Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to vanquish Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750, 000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Though many people still follow the routine nowadays, more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence,Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, ete.
1. What does the underlined word “vanquish” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Conquer. | B．Ruin. |
| C．Protect. | D．Free. |
| A．The Irish were killed by the English rulers. |
| B．The Irish were affected by a deadly disease. |
| C．The Irish suffered from food and work shortage. |
| D．The Irish were not eager to give birth to babies. |
| A．By working in government. |
| B．By working in the fields. |
| C．By trading with other countries. |
| D．By performing musical instruments. |
| A．Life in Ireland |
| B．The Independence of Ireland |
| C．A Very Difficult History |
| D．Ireland, Past and Present |
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【推荐1】My first week in the United States was a cultural shock. Everything felt new to me, including the style of conversation, the community I lived in and even the type of food people ate.
In our community back home, people eat mutton and chicken. Pork and beef are also common among other communities, but eating beef is taken as an illegal act. Unlike Nepal, eating beef is common in the West where most of the people follow religions other than Hinduism.
Food is just an example. When people move from one part of the world to another, they should adapt（适应）themselves to the new culture. For example, going to the bars or getting drunk is not acceptable in my community, but it is common in the US after a certain age.
I was raised in a traditional Hindu family in Nepal. We have a conservative（保守的，谨慎的）opinion towards marriage. Arranged marriages（包办婚姻）are common in which families decide whether the two should get married. Free love marriages are not allowed and are seldom seen. Same-sex marriage is also considered impossible.
To me, culture is a matter of habit. The culture is so deep-rooted in people’s minds that most people are against changes. It is always easy for them to do what they have been doing throughout their life. It may be difficult for anyone to adapt to a new culture.
However, with travel being an unavoidable thing for modern people, one always comes across different cultures. In such cases, one should be respectful and adaptive to the culture other people follow. The world is always a better place to live in when we have spaces for people of all cultures.
1. What does the Nepal law forbid people to eat?| A．Pork. | B．Beef. |
| C．Chicken. | D．Mutton. |
| A．Most westerners believe in Hinduism. |
| B．Getting drunk in Nepal is acceptable. |
| C．Anyone can enter the bars in the US. |
| D．The writer came across a cultural shock. |
| A．Open marriages. | B．Free love marriages. |
| C．Same-sex marriage. | D．Arranged marriages. |
| A．Negative. | B．Respectful. |
| C．Conservative. | D．Indifferent. |
【推荐2】The United States is a country of immigrants. It is a place where people from all over the world come to build a better life. Some immigrants bring their families. Some bring a few of their favorite things. Others come alone with nothing but determination. One thing that every immigrant brings with them is their culture.
American immigration began in 1607 with the colony of Jamestown. In 1620, another group of people left England to build a settlement in America. They wanted to go to a place where they could practice their religion freely. Then many more people left their homes in Europe to build a better life in America. Many also came to America from Africa. By 1770, more than two million people had moved to America. Later on, more people came to the United States than ever before. In cities all over America, you can see different cultures that formed this country. Many things that you may think of as being “American” are actually from a foreign culture. Some of the best examples of this are the foods people eat. Pizza and spaghetti are foods that all Americans know and love. But both of them are from Italy. Baseball is an all-American sport. But the hot dogs that people eat during the game are a type of food that was brought to America by German immigrants.
Over time, pizza and hot dogs have become a part of what is considered to be American food. In the same way, different groups of people have come together to define what an American is. An American can be a person of any background. An American can be of any faith. An American can be of any skin color. They can speak English clearly. They can speak English with an accent. Each new immigrant adds something new to American culture. It will keep changing as more people come to this country.
1. Why do many foreigners move to America?| A．To achieve individual dreams. | B．To avoid political punishment. |
| C．To reunite with the beloved ones. | D．To improve the life quality. |
| A．they have a long history in America | B．America is made up of different cultures |
| C．America is a country full of tasty foods | D．they are very popular with Americans |
| A．diverse | B．strange | C．simple | D．advanced |
| A．Immigrants and Their American Dreams | B．America: a Land of Opportunity |
| C．America: a Melting Pot of Cultures | D．Life in the US: Culture Shock |
Numerous islands line the coast.In the north are two large groups，the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands.Close to the west coast are the Inner and Outer Hebrides groups，and the islands of Arran and Bute.
The land may be divided into three regions: the Highlands in the north，the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands.
The Highlands are wild and picturesque(如画的)． A long valley called Glenmore crosses the Highlands from southwest to northeast.
In the south of the Highlands are the Grampian Mountains，highest in the British Isles. Ben Nevis，the highest peak，rises to 1,243 meters.Ben Lomond rises from the shore of Loch Lomond，Scotland's largest freshwater lake.
The Central Lowlands run from southwest to northeast and the greatest length is nearly 145 kilometers.The soil here is fertile，and there are four coalfields underlying the area.In the east is Edinburgh，Scotland's historic capital city，and in the west is Glasgow. Almost 90 percent of Scotland's population live in the Lowlands.
In the Southern Uplands, the hills are generally less than 600 meters high. Their rounded or flat tops are often capped with dark peat(泥炭). Along the slopes are plants like grass and heather(石南花).
1. According to the text, all the following things attract many tourists to Scotland EXCEPT ________.
| A．ruins of ancient castles and abbeys |
| B．mountains and valleys |
| C．various animals and plants |
| D．ribbon lakes |
| A．Scotland's islands mainly lie in the north |
| B．the Highlands have rich soil |
| C．Ben Lomond is near Scotland's largest freshwater lake |
| D．the Shetland Islands lie on the west coast of Scotland |
| A．the Highlands | B．the Central lowlands |
| C．the Southern Uplands | D．the Orkney Islands |
| A．to attract people to visit Scotland |
| B．to describe the beautiful scenery of Scotland |
| C．to show people the history of Scotland |
| D．to introduce Scotland generally |
【推荐1】Prehistoric people may have used firelight to create the illusion (错觉) of movement in their art. An analysis of 50 carved stones dug out in France suggests that when the stones were placed near a fire, the light made the carved animals seem to move, researchers report April 20 in PLOS ONE. These stones, or “plaquettes” ware found in the 1860s in a rock-shelter called Montastruc, and are carved with animals such as horses and deer. The site was used by Magdalenian people, hunter-gatherers who inhabited (居住) the area between 23, 000 and14, 000 years ago.
The researchers analyzed heat damage on the stones, which indicated them being directly exposed to high temperatures for a long period, and created 3-D models of the stones. Those models were imported to a virtual reality software where they were placed next to a virtual hearth (壁炉炉床) so that the areas of heat damage were closest to the flames, mimicking (模拟) how the stones might have been placed in real life. The researchers then observed the visual effects of the virtual reality light.
It was surprising to see how dynamic the art was and “how changed your experience of the art was by a simple thing, just putting it close to a fire,” says Andy Needham, an archaeologist at the University of York in England. The work suggests that the artists purposely carved along the outline of the rock to influence viewers to see meaningful movement through the random pattern of firelight, he says.
The finding adds to archaeologists’ understandings of the relationship between early people’s artwork and fire. Another recent study found that Stone Age humans created “hidden” art in dark caves which could be lighted and made visible only with the help of the right lighting.
1. What happened when the 50 prehistoric stones were placed near a fire?| A．The animals carved on them seemed to move. |
| B．The fire took on the shapes of different animals. |
| C．The animal drawings on them became much clearer. |
| D．Animals nearby such as horses and deer were attracted. |
| A．The reason for the heat damage on the stones. |
| B．The function of the software in the research. |
| C．The way in which the research was conducted. |
| D．The conclusion that was drawn by the researchers. |
| A．Hardworking. | B．Ambitious. | C．Dependable. | D．Creative. |
| A．Ancient People Must Have Used Fire in Various Ways. |
| B．Different Ways of Using Fire Have Been Discovered Now. |
| C．Prehistoric People May Have Used Fire to Create Movable Art. |
| D．Ancient Artists Were More Innovative than We Normally Though. |
【推荐2】Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of all the many colleges and universities in the United States. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were opened soon after Harvard.
In the early years, these schools were much alike. Only young men went to colleges. All the students studied the same subjects, and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known about science then, and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world. When the students graduated, most of them become ministers or teachers.
In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later, lawyers could receive their training in Harvard’s law school. In 1825, besides Latin and Greek, Harvard began teaching modern languages, such as French and German. Soon it began teaching American history.
As knowledge increased, Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects. Students were allowed to choose the subjects that interested them.
Today there are many different kinds of colleges and universities. Most of them are made up of smaller schools that deal with special fields of learning. There’s so much to learn that one kind of school can’ offer it all.
1. From the second paragraph, we can see that in the early years, ______.| A．those colleges and universities were almost the same |
| B．people, young or old, might study in the colleges |
| C．the students studied only some languages and science |
| D．when the students finished their school, they became lawyers or teachers |
| A．everything that was known |
| B．law and something about medicine |
| C．many new subjects |
| D．the subjects that interested students |
| A．how to start a university |
| B．the world-famous colleges in America |
| C．how colleges have changed |
| D．what kind of lessons each college teaches |
【推荐3】The now world-famous Lumière brothers, Auguste Lumière and Louis Lumière, were born in Besançon, eastern France, near the border with Switzerland. They grew up immersed in the dazzling potential of photography, pursuing the family passion for developing images.
Their father Charles-Antoine set up a small factory producing photographic plates, and the looming threat of bankruptcy (破产) in 1882 was just the sort of pressure needed to inspire the world’s greatest invention. It was these two boys who invented the machines necessary to automate their father’s plate production, known as the new photo plate “etiquettes bleue”, and saved the family business from sinking.
When their father eventually retired one decade later in 1892, the brothers decided to focus on creating moving pictures. The original cinématographe (电影机) was made by Léon Guillaume Bouly on 12 February 1892, but the brothers made their own more efficient version three years later on 13 February 1895.
One of their techniques for making film more efficient included film perforations (穿孔), which helped pass the film through the camera and projector with greater ease. The first-ever footage (片段) to be recorded using their new invention was recorded on 19 March 1895, a short film that showed workers leaving the Lumière factory in which the brothers worked.
The first public screening of their movies came a few months later in December 1895, and they used their invention of the cinématographe to show 10 movie-clips of about 50 seconds each.
Of course, there was Thomas Edison’s “peepshow” kinetoscope that existed before the French Lumière Brothers invented cinema. But the difference was, Edison’s “peepshow” did not allow simultaneous viewing, whereas the Lumière Brothers invented entertainment that could be enjoyed by the masses and all at once. And cinema has never been the same ever since.
1. Which of the following is credited to the Lumière Brothers?| A．The original idea of cinématographe. |
| B．The invention of photographic plates. |
| C．The invention of “peepshow” kinetoscope. |
| D．The automatic production of photographic plates. |
| A．Higher Efficiency. | B．Originality. | C．Automatic operation. | D．Low cost. |
| A．A family party. | B．Working staff. | C．A violent battle. | D．Moving objects. |
| A．It served a larger audience. | B．It presented clearer pictures. |
| C．It produced louder sounds. | D．It passed the film more easily. |
【推荐1】“Don’t get dirty!” was once often shouted by parents angrily watching their children ruin their best clothes. It was unavoidable that children’s whites would turn brown before the day was over.
Today, many parents may secretly wish their children had the chance to pick up a bit of dirt. With the rise of city life, and the attraction of video games and social media, contact with nature is much less than in the past. For many, there is simply no opportunity to get muddy. According to recent research, the dirt outside is teaming with friendly microorganisms (微生物) that can train the immune (免疫的) system and build the body against illnesses, such as anxiety.
These findings show that outdoor exercise is not only beneficial because of the chance to run around free—but that certain natural materials, such as soil and mud, also have powerful microorganisms which have positive effect on children’s health. Outdoor play can also offer valuable learning experiences. For example, the act of rubbing and shaping materials like mud or sand can help children develop their senses and movement.
Such activities—away from the house or classroom—may also help children to find ways to deal with emotions that may be hard to explore in other environments. So-called “Sandtray Therapy (沙盘疗法)”, which includes using sand to express one’s thoughts and feelings, is an accepted form of guidance for children who are struggling to speak out their inner emotions.
Surprisingly, people who spent most of their childhood in the countryside show a better reply to stressful events like public speaking compared with those who grew up in cities. “The people who grew up in cities are kind of ‘walking time bombs’ when facing the stress we meet today. However, people who have spent lots of time in nature since childhood are generally stronger in recovery and more positive.” says Christopher Lowry, a professor of University of Colorado Boulder.
1. What’s the author’s purpose of writing paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To share an opinion. |
| C．To tell a funny story. | D．To describe characters. |
| A．Gaining learning experiences. | B．Experiencing the inner emotions. |
| C．Changing the immune system. | D．Discovering more microorganisms. |
| A．People who often arrive late. | B．People doing harm to the public. |
| C．People who are weak under stress. | D．People staying positive and powerful. |
| A．Culture. | B．Health. | C．Economy. | D．Technology. |
【推荐2】Many people say they wouldn't cheat on a test, lie on a job application or refuse to help a person in need. But what if you have to face the test answers and cheating didn't require any work on your part? If you didn't have to face the person who needed your help and refuse them? Would that change your behavior?
New research shows it might. In two studies that tested participants' willingness to behave immorally, the research team discovered people will behave badly —if it doesn't involve too much work on their part.
In one study, participants took a math test on a computer after being warned there were problems in the system. One group was told if they pressed the space bar, the answer to the question would appear on the screen. The second group was told if they didn't press the enter key within five seconds, the answer would appear. "People in the second group — those who didn't have to physically press a button to get the answers—were much more likely to cheat," says Associate Psychology Professor Michael Inzlicht, second author on the study.
In another study, the team asked participants whether they would volunteer to help a student with a learning disability complete a component of the test. One group of participants had only the freedom to check a 'yes' or 'no' box on the computer. The second group of people could follow a link at the bottom of the page to volunteer their help or simply press 'continue' to move on to the next page of their test. Participants were five times more likely to volunteer when they had to pick either 'yes' or 'no.'
"When people are faced with actively doing the right thing or the wrong thing, there are a lot of emotions involved—such as guilt and shame—that guide them to make the moral choice. When the transgression is more passive, however, we saw more people doing the wrong thing, and we believe this is because the moral emotions in such situations are probably less serious." Teper says.
"Forcing people to make an active, moral decision is going to be much more effective than allowing them to passively skip over a request," he says.
1. What is the new research mainly about?| A．People behave badly if not required too much on their part. |
| B．Most of the tested participants wouldn’t cheat or tell lies. |
| C．It’s too difficult to behave badly for people. |
| D．People are unwilling to behave immorally. |
| A．positively | B．badly | C．indifferently | D．cautiously |
| A．They were asked to do so. | B．It doesn’t involve too much work on their part. |
| C．They can get fun from it. | D．It’s typical of them to cheat. |
| A．Allow them to passively skip over the request. | B．Make them feel guilty to avoid bad behavior. |
| C．Force them to make a moral decision. | D．Try to involve as many as emotions. |
【推荐3】Since Zhao Hongshan’s dermal filler injection (皮肤填充注射) four years ago—he has spent around 80,000 yuan on his face. “Getting plastic surgeries is just as normal as body building. Both make men more handsome and confident,” says the 33-year-old, who owns a gym in Beijing.
Zhao is among a growing number of Chinese men using plastic surgeries to change their physical appearance to increase their self-confidence. In 2021, the market for beauty medicine in China was worth more than 495 billion yuan, with males accounting for around 15 percent of customers, according to a report by plastic surgery social networking app Gengmei.
There is a rising trend of young men turning to plastic surgeries; most male customers are in their teens or 20s. “Some men just want to please themselves, while others hope to improve their possibility in job hunting or dating,” says Wang Jun, vice-president of marketing for Gengmei. “Men are under the same social pressures as women and their confidence and competitiveness would be more or less weakened by facial and body weaknesses.”
However, experts point out the risks of plastic surgeries. Fan Jufeng, director of the Plastic Surgery Department at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, does not encourage people, no matter men or women, to “blindly” go under the knife.
According to the National Health Commission, a total of 2,772 cases related to illegal (非法的) plastic surgeries were handled by China's health departments during a year long attack that started in May 2017.
Fan also warned the public of the negative influences of live streaming celebrities (流量明星) who promote the misunderstanding that being pretty goes above all else. “Whether to have plastic surgeries is a personal choice, but people should not be addicted (上瘾) to it,” Fan says. “Think twice on it. After all, a rich and beautiful inside world is far more important than a pretty face.”
1. How does the author introduce the topic of plastic surgeries?| A．By giving an example. | B．By providing data |
| C．By raising a question. | D．By making suggestions. |
| A．The huge cost of men’s beauty market in China. |
| B．The growing beauty market for the Chinese men. |
| C．The rising trend of young men turning to plastic surgeries. |
| D．The reason for the increasing popularity of plastic surgeries. |
| A．The benefits of men’s plastic surgeries. |
| B．The great social pressure for Chinese men. |
| C．The reasons for men’s plastic surgeries. |
| D．The misunderstanding of the short cut to success. |
| A．They’re unsafe in health. | B．They’re expensive in price. |
| C．They’re wrong in beliefs. | D．They’re useless in job hunting. |
| A．Plastic Surgeries—Male vs Female | B．Women’s Plastic Surgeries—Yes or No |
| C．Plastic Surgeries—Price vs Result | D．Plastic Surgeries—Blind or Not |
