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But when the dolphins struggled to leave the canal, the brave volunteers joined members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to form a rescue team to free them. Dozens of people gathered to take videos and pictures of the kind act. A team of 14 volunteers held hands to act as a block to guide the dolphins out of the narrow channel. They shouted and patted the water with their hands to direct the dolphins to vast expanses of Riviera Bay. Dolphins find their way in the water through echolocation(回声定位). That means that, by making high-frequency sounds, they can recognize the echoes of sound waves that bounce off objects to find their way around.

Andy Garrett, a biologist of the FWC said, "We were able to keep that chain together. The dolphins were interested. They actually came over right away." He added that when the team reached a bridge, the dolphins appeared a bit nervous and started doing some spins. "They made one real hard pass at our team and then went under the bridge and took off," Garrett said. The operation lasted about 45 minutes and the rescue team did not use nets or any items that could stress the dolphins.

J. K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling had just got a divorce and couldn't afford to feed her baby just three years before the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was published. She was so poor that she couldn't afford a computer. Her novel was rejected dozens of times before a London publisher gave it a second chance after the CEO's daughter fell in love with it.

Stephen King

Stephen King received 60 rejections before selling his first short story, The Glass Floor, for $35. Even his now best-selling book, Carrie, wasn't a hit at first. After dozens of rejections, he finally sold it for a paltry (微小的) advance to Doubleday Publishing, where the hardback sold only 13, 000 copies. Unexpectedly, Signet Books signed on for the paperback rights for $400,000, half of which went to King. Success achieved!

Colonel Harland Sanders

Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of KFC, first started cooking chicken in1930, when he was 40, during the Great Depression. In the 1950s, he was forced to close his business. To survive, he set out to find restaurants willing to accept his secret recipe for fried chicken. He drove around and was rejected more than 1,000 times before finally finding his first partner.

Walt Disney

In 1919, Walt Disney was fired from his first animation job at the Kansas City Star newspaper because his editor felt he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. Then he acquired Laugh-O-Gram, an animation studio he later drove into bankruptcy. Also, he was rejected over 300 times for his Disneyland concept. The Walt Disney company is now well known around the world.

I like things to balance, partly because of my name, "Ava." When something bothers me, I try to balance the bad with the good. That's why I don't mind being the tallest kid in third grade.

Bad: Have to stand in the back row of my class picture.

Good: Can reach the books on the top library shelf.

Bad: Everyone always points out how tall I am.

Good: Sometimes I want people to notice me. So it balances.

One day, a new girl, Ava Zafra, comes to school, and she's the shortest kid in third grade. Now everyone calls me "Ava J." and the new girl "Ava Z." I thought if we had the same name, maybe we were alike. During art class, I paint a kitten sliding down a rainbow. Ava Z. paints her shoes black. She shouts, "I am an alien hunter! Fear me!" We aren't alike.

During a break, Samir yells, "Over there, Ava!" When I look at Samir, he shakes his head. "Not you, Big Ava. I meant Little Ava." From then on, I'm not just Ava. I'm not even Ava J. — I'm Big Ava. I try to think of something good about being big, but I can't remember anything good.

The next day, Ms. Wu has a surprise. "Everyone, let's draw to pick the speaking roles for our class play!" she announces. "It's called Clever Jack. He rescues a princess from a giant with the help of a wood fairy."

       The fairy! Maybe I can wear my fairy costume. I cross my fingers when she picks the name. "The fairy will be Ava Z.," Ms. Wu says. Then, she pulls one more name from the jar and looks at me. "Ava. J. will be the giant." My heart sinks. The ugly, scary giant? My only line is, "ARRGH!" I hate yelling! I don't want to be too big!

Our class rehearses (排练) until we know every line. The day before the play, we try on our costumes. When it's my turn, Ms. Wu drops a burlap (麻布) robe over my head. I am an ugly, scary giant.

I run to the bathroom, so no one will see my cry. I'm not alone.

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。

Little Ava is there, and she's crying, too.

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"Ready to exchange?" asks Little Ava.

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1. 陈述看法；2.提出建议。

注意： 1.写作词数为80左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。

How to Tell Stories of China in English as a Group

Good morning, everyone!

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Thanks for your listening!

The over-21-kilometer half marathon course struck a perfect balance: challenging yet doable for runners of all levels. There were machine competitors (compete) in the world's first humanoid robot half marathon, held in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) in the southeast of the city. silicon racers would soon compete on the same physical route as human runners, though on separate tracks.

"Think of it a car rally (汽车拉力赛) for robots," said Liang Liang, deputy director of the BDA management committee. The rules of the humanoid robot half marathon were closely like of a car rally, Liang noted. Teams combined AI autonomy with human oversight, dealing with (challenge) no machine had quite faced before: uneven pavements, communication drops the unpredictability of the outdoors.

"The event (serve) as a testing and demonstration platform, but more importantly, as a space for (develop), enthusiasts and companies to exchange ideas," Liang said.

At the Beijing E-Town half marathon, the Tien Kung Ultra robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center crossed the finish line in just 2 hours and 40 minutes. Noetix's N2 came in second, while a robot designed by Shanghai-based firm DroidUp (secure) third place.

Isn't the organizers' motto, "To compete is victory, to finish is glory," (fill) with Akhwari's story? Every small step these robots took on the marathon course represented a giant leap for China's technological breakthroughs.

I started at Collie. It was very hot, and I drank water4 and the first thing I did when I arrived at the first stop was5 the rainwater tank. I was6 to find that it had water.

The next day the trail7 became difficult to find. By midday, the8 had become unbearable. I was becoming increasingly9 when I realized that I was quite lost. I stopped to consider my10. The11 plan was to stay overnight at a tourist park, but I had no idea where I was. Tiredly, I got up, remounted my bike. After two hours, I was delighted to see cycle tracks that looked12. However, I soon realized that they were my own!

I had no more water, and was sleepy. A sudden wind 13 me. I heard the sound of a motor, but it disappeared. A while later I heard it again. I14 myself and walked to where the sound was coming. There before me was the dam, with boats towing water skiers and people relaxing. My first lesson on living in Australia had been15.

These collections tend to focus on common things that we all need, but which we don't use constantly. This saves on the environmental impact of producing the items by reducing the demand for new things.

For families, financial barriers can mean that things like toys or comfortable clothing can be knocked down the priorities list. But these libraries create a sense of equality in the community, meaning that individuals don't need to go without.

There are several ways to find out where your closest sharing library is. It maps 50 libraries across the UK. But if your area isn't listed by those sites, don't give up hope. Some communities will set up smaller, informal versions of these libraries — for example, street WhatsApp groups where people ask if anyone on the road has the thing they're looking to borrow, or local pass-it-on groups. Attend the Network's online workshops to learn more about sharing libraries and how to set one up for themselves.

In a world where we're encouraged to continue to collect more and more stuff, sharing libraries are taking a stand for the environment and for our personal finances. So, next time you find yourself in need of something handy, consider looking for a way to borrow it.
 

A. Still no luck?

B. If unlisted, search locally.

C. At the core of sharing libraries is greater access.

D. This is the fundamental idea behind sharing libraries.

E. This concept challenges traditional ownership models.

F. Start by checking the UK Sharing Libraries Network website.

G. It'll be easy on the planet, easy on your pocket, and great for the community.

This sad story became widely discussed. Sigmund Freud and modern scientists studied this idea. In 2015, an award-winning short film called Henry retold this story.

How does this apply to real life? Most people remember being hurt by close relationships – broken friendships, family conflicts, or romantic betrayals. Since these connections matter deeply, their damage hurts more. Should we stop trusting others? Schopenhauer said yes, but science would say otherwise.

A study in PLOS Medicine reviewing 148 studies with over 300,000 people found those with strong social connections live 50% longer. The National Institute on Aging warns that loneliness harms health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes daily — making Schopenhauer's advice concerning.

When hurt repeatedly, people often fall into defense mode. Relationship expert Hilary Sanders explains common defense behaviors: going silent during arguments, seeing normal comments as criticism, or overreacting to small issues. These reactions often start in childhood. If parents often criticized or classmates bullied someone, they might develop habits like pretending not to care or getting angry easily. While these helped survive childhood pain, they cause problems in adult relationships when used unconsciously.

The good news is people can change. Through therapy, many learn to recognize their defense patterns and understand their origins. Couples can improve relationships by learning each other's emotional triggers and responding thoughtfully instead of arguing. However, Sanders warns that defenses shouldn't be removed suddenly — it's like taking down a wall brick by brick.

Although Schopenhauer focused on the pain of closeness, the hedgehog story actually shows our deep need for connection. Unlike real hedgehogs, humans aren't born with physical spines. By carefully lowering our defenses around trustworthy people, we might truly enjoy both warmth and safety in relationships.

"We now have proof that dogs and humans had close connections earlier than we thought in the Americas," said the study's lead author, Francois Lanoe, an assistant researcher at the University of Arizona's School of Anthropology.

"People interested in the origins of the Americas want to know if the first humans arrived with dogs. Until we find these animals in old digging sites, we can only guess — it's hard to confirm. This discovery is very significant."

In a 2018 archaeological study, the same team found a lower leg bone from an adult dog-like animal at a site in Alaska. Carbon dating showed the animal lived 12,000 years ago, near the end of the Ice Age. More recently, in June 2023, the team dug up an 8,100-year-old jawbone from a similar animal at a nearby site.

For the new study, scientists performed chemical tests on these bones. They found salmon proteins, suggesting these animals ate fish regularly. This was unusual because dog-like animals at the time only hunted land animals, showing human influence.

While the team believes this is the earliest known relationship between humans and dogs, they say it's too soon to be certain. A key question remains: "What defines a dog?" said Dr. Ben Potter, a co-author of the study and an archaeologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Though these creatures acted and looked like dogs, they might be too ancient to be genetically connected to modern dogs we know today.

I thought of cancer survivor Lynne Hartke's brave story in this issue, about struggle to reach the top of El Minsti, a dormant volcano in Peru, and the lesson she learned. Like Lynne, I hate to give up before reaching a goal, even if mine was more modest. Yet maybe, like Lynne, I should recognize that my plan is not always God's plan, not today at least, and maybe not on any given day.

We don't pick stories for an issue around a certain theme. Still, a theme sometimes suggests itself as the pieces develop. Take our cover story, by Mary Bryant Shrader. Her plan was to become a hard-charging corporate lawyer. Now she's a You Tube cooking star and prepper, teaching people traditional ways of keeping a kitchen. Little did she know how that philosophy would influence her faith in a moment of crisis. In her story, Night and Day, all Jessica Reed desired for was to be normal. Yet was her idea of "normal" God's idea? Take a cross-country ride with Jim Hinch and son in The Two Dudes, and witness how the best-laid plans of a father can take a different turn.

In my life, I've learned that the path laid out before me was not the one I thought I would follow. And yet it has brought great fortune. Even on a late-winter day on a snowy hillside trail. "Come on, Gracie," I said. "Let's go see the beavers."

Discover the collection

The National Gallery displays one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of European painting. It includes many famous works, such as Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait, Velazquez's Rokeby Venus, Turner's Fighting Temeraire and Van Gogh's Sunflowers. All major traditions of Western European painting are represented from the artists of late medieval and Renaissance Italy to the French Impressionists.

This plan will help you to explore the collection. You may wish to start by finding one of the famous paintings illustrated overleaf. You can also plan your route using the ArtStart touch-screen guides. Free guided tours and a variety of audio guides are available.

For further information, ask at Information Desks or pick up the What's On and Book Now guides for full details of talks, tours and family events.

A public collection

The paintings in the National Gallery belong to the public and entrance to see them is free. The Gallery was founded in 1824, but it did not acquire its current home, designed by William Wilkins, until 1838. The site in Trafalgar Square was chosen for its central location, accessible to both the rich of West London and the poorer communities of the East End. The building has been extended and improved over the years, most notably in 1991 with the opening of the Sainsbury Wing, designed by Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates. The Gallery continues to ensure that the widest possible public can enjoy the paintings.

If you do not wish to keep this plan, please return it to an Information Desk for recycling.

The Do-It-Yourself Disaster

"Who wants to show us their special project first?" Mrs. Williams asked the whole class. For this project, we were allowed to do anything, as long as we did it ourselves.

I shrank into my sweater as usual, silently begging, Don't call on me. Don't call on me. Around me, hands shot up like popcorn. The more others leaned forward, the deeper I sank.

"Michael, your project, please." My name rang as loud as the fire alarm. I hadn't even lifted a finger! My hiding trick didn't work.

I walked to the front of the class on shaky legs and set my birdhouse on the table. "This is how to build a birdhouse," I began, my throat tight. "Look at your audience, Michael," Mrs. Williams reminded me from the back of the room. I took a deep breath and started again. "I looked online for plans and went to the lumberyard (木料场) with my dad. Someone there helped cut the walls and drilled the hole." I turned the birdhouse to show all four sides.

Luka's hand shot up. We were supposed to take questions if anyone had them. Luka was my friend, but he always asked a billion questions. I just wanted to finish and sit down.

"So if someone at the lumberyard cut the wood and made the hole, and your dad drove you there, what did you do?" he asked.

My throat felt even tighter. "This was my idea," I rushed to explain. "At the lumberyard, I told the workers exactly how to cut the wood. And see this?" I flipped open the roof. "I made it open and shut with these metal clips (夹子), so I can clean out the house after the birds leave." Some kids stood up to see. "Then I nailed all the walls together." I picked up the heavy hammer (榔头) I had bought. I had left one of the nails sticking out a little so I could demonstrate.

Spotting Luka watching, I gave the nail a powerful hit. The hammer came down on the roof instead of the nail. Crash! The roof caved in. The sides bent. The birdhouse landed in a noisy mess at my feet.

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。

Paragraph 1: The crash echoed into total stillness.

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Paragraph 2: At the sight of the bird feeder (喂食器), the class cheered and clapped.

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Thanks to advances in animal tracking technology, one can match with a wild animal and track its movements through Chinalife's bracelet by scanning the accompanying QR code.

In addition to tracking the movements of wild animals, digital adoption programs provide unique opportunity to form a virtual bond with them. just a few clicks, anyone can adopt a wolf, koala, or red panda, even if he or she is miles away. These virtual "mamas" are also offered a chance (see) their babies offline.

Since 2022, Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo has launched a "virtual adoption" program individuals, families, and even companies can adopt animals through a mini-program. Participants can interact with their (choose) animals, learn about their habits, and support their protection — all from home.

Currently, these innovative digital programs, ranging from tracking the (journey) of wildlife to virtual adoption, (bridge) the gap between humans and animals. Through these (create) initiatives, individuals are not only gaining insights into animal behaviors, but are also actively participating in conservation efforts advancing research in the field.

Meanwhile, the collected animal tracking data serves as a valuable resource and foundation for scientific research. All wildlife conservation ultimately comes down to habitat protection. In this process, animals' data can act as bioindicators, (assist) governments and organizations in developing more reasonable environmental protection policies.

"Anything in a bag along the highway usually isn't1," said Kane. The bag's contents2 him but in a good way. Inside were tennis shoes and toys, spilling out of3 gift wrapping. Kane brought the bag to headquarters, but nobody had4 the gifts missing. Kane made a Facebook post, hoping it would5 in front of the right eyes — and soon. Christmas morning was only one6 away.

Ten hours later, Kane was wrapping up for the day, and still nothing. He told the night crew about the7 and that someone might be in touch. Any claims could be8 via the names of the kids on the gift tags, which he purposely had left out of the post.

Around 9 p.m., WSDOT's Madi Voie got a(n)9. More crewmen, invested in getting these gifts home by Christmas morning, had been working hard to track down their10 and they finally got11. A woman had posted on Facebook that her brother David Carli had lost a trash bag full of kids' Christmas gifts. Had anyone12 them?

Voie's co-workers saw Kane's post and13 the dots. They gave Voie's phone number to Carli, and the two met up just after midnight on Christmas morning. Carli had spent most of Christmas Eve14 trying to replace the missing presents.

"Working holidays and nights is15," says Voie. "But being able to make someone else's Christmas better, I was pretty excited."

●The need for quick action

Procrastination often happens when tasks feel big and complex. It's common to switch your attention to something small, like an email, for quick satisfaction. It's a good idea to break down the big task into smaller pieces. What you really need is the motivation to start. Once you're started, motivation is like a wheel already rolling down the hill. Take action that gets you going.

●The need to find the best way

Knowing where to start is a matter of narrowing it down to the best choice. The analysis often causes paralysis (停滞), which is a form of procrastination. Try narrowing down the options for starting to three things that are interesting to you. Choose one to start with to move toward accomplishment more quickly.

●The need to create order out of chaos

Some people also struggle to find the "right" way — a need to make sure everything is perfect and done in the exact correct order. You can become stuck because the path forward can feel chaotic. Then, put the list in the most logical order. It can also be helpful to think of what might go wrong to ensure everything gets noticed.

These unmet needs that cause procrastination are often related to our personality type. By determining what's stopping you, you can understand exactly what you need to get out of first gear and into drive.
 

A. Narrowing is really about focus.

B. Big projects can have plenty of options.

C. This shift increases motivation and influence.

D. Push through by listing what needs to be done.

E. And they boil down to needs for action, perfection and structure.

F. The key to dealing with procrastination is figuring out what's behind it.

G. Even if it seems productive, it's holding you back from more meaningful work.

As part of the preparations, Mr. Poddi's team has installed 20 fire-detection sensors in the Santu Lussurgiu forest.

These sensors, which hang from branches three to four metres off the ground, collect comprehensive information, including gases, temperature, humidity, and air pressure. These data are then analyzed by AI models. If anything unusual is spotted, emergency services are alerted.

Until now, fire detection on Sardinia has relied on human sight. But usually, the fire is noticed only once it has started to spread. The sensors work more like a sense of smell, identifying the chemicals in the air caused by hidden fires before flames and smoke are visible. This allows firefighters to step in before the blaze is too large to control and to have a clearer sense of where to tackle it.

The sensors are designed to be installed every few hundred meters in high-risk fire zones. This deployment can make sensors much cheaper than alternative wildfire suppression methods. Once installed, the sensors can last for up to 15 years and can be updated remotely.

Given the differences in environments, AI models must be tailored to regional characteristics. A system for Italy may not work in Canada. Mr. Poddi says the ultimate test for Sardinia will be if the sensor networks can be deployed (部署) with equal effectiveness along the pine forests near the island's beaches. These environments are very different from those in Santu Lussurgiu.

To truly enhance early fire detection, sensor networks will need to be installed on a large scale. Even so, their real impact will depend on how well they are integrated with other existing firefighting measures, from mapping and data-analysis tools to the ability to promptly deploy firefighters. Moreover, the risk of time-wasting false alarms from such sensitive systems is very real. Overcoming such challenges will bring significant rewards. All the various technologies can and should work together to build a strong solution.

But recently, there's been a move toward simplicity, similar to minimalist (极简主义) art in the 1960s, which rejected complexity and favored abstraction by removing all unnecessary elements. A recent research explored whether shoppers actually prefer this packaging — and, if so, why.

First, researchers analyzed over 1,000 consumer goods, such as shampoo, and cereal, from the largest supermarket chain in the U.S. They found that products in simple packaging generally had higher retail prices than similar products that didn't, indicating that shoppers are willing to pay more for products in this packaging.

In a follow-up study, university students were asked to look at different packages and reported how much they were willing to pay, how many ingredients they thought the products might have and how pure they perceived (理解) the products to be. The results showed that the preference for simple packaging was due to the fact that pared-down designs sent a subtle yet powerful signal: purity. Participants were more likely to assume that the products contained fewer ingredients, along with fewer preservatives, added colors or artificial flavors, and were willing to fork over more cash for them — regardless of whether they actually contain fewer ingredients.

However, simple packaging design is not always effective. For generic brands (卖场自家品牌), typically sold at a lower price, the simplicity of the packaging may signal low quality rather than purity.

Shoppers' desires can also influence their preference. When people seek healthier options, they'll pay more for products with simple packaging. However, when consumers want to treat themselves to junk food, they'll be more likely to purchase products with complex packaging, which signals many ingredients and lower purity — qualities associated with more flavor.

When I went to college, however, my mindset towards food sharply changed. No longer a student athlete, I began to learn about wellness. In a lecture, our professor took a cup of Sprite and showed its sugar content by comparing it to a cup of pure sugar. I was stunned. For the first time, I realized my eating habits needed to change.

Immediately, I cut out nearly all sugar from my diet. I refused cake at parties and skipped late-night pizza with friends.

Though these habits were good for my physical health, slowly, they began to weigh on my mental health. What started as restricting sweets turned into weighing myself multiple times a day and obsessively (过度地) tracking calories. Despite being at a healthy weight, I was consumed by thoughts of food: What did I eat that day? How much do I need to work out to burn it off? On the outside, I was physically fit, but on the inside, I was anxious about maintaining this state of perfection with food.

It wasn't until I graduated that I began to critically reflect on my obsession with food. I realized the sense of control my strict habits brought me was actually doing the opposite: In placing so much emphasis on food, I felt out of control. How could I shift to a balance of healthy eating with the occasional indulgence?

Slowly, I learned that the world would not end if I eat some ice cream or drink a glass of Sprite. At my core, I believe letting myself enjoy small pleasures is what makes me feel more human and alive. For me, this balance is crucial to living a fulfilling, satisfying life.

The first time I saw Lily, my new classmate, a wave of disappointment washed over me. Her chaotic hair stuck out in all directions as if going g against gravity, the thick-rimmed glasses made her eyes look extremely big, and her clothes — loose blouses and long skirts — seemed like they were scratched straight out of a recycling store.

She was so different from the trendy girls in our class. I leaned towards my best friend, whispering, "She looks like a total bookworm. Probably she has no social skills." Of course, it was exactly what her appearance indicated.

For weeks, I secretly made fun of Lily. During lunch breaks, while the rest of us gathered around tables, chatting and sharing gossip (闲话), she would sit alone in the corner, her nose buried in a thick novel. Every time I caught a glimpse of her, I'd roll my eyes and exchange dismissive looks with my friends. But there were moments when I couldn't help but notice how effortlessly she answered teachers' questions in class. Her responses were so fluent and confident that it sent a small flow of unease through me. Still, I pushed those thoughts aside, determined to hold onto my previous thoughts.

One day, our teacher announced the group project on environmental protection and when I found out I was paired with Lily, a sense of fear settled in my stomach. I imagined long, painful meetings filled with her awkward silences. But as we sat down to discuss our plan, I was immediately taken aback.

Lily pulled out a stack of neatly organized research papers, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she outlined her ideas. "We could organize a community clean-up day," she said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "And create interactive educational posters to make recycling fun!" I listened, shocked, as she spoke with such passion and clarity. For the first time, I felt a bit of doubt about my initial judgment.

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。

As we worked together, that doubt grew into an overall realization.

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The day of the presentation arrived, and I watched in awe as Lily took the stage.

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