enough soccer for today.”
As he reached the gate, Jim glanced back to see the next two teams take the field. They were jumping and shouting, excited to play. “That was us a little while ago, before we were discouraged.” Jim thought.
So why we lost the game at last? Jim asked himself. How did such a well-played game end up with such a terrible result? It was still clear in his head: Jim had the ball deep on the Jets’ side of the field, looking for Devin or another teammate to pass to. His team had outplayed the Jets for most of the game, but failed within the last seconds.
Jim let out a deep breath. The morning was growing warmer. Perfect for soccer. Jim looked back toward the field. He couldn’t see it, but he could hear the excited voices as the game continued.
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。
With a car’s horn beeping, Jim’s friends Tara and Bryan jumped out of the car.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There came the turn for Tara and Bryan’s team to play the game.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9 . Traditional Chinese culture featured noticeably in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Hangzhou Asian Games. While they stressed the solar terms, the he-he culture, meaning harmony and cooperation, was a common thread that ran through them.
Each of the 24 solar terms coincides with (与……一致) events in the natural world. The terms were put forward more than 2,000 years ago to guide not only agricultural activities, but also customs concerning food, dressing and social life. Nowadays, although Chinese people refer to more modern systems in daily life, except for in the agricultural area, they maintain a strong emotional and cultural bond with the solar terms as reminders of the wit (才智), creativity and diligence (勤奋) of their ancestors.
“I previously had no connection to Hangzhou, but now, after the closing ceremony, I think I share a special bond with this city, said Wan Li, a 22-year-old college student at Fujian Normal University. “Watching the ceremony was also a wonderful chance for me to learn about the he-he culture, in which I was uninterested before.”
Kong Xianglong, a research assistant who worked in Hangzhou on an Asian Games research program and watched the ceremonies, expressed his admiration for the show as well as the Asian Games volunteers, who he said were walking examples of the he-he culture.
“The dance performances were absolutely attractive, a perfect display of the he-he idea and a highlight of the Asian Games,” Kong told Beijing Review. “The considerate service the volunteers provided every day actually invited people to learn about the he-he culture, which moved me a lot.”
Pakistani cricketer Muhammad said he believes that the opening and closing ceremonies played an important role in bringing people from different countries together. “I saw a lot of different countries’ athletes coming together, sharing their cultures and performing. I see a huge success,” he told Xinhua News Agency.
1. What can be learned about the solar terms?| A．They thoroughly guide modern life. | B．They belong to the past. |
| C．They lend to be ignored. | D．They apply to farming. |
| A．It stimulated her passion for Chinese culture. |
| B．It strengthened her bond with the world. |
| C．It deepened her understanding of the Games. |
| D．It restored her confidence in the athletes. |
| A．They bridge cultural differences. | B．They show Chinese philosophy. |
| C．They ensure athletes’ better performances. | D．They demonstrate the power of China. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A news report. | C．Science fiction. | D．A textbook. |
10 . This is the dream of my running partner: Eduardo. He’s a marathon runner with an eye problem who needs
Eduardo has been running longer than me, and has more desire than any person I know.
Now it has
Eduardo and I run together by a rope-I have to
Now, Eduardo goes running with different people, but with a fixed goal of rhythm (节奏) and
Eduardo wants to run sub-3:30 in the Madrid Marathon, and he will do it.
| A．communication | B．methods | C．operations | D．help |
| A．Instead | B．However | C．Still | D．Moreover |
| A．pride | B．challenges | C．excuses | D．anxiety |
| A．changed | B．continued | C．returned | D．appeared |
| A．misses | B．enjoys | C．avoids | D．regrets |
| A．goal | B．fear | C．hobby | D．contest |
| A．honor | B．experience | C．opportunity | D．passion |
| A．links | B．represents | C．judges | D．reminds |
| A．ignore | B．control | C．announce | D．set |
| A．informal | B．exciting | C．stressful | D．unworthy |
| A．doubted | B．repeated | C．admitted | D．believed |
| A．turn down | B．focus on | C．show off | D．look into |
| A．budget | B．consumption | C．injury | D．distance |
| A．friendship | B．flexibility | C．consistency | D．honesty |
| A．Generally | B．Obviously | C．Strangely | D．Fortunately |
