What is “couscous”?

A．A new hotel.

B．A kind of food.

C．A close relative.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where does Mark usually read news now?

A．In a newspaper.

B．In a magazine.

C．On the Internet.

2. What makes the woman surprised about the machine?

A．It has a small glass window.

B．It can make a pizza in a short time.

C．It offers four types of pizzas at a time.

3. What does the woman think of the machine?

A．It is quite necessary.

B．It might not be popular.

C．It will certainly succeed.

4. What is an advantage of the machine?

A．The 24-hour service.

B．Tasty pizza made by it.

C．The low production cost.

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why is the baobab’s trunk really fat?

A．It is shaped by people.

B．It stores a large quantity of water.

C．It must be strong enough to support the tree.

2. What is the full height of a baobab?

A．About 12 metres.

B．About 15 metres.

C．About 30 metres.

3. What are baobabs often used as nowadays?

A．Shops.

B．Wildlife habitats.

C．Bus shelters.

In his 1936 work How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote: “I have come to the conclusion that there is only one way to get the best of an argument — and that is to avoid it.” This distaste for arguments is common, but it depends on a mistaken view of arguments that causes problems for our personal and social lives — and in many ways misses the point of arguing in the first place.

Carnegie would be right if arguments were fights, which is how we often think of them. Like physical fights, verbal (言语的) fights can leave both sides bloodied. Even when you win, you end up no better off. You would be feeling almost as bad if arguments were even just competitions — like, say, tennis tournaments. Pairs of opponents hit the ball back and forth until one winner comes out from all who entered. Everybody else loses. This kind of thinking explains why so many people try to avoid arguments.

However, there are ways to win an argument every time. When you state your position, formulate (阐述) an argument for what you claim and honestly ask yourself whether your argument is any good. When you talk with someone who takes a stand, ask them to give you a reason for their view and spell out their argument fully. Assess its strength and weakness. Raise objections (异议) and listen carefully to their replies. This method will require effort, but practice will make you better at it.

These tools can help you win every argument — not in the unhelpful sense of beating your opponents but in the better sense of learning about what divides people, learning why they disagree with us and learning to talk and work together with them. If we readjust our view of arguments — from a verbal fight or tennis game to a reasoned exchange through which we all gain respect and understanding from each other — then we change the very nature of what it means to “win” an argument.

1. What is the author’s attitude toward Carnegie’s understanding of argument?

A．Critical.

B．Supportive.

C．Tolerant.

D．Uncertain.

2. Why do many people try to avoid arguments?

A．They lack debating skills.	B．They may feel bad even if they win.
C．They fear being ignored.	D．They are not confident in themselves.

3. What does the underlined phrase “spell out” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Defend.

B．Explain.

C．Conclude.

D．Repeat.

4. What is the key to “winning” an argument according to the author?

A．Sense of logic.	B．Solid supporting evidence.
C．Proper manners.	D．Understanding from both sides.

For lots of kids, toddlerhood (幼儿期) is an important time for friendship. Studies show that the earlier kids learn to form positive relationships, the better they are at relating to others as teenagers and adults. Playing together also helps these kids practice social behaviors, such as kindness, sharing, and cooperation.

Even so, how quickly your child develops into a social creature may also depend on his temperament(性格). Some toddler s are very social, but others are shy. In addition, the way that toddlers demonstrate that they like other children is markedly different from what adults think of as expressions of friendship. Research at Ohio State University in Columbus found that a toddler’s way of saying “I like you” during play is likely to come in the form of copying a friend’s behavior.

This seemingly unusual way of demonstrating fondness can result in unpleasant behavior. Regardless of how much they like a playmate, they may still grab his toys, refuse to share, and get bossy. But experts say that this is a normal and necessary part of friendship for kids this age. Through play experiences, toddlers learn social rules. That’s why it’s so important to take an active role in your toddler’s social encounters by setting limits and offering frequent reminders of what they are. When you establish these guidelines, explain the reasons behind them.

Begin by helping your child learn sympathy (“Ben is crying. What’s making him so sad?”), then suggest how he could resolve the problem (“Maybe he would feel better if you let him play the ball.”). When your child shares or shows empathy(同理心) toward a friend, praise him (“Ben stopped crying! You made him feel better.”).

Another way to encourage healthy social interaction is by encouraging kids to use words- not fists-to express how they feel. It’s also important to be mindful of how your child’s personality affects playtime. Kids are easy to get angry when they’re sleepy or hungry, so schedule playtime when they’re refreshed.

1. What does it indicate when toddlers copy their playmates’ behavior?

A．They are interested in acting.	B．They are shy with the strangers.
C．They are fond of their playmates.	D．They are tired of playing games.

2. What does the author suggest parents do for their kids?

A．Design games for them.	B．Find them suitable playmates.
C．Play together with them.	D．Help them understand social rules.

3. What is the function of the quoted statements in paragraph 4?

A．Giving examples.	B．Explaining concepts.
C．Providing evidence.	D．Making comparisons.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．How Children Adapt to Changes	B．How to Be a Role Model for Children
C．How Your Baby Learns to Love	D．How to Communicate with Your Kid

It’s hard to put into words how much of a sense of freedom I get from being outdoors and in the wilderness. If I’m_________ by buildings for too long, I get a bit anxious. I need to see a field, a river or a mountain_________ in front of me.

Spending time outdoors is a wonderful _________, I like nothing more than getting to the end of a day spent outdoors and _________ the ache in my legs from a long walk. It helps me sleep and is far more _________than training in a gym.

There are so many _________walks to choose from all over the UK. We live on a tiny island, relatively speaking, but the scenery we have here easily _________ some of the most beautiful in the world. We are extremely_________: on our doorstep we have beaches, rivers, hills and mountains.

Thanks to the light and the weather, the same walk can feel very different _________the time of year you do it. But for breathtaking views whatever the __________is, I’d recommend Cow and Calf Rocks on Ilk-ley Moor in West Yorkshire. It’s quite a challenge climbing them, which is why doing so feels more daring than a normal walk and offers __________ that you don’t get from following a gentle path. It’s perfect if you want a workout as well as fresh air and gives you the chance to get up high and__________a view that changes all year round.

Otley Chevin in West Yorkshire is another __________ climb that offers beautiful views. And like Cow and Calf Rocks, it is within easy__________of the nearby town. But being Cambrian, my heart will always belong to the Lake District. I grew up walking those fells in all weathers and seasons, and I think there is nothing more __________than a big hill walk that gets your lungs burning and brings you to a       view you’ve never seen before.

1.

A．crowded

B．surrounded

C．impressed

D．involved

2.

A．disappearing

B．revealing

C．emerging

D．floating

3.

A．experience

B．expectation

C．arrangement

D．ambition

4.

A．doubting

B．curing

C．feeling

D．removing

5.

A．harmful

B．beneficial

C．graceful

D．pitiful

6.

A．powerful

B．grateful

C．confusing

D．amazing

7.

A．rivals

B．highlights

C．escapes

D．explores

8.

A．lucky

B．tense

C．certain

D．tough

9.

A．picking up

B．depending on

C．contrasting with

D．getting over

10.

A．season

B．custom

C．emotion

D．response

11.

A．curiosity

B．excitement

C．encouragement

D．indication

12.

A．put on

B．give off

C．take in

D．set up

13.

A．challenging

B．exhausting

C．moving

D．annoying

14.

A．limit

B．center

C．reach

D．distance

15.

A．regular

B．remote

C．obvious

D．special

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。

“Have you decided on your major?” my parents inquired.

“Bioengineering, of course.” I responded without the slightest hesitation.

I entered this world with Poland syndrome, a disease that prevented the formation of my right arm and pectoral muscle(s 胸肌). My parents, believing that playing with Lego could enhance my dexterity(灵巧), gifted me my first kit when I was five. Struggling to piece the components together, I crafted my first Lego work – a car. As I got older, I grew obsessed with Lego Technic, a more advanced range, and how to use it to build more delicate structures. By the age of nine, I had fashioned my first prosthetic arm(义肢)using Lego Technic – a simple box that perfectly accommodated my right arm.

This early creation sparked my drive for further exploration. Years later, I developed another prosthetic arm that I called the MK-1, which had fingers, a motor, a pressure sensor, a movable elbow joint, and a grabber capable of picking things up.

Before constructing it, I had already decided against traditional prosthetics. Not because they were ineffective, but because playing with Lego did significantly improve my dexterity, helping me adapt to my condition. However, a more frustrating reason was that prosthetics were too expensive. My parents and I had looked into getting one a few years earlier, only to be discouraged by the prohibitive price. So, I concluded that I might not need one because I was managing well without. Nevertheless, the joy of creating prosthetics with Lego remained, and I continued making them purely for the fun of it.

As the years passed, my creations evolved from MK-1 to the more advanced and comfortable MK-V. It featured a control unit that could send and receive orders from sensors on the arm to the motors, with cables that contract like muscles.

One day, a couple with their eight-year-old son, who lost both arms in an accident, reached out to me after learning about my creations. Short of money, they couldn’t afford well-functioning prosthetics. “Daniel,” the father earnestly asked, “we were wondering if you could possibly help build a set of prosthetics for our son.”

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:

I knew it would be a challenging and demanding task, but I responded with a “yes”.

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Paragraph 2:

I rushed to the boy’s home and secured the prosthetics onto him!

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