第二部分：阅读理解(共两节，满分50分)
Community partners need you!
●Swissvale Farmers Market
We're looking for students to help us set up and take down our tent and spend the morning under the tent with us. Activities include some heavy lifting (optional), engaging with community members, picking up litter, handling small sales and lots of breaks!
Time: September 10, 8:30 am—1:15pm
●Food Pantry Distribution
The CHS Food Pantry needs volunteers to assist during preparation and distribution each week. This involves sorting food, stocking shelves, preparing the outdoor market and assisting families. Customer service skills are important as volunteers may be assisting families directly. Understanding different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds is helpful.
Time: September 1—December 22, Wednesdays Thursdays: 1:30pm—6:00pm
●Garbage Olympics
Join us for the Garbage Olympics! A Pittsburgh wide competition between neighborhoods to see who can get the most litter and garbage off our beloved city streets!
This year, we are competing against each other as well as the entire city! Teams A. B and C will race to see who can get the most garbage collected!
We'll have all the supplies ready, and will explain the rules to everyone before the event starts.
Time: September 17, 8:00 am—11:00 am.
●Tutoring assistant
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is actively seeking tutoring assistants for the 2023-2024 school year. As a tutoring assistant, you will offer a positive attitude and coaching to help children to stay on track during the in-person tutoring session. Additionally, you will help provide academic assistance in the form of reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation and math to school-aged children. Volunteers should be able to commit to eight weeks in the fall and may sign on for an additional eight weeks in the spring.
Time: September 28—November 16, Wednesday from 4:30 pm—6:30 pm
As vast fields surrounding Beijing and Shanghai transformed into towering skyscrapers, and old bicycles gave way to motor vehicles, the essence of music communication remained unchanged over these shifts.
"I'll never forget that I've never seen so many bicycles in my life," Philadelphia Orchestra violinist Davyd Booth said, recalling his first tour in China 50 years ago. "Everyone rode a bicycle. There were literally hundreds, thousands."
This month, 14 musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra, including Booth, are returning to China, with performances scheduled in Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou and Shanghai. The tour marks the 50th anniversary(周年纪念日) of their first visit in the 1970s, celebrating the unique friendship between China and the United States. Over the years, the orchestra(管弦乐团) has strengthened connections across China, with concerts and residencies that facilitate meaningful people-to-people interactions.
Booth said the 1973 tour was his first international trip with the orchestra. He considered himself lucky to have been part of the tour. He had just auditioned(试演) and got accepted into the orchestra that year. His official start date was scheduled after the orchestra's return from China, but Booth received a call from the personnel manager informing him that someone had fallen ill. He then took the place and went to China.
"I was incredibly thrilled! Then, after I hung up, I realized I didn't even have a passport," Booth said. However, he got his passport and visa in just three days, thanks to the strong support from both countries. With his violin in tow, Booth joined the team on the 15-hour flight to China.
In addition to some regular compositions, the Philadelphia Orchestra also played the Yellow River Concerto, one of the most popular piano concertos in China even today. The Philadelphia Orchestra cooperated on this ensemble (合奏) with a Chinese pianist, marking the earliest ties between the US and China in music.
After the concert, the team was hanging around on the streets, Booth said. It was a fun experience even though people did not know how to talk to locals because of language barriers, he said. "You can communicate a lot by smiling, and it worked out very, very well," he added.
BANGKOK - The world is "failing" on a commitment to stop and reverse (彻底改变) deforestation by 2030, with global losses increasing last year, a group of NGOs and researchers warned Tuesday.
In 2021, leaders from over 100 countries and territories -representing the vast majority of the world's forests-promised to stop and reverse forest loss by 2030. But an annual assessment released Tuesday found global deforestation actually increased by four percent last year, and the world remains well off track to meet the 2030 commitment. "That 2030 goal is not just nice to have, it's essential for maintaining a livable climate for humanity," warned Erin Matson, a lead author of the Forest Declaration Assessment.
Forests are not only key habitats for animal life but serve as important regulators of the global climate and carbon sponges that take in the emissions human activity generates. However, deforestation last year was over 20 percent higher than it should have been to meet the leaders' commitment, with 6.6 million hectares of forest lost, much of it primary forest in tropical regions.
"Data year over year does tend to shift. So one year is not the be-all, end-all," said Matson. "But what is really important is the trend. And since the baseline of 2018 to 2020, we're going in the wrong direction."
The assessment was not universally depressing, with about 50 countries considered on course to end deforestation. In particular, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia saw "dramatic reductions" in forest loss. Those gains are at risk however, the report warns. In Brazil, for instance, while there has been renewed interest in protecting the Amazon, another key ecosystem - the Cerrado savannah - has instead become a target.
The report praised new rules introduced by the European Union intended to block the imports of commodities(商品) that drive deforestation. But it called for stronger global action, including more money to conserve forests, and the end of subsidies to sectors like agriculture that drive deforestation.
"The world is failing forests with disastrous consequences on a global scale," said Fran Price, WWF's global forest lead. "Since the global commitment was made, an area of tropical forest the size of Denmark has been lost. We want to see nature and forest high on the agenda!"
On April 20 SpaceX's Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever, exploded during its first test flight only minutes after it took off from Texas, US.
Even though the two-stage rocket ship made it less than halfway to the edge of space, climbing to just under 25 miles, the flight achieved its primary objective of getting the new vehicle off the ground despite some of its engines failing at liftoff. The plan was for Starship to soar into space at least 90 miles above Earth.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk congratulated team members on "an exciting test launch" in a post-launch tweet and said they "learned a lot for the next test launch in a few months."
Back in September 2017, Musk came up with the idea of developing a rocket that would be able to send astronauts to Mars, build a base on the moon, and allow commercial travel to anywhere on Earth in under an hour, according to The Guardian (卫报).
The most important aspect in Musk's view, however, would be the rocket's ability to be reused for multiple flights. This would allow for massive savings as it would reduce the number of spacecraft that would otherwise simply crash. Also, the rocket relies on low-cost fuel, methane (甲烷), making the cost of spaceflight drop dramatically.
The results of Starship's first launch are not too far off from what Musk and SpaceX's engineers had predicted. Musk himself gave 50-50 odds that Starship would reach orbit, but also stressed that "clearing the launch tower and not blowing up the pad (发射台) would be a win".
In all, "it fell somewhere between a small step and their hoped-for giant leap, but it still represents significant progress toward a reusable super-heavy lift rocket," said Jordan Bimm, a space historian at the university of Chicago, US.
Prepared for the likely outcome, SpaceX already has more boosters and spacecraft ready for more test flights, with the next full set "almost ready to go". The plan is to fire off similar rockets in quick succession (连续) to gather data and start using Starships to launch satellites into low Earth orbit then put people on board. Each launch will take SpaceX a step closer to its ultimate goal of making commercial space flight a reality.
第二节(共5个小题，每小题2.5分，满分12.5分)
Choosing the Right Career
You will be leaving this school and the unavoidable question many people will ask you is, "" Some of you may have already decided on a career path, but many of you still don't have a clue! Here are some things you might want to consider.
First, does the career you are considering have staying power? Rapid technological change is disruptive(扰乱性的), and we need to be forward-looking at our future prospects. While many occupations are being taken over by new technology, jobs that require high-level of critical thinking, emotional intelligence and human interaction, remain in high demand. These jobs are not easily replaced by machines or technology. So think carefully about this before you choose your professional path.
Second, choose a career that interests you. Some people might think this is unimportant, but if you are truly passionate about your job then going to work every day won't seem a chore.
Before making a choice, you should examine your values, skills and personality type. This can help you decide if a career path is a good fit for you.
Third, of course you will want to consider your chosen profession's earning power. Although high pay plays a part, you should know that a job with a big salary will likely require more time to get to the top, much more effort and a higher level of stress. If you have interests outside of work, or are struggling with other demands in your life, you might want to choose a less demanding line of work.
Let me leave you with an old saying: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
A. You are on the right track.
B. So what do you want to be?
C. Will it be in demand in 20 years' time?
D. It's also likely that you will stay and grow in this career.
E. They simply want you to be the best of the best to your best ability.
F. Only the truly motivated will likely to be able to meet these challenges.
G. Thinking about a life-long career at this stage in your life is surely disturbing.
第三部分：语言运用(共两节，满分30分)
Karis Wales, Isha and Diya Goel were born prematurely. The twins and Karis, who has a twin brother, are now
13. They were born and cared for at the same Arizona hospital, just days apart. After reuniting in the sixth grade, Karis, Isha, and Diya formed a close 1 . A year later, they decided to create a club called Knots for NICU at school to help 2 families like theirs.
Premature births are not uncommon for 3 ."Both of us, size and width, were about the 4 of a loaf of bread," Diya said. It's a(an)"5 roller coaster" for parents, she added, not knowing if their children will survive. Karis has also been told about her parents' 6 when she and her brother were born. "It was especially 7 because I got out of the NICU prior to my twin brother," Karis explained. For her mother, being 8 in two places at once — at home with Karis and at the hospital with her brother — was 9 challenging.
Learning how tiny they were at birth has helped the girls 10 clothes for preemies (早产儿). Knots for NICU meets weekly. They crochet (钩针), knit, and 11 everything from headbands to blankets for 12 in Banner Desert's NICU.
Once the school year ended, the founders gathered to 13 120 pieces of the clothing. The girls hope that their club's work will 14 the struggles of families caring for premature babies. In the future, they hope to host knitting workshops and 15 their initiative in order to help even more families.
第二节：语法填空(共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分)
Flames in kilns (窑) around China have been burning since the Xia and Shang dynasties. Along the way, porcelain (瓷器) was born.
Porcelain is made by heating raw materials, often mix between China stone and kaolin clay, in a kiln at a temperature as high as 1,200 degree Celsius. Temperature is key making porcelain. Going through the fire of reinvention gives porcelain (great) strength, more translucence (半透明) and a feast of colors.
Celadon produced in Longquan, Zhejiang province, a technique (pass) down for more than 1,600 years, is a typical example of craftsmen's pursuit of the perfect green glint (闪光). takes 72 steps to produce Longquan celadon's jade-like green. Plum green and light green are two colors of the best quality.
Porcelain has also been a carrier for cultural exchanges. Along with China's silk and tea, porcelain was one of the first items (receive) worldwide trade. As it travelled around the globe through the ancient Maritime Silk Road, porcelain (enjoy) great popularity among royal families and upper classes in Europe, were fascinated by these beautiful vessels they named after China.
Porcelain has evolved into art works. Even when broken into (piece) and buried deep in mud, cultural values attached to porcelain remain. As a memory that can be felt with both hands, porcelain is (touch) history.
第四部分：写作(共两节，满分40分)
1. 时间和地点；
2. 劳动项目安排；
3. 相关提醒
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
May I have your attention, please?
......
That's all. Thank you!
The Save
Instantly Casey raised her hand, she feared she had made an awful mistake.
"OK," Coach said. "Casey will be goalie (守门员) in the fourth quarter."
Casey nodded uneasily. She had just joined the Eagles. Now she had volunteered to be goalie, a position that required confidence, which she lacked.
Casey swallowed hard when taking her turn in front of the goal for pre game warm-ups. The goal suddenly looked as big as a movie screen.
When Casey jogged over to her dad near the sidelines, she said quietly, "I cannot do it.", blinking back tears. "Sure you can," Dad encouraged her. "Just keep your head up and be aggressive (好斗的). You might surprise yourself."
The game kicked off and Casey's teammates scored three quick goals. Clearly, they were the better team mostly because their opponents' best player was at a piano recital (演奏会). At halftime the Eagles led, 4 to 0. But then she noticed the Comets' star, number 25 racing toward the field. The piano recital had ended.
Number 25 was flashing across the field, dribbling (带球) past defenders. She zipped past several players and kicked the ball hard into the goal. It was 4 to 1. Two minutes later, number 25 intercepted (拦截) a pass and weaved down (穿行) the field, controlling the ball as if it were tied to her foot. She scored again. It was 4 to 2.
Casey felt her stomach tighten. Soon she would be the one helplessly guarding the goal.
The whistle went. Number 25 scored a third time. The Eagles led by one goal.
"OK, Casey," Coach said as the Eagles huddled up before the fourth quarter. "You go in goal."
Casey stood in front of the net. She yelled for her teammates, who were dominating the game again. They hadn't scored, but Casey hadn't had to make any saves either. Number 25 appeared to be tired.
Casey's heart raced whenever the ball came. But each time it was kicked away. Now there were two minutes left. "Hurry up," Casey thought. "If I never have to touch the ball, we'll win the game. I'll never ..."
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。
Suddenly number 25 had the ball and was racing up the side-line.
Casey backed quickly toward the net as number 25 sent another shot.
