1 . The Japanese animation (动漫) director Hayao Miyazaki, a workaholic auteur generally considered to be one of the art form’s most accomplished masters, has been trying to retire since 1997. “I know I’ve mentioned I’m retiring many times in the past,” he told a press conference, “So I know that many of you might think, ‘oh again’. This time is for real.” Cut to 2023: The release of Hayao Miyazaki’s final “final” film, The Boy and the Heron.
With The Boy and the Heron, Miyazaki wanted to go back even further to his childhood. Indeed, the film’s opening scene is inspired by Miyazaki’s experience of growing up during World War Two. Much like an infant Miyazaki, Mahito is evacuated from Tokyo to live in the relative safety of the countryside. It is here, tormented (折磨) by grief, living miserably with his father and his father’s new wife, that he meets the nominal Heron: a half-man, half-bird creature who mockingly tells Mahito that his mother is still alive. It is around this point, as the fish chant for Mahito to “join us”, as the frogs climb over his face, that The Boy and the Heron takes a turn for the strange. Having followed the Heron, Mahito finds himself stranded somewhere between life and death.
How do we live? It is a question that has haunted Miyazaki, a director always torn between optimism and despair, for most of his career: How do you live—as one character in The Boy and the Heron describes it—in “a foolish world filled with murder and thievery”? Perhaps, without getting into specifics, the film’s ending suggests another interpretation: Legacies, successors, even art itself, none of it actually matters. All that matters is that people—Miyazaki’s family, his friends, even the audience—continue to live on, to engage with the real world rather than retreat into fantasy.
1. What do the words “oh again” indicate in paragraph 1?A.People’s doubt about Miyazaki’s retirement. |
B.People’s concern about Miyazaki’s health. |
C.People’s eagerness for Miyazaki’s animations. |
D.People’s admiration for Miyazaki’s artistic achievements. |
A.Add some background information. |
B.Share Miyazaki’s growing-up experiences. |
C.Introduce the film. |
D.Display the latest film-shooting techniques. |
A.Inspired. | B.Bothered. | C.Scared. | D.Relieved. |
A.A diary. | B.A travel guide. | C.A novel. | D.A magazine. |
1. Where did Meg Medina spend her childhood?
A.In the US. | B.In Cuba. | C.In Spain. |
A.In 2016. | B.In 2011. | C.In 2008. |
A.Milagros: Girl from Away. |
B.Merci Suárez Changes Gears. |
C.Mango, Abuela, and Me. |
1. What TV channel is Jimmy Kimmel Live on?
A.NBC. | B.TBS. | C.ABC. |
A.After he hosted the Oscars. |
B.After Donald Trump became president. |
C.When he cried at his show for the first time. |
A.An interview. | B.A musical performance. | C.A comedy performance. |
A.He taught in a drama school. |
B.He worked at a radio station. |
C.He went to school in Los Angeles. |
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Those are the words of Thomas Alva Edison, one of the greatest
Edison, who grew up in the Midwest, was
Edison was born on February 11, 1847, a day that
“Menlo Park is the birthplace of
A phonograph was the first device that was used
5 . Travis Gienger set a record for growing the world’s heaviest pumpkin, which weighed about 1,247 kilograms, in 2023. The middle-aged man was named the winner on Monday of the 50th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California. He won the same con test in 2022, whose pumpkin weighed 1,161 kilograms. The past world record for the heaviest pumpkin was set by a grower in Italy who produced a 1,226-kilogram pumpkin in 2021. “I was not expecting that,” Gienger said. He added that it felt good to win the world record.
Gienger is a teacher at Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minnesota. He teaches agriculture and growing methods. And he has been producing pumpkins for nearly 30 years like his elders, especially his father, who used to raise pumpkins in the home property, which got him interested in planting. Gienger later devoted himself to working the land to plant.
Gienger first competed in Half Moon Bay’s yearly con test in 2020. He won three of the city’s last four pumpkin contests. “I put in the work so that I can put a smile on people’s faces, and it’s just so nice coming out here to see everyone in this town,” Gienger said.
Gienger, who grew the pumpkins on the farm, had given his plants more care. This included watering them up to 12 times a day and feeding or fertilizing them, a little more than usual. Those contributed to his greater success in 2023.
The pumpkin champion won a $30,000 prize for growing the biggest pumpkin and setting a world record. Gienger’s pumpkin would be shown along with the second-place winners at the city’s upcoming Pumpkin Festival. At the event, visitors would be able to look at the pumpkin prize and take pictures with the growers.
In the United States, pumpkins are popular throughout the autumn. During the US holiday Halloween, on October 31, many people turn them into “jack-o’-lanterns”. A jack-o’-lantern is a pumpkin that has been carved, usually to show a frightening or funny face.
1. How did Gienger feel about his winning the world record?A.Surprised. | B.Suspicious. | C.Expected. | D.Embarrassed. |
A.His family tradition. | B.His love for his farm. |
C.His promise to his father. | D.His desire for winning a prize. |
A.How many awards Gienger got in 2023. |
B.How long Gienger worked a day in 2023. |
C.Why Gienger grew pumpkins on the farm. |
D.Why Gienger’s pumpkin was heavier than before. |
A.It would be given to a visitor. |
B.It would be made into a lantern. |
C.It would be on show at a festival. |
D.It would be used to decorate pictures. |
A 13-year project has finally come to a close. British artist Kirstie Macleod came up with The Red Dress idea
After passing through the hands of 343 artists across 46
The artists were encouraged to create
“Initially the project
Yang Jiang was a well-known Chinese playwright, translator, and author. She belonged to
Yang was born into a rich family in 1911,
Other than translations, Yang
1. 人物简介;
2. 喜欢的原因。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My Favorite Chinese Historical Figure
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . Growing up in coconut-rich regions in India and with his father working in the related industry, Anees Ahmed heard of coco peat (椰壳泥) at an early age. After completing graduation in bio-technology from college, Ahmed worked as a researcher on agriculture in various places. He recalls that while studying about coco peat, he discovered that many countries used peat moss (泥炭苔) as an ingredient to keep soil rich. The extraction of this material leads to the release of carbon dioxide, which further contributes to global warming.
According to Dutch researchers, coco peat’s water-holding capacity, disease resistance, and renewable nature make it suitable for gardening and agricultural activities. Ahmed realized that coco peat could be a better alternative to peat moss and then started a company, Global Green Coir, in 2012. When Ahmed entered the market there were only few companies using this material as coco peat was not popular among people, and even coco peat was mostly considered as wastes. “At first people and companies used to give us coco peat for free.” he said.
Now Ahmed’s company gets coco peat from coconut shell to make varied products like pots, bricks, blocks, and grow bags that are exported internationally. However, Ahmed’s journey was not without challenges. He was met with doubts at the beginning. He insisted to demonstrate the potential of the material. His efforts paid off and gained recognition slowly at home and abroad. Ten percent of his business comes from India and the rest is from countries like the US, Europe, the Middle East, and more. Anyway, India is a huge market and most people are adapting to such products gradually.
Ahmed and his family made an initial investment of $5,000 to start the business. Now their sales volume of the last five years has been around $6 million. “With increasing focus on organic farming, coco peat will soon gain more popularity. It is estimated that the cos e pest market is expected to reach 5. 26 billion by 2030 from 3. 89 billion in 2023. ” Ahmed said.
1. What inspired Ahmed to set up a company?A.He recognized the potential of coco peat. |
B.Peat moss was used to enrich soil worldwide. |
C.He had studied agriculture for many years. |
D.He wanted to realize his father’s dream. |
A.There were a few competitors in the market. |
B.His product was not popular among people. |
C.His company suffered from lack of money. |
D.Coco peat was not good enough at that time. |
A.Careful and independent. | B.Cautious and energetic. |
C.Wise and determined. | D.Ambitious and kind. |
A.Coco peat makes Ahmed a success. | B.The most valuable company in India. |
C.Coco peat is better than peat moss. | D.Organic farming has a promising future. |
10 . Huang Qinqin, a 29-year-old Chinese shoe designer, found her “personal legend” through her academic journey in China and the UK. She recently won the Culture and Creativity Award of Study UK Alumni Awards 2023-2024 for her contributions to arts and culture.
Huang’s education in both countries shaped her into what she is today. She started her own shoe brand, “ouvrir la boîte”, which means “to open the box” in French. Her designs have been featured in high-end stores and international fashion shows. Huang believes that the value of her products lies in the unique design philosophy itself.
Huang’s journey into design was unforeseen. She initially studied engineering but switched to international communications studies in college. It was during writing an essay on social sciences that she discovered her passion for shoe design. She went on to study design at Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion in the UK. To her astonishment, Huang discovered she was the only Chinese participant in the shoe design class. “While international luxury shoe brands like Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin are household names, Chinese brands are rarely seen in this field,” said Huang.
This finding fueled Huang’s determination to pursue her career as a shoe designer, hoping to fill the blank in the international market. She established her own brand and has been exploring her design concept of “the art of practical wear”. Her designs incorporate Chinese cultural heritage, such as materials from historical artifacts like jade (玉).
Looking back, Huang said that it took her a long time to find her lifelong passion. However, she believes that it is never too late to unlock one’s potential. Her diverse experiences, including garden design and dance, have become precious treasures in her life and have helped her develop self-directed learning abilities, which are essential skills for her startup business today.
1. Why did Huang Qinqin decide to pursue her career as a shoe designer?A.To compete with other established shoe brands. |
B.To achieve the unfulfilled wishes of her parents. |
C.To fill the luxury shoe market gap with Chinese brands. |
D.To make as many shoes as possible for Chinese people. |
A.Her diverse experiences in her life. | B.Her passion for writing essays. |
C.Her strong desire to study abroad. | D.Her parents’ financial support. |
A.Modest and confident. | B.Grateful and responsible. |
C.Considerate and generous. | D.Determined and Innovative. |
A.A diary. | B.A news report. | C.A survey. | D.A fiction. |