Here are the books that often appear on high-school reading lists for 12th-grade students, and are often discussed in greater depth in college literature courses. The books on this list are important introductions to world literature.

The Seagull

By Anton Chekhov

Price: $40.4

The book is a scene-of-life read set in the Russian countryside at the end of the 19th century. All characters are dissatisfied with their lives. Some want love. Some want success. No one, however, ever seems to get happiness. Some people view The Seagull as a tragic (悲剧的) play about always unhappy people. Others see it as a humorous and bitter book, making fun of humans' foolishness.

Candide

By Voltaire

Price: $48.6

Voltaire offers his view of society in Candide. The book was published in 1759, and it is often considered the author's most important work. A simple-minded young man, Candide is sure his world is the best of all worlds, but a trip around the world opens his eyes about what he believes to be true.

Jane Eyre

By Charlotte Bronte

Price: $128.6

Charlotte Bronte's heroine was one of the first in English literature to serve as first-person narrator (讲述者) of her own life story. Jane falls in love with a rich man, Rochester, but on her own terms, and only after he has proven himself worthy of her.

The Bluest Eye

By Toni Morrison

It tells a story of Pecola Breedlove, a young African American girl who dreams of having blue eyes-a sign of acceptance in a world ruled by white conceptions of beauty.

1. （1） What are the characteristics of the The Seagull?

   A . The characters live a satisfying life. B . People's viewpoints on it differ significantly. C . Every character ultimately makes their dreams true. D . It focuses on American life in the final years of the 1800s.
3. （2） What changed Candide's view of the world?

   A . A book he came across unexpectedly. B . A dream he experienced in his sleep. C . A misfortune he encountered in life. D . A global journey.
5. （3） Which would you choose if you want to read a story about a girl who wants to be beautiful?

   A . The Bluest Eye. B . The Seagull. C . Jane Eyre. D . Candide.

On her 53rd birthday, Debra Ferrell received the usual well-wishes on Facebook, but she also got some unusual messages. One was about a family in Minnesota who had just lost their four-year-old son to cancer. His older brother, autistic (自闭症) and nonverbal, was struggling with grief. They were reaching out to Ferrell, seeking any possible support. "Could you bring him some comfort?" they asked with deep sadness.

Ferrell's heart ached when she read the message. She knew she had to do something. She sent them a wind chime (风铃) with the message "Listen to the wind and know that I am near." written on the clapper. It now hangs in the four-year-old's bedroom, where his brother can go to listen to it whenever he wants. Ferrell says, "I hope it brings him some comfort. Sometimes, a small gesture can mean the world to someone going through a tough time."

This is not the first time that Ferrell decided to give gifts for her birthday. In fact, for her 47th birthday in 2014, she founded Love with Skin On, an organization devoted to doing good deeds near her home in Roanoke, Virginia, and beyond. Its motto is simple: Be Love, Do Stuff. "I believe that small acts of kindness can make a big difference," Ferrell explains. "It's amazing to see the joy on people's faces when you do something unexpected for them."

To celebrate her 53rd birthday, Ferrell decided to commit 53 random acts of kindness by the end of her birth month. She put out a call on her Facebook page, asking for information on people who could use a little help. Over the years, she has reached out and touched well over 100 strangers, some found through Facebook callouts, others with help from her grandkids. In another act of giving, she shares her favourite inexpensive and creative gift ideas on Pinterest for others to use. Her grandkids often join her on these missions, making it a family affair. "It's amazing to see the joy on people's faces," she says. "And it's even more rewarding when my grandkids are involved. They learn the value of kindness and compassion."

Ferrell funds all these acts of kindness herself. She buys gift cards, makes pay-it-forward purchases at drive-throughs, sends care packages, and even covers the gas to deliver these surprises. Her family often gives her extra birthday cash, jokingly warning her not to spend it on others, but she always does. "I got a couple of Amazon gift cards for my birthday this year and was like YESSS!" she says with a laugh. "It's my party, and I'll give if I want to!"

1. （1） On Deba Ferrell's 53rd birthday, what did she receive?

   A . Invitations to give a speech at a community event. B . Beautiful birthday gifts from Love with Skin On. C . Unique birthday wishes with moving stories. D . Messages calling for help.
3. （2） What does Deba Ferrell do on Pinterest?

   A . She lets her grandkids participate in family activities. B . She introduces innovative ideas. C . She buys presents for strangers. D . She distributes care packages.
5. （3） What description matches Deba Ferrell most accurately?

   A . Warm-hearted and generous. B . Aggressive and demanding. C . Modest and cautious. D . Logical and cold.
7. （4） What meaning does the story express?

   A . The significance of founding organizations. B . The pleasure of giving expensive gifts. C . The power of small acts of kindness. D . The desire for social media fame.

Scientists have discovered a new and renewable source of water on the moon for future explorers in lunar samples from a Chinese mission.

Water was stored in tiny glass beads (珠子) in the lunar dirt where meteorite (陨石) impacts occur. These shiny, multicolored glass beads were in samples returned from the moon by China in 2020. The beads range in size from the width of one hair to several hairs; the water content was just a very small part of that, according to Hui HeJiu of Nanjing University, who took part in the study.

Since there are billions if not trillions of these impact beads, that could amount to substantial amounts of water, but mining it would be tough, according to the team. "Yes, it will require lots and lots of glass beads. There are lots and lots of beads on the moon," said Hui in an email.

"These beads could continually yield water thanks to the constant bombardment by hydrogen in the solar wind. The findings are based on 32 glass beads randomly selected from lunar dirt returned from the Chang'e 5 moon mission. Therefore, more samples will be studied," said Hui.

These impact beads are everywhere, the result of the cooling of melted material pushed out by incoming space rocks. Water could be got by heating the beads, possibly by future robotic missions. "More studies are needed to determine whether this would be feasible and, if so, whether the water would be safe to drink. This shows water can be recharged on the moon's surface…a new water reservoir on the moon," said Hui.

Previous studies found water in glass beads formed by lunar volcanic activities, based on samples returned by the Apollo moonwalkers more than a half-century ago. These, too, could provide water not only for use by future crews, but for rocket fuel.

1. （1） Why is it tough to collect water from the glass beads on the moon?

   A . The temperature of the beads is high. B . The beads are extremely tough to break. C . The beads are so tiny that they are invisible. D . The beads contain only a tiny amount of water.
3. （2） Why are glass beads constantly producing water?

   A . Because of the continuous hydrogen from the solar wind. B . Because of the huge number of glass beads on the moon. C . Because of the influence of meteorite. D . Because of glass beads getting hot.
5. （3） What does Hui intend to express in paragraph 5?

   A . Researchers must conduct further investigations about water on the moon. B . The moon's water resources should be used to create electrical energy. C . The water on the moon could be accessible to explorers someday. D . The moon's water is collected in a reservoir.
7. （4） Which title fits the passage best?

   A . Scientists Carried out an Investigation about Water On The Moon B . China Achieved Lunar Sample Collection Successfully C . Glass Beads Could Serve as Water Storage Containers D . Scientists Has Found Water in Lunar Glass Beads

According to Dr. John Swaddle, a professor at the Institute for Integrative Conservation at William & amp; Mary hundreds of millions of birds die every year from window collisions (碰撞).

However, if you put decals (贴花纸) or colorful stickers outside of your windows, the birds are more likely to see the barrier and therefore avoid it. Remember: never inside your window; always outside of your window.

"Double-glazed (双层的) windows reflect a lot of light, especially when you view them from a slight angle, as a flying bird would do,"Swaddle told Salon. He is the corresponding author of a recent study which tries to figure out how this basic reality of physics impacts on a bird's experience as it flies near a standard window. For their experiment, researchers had birds perform repeated and controlled flight trials near windows with film (薄膜) products, BirdShades film and Haverkamp film, respectively.

"In our collision avoidance trials, BirdShades increased window avoidance by 47% and the Haverkamp increased avoidance by 39%. But neither product was effective when the films were applied to the internal surface of windows," the authors concluded.

When breaking down the problem of avoiding window collisions from a bird's point of view, Swaddle explained, "The light and reflected imagery from the external surface of the glass is sufficient toobscure a film or decal that is stuck to the inner surface from being seen clearly."

If you want to protect birds from easily avoidable deaths without buying window film products, there are other solutions. Swaddle recommended "pleasing fritted glass that could be used in new construction and which is also bird-friendly". Besides, he notes that screens can be helpful as well, not only by limiting reflectiveness but by providing birds with a cushion if they make impact. It is also possible to use everyday household objects to signal to birds that there are barriers—netting, bits of string, colorful stickers, and paint. These can all be used to this effect.

1. （1） What can we do to reduce bird window collisions?

   A . Decorating the inside of windows with decals. B . Applying stickers to the outside of windows. C . Selecting windows with two layers of glass. D . Keeping windows closed at night.
3. （2） What are the researchers trying to figure out in their experiments?

   A . The effective ways to avoid collisions. B . The eco-friendly glass and films designed for birds. C . The relationship between light bounce and bird window collisions. D . The responses of birds when they suddenly hitting the shiny windows.
5. （3） Which of the following can replace the underlined word "obscure" in Paragraph 5?

   A . Apply. B . Shade. C . Preserve. D . Discover.
7. （4） What could we learn from the last paragraph?

   A . Solutions to prevent birds from hitting windows. B . Methods to lower the cost of windows. C . Eco-friendly glass materials. D . Bird-attracting objects.

Push yourselves beyond the limits

Limits are blocks between you and your success. You will face great resistance when attempting to break through the limits. It could be fear, lack of confidence, physical disabilities, and mental block. If you desire a life of success, you must face the resistance and push yourself beyond the limits. Here are tips for you to succeed.

Don't wait for external motivation to make the first move. Discover your inner motivation! It could be a motivational video, articles, TED Talks, or quotes. Ensure it is something that fills you with passion and drive to get things done. Inspiration can push you forward.

Take on a little more than you think you can. Pushing past your limits means taking on newer, harder challenges. If you're not challenging yourself to do bigger and better things regularly, you're only working within what you already can do.

Work on your goals a little each day. Chances are great that you need to build your empire brick by brick. That takes time and regular effort. That is, there is not a day that you don't work on your big goals, at least a little bit. It can be fifteen minutes dedicated to doing one small thing that will get you closer to that big thing you want to accomplish.

Find someone who supports you and encourages you to keep going. Having someone to support you can balance out the impact of any negative thinking that may limit you. It could be a life coach, friend, parent, or your wife or husband. They can help you make the push you need to get out of your comfort zone.

A. If you don't do this, your goals and dreams will remain out of reach.

B. Even small help makes a big difference when facing challenges.

C. That's just standing still without making any real progress.

D. A smart strategy is to follow the "No Zero Days" rule.

E. Progress comes step by step.

F. Find what truly excites you.

G. Motivate yourself.

When I studied in my high school, I did an experiment about how the temperature affected the growth of a plant. That experiment made me1 that science teaches us the domino effect (多米诺效应) in the environment. It teaches people our2 so we know where we are from. That day I3 decided to be a scientist and that will be my greatest ambition in life. Ever since that day I have studied harder4 in all my science-related subjects. After school I do much research on how I can become a   5 scientist in the future.

One of my6 in becoming a scientist is Barbara McClintock. She has been awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. At 25 she already had her PhD in botany and after that she started her7 as the leader in the development of maize cytogenetics (玉米细胞遗传学) and she was8 to that research for the rest of her life.

If I am lucky and given the9 to achieve my ambition as a scientist, I want to be like Doctor McClintock. She10 something that helped the other scientists11 the thing about genetics that did not just help her generation but also the future generation.

I know I will be able to achieve my12 as long as I put my heart and perseverance into it. If I am lucky enough to achieve my goal, I will share my13 with all the kids who also love science and want to become scientists. My future will be as14 as the stars in the night sky. My future is still far but I will make the most of all in the15 to achieve my greatest ambition of becoming a scientist.

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。

Dujiangyan is the (old) man-made water system in the world, and a wonder in the development of Chinese science. Built over 2, 200 years ago in what is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China, this amazing engineering (achieve) is still used today.

In ancient times, the region in which Dujiangyan now stands suffered regular floods (cause) by overflow from the Minjiang River. To help the victims of the flooding, Li Bing, the region governor, together with his son, decided to find effective solution. Li designed a series of channels built at different levels along Mount Yulei that would take away the floodwater while leaving the river flowing (natural). Better still, the extra water could be directed to the dry Chengdu Plain, making suitable for farming.

Once the system (finish), no more floods occurred and the people were able to live peacefully. Today, Dujiangyan is admired by scientists from around the world because of one feature. Unlike modern dams the water is blocked with a huge wall, Dujiangyan still lets water flow through the Minjiang River naturally, (enable) ecosystem (生态系统) and fish populations to exist in harmony.

中国春节申遗成功，世界各地的网友热烈讨论中国非遗文化。假设你是李华，你的英国朋友Tim对中国文化非常感兴趣，他想深入了解除春节之外的其他非遗项目，请你回复邮件。

内容包括：

(1)感到自豪；

(2)介绍一项其他非遗项目(如京剧、剪纸、书法等)；

(3)邀请来中国体验。

Dear Tim,

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Yours,

Li Hua

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。

It was a Saturday. I can't recall if the weather was sunny or cloudy, hot or cold, warm or chilly, but I distinctly remember it was a weekend day since the mall was packed with people.

I was accompanying my mother that day. Being short and skinny, she tends to go unnoticed in crowds because she is ordinary.

On that day we wandered down the avenue, stealing brief glimpses of window boutiques (精品店) while we understand our shopping would be minimal, just like always. I recall looking up at the passersby as we made our way down the street. Ladies wore five-inch heels (高跟鞋) that clicked importantly on the floor and bright, luxury clothing. A sense of discomfort began to grow in my heart. I tried to push it out, but once it took root it refused to go. It got more unbearable with every second until I could deny it no longer; I was ashamed of my mother.

It was evident we were in a high-class neighborhood — the luxurious surroundings left no doubt about that. We lived in a small, overpriced apartment located at the county border that Mom had specifically picked for its reputable schools. As I looked at the passers-by and then turned accusing eyes on Mom. I realized for the first time that we didn't belong there. I could see the deep wrinkles around Mom's eyes and mouth. She wore cheap, old clothes, and shoes with the soles (鞋底) worn down. Exhaustion showed in her eyes from working long hours to make ends meet, while premature gray streaks ran through her hair. Staring at her, I felt a pang of shame.

There was nothing extraordinary about my mom's looks, but at that particular moment, her plainness made her stand out. Saying I'd meet her at the clothes store around the corner, I hurried away to the bathroom. I didn't want to be seen with her, although there was no one important around to see me anyway. When I finally made my way to the store with hesitant steps, I found that Mom wasn't there.

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。

I had no choice but to look for her in other stores in the area.

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Faced with my mother's offer, I felt ashamed of my own thoughts.

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