1 . Scott had always been creative. As he finished university, he
Over several years, Scott developed many ideas that
“Scott, you have to think about your
Then one day it happened. Scott
“I knew that one day I would
| A．decided | B．offered | C．waited | D．managed |
| A．writer | B．inventor | C．doctor | D．teacher |
| A．tired of | B．interested in | C．disappointed at | D．worried about |
| A．change | B．dream | C．honor | D．chance |
| A．failed | B．started | C．happened | D．appeared |
| A．secrets | B．disadvantages | C．stories | D．corrections |
| A．promised | B．chose | C．continued | D．seemed |
| A．different | B．unusual | C．important | D．happy |
| A．education | B．future | C．health | D．safety |
| A．Because | B．Although | C．If | D．When |
| A．insist | B．doubt | C．remember | D．understand |
| A．began | B．completed | C．used | D．impressed |
| A．idea | B．hobby | C．job | D．help |
| A．have | B．finish | C．make | D．keep |
| A．nearly | B．only | C．almost | D．ever |
2 . When faced with a pandemic, people may become more forgiving. For me, this has become a time to
When the COVID-19 lockdown started, my thoughts turned to my father I
Thirteen years on, the arrival of the pandemic made me
I took our previous father-daughter relation for granted. However, the COVID-19 crisis has led me to reconsider what's the most
When people cut off contact with a family member, it may not be going to be permanent. Unexpectedly, the virus
| A．stay away from | B．get used to | C．make up with | D．keep pace with |
| A．barely | B．mostly | C．merely | D．definitely |
| A．presented | B．regretted | C．appeared | D．achieved |
| A．comment | B．adventure | C．requirement | D．response |
| A．disconnect | B．evaluate | C．decrease | D．discover |
| A．kicked | B．formed | C．kept | D．developed |
| A．identity | B．hobby | C．privacy | D．safety |
| A．stable | B．right | C．creative | D．simple |
| A．reply | B．apologize | C．stress | D．appeal |
| A．praise | B．approve | C．reject | D．arrange |
| A．mysterious | B．unique | C．funny | D．bright |
| A．conclusion | B．treatment | C．encounter | D．conversation |
| A．tough | B．significant | C．serious | D．positive |
| A．admire | B．ignore | C．forgive | D．appreciate |
| A．shortened | B．extended | C．drew | D．measured |
3 . I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the economic crisis. She said a polite “no”.
That didn’t stop me. I searched the measurements of a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one—keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.
I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn’t afford lessons again. I passed grade three, and then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.
One evening, when I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I’d played for her. She was in shock.
My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. But I had to pass a difficult test. Some of the questions involved an evaluation of the composer or when some piece was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement, I was offered a place.
At the Purcell School. I spent two years working as hard as I could, performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.
When I left the Purcell School, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud—it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools.
The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano--what we call mental practice. The paper piano helped arouse my curiosity about how music works and the building blocks that form the pieces.
1. Why did the author’s mom buy him lessons at last?| A．She was shocked by his first performance. |
| B．She had no doubt about his talent for piano. |
| C．She realized he meant what he said. |
| D．She suddenly made a fortune. |
| A．Honest. | B．Determined |
| C．Humorous | D．Optimistic |
| A．The author felt surprised. | B．The author felt proud. |
| C．The author felt satisfied | D．The author felt disappointed. |
| A．To introduce the method of mental practice. |
| B．To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano. |
| C．To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument. |
| D．To encourage people to stick to their dreams. |
4 . The 2021 winners of a major international environmental award have just been announced, and the list includes a Vietnamese conservationist who’s known for his vital work helping protect the pangolin (穿山甲) — the world’s most trafficked animal.
Van Nguyen grew up near Cuc Phuong National Park and, as a child, watched poachers (偷猎者) removing pangolin from their holes. “I saw a mum (pangolin), rolling into a ball to protect her baby.” Nguyen decided to make pangolin conservation his life’s work.
Nguyen set out to stop poaching and educate the Vietnamese public on the importance of pangolin conservation in order to reverse the condition of the pangolins. His efforts began with an education campaign. Nguyen also opened the Carnivore and Pangolin Education Center, the first of its kind in Vietnam, in order to provide wildlife conservation courses for students and the general public. Nguyen didn’t stop there; he established Vietnam’s first Asian Pangolin Rehabilitation (康复) Center.
Nguyen even worked with poachers to ask them to take him into the forest and show him how they track and catch pangolins. He also visited markets, restaurants, and doctors of traditional medicine to learn more about the demand for pangolins. In 2018, Nguyen created Vietnam’s first-ever anti-poaching unit. Nguyen has also looked to global strategies and worked with the management authority of the CITES to ban international trade for animals most threatened with extinction.
As one of the few people in the world working on pangolin conservation and rehabilitation, Nguyen is filling a necessary and important space for understanding and protecting this critically endangered animal.
1. What made Nguyen start pangolin protection?| A．His love for pangolins. | B．A childhood experience. |
| C．Serious pangolin poaching. | D．The importance of pangolins. |
| A．Worsen. | B．Analyze. | C．Change. | D．Maintain. |
| A．To report them to the police. | B．To learn about the market demand. |
| C．To understand their tricks. | D．To get pangolins to safer places. |
| A．Taking Action: Stories of Pangolin |
| B．Pangolins: A Critically Endangered animal |
| C．Saving Pangolins: Van Nguyen’s Life Mission |
| D．Van Nguyen: An Environmental Award Winner |
5 . Later this month, Tate Britain will host its first Van Gogh exhibition since 1947. Here we've rounded up 4 of his best paintings before the show.
Potato Eaters
Potato Eaters was Van Gogh's first major work and, despite a distinct lack of colour, it was one that he was most proud of. His aim was to represent the difficulties of country life, so the farmers are painted in earthy tones with rough faces and bony hands. He was more concerned with conveying his message than achieving technical perfection in this painting.
Irises
Van Gogh finished almost 142 pieces during his stay in the Saint Remy de Provence asylum (精神病院), where he was a voluntary patient from 1889 to 1890. This piece was started shortly after he arrived there. The hospital garden provided much inspiration for the artist during his stay there. Originally, the flowers in this work were painted purple but the red pigment (色素) faded over time and has now turned blue.
Cafe Terrace at Night
Despite being painted more than 130 years ago, this cafe still exists in France and has since been renamed the Cafe Van Gogh. This artwork marks the first time Van Gogh's famous post-impressionistic star-filled sky was seen in a piece, and it was painted on the ground, in person, rather than from memory. While the artwork doesn't bear his signature, it's widely known to be Van Gogh's, as he mentioned Cafe Terrace at Night in a number of his letters.
Wheat Field With Cypresses
This piece was inspired by the view from Van Gogh's asylum window and was finished on the spot. The work was the title of three paintings that offer an insight into his stay at the hospital.' Van Gogh was 80 pleased with the summer landscape that he made three copies there, one of the same size—which hangs in the National Gallery and two smaller copies which he planned to gift to his mother and sister.
1. Which painting did Vincent van Gogh take most pride in?| A．Irises. | B．Potato Eaters. |
| C．Cafe Terrace at Night. | D．Wheat Field With Cypresses. |
| A．Purple. | B．Blue. | C．Red. | D．Yellow. |
| A．They were the same in size. | B．They had more than one copy. |
| C．They were signed by the artist, | D．They were painted on the ground. |
6 . If a president, a philosopher, and one of the best-selling writers told the same secret of their success, would you try to follow it too? What if the secret was something you already knew how to do? In fact, you probably do it every day. Here’s what Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” Thomas Jefferson: “Walking is the best possible exercise.” Charles Dickens: “If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and die.”
Researchers have found quite a lot of connections between walking and producing ideas. A Stanford University study found that participants were 81 percent more creative when walking as opposed to sitting. According to the study, walking outside—compared with on a treadmill (跑步机)—produces the highest-quality ideas.
The movement aspect of walking is obviously key. Our creative thinking is triggered (触发) by physical movement, which is exactly why walking with your dog, a friend, or alone—feeds creative thinking.
The scenery is almost as important as the sweat. Breaking your routine with a walk can be a catalyst for fresh understanding of problems or projects. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your familiar surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities. You can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood. You can walk through a park and observe people joking or birds singing. Being inside, you’re more likely to be lifeless, which means you don’t have enough energy to wonder or create.
So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking? Involve yourself more closely in your surroundings. Turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, and to notice the way people move and the way the sun reflects in a river.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By using quotations. |
| C．By providing the background. | D．By presenting examples. |
| A．causing a change | B．stopping progress |
| C．catching eyes | D．discouraging creativity |
| A．Nature exploration improves fitness. |
| B．Walking on a treadmill brings more energy. |
| C．Working indoors makes people less creative. |
| D．Familiar surroundings encourage creative ideas. |
| A．Exercise in Nature | B．Train Your Brain |
| C．Walk for Wonder | D．Develop Your Creativity |
7 . Last month, Koch went to make breakfast and found a(n)
“I looked out in the backyard and there’s the moose absolutely panicked and
Koch has noticed more wildlife around his home in Ottawa,
The wild moose seemed to be having trouble finding her way out of the pool, so Koch called the police and wildlife services to see if they could
Workers from wildlife services intended that they would get her to a safer spot, but they couldn’t
The moose
| A．informal | B．ordinary | C．usual | D．uninvited |
| A．abandoned | B．wrapped | C．removed | D．forbidden |
| A．struggling | B．shaking | C．shouting | D．searching |
| A．shoulder | B．foot | C．face | D．back |
| A．narrowly | B．likely | C．desperately | D．unwillingly |
| A．for | B．so | C．but | D．or |
| A．this | B．well | C．almost | D．rather |
| A．relaxed | B．happy | C．tired | D．poor |
| A．around | B．beneath | C．outside | D．beyond |
| A．donate | B．hurt | C．lend | D．cure |
| A．lift | B．hug | C．smile | D．credit |
| A．update | B．witness | C．cancel | D．manage |
| A．watched out | B．cut down | C．jumped over | D．dived into |
| A．escaped | B．participated | C．hesitated | D．insisted |
| A．top | B．bottom | C．wall | D．cover |
8 . Many people have a love for adventure because the excitement they experience is addictive.
Gurbaz Singh is only 16 and yet on Monday he led a group of
Conditions on the mountain are
When approaching the highest top，Singh
On hearing about the
“He thought he was going to
| A．researchers | B．students | C．climbers | D．campers |
| A．talented | B．skilled | C．aged | D．appointed |
| A．organized | B．dressed | C．educated | D．prepared |
| A．icy | B．good | C．ordinary | D．favorable |
| A．attempt | B．experiment | C．end | D．journey |
| A．measuring | B．trying | C．investigating | D．volunteering |
| A．slipped | B．turned | C．hesitated | D．paused |
| A．challenge | B．contact | C．support | D．rescue |
| A．incident | B．response | C．conflict | D．deed |
| A．healthy | B．relaxed | C．brave | D．safe |
| A．escape | B．hide | C．stop | D．die |
| A．fall | B．fight | C．disaster | D．failure |
| A．running | B．rolling | C．moving | D．rising |
| A．visit | B．award | C．comfort | D．thank |
| A．race | B．job | C．flight | D．training |
9 . In September 2022, Artemis Technologies company presented a new type of water ferry(渡船). The Artemis E-24 is the world’s first high-speed, electric, zero-emissions ferry. Currently, the only way to get from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Bangor, Wales without gelling on a plane, is to take a bus or train to Dublin. Ireland and to get on a ferry there. However, that could all change with Artemis E-24 to be applied literally.
The first Artemis E-24 is expected to set sail on a route between Belfast and Bangor as early as 2024. But actually the road to its creation began nearly 20 years ago, in 2005, when Olympic medalist, Dr. Iain Percy, joined the Artemis Racing sailing team. The Artemis ferry used the same hydrofoil(水翼船)technology that the Artemis Racing America’s Cup racing yachts did. It is this technology that can lift the boat out of the water as it picks up speed, much like an airplane’s wings, that make it seem as if it is flying.
Beyond the coolness factor, the reasons why Artemis E-24 uses the hydrofoil technology are practical. Raising the boat above the water, and reducing drug leads to up to a 85 percent reduction in fuel costs. Likewise, the reduced drag also minimizes the impact that running the ship has on shorelines. Reduced drag means lower waves.
The environmental benefit of a transportation technology is obvious to all. However, it also has practical benefits. As Dr. Percy told The Irish World, “this ferry will not only be the cheapest, but also the fastest way in water-based cities. It will get commuters(通勤者)to where they are going in 25 minutes. In addition, this new initiative will also bring more than 1, 000 new jobs into the Belfast area over the next few years. ”
The Artemis Ferry is a proof to the fact that new and creative technologies can make huge impacts, not only for the world and the environment, but for the local economics that produce them.
1. Why is the route from Belfast to Bangor mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To analyse the new ferry. |
| B．To make a list of evidence. |
| C．To come up with an idea. |
| D．To add the background of the topic. |
| A．The shape of the Artemis E-24 |
| B．The origin of the new invention. |
| C．The experiences of an Olympic medalist. |
| D．The effect of the hydrofoil technology. |
| A．It is light and energy-efficient. |
| B．It is cheap and fully automatic. |
| C．It is high-speed and cost-effective. |
| D．It is oil-burning and multifunctional. |
| A．New Flying Ferry Could Revolutionize Water Travel |
| B．New Technology Balances Economy and Environment |
| C．The Artemis Ferry with Airplane’s Wings Will Set Sail |
| D．Hydrofoil Technology Leads to Reduction in Fuel Costs |
10 . How you fold a paper airplane can determine how fast or how far it goes. A lot of people arrive at the best designs through trial and error, and perhaps a little bit of luck. But this question is no child’s play for the researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne.
“Seemingly a simple toy, the paper airplane actually shows complex aerodynamic (空气动力学的) behaviors which are most often ignored,” the researchers said. “When the paper airplane is launched, there are complex physical interactions between the paper structure and the surrounding air, leading to a particular flight behavior.”
To examine the relationship between a folding pattern and the flight, they developed a robotic system that can make various paper planes and then test, analyze, and model their flight behaviors. In this experiment, the robot made and launched over 500 paper airplanes with 50 different designs. Then it collected data on how far each design flew and the characteristics of that flight.
The researchers sorted different shapes roughly into three types of “behavioral groups”.
The first type follows a nosedive (俯冲) path, which means a short flight distance before landing on the ground. The second type does a glide (滑行), falling at a consistent and relatively controlled rate, and covers a longer distance than the nosedive. The third type is a recovery glide, falling steadily before leveling of and staying at a certain height above the ground.
“With the high precision and automation of the robotic system, large-scale experiments can be performed to improve design,” the researchers noted. “The robot designer can deepen our understanding and exploration of design problems, and could otherwise be challenging to observe any behavior.”
This insight can also apply to the changeable flight paths of small flying vehicles. “These models can be used to improve a real-world robotic design to identify wing shapes that fly a given distance,” the researchers said.
1. What can be inferred from the researchers’ words in Paragraph 2?| A．It is difficult to design a perfect paper airplane. |
| B．There is more to explore about paper airplanes. |
| C．The paper airplane is a popular toy for children. |
| D．It is likely to control paper airplanes’ behaviors. |
| A．Promote paper airplanes to fly much farther. |
| B．Leave paper airplanes high above the ground. |
| C．Create paper airplanes with different designs. |
| D．Change paper airplanes’ flight characteristics. |
| A．Enhance the design of airplanes. |
| B．Prove the precision of airplanes. |
| C．Predict the development of airplanes. |
| D．Increase the automation of airplanes. |
| A．Researchers test their innovative ideas on paper airplanes. |
| B．Researchers design a real-world robot with paper airplanes. |
| C．Researchers can design various wing shapes for paper airplanes. |
| D．Researchers create a robot to learn more about paper airplanes’ flight. |
