1 . 23-year-old Ganesh Baraiya is living proof that nothing is impossible. Despite facing _________ because of his short stature, he managed to become the world’s shortest doctor.

Ganesh Baraiya was born in the Talaia Thaluka area of Gujarat, India, and faced adversity (逆境) from a very young age. He was born normal. _________, at the age of four, his parents noticed that his head was _________ his body, so they took him to a doctor. They learned that the boy suffered from an _________ condition and there was nothing anyone could do. Wanting to help her son, Ganesh’s mother put a tub-like helmet on his head to prevent it from growing and give his body a chance to _________. In school, he was often _________ because of his large head and short stature, but he also had friends who _________ him and he was able to focus on his studies.

Despite his physical limitations, Ganesh Baraya was always very _________. He knew he wanted to be a doctor from a very young age, and put all his energy into his studies, working hard to get high grades. When the time came, he applied for a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree (MBBS), only to be _________ because of his dwarfism (侏儒症). Despite his good test results, the Medical Council of India rejected his application because of his height (only three feet), __________ that he wouldn’t be able to perform his duties in emergency cases.

Ganesh was shocked by the rejection, but he wasn’t about to give up on his dream. With the help of his school principal, he __________ the District Collector, then the state Education Minister, and __________ knocked on the doors of the Gujarat High Court. __________ of his efforts were successful, but he refused to give up. His case reached India’s Supreme Court, and justice was __________ done. In 2018, India’s top court of law awarded Ganesh the right to enroll in an MBBS, and he did just that the following year.

“I was very disappointed three years ago, but I refused to accept their refusal. Now I am very happy that I got justice from the Supreme Court,” Ganesh said. “Now I am on the way to fulfill the dream I’ve __________ since childhood. I know I’m different, but I want to live a good life like other people and make my parents proud.”

1.

A．disappointment

B．embarrassment

C．discrimination

D．distinction

2.

A．However

B．But

C．Instead

D．Thus

3.

A．matching

B．outgrowing

C．overflowing

D．overdoing

4.

A．unbearable

B．inefficient

C．unavoidable

D．incurable

5.

A．catch up

B．take up

C．make up

D．put up

6.

A．encouraged

B．recognized

C．teased

D．complained

7.

A．turned to

B．stood by

C．counted on

D．referred to

8.

A．humorous

B．curious

C．creative

D．ambitious

9.

A．denied

B．replaced

C．admitted

D．reserved

10.

A．warning

B．claiming

C．proving

D．hoping

11.

A．threatened

B．recommended

C．tracked

D．contacted

12.

A．only

B．still

C．even

D．also

13.

A．None

B．Any

C．Some

D．Nothing

14.

A．hardly

B．never

C．initially

D．finally

15.

A．acquired

B．cherished

C．dominated

D．escaped

2 . Serena Williams and Ruby Bridges will be chosen into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in March next year. The American organization in Seneca Falls, New York made the announcement Thursday.

The tennis superstar and the human rights leader were added to the list to be honored during Women’s History Month in March. Eight other winners were announced in the spring.

The 42-year-old Williams has won main events in tennis, called Grand Slam events, 23 times. She holds the record for the longest ranking (排名) as the top competitor. She retired from tennis last year. Earlier this month, Williams became the first athlete to win the Fashion Icon award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

The 69-year-old Bridges was six years old when she became the first black student at a Louisiana public school, where non-whites had been refused. The event took place in 1960. In 1963, painter Norman Rockwell recreated the event in his painting, The Problem We All Live With. Bridges built the Ruby Bridges Foundation in 1999. It offers educational programs and resources to guide and support the younger toward a peaceful future.

For the first time, the ceremony (典礼) will be broadcast (播出) nationally in the best time from New York City, the Hall of Fame said. The past 30 ceremonies have taken place in places around Seneca Falls, New York. The town was the site of the first Women’s Rights Convention and is home to the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

“The 2024 new numbers are scientists, activists, performers, and athletes who are changemakers of today and inspiration for the women of tomorrow,” said National Women’s Hall of Fame leader, Jennifer Gabriel.

The American public chooses women to be considered for the Hall of Fame. A group of experts examines them and makes the final decision.

1. What can we know about Bridges?

A．She fought for human rights.	B．She is successful as an athlete.
C．She painted a picture to tell her story.	D．She encouraged black girls to play tennis.

2. What can you probably see in The Problem We All Live With?

A．A tennis player.	B．A little black girl.
C．A kind teacher.	D．A famous painter.

3. What does Jennifer Gabriel stress about the people chosen into the Hall of Fame?

A．Great wealth they have.	B．Their great influences on society.
C．The great challenges in their lives.	D．Changes the Hall of Fame brought them.

4. What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．The development of the Hall of Fame.	B．The achievement made by great women.
C．Steps to choose people into the Hall of Fame.	D．Requirements for entering the Hall of Fame.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Analects of Confucius (《论语》) records the words and deeds of the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius,     1     (write) somewhere between the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period more than 2,000 years ago. It     2     (highlight) the political and moral ideas of Confucius and Confucianism.

Ren is a core concept in the book adopted by Confucius with original meaning of loving others.     3     (represent) a high moral standard, it includes all virtues. Confucius stresses that self-discipline is     4     must for practicing the rules of propriety (礼) and achieving ren.

Society has developed greatly and huge changes     5     (occur) as well after the birth of the Analects of Confucius. Nevertheless, it contains lots of ideas beyond the passage of time, some of     6     are still relevant today. For example, Confucius analyzes the relationship between learning and thinking by saying that learning without thinking leads to confusion while thinking without learning ends in puzzlement. Besides, the Analects of Confucius also     7     (vivid) shows the images of Confucius’s students. Zi Lu is straightforward, Zi Gong is smart, and Yan Hui is mild and capable. Confucius insists on treating students     8     individuals to achieve full potential, which is     9     (consist)with some of the modern educational thoughts.

The Analects of Confucius is a fine example of world literature, and the publication of its     10     (version) in various languages will further enhance cultural exchanges between China and the world.

4 . Maria Martinez is remembered today as the maker of beautiful pottery (陶器) , Her pottery is in museums all over the world: The pots she made are black with shiny designs on them.

Maria Martinez was a Tewa Native American. She was born around 1887. As a young woman, Maria was known for fine pots she made. Maria and the other village women made pots for their families. They also sold pots to visitors. Compared to the pots made by the other women, young Maria’s were lovelier. But they were not outstanding. They were not the pots that would make the name Maria Martinez known around the world.

In 1908, some archaeologists came to Maria’s village. They finally found broken bits of pottery. The pots had belonged to a group of Native Americans who had lived there seven hundred years before. These finds changed Maria’s life.

One of the archaeologists showed Maria the pieces of broken pots. They were thinner than the pots Maria was making. They had an odd, shiny black finish (抛光) . He asked Maria if she could make such a pot. Maria said she would try.

Maria’s husband, Julian, helped her. First they had to find a way to make the wall of the pot thinner. Maria knew that the clay (黏土; 陶土) she was using would not work. A thin pot made out of that clay would crack (破裂) when it was fired. Maria ‘mixed different amounts of clay, sand, and. water. At last, she discovered a mix that would not crack.

Maria and Julian then had to find out how the shiny black finish had been made. They discovered that it took two steps. First, Maria began by polishing the dried clay surface of the pot. She used a smooth stone as her polishing tool. It was slow work. Then, when the pot was polished, she placed it in a fire that was built in a certain way. The fire and ashes worked their magic on the pot. Its finish was now shiny and black.

Maria and Julian had discovered the secrets of the early pottery makers. Then Maria produced many pots. Under Maria’s direction, her son and grandson are keeping the old ways alive just as Maria had done before them.

1. What can we learn about Mara from paragraph 2?

A．She donated her pots to museums.	B．She was good at making lovely pots.
C．She was a world-famous pottery maker.	D．She taught other women villagers to make pots.

2. When did the turning point of Maria’s life come?

A．When her husband helped her.	B．When she met an archaeologist.
C．When a new mix was discovered.	D．When broken pottery bits were found.

3. Which was the last step Maria took to create a new shiny pot?

A．Polishing the dried surface.	B．Gluing the broken pieces.
C．Placing the pot into the fire.	D．Mixing clay and other materials.

4. Why is Maria known around the world?

A．She discovered a special clay mixture.	B．She spent a lifetime making many pots.
C．She passed down the way of making pots.	D．She could make pots with a shiny black finish.

5 . Before he left China in 1986, Che Zhao Sheng’s teacher Said to him, “After you go to the United States, share some of our Chinese culture with them if you have a chance.” Today, more than three decades later, the student is fulfilling his teacher’s dream. Che has been appointed as the specialist gardener for the penjing court in the newly expanded Chinese Garden at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino.

The court is composed of winding paths, whitewashed walls and occasional pieces of Taihu rock imported from Lake Tai in China. Che is busy displaying the penjing for the opening ceremony.

Born in Guangzhou, China, Che started studying penjing when he was 26. He practiced with Lu Zhi Quan, the son of noted master Lu Xue Ming, in Guangzhou, and later became a student of Master Lu himself. In 1986, Che immigrated to the United States, eventually settling down in San Gabriel. At first, he started as a volunteer at the Huntington Gardens, helping to tend to a small collection of black pine penjing.

“When we began building the Chinese Garden,” says Jim Folsom, director of the garden, “we were looking for someone who knew penjing. So it was a bit of luck we knew Mr. Che. He’s the first specialist gardener we hired for the Chinese Garden.”

That was more than a decade ago. Today, Che both develops new penjing and tends to the ones in the Huntington’s collection. When the Chinese Garden opens Friday, about 30 will be seen in the court. Eventually, about twice that number will be on display. At least half of them have been cultivated by Che.

Americans may be more familiar with bonsai, the Japanese version of penjing. Bonsai came to Japan from China around 1200. Over time, it developed its own standards and techniques.

“Usually bonsai focuses on individual plant,” Bloom says. “whereas penjing typically involves multiple plants that have a landscape-like setting with rocks and maybe water.”

1. What can we learn from the text?

A．Che started studying penjing relatively late.

B．The garden hired Che due to his teachers fame.

C．Che volunteered to expand the garden in the 1980s.

D．The garden was well-known for its penjing in 1986.

2. What does the word “cultivated” underlined in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Bought.

B．Hired.

C．Decorated.

D．Developed.

3. What can we know about bonsai?

A．It is a Chinese version of penjing.

B．It has longer history than penjing.

C．It is suitable to be displayed alone.

D．It has to be surrounded with rocks.

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

A．To show China’s influence on Japan.

B．To introduce a Chinese specialist gardener.

C．To compare two related gardening techniques.

D．To announce the opening of a Chinese garden in the US.

6 . A Day with a Dickens Descendant (后裔)

Sunday, 23rd July

The Charles Dickens Museum is very happy to welcome Lucinda Dickens Hawksley for a full day of adventure this weekend. The three times great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, Lucinda is returning to her family’s historic London home to share some exciting projects with you.

9:00 am — Our Dickens Day begins with a virtual talk presented by Lucinda in celebration of Christmas in July. This festive event is for people down under celebrating Christmas in midwinter, and is timed so that friends in Australia and New Zealand can join. Streamed online, this is a wonderful way to get into the festive spirit. For those in the Northern Hemisphere (北半球), or for people who just don’t fancy celebrating Christmas in July, this is still a wonderful way of understanding how Dickens came to write one of his most famous books, A Christmas Carol.

2:00 pm — Lucinda will be on-site, here at the museum, to deliver a short talk on her brand new book, Dickens and Travel. This remarkable book takes a look at how Dickens enthusiasm for adventure and travel helped influence his famous stories.

2:30 pm-3:30 pm — If you’ve ever wanted to meet a Dickens descendant, now is your chance. Lucinda will be in the Boardroom to sign copies of her new book and greet visitors.

4:00 pm — Lucinda will finish her day at the museum with another short talk on her new book.

Copies of Dickens and Travel, as well as other books by Lucinda, will be available for purchase from our museum shop, or you can pre-order through our online shop. We hope to see you virtually, or in person, this weekend!

1. What is the purpose of Lucinda’s online talk?

A．To celebrate Christmas south of the equator.	B．To recall her three times great-grandfather.
C．To memorialize her favorite festival in July.	D．To appreciate Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

2. What will Lucinda probably do around 3.00 pm?

A．Show visitors around the museum.	B．Sign copies of Dickens’ novels.
C．Meet with Dickens’ admirers.	D．Give a talk on her new book.

3. How many talks will be given by Lucinda in all?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

7 . “Never Again” sits at the intersection of art and craft. The object is both a basket, made from sweetgrass and palmetto (棕榈), and an abstract sculpture. Much wider than it is tall, from a distance “Never Again” seems to be of one hue, but on closer inspection you can see that its brown, cream and green fibers change into purposeful patterns of color. Such details encourage viewers to study the work slowly, the way you might examine one of Jackson Pollock’s paintings carefully.

The piece was made by Mary Jackson, an African-American artist, in 2007. In 2008 Mrs Jackson received $500,000 to support the creation of work that both preserved “the centuries-old craft of sweetgrass basketry” and moved “the tradition in amazing new directions”.

Born in 1945, Mrs Jackson grew up in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She is Gullah, a member of an ethnic group who preserve the African roots of their distinct language and culture. Mrs Jackson was introduced to traditional weaving (编织) techniques by her mother and grandmother at the age of four.

In the 1960s, after finishing school, Mrs Jackson moved to New York to find work. There, she visited the city’s museums and discovered Minimalism and Pop Art, which had a deep effect on her. When she returned to South Carolina in 1972, she picked up basketmaking again, but with a new feeling.

Her works show clear shapes and innovative dimensions. Early works, such as “Cobra with Handle”, are complex, but still usable baskets. Mid-career pieces, including “Two Lips”, reveal a delicate turn away from utility towards aestheticism (唯美主义). It is a delicate work that is ill-suited to holding rice or produce.

“I wanted to do something that was very different from what my ancestors made,” she says. “Never Again” is perhaps the best representation of her work; Mrs Jackson says she named the piece to reflect her belief that she would not be able to create another object as striking. (It took her three years to complete.) “I don’t think I’ll continue to make these baskets like how I used to, she says. Instead, approaching her 80s, she is “working on new things”.

1. What is “Never Again”?

A．It’s an appealing abstract sculpture.

B．It’s a basket made by an African farmer.

C．It’s patterns of color mixed for no purpose.

D．It’s a painting created by Jackson Pollock.

2. What influenced Mary Jackson when she lived in New York?

A．Prehistoric items.	B．Contemporary arts.
C．Minimalism and Pop Art.	D．Jackson Pollock’s paintings.

3. What’s the feature of the works of Mary Jackson？

A．It’s simple and practical.	B．It’s traditional and costly.
C．It’s aesthetic and complex.	D．It’s functional and economical.

4. Which of the following best describes Mary Jackson?

A．Shy and confident.	B．Brave and strong.
C．Talented and innovative.	D．Ambitious and successful.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, who have been working for decades     1     (find) ways to use genetic (基因的) material called messenger RNA, or mRNA, to make medicines, have won the 2023 Nobel Prize. They have discovered that changing a chemical building block of mRNA can keep the immune system (免疫系统)     2     destroying the material and have enabled it to attack viruses instead.

They published their work in 2005 and their discovery     3     (fundamental) changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system. In     4     (add), the work sped up vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times.

    5     (speak) to reporters at Pennsylvania University on Monday, Weissman said they had to overcome many difficulties. “But Karikó lit the match     6     then we spent more than 20 years figuring out how to get it to work,” Weissman said.

Karikó had to overcome even bigger     7     (challenge). She     8     (force) to resign from Pennsylvania University and went from one low-paying research job to another and even slept in her office at times. But she never gave up.

The first prize in the category was awarded in 1901. Of the 227 people     9     work has been recognized with the prize, Karikó is the     10     (thirteen) woman among them.

9 . If you’re a keen reader, you have probably heard of Chilean American author Isabel Allende and may have read one of her 20+ books of fiction and non-fiction.

One of Latin America’s most famous living writers, Isabel Allende primarily writes in Spanish. But her work has been translated into English and adapted for the big screen, too, so it’s accessible to readers and viewers beyond her homeland.

Isabel Allende was born in 1942 in Peru to Chilean parents. Her parents separated when she was very young, and she spent a few years of her childhood in Chile with her mother, two siblings and grandfather. When Allende was 11, her mother remarried and Allende spent the rest of her childhood in Bolivia and Lebanon.

Before her first book was published, Allende worked as a journalist. She co-founded the first feminist magazine, Paula, in Chile, in 1967, worked in television, wrote and produced a play, and wrote children’s stories and magazines. In 1973, Allende and her family moved to Venezuela, where they lived for the next 13 years.

In 1981, the foundations of her first novel, The House of the Spirits, were laid: after learning that her 99-year-old grandfather was dying, Allende wrote a letter to him. This eventually became The House of the Spirits, a magical-realist family long story.

Allende had a long, productive and celebrated writing career. Over four decades she has published 24 books, which have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 75 million copies, making her one of the best-selling authors in the world. She is a fairly rare author who has achieved widespread popularity among general readers and acclaim among literary critics. She herself and her books have been the subject of many academic literary studies, and she’s an essential part of the Latin American Spanish literary canon（经典）.

1. What language does Allende mostly write in?

A．Latin.

B．Spanish.

C．English.

D．French.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Allende’s early life.	B．Allende’s homeland.
C．Allende’s education.	D．Allende’s marriage.

3. Who is directly related with Allende’s first novel?

A．Her mother.

B．Her father.

C．Her child.

D．Her grandfather.

4. What does the underlined word “acclaim” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Worry.

B．Doubt.

C．Praise.

D．Comfort.

10 . “Do what you love, not what others tell you is right,” says Georgia Lines of New Zealand.

I spoke with the 24-year-old singer-songwriter earlier this month about her rise to fame. In 2022, Lines was named breakthrough artist of the year at the annual Aotearoa music awards ceremony. Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand, an island country in the Pacific Ocean that is home to more than 5.1 million people.

Lines makes success look easy, but she has worked hard to perfect her skills. “I love what I do,” she told me. “I love it when I get lost in music, and everything works together.”

Already, Lines has opened for pop singer George Ezra. She hopes “to open for Harry Styles one day,” she added.

Lines has written more than 20 songs and worked together with several top artists, including Jack Burton, Alex James and Cassie Henderson. “I love working with other people and cooperating,” Lines said. “I find I work better when I’m with others, because we can exchange ideas with each other.”

When asked about her musical ambition growing up, Lines smiled. “I was never a musical genius as a child,”she said. “But I always loved singing and music.”

In recent years, Lines has drawn enthusiastic crowds for her concerts. The video for her hit song, “No One Knows”, won best music video of the year in New Zealand in 2021.

As for her future goals, Lines said that she wants “to have a promising career and to keep doing what I love.” That means focusing on her own career and artistic achievements. “Comparison is the robber of success, “she said. “If I had stopped to compare myself with others, I wouldn’t have made it as far as I have.”

1. What is the main topic of the author’s conversation with Lines?

A．Her childhood.	B．Her family.
C．Her style of music.	D．Her way to success.

2. What do we know about Lines from paragraph 5?

A．She likes teamwork.	B．She respects top artists most.
C．She has a gift for music.	D．She always loves music.

3. What is Lines trying to avoid doing?

A．Valuing money too much.	B．Ignoring her future career.
C．Comparing herself with others.	D．Taking others’ suggestions.

4. Which word best describes Lines?

A．Honest.

B．Knowledgeable.

C．Hard-working.

D．Kind-hearted.