1 . As the summer approaches, the difficulty of booking tickets to visit public museums has skyrocketed. As a result, there is scalping (黄牛倒票) and high-cost third-party reservation service providers.

When official channels for reservation fail, people have no choice but to pay sky-high prices to businesses to make reservations on their behalf or pay even higher prices for organized tour services in order to enter the museums. This clearly contradicts the original intention of the nation’s requirement for free access to museums, and there have been widespread complaints from the public. Therefore, it is necessary to simplify the ticketing mechanisms of museums now.

In 2021, the total number of registered museums nationwide reached 6,183, with 5,605 museums offering free admission. The imbalance between supply and demand has resulted in museums being extremely difficult to access, with tickets booked up in seconds after reservations open.

The fact that people are willing to visit museums demonstrates the strong cohesion and centripetal force of traditional culture. As the guardians of these treasures, museums should provide better ticketing services.

The relationship between individual reservations and group tickets for tour groups needs to be handled properly. Currently, many individuals are unable to secure reservations on their own and are forced to join expensive tour groups for visits. There is significant profit potential in the transition from free reservations to costly tour group sign-ups.

This has even become a source of revenue for some travel agencies and is linked to the museum’s own interests, as many group tickets include paid services within the museum.

Should tour groups be allowed to continue? If so, to what extent? This consideration should not merely be based on the museum’s operational purposes but also on benefiting society more broadly. Especially with the explosive growth of student trips during the summer, museums should provide more chances for free admission.

1. What has led to scalping and high-cost third-party reservation service providers?

A．The fact that people are willing to visit museums.

B．The rapid growth of student trips during the summer.

C．The difficulty of booking tickets to visit public museums.

D．The imbalance between supply and demand for group tickets.

2. What does the author think of the current ticketing mechanisms of museums?

A．They are efficient and effective.	B．They encourage individual tickets.
C．They go against the original purpose.	D．They should be maintained as they are.

3. What percentage of registered museums offered free admission in 2021?

A．Over 90 percent.	B．Around 50 percent.
C．Less than 10 percent.	D．It is not mentioned.

4. What does the underlined word “revenue” in paragraph 6 mean?

A．Entertainment.

B．Information.

C．Worry.

D．Income.

3 . The combined quantity of water on Earth has varied over the course of our planet’s geological history, and it still does.

Today, Earth includes some 1,386 million cubic kilometres of water, a volume that includes water in oceans, lakes and rivers, plus ground water, vapour in the atmosphere, and the frozen water of glaciers and ice caps. On the young Earth — some four billion years ago — vast quantities of water were added to the planet by ice-containing comets (a mass of ice and dust that moves around the sun and looks like a bright star with a tail) that struck us, eventually making our world a “blue planet”. But such events became increasingly rare in Earth’s more recent history, and today we are in an age during which Earth is losing water.

The water loss is due to the fact that particles (微粒) sometimes escape Earth’s gravity to travel into space. This is particularly true of the light hydrogen atoms that form part of water molecules (分子) together with oxygen. Every time the atmosphere loses hydrogen, we lose one of the building blocks of water. Scientists estimate that Earth loses about 3kg of hydrogen per second. At this pace, Earth would run out of water in three billion years — but that assumes that we don’t get any new water supplies.

New water need not come from space — it might come from the inside of the Earth. At depths below 50km, minerals contain water that is not reckoned within the water cycle. Some of it dates back to Earth’s formation; the rest is part of slow geological exchange between the planet’s layers. When Earth’s plates sink and melt, deep minerals can release these bound water molecules so that they can subsequently rise to the surface via volcanic eruptions, adding to the planet’s overall water resources.

1. How did Earth become a “blue planet” in geological time?

A．By getting water from comets	B．By making use of glaciers.
C．By releasing its inside water.	D．By storing water in the ocean.

2. What is the scientists’ attitude towards the water loss on Earth?

A．Serious.

B．Regretful.

C．Uncertain.

D．Unworried.

3. The underlined word “reckoned” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．locked

B．displayed

C．counted

D．marked

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Where Can Water Be Stored?	B．Could Earth Run Out of Water?
C．How Can New Water Be Found?	D．Will There Be More Water on Earth?

4 . “John Cotter’s Losing Music is a powerful addition to the classic memoir (自传),” said Gretchen Cherington in The Millions. The first-time author has a strange disease that causes severe hearing loss, and Cotter shows well how destructive (破坏性的) the condition can be. Music first began disappearing, then the sound of the ocean. Beginning when he was 30, a ringing in his ears came and went, sometimes becoming so loud that it was painful. As his condition got worse significantly, he found how the loss of normal hearing separated him quickly from the whole world of pleasure. “The feeling is like losing life’s colour.” After detailing how he fell into complete despair, his “hard-hitting, beautiful, deep-going” book also reveals how he managed to rediscover a certain sense of satisfaction again.

“The most memorable sections in Losing Music are about Cotter’s daily struggles” said Lisa Zeidner in The Washington Post. As a poet and essayist who was working as a part-time writing professor when his hearing troubles began, he is lyrical about sounds we take for granted: rain beating windows, old-fashioned heating hissing (嘶嘶响), a cat drinking water. Still, “he reserves his most passionate writing for music,” providing poetically precise descriptions of much of the music he has loved, and connecting the loss of those experiences to the loneliness of being deaf. By 33, his hearing was gone. Hearing aids and medication helped begin a partial improvement.

“Cotter ultimately finds the best hope for a life without music: to get right with silence,” said Melissa Holbrook Pierson in The Wall Street Journal. There can be no happy ending in a book about hearing loss, but in writing it, he “turned difficulty into quiet success.” Losing Music comes closest to capturing what’s behind music “by nearly being music itself.” Even though his hearing has failed him, “evidence that Cotter’s ear is still keen for the beautiful tune of language sings from every page.”

1. What do we know about Cotter from Paragraph 1?

A．Losing Music is his first work.	B．He knows well about his illness.
C．The ringing in his ears was like music.	D．He drives away loneliness by writing.

2. What impresses Lisa Zeidner most about Cotter in Losing Music?

A．His keen sense of music.	B．His position as a professor.
C．His daily hardship and effort.	D．His detailed style of writing,

3. How does Cotter finally deal with his illness?

A．He tries his best to cure it.	B．He comes to terms with it.
C．He ignores the inconvenience of it.	D．He collects evidence about it.

4. What is the text?

A．A diary entry.	B．A book review.
C．A news report.	D．A biography.

6 . Janet Kelly and her husband, DaQuan Davis, were out shopping one afternoon when DaQuan’s brother, Demetrius, called in a panic. Some children playing with a lighter in the downstairs apartment ______ a fire, and the whole house was on fire. ______, Janet’s two youngest children were still inside. But when they got back, they learned that their children were ______.

That’s when Janet ______ that their dog, named Blue, had played a big role in ______ their youngest daughter. Demetrius ______ the older one of the two children out first, but when he ______ for the younger one, the smoke was ______ and things were falling all around him, Blue had ______ Demetrius outside, and then he ran back into the house for the younger child. “He was circling around my daughter and ______. Firefighters arrived in minutes. They followed Blue’s sounds to ______ the child,” Janet said.

The family were especially ______ to Blue. “He’s the sweetest dog,” Janet said. “Blue will bark at strangers, but once he knows you’re OK, he’ll drop onto his back for belly rubs.” Blue has clearly been affected by the ______ and he now barks whenever he sees candles or someone lighting a cigarette. ______, Blue has become a bit of a ______ for the family. Blue, you’re the ultimate good boy

1.

A．found

B．started

C．fought

D．stopped

2.

A．As a result

B．In addition

C．On the contrary

D．Worse still

3.

A．safe

B．healthy

C．panic

D．hungry

4.

A．assumed

B．learned

C．decided

D．predicted

5.

A．rescuing

B．persuading

C．contacting

D．adopting

6.

A．ordered

B．took

C．picked

D．pointed

7.

A．looked out

B．made room

C．went back

D．brought food

8.

A．gone

B．mild

C．detectable

D．thick

9.

A．checked

B．threw

C．followed

D．cheated

10.

A．staring

B．praying

C．listening

D．barking

11.

A．wake

B．locate

C．comfort

D．direct

12.

A．grateful

B．rude

C．familiar

D．generous

13.

A．news

B．incident

C．conflict

D．change

14.

A．Similarly

B．Occasionally

C．Apparently

D．Surprisingly

15.

A．babysitter

B．housekeeper

C．manservant

D．firefighter

7 . What you believe in has a magic way of shaping your reality. The concept of “you can become what you believe” is more than just a motivational quote. It’s a truth that stresses the remarkable influence of your mindset (心态) on your journey through life. At the heart of this idea lies the distinction between two fundamental mindsets: the growth mindset and the fixed mindset.

The growth mindset is a mindset that embraces the idea that abilities and intelligence can be developed through devotion, effort, learning, and perseverance. Those with a growth mindset grow better on challenges, viewing them as opportunities to learn and improve. Effort is seen as a path to mastery, and setbacks are viewed as stepping stones on the journey to success. Criticism is taken constructively as a chance to improve skills, and the success of others serves as inspiration and a blueprint for one’s own progress.

In contrast, the fixed mindset is characterized by the belief that your abilities, intelligence, and talents are fixed characteristics that cannot be changed. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, fearing that failure might reveal their limitations. They avoid pushing themselves because they see it as a sign of their weakness. Criticism is frequently interpreted as a personal attack, and envy or anger can be stirred up by others’ achievement. In nature, a fixed mindset limits individuals to their current abilities and limits their potential for growth.

The power of a growth mindset lies in its capacity to drive positive change. By believing in the potential for growth and improvement, individuals open themselves to a world of possibilities. “If you imagine less, less will be what you, undoubtedly deserve. Do what you love and don’t stop until you get what you love. Work as hard as you can, and think big, “Debbie Millman, a writer, designer, educator, artist and brand consultant said.

1. What is the author’s argument?

A．People’s mindsets are diverse.	B．One’s heart affects one’s mindset.
C．Mindset determines what one can be.	D．Mindset depends on one’s character.

2. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about the growth mindset?

A．Its limitation.	B．Its possibility.
C．Its disadvantages,	D．Its characteristics.

3. What way does the author use to illustrate the two different mindsets?

A．Giving examples.	B．Making comparisons.
C．Conducting analysis.	D．Quoting famous sayings.

4. What might be Debbie Millman’s suggestion?

A．Think carefully before you act.	B．Imagine less and practice more.
C．Stay true to yourself and never change.	D．Pursue your dreams and never give up.

10 . Large amounts of waste, or garbage, are filling streets in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, after protesters blocked a road leading to a landfill outside the city. People in Bancharedanda where the garbage is kept blame the government for not doing enough to protect them from the waste.

One British tourist, Richard McSorley, recently talked about the problem. He remembered how clean Kathmandu was when he first visited it many years ago. “If I were a new tourist, I would be despondent now,” McSorley said, while pointing to a load of garbage next to a city street. For weeks, treatment of waste has been a continuous problem in the city surrounded by hills. The problems started after people in the village of Bancharedanda refused to have the garbage thrown at a nearby landfill.

Biswas Dhungana was one of the protesters. He said the villagers were refusing to permit trucks loaded with garbage to enter. They say government officials have done little to provide basic equipment and effective ways to deal with the garbage. He added, “We have been forced to live like pigs in terrible conditions for several years as the government has not done anything to keep the village clean.”

Last week, hundreds of villagers built a wall of rocks on the road leading to Bancharedanda. It forced about 200 trucks filled with Kathmandu’s garbage to return without dumping their load. It was said that protesters also threw stones from surrounding hills.

Sunil Lamsal is an official to watch over how Kathmandu’s garbage is treated. He said, “I am working to deal with the concerns of the locals in Bancharedanda. But now, garbage continues to grow on the streets of Kathmandu. This has led to increased danger for people living in the capital. In the light of it, the government will soon take further positive measures to tackle the problem, as the environment affects every family.”

1. How does the author begin the text?

A．By listing statistics.	B．By asking questions.
C．By describing a phenomenon.	D．By drawing a comparison.

2. What does the underlined word “despondent” in paragraph 2mean?

A．Disappointed.

B．Dependent.

C．Dynamic.

D．Disabled.

3. Who were to blame in the eyes of the protesters?

A．Government officials.	B．Foreign visitors.
C．City residents.	D．Truck drivers.

4. What is Sunil Lamsal trying to do?

A．Punish the protesters.	B．Meet the villagers’ demand.
C．Stop the villagers’ illegal actions.	D．Urge every family to clean their village.