1 . Four European Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss in 2023

Berck-sur-Mer Kite Festival

For over two decades,more than half a million visitors have come to watch the splendid display of kites flying over the seaside town of Berck-sur-Mer. Taking place every March or April,the festival sees giant dragons, whales, and various cartoon characters in the skies over the sandy beach. The festival also plays host to the International Kite Championships of the World every two years. During this time, experts from all over the world compete against the wind and each other.

Cannes Film Festival

Film lovers will no doubt want to head to the world’s most famous movie festival, the Cannes Film Festival. The red-carpet event was created by a French Minister of Education and Fine Arts. He wanted to establish an international cultural event in France to rival(与……抗衡)the Venice Film Festival. And it’s safe to say, he succeeded. More than 30, 000 professionals, such as directors, actors and actresses from all over the world attend the annual festival.

Menton Lemon Festival

Held over two weeks in February, the Lemon Festival celebrates all things concerning lemons in the city of Menton. More than 200. 000 visitors come to watch the colorful floats(花车)and sculptures created from lemons and oranges. During the daytime, parades of fruit-covered floats make their way through the streets as wind musicians and drummers entertain the crowd.

Nice Carnival

Taking place every February, the famous Nice Carnival is one of the largest carnivals in the world. It is also the most important event on the French Riviera. Over a million people take to the streets of Nice during the day and night. More than 1, 000 dancers and musicians from around the world perform at the magnificent carnival.
1. What is Berck-sur-Mer famous for?

A．Kites.

B．Beaches.

C．Whales.

D．Cartoons.

2. Who created the Cannes Film Festival?

A．A director.

B．An actor.

C．A French artist.

D．A French official.

3. What do the Menton Lemon Festival and the Nice Carnival have in common?

A．Both feature folk songs.	B．Both are held in February.
C．Both attract people at night.	D．Both have high sculptures.

3 . Famous People Who Begin With Difficulties

Oprah Winfrey

Probably having one of the most famous success stories, Oprah was born into a poor family in Mississippi, raised by a single mother living on welfare. She was physically, and mentally abused during her childhood. Despite her initial struggles as a young girl, she turned herself into one of the most successful talk show hosts of our time.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey has been the star of some of the most successful movies of all time. But Carrey grew up extremely poor in Canada. When he was a teenager, his family took security jobs in a factory to help pay the bills. And during his first stand-up comedy performance, he was booed off （喝倒彩） the stage. Not shortly after, he made it big on In Living Color and then went on to star in Dumb & Dumber, The Mask, and Ace Ventura in the same year!

James Dyson

If you thought Thomas Edison’s failures were bad, let me introduce you to James Dyson, the famous inventor of the Dyson vacuums （真空吸尘器） you see all over the television. Dyson developed over 5,000 failed prototypes （原型） before finding the bagless vacuum brand. Not only that, he put his entire savings account into his prototypes over fifteen years! Luckily, the bagless vacuum worked.

Stephen King

Before Stephen King became known as a great living writer—having written over 60 novels, many of which have been adapted for film and television—King was rejected over and over again. In his memoir, On Writing, King describes how he used to post his rejection letters on the wall for inspiration. His first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times.

1. What do Oprah and Jim have in common?

A．They were abused by parents.	B．They grew up in poor families.
C．They were hired as comedians.	D．They found jobs in a factory.

2. What did James Dyson do?

A．He repaired the failed prototypes.	B．He developed over 5,000 brands.
C．He put all efforts into marketing.	D．He invented the bagless vacuum.

3. Who is a novelist?

A．Oprah Winfrey.

B．Stephen King.

C．James Dyson.

D．Jim Carrey.

5 . For most of December, Adele Adkins had the top-selling album in Australia, followed by Ed Sheeran, and then there was a collection of songs that took everyone by surprise.

Songs Of Disappearance is a collection of calls from endangered Australian birds. Last month, it briefly reached No.3 on the country’s top 50 albums chart (排行榜) — ahead of Taylor Swift.

Anthony Albrecht, a PhD student at Charles Darwin University, produced the album with Professor Stephen Garnett. “I knew it was a crazy thing to suggest. But Stephen’s a little bit crazy like me and he let me do it,” Albrecht said.

Songs Of Disappearance was published with a university report which found that 1 in 6 Australian bird species are now threatened. The album records 53 of those species.

“Some sing what you might think of as bird songs, but not all of them,” said SeanDooley, who represents the conservation organization Bird life Australia. “Songs from the golden bowerbird sound like a death cry from some sci-fi series. And the love songs from Christmas Island frigate bird, which has a piece of skin hanging under its mouth that caninflate (膨胀) like a huge red balloon, sound as bizarre as its unusual looks.”

There’s also the Christmas Island pigeon. When people hear that pigeon, they might think that it’s a human making silly noises, Dooley added.

The Charles Darwin University and Bird life Australia report does document successes in protecting endangered birds, the hope being that the album will protect more species.

“The increased awareness can make a difference,” Dooley said. “When we have a community on board, that brings pressure to the government to do the right thing. We know that these conservation actions do work.”

1. Whose album reached No.1 on the chart in December?

A．Taylor Swift’s.

B．Adele Adkins’.

C．Ed Sheeran’s.

D．Anthony Albrecht’s.

2. What can be learned from the university report?

A．About 53 bird species are threatened in Australia.

B．It has not found success in protecting endangered birds.

C．One sixth of Australian bird species are now endangered.

D．Music is very powerful in encouraging people to protect birds.

3. Which is closest in meaning to “bizarre”in paragraph 5?

A．Strange.

B．Beautiful.

C．Loud.

D．Sharp.

4. What does Sean Dooley think of Anthony Albrecht’s project?

A．Crazy.

B．Amusing.

C．Uncreative.

D．Helpful.

6 . Magnetic fields are promising to be a useful tool in the hunt for human settlements that have been lost to the sea off the coast of the UK. An upcoming project is set to use magnetometry (磁力测定) data to seek Doggerland, the flooded land that connected Britain to mainland Europe until the end of the Ice Age, but there’s hope that this technique could be used to find long-lost civilizations all over the world.

The study comes from the University of Bradford in the UK. Their plan is to closely look at magnetometry data gathered from a portion of the North Sea and attempt to identify any strange anomalies (异常) that could suggest the presence of archaeological structures.

The team is especially keen to use these techniques to look for traces of human activities beneath the North Sea since it’s thought to have been home to some of the largest prehistoric settlements in Europe. Before it was flooded over 8,000 years ago. Doggerland was a rich and diverse habitat that likely attracted prehistoric humans and others. Despite its potential that lays beneath the North Sea, we know relatively little about the culture that once was developed here.

“As the area we are studying used to be above sea level, there’s a small chance this analysis could even reveal evidence for hunter-gatherer activity. That would be the most important part.” Ben Urmston, PhD student at the University of Bradford, said in a statement. “We might also discover the presence of middens, which are rubbish dumps that consist of animal bones, shells and other biological material. that can tell us a lot about how people lived.”

Remarkably little of the world’s oceans have been explored, let alone for the purposes of archaeology. Nevertheless, advances in technology are continuing to show that the coastlines are hiding countless traces of ancient human activities, even evidence of long-lost civilizations.

Thanks to projects like the one at the University of Bradford, as well as many others, the future of marine archaeology is looking promising. Nevertheless, we have to be patient. Just don’t expect to stumble across the sunken city of Atlantis anytime soon.

1. Why is magnetometry data used in this project?

A．To trace the ice movement.	B．To measure Doggerland.
C．To find a lost ancient land.	D．To explore the history of Britain.

2. What do we know about Doggerland over 8,000 years ago?

A．Its civilization is little known to us.	B．It was a place that was often flooded.
C．It was a deserted island with few people.	D．Its location has not yet been confirmed.

3. What is Ben Urmston’s attitude toward this analysis?

A．Uncaring.

B．Subjective.

C．Shocked.

D．Favourable.

4. What do the underlined words ”stumble across“in the last paragraph mean?

A．Display.

B．Assess.

C．Restore.

D．Discover.

8 . Antarctica (南极洲) is the coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent (大陆) on the planet. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -94.7℃in eastern Antarctica in 2010. The continent experiences regular Katabatic winds, reaching 300 km per hour. There is little rainfall and the air is very dry. Indeed, the Polar Plateau (极地高原) is regarded as a desert which experiences similar rainfall levels to the Sahara Desert.

It is the fifth-largest continent and is almost 1.5 times the size of the United States. Its coastline covers about 18,000 km. About 98% of the continent is covered in a thick continental ice sheet and the remaining 2% is rock.

Antarctica has six months of daylight followed by six months of darkness. It contains 70% of the planet’s freshwater and 90% of the world’s ice.

Strong winds and wild storm shave been closely connected with Antarctica since its discovery and continue to be a main challenge for modern explorers. Most of the early diaries and tales of exploration of Antarctica are filled with stories of how the weather was man’s biggest enemy on the continent. Nature’s power is seldom seen as ferocious as it is in Antarctica, making it one of the most difficult places to live on Earth.

The first people to reach the South Pole were from the Norwegian-led expedition (探险队) of Roald Amundsen on December 14,1911. One month later, Robert, Scott’s British expedition also reached 90 South but all members unluckily died on their return journey.

Before this, the thought over the existence of a “southern land” was not confirmed until the early 1820s. At this time, British and American business operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula area and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. In 1840, it was believed that Antarctica is indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.

1. What can we know about Antarctica from paragraph 1?

A．It is covered by sand.	B．It hardly rains there.
C．The air there is wet.	D．The average temperature there was high.

2. What does the underlined word “ferocious” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Strong.

B．Gentle.

C．Common.

D．Amazing.

3. Which expedition first arrived at the South Pole?

A．Norwegian.

B．British.

C．American.

D．Russian.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Antarctica: A Dream Place	B．Antarctica: A Challenging Place
C．Antarctica: A Plateau	D．Antarctica: Expedition’s New Goal

9 . From Milan to Riyadh, these culture-packed cities offer creative experiences, whether through interesting street arts, innovative exhibitions or award-winning architectures.

Milan

Milan’s fashion heritage dates back to its days as an important trading center, when rich businessmen would bring luxurious clothes to the city and improve their bartering (以物易物) skills in its streets. The area’s fashion-forward reputation was later strengthened by design masters such as Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace, all of whom grew their brands here.

Shanghai

Shanghai has a long history in the fields of art and architecture, and has long attracted creative professionals both domestically and internationally. But today, the integration of traditional temples into the surrounding modern metropolis (大都市) continues to attract tourists. Begin with a wander through the streets of the original Old City, taking in the 600-year-old City God Temple and the nine-bend Jiu Qu Qiao. Then, make for the Shanghai Museum, where more than a million artifacts — including ancient sculptures, china and calligraphy — are on display.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen’s architecture has been awarded many honors over the years, including UNESCO World Capital of Architecture 2023. Today, many of the city’s most popular tour routes centre on these eye-catching aspects. The harbour-front Copenhagen Opera House presents a neo-futuristic style while the Black Diamond Royal Library and the Bicycle Bridge dot the skyline with their distinctive designs.

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s largest city Riyadh has actively positioned itself as a global destination for creative travellers and to this end, it has established the Riyadh Art initiative. The first public art project of its kind in the country, Riyadh Art aims to transform the city into a “gallery without walls” through public art installations, festivals and workshops.

1. What is Milan famous for?

A．Its festivals.

B．Its fashion products.

C．Its architecture.

D．Its modern art.

2. Where will you go if you want to visit the Bicycle Bridge?

A．Copenhagen.

B．Shanghai.

C．Milan.

D．Riyadh.

3. What do we know about Riyadh?

A．It is Saudi Arabia’s second largest city.	B．It has a lot of galleries without walls.
C．It aims to attract creative visitors.	D．It plans to set up the Riyadh Art initiative.

10 . Today, you can buy a pair of sneakers (运动鞋) partially made from carbon dioxide pulled out of the atmosphere. But measuring the carbon-reduction benefits of making that pair of sneakers with carbon dioxide is complex. There’s the carbon dioxide that stayed in the ground, a definite carbon reduction. But what about the energy cost of cooling the carbon dioxide into liquid form and transporting it to a production facility? And what about when your kid outgrows the shoes in six months and they can’t be recycled into a new product because those systems aren’t in place yet?

Researchers are trying to help companies figure out how to account for each step in a product’s life.

As companies try to reduce their carbon footprint, many are doing life cycle assessments to measure the full carbon cost of products, from the obtaining of materials to energy use in manufacturing, from product transport to users’ behavior and end-of-life disposal (处理). It’s an impressively complex measurement, but such bean-counting is needed to hold the planet to a livable temperature, says low-carbon systems expert Andrea Ramirez Ramirez of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Carbon use can be reduced at many points along the production chain—by using renewable energy in the manufacturing process, for instance, or by adding atmospheric carbon dioxide to the product. But if other points along the chain like transporting consume more energy or give off more carbon dioxide, Andrea notes, the final record may show a decrease rather than a reduction. A product is carbon-reduction only when its production actually removes carbon from the environment, temporarily or permanently.

In the rush to create products that can fight climate change, however, some companies have been charged with “greenwashing”—making products appear more environmentally friendly than they really are. Examples include labeling (用标签表明) plastic garbage bags as recyclable when their whole purpose is to be thrown away; using labels such as “eco-friendly” or “100% Natural” without official certification; and claiming a better carbon footprint without acknowledging the existence of even better choices.

1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?

A．By listing specific figures.	B．By putting up questions.
C．By referring to documents.	D．By offering some solutions.

2. What does Andrea think of measuring the carbon cost of products?

A．Difficult but meaningful.	B．Expensive but promising.
C．Energy-saving and affordable.	D．Time-consuming and valueless.

3. What can be defined as reducing carbon use in the production chain?

A．Using renewable energy in production.

B．Changing carbon dioxide into material.

C．Reducing carbon footprint in products’ life.

D．Cutting down carbon dioxide in transporting.

4. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．Companies are sparing no efforts to reduce carbon use.

B．Plastic garbage bags must be labeled as “eco-friendly”.

C．Most products are less environmentally friendly than before.

D．There is a long way to cut some companies’ ”greenwashing“.