1 . If you have some free time in fall, would you like to go to the theatre?

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Sep. 12th, —Oct. 28th, 2024

Main Stage: UK Royal Opera House

Follow Alice down the rabbit hole in Christopher Wheeldon’s beautiful ballet, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s much-loved book.

Conducted by Koen Kessels. Last few tickets at $6.99.

Music: Joby Talbot. Designer: Bob Crowley.

Running time: 2hrs, 40 mins.

Enjoy three of your favorite productions in our Autumn Season for a 10% discount.

Cats

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running classic music al is back on Broadway!

Jul. 31st, — Dec. 30th, 2024

No show on Wednesday.

THEATER: Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52nd Street, New York, NY.

Running time:2hrs, 20 mins.

Buy tickets from $59! Group tickets: 12 seats or more.

Les Misérables

Start from Sep. 20th to Sep. 29th, 2024

The West End’s longest running classic musical, Les Misérables has been enjoyed by over 70million people in 42 countries and in 22 languages around the globe and is still breaking box-office records as it passes its 30th year in London.

Book your Les Misérables tickets, playing at the Queen’s Theatre today.

Running time: 3 hours.

Buy group tickets from $69.

If you require more than 8 tickets, please call us for great rates: 020-7492-0810.

Recommended for children aged 7 or over; children under 5 will not be admitted.

Carmen

Check https: //www.laopera. org for best availability and lowest prices        !

“Much greater than any other opera”— Los Angeles Times.

SCHEDULE: Opening on September 9th,2024. Opening night celebration tickets available. Call213-972-8097. Closing on October 1st, 2024.

Running time: about three hours and 25 minutes, including two breaks.

Two operas available:

Opera at the Beach: Santa Monica Beach. Opera in the Park: Victoria’s Park.

1. Which show has the longest running time?

A．Cats.	B．Les Misérables.
C．Carmen.	D．Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

2. How much does it cost if a couple want to see ballet?

A．$6.99.

B．$13.98.

C．$59.

D．$138.

3. What do Cats and Les Misérables have in common?

A．They are both classic musicals.	B．They are playing at Neil Simon Theatre.
C．Their show time are more than three hours.	D．Their group tickets are at least eight people.

3 . It was nearly midnight when my wife Rita and I were driving home from the University of Illinois, where our son Randy was a freshman. Rita was asleep in the passenger seat. I headed north, wondering what on earth had made us take the afternoon off to drive to the university and back, a six-hour round trip. All for nothing.

For weeks Randy had been telling me how much fun he was having in football matches. I suddenly got the idea to show up and cheer my son, like we did in high school.

Just several hours earlier, Rita and I had met him on the field. We watched the young go on to the field, warm up, and then…there was something wrong. Randy ran over. “We cannot hold a competition today. The other team doesn't have enough players,” he said. It was not a big deal. I tried to comfort myself. But I'd just driven three hours to get here and I'd had my heart set on seeing my son in action. Instead, we took Randy out for pie and coffee.

As I was driving on the road, a memory rushed back to me when I was a Boy Scout (童子军). Our team made a canoe (独木舟)   journey down the Fox River. My dad drove miles to see me. About a mile downriver we came to a bridge. I looked up and there he was. Dad was standing right on the bridge. He didn't shout like others. He simply waved until we passed underneath. But several miles later, on the next bridge, there he was again. And the one after that. And the next. My dad had taken the chance to show he was always with me.

At last I understood the most important thing I could do for my son — just be there, even if it meant driving a long way.

1. How did the author feel at first when he was driving home with his wife?

A．Hopeless.

B．Shocked.

C．Unhappy.

D．Worried.

2. Why did the author and his wife make the trip to the University of Illinois?

A．To cheer their son on.	B．To watch a football match.
C．To have a meal with their son.	D．To encourage their son to study hard.

3. Why did the author mention his experience of being a Boy Scout?

A．To show how his dad cheered him on.	B．To show he missed his dad very much.
C．To show he lived a happy life when young.	D．To show how his dad showed his love to him.

4. What did the author learn from his father?

A．Be strict with his children.	B．Just be there with his children.
C．Have more patience with his children.	D．Do what he could to help his children.

5 . Martin, Tom and Paul were brothers. They were very different, but they were consistent (一致的) about two things. They couldn't succeed in business. And they never _________ about anything. Martin was a hardworking farmer, growing organic vegetables and raising chickens. But he was _________ and forgot to pay his bills. Paul owned a textile factory that produced clothes. He was organized, but he was greedy and took too much clothing. His closet was _________ with his own products. Tom was once a sergeant in the army. He ran a martial arts school, but his attitude on discipline was too strong. He had almost no _________ .

One day, they received a _________ saying that their father had died. They were heirs to his old farm. They planned to sell it as soon as possible, so they went to see it even though there was a terrible storm. The house didn't look great, but there was a lot of land. There was so much, in fact, that they could hardly see its _________ .

_________ , the storm got worse. The sheer force of the wind almost knocked them _________ . Martin said, "Look, it's a typhoon!" Paul said, "No, it's a cyclone." Tom said, "No, it's a tornado!" They argued _________ Paul began to wail and said, "Whatever it is, it's coming __________ at us! We're doomed!" The three brothers scrambled inside the old house. Martin said, "If we survive, we must stop fighting. This farm could be great if we __________ it up. With my hard work, Paul's organization and Tom's __________, we could run a great business together!" The storm finally ended. And luckily, it didn't __________ the farm.

"Just think," Martin said, "it took the chaos of a typhoon to bring us together" Paul replied," You mean a cyclone brought us together." Tom said "Didn't I tell you both that it was a tornado?" The brothers never agreed on what kind of __________ it was, but by combining their __________ , they started a successful farm.

1.

A．agreed

B．argued

C．talked

D．figured

2.

A．disabled

B．distracted

C．disorganized

D．disordered

3.

A．decorated

B．equipped

C．fitted

D．filled

4.

A．soldiers

B．students

C．visitors

D．teachers

5.

A．telegraph

B．telescope

C．television

D．teleplay

6.

A．outline

B．branch

C．boundary

D．distance

7.

A．Suddenly

B．Eventually

C．Obviously

D．Occasionally

8.

A．off

B．up

C．at

D．over

9.

A．unless

B．until

C．when

D．since

10.

A．right

B．left

C．before

D．after

11.

A．picked

B．got

C．set

D．fixed

12.

A．greed

B．discipline

C．strength

D．attitude

13.

A．evacuate

B．affect

C．destroy

D．strike

14.

A．disaster

B．storm

C．wind

D．type

15.

A．skills

B．ideas

C．performance

D．reference

6 . The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 took place in Las Vegas, US. The event shows off some of the coolest new inventions.

One is a robot companion. It helps people around the house. It uses artificial intelligence (Al). AI is when a computer can learn from experience. It can do things that need usually human intelligence. The robot controls household appliances. It keeps an eye on pets. It even patrols like a mini security guard.

Al technology is in many more products at CES 2024. A smart fridge was made by Samsung. It can recognize up to 33 food items. It suggests recipes that will use up what you have.

In video gaming, two companies used AI to create more natural non-playable characters (NPCs). Usually when you meet a character in a game, what they say to you or how they react will have been pre-programmed or coded by the game's creators. The creators of say they are different. They can react spontaneously.

Technology company LG showed a transparent television. It's wireless. This means it can be put anywhere. You can even put it in front of a window. The screen can be kept clear, so you can see what's behind it. Or users can block out the background. It also has a screensaver feature that can play relaxing scenes such as fish swimming around in a tank.

Hairdryers also got an upgrade. The AirLight Pro was created by L’Oreal. It copies the effects of the Sun and wind. It uses infrared (a type of light energy that humans can't see but feel as heat). The company says it dries hair faster, causing less damage, and uses less energy.

Finally, for children, there is the Droyd Venym electric scooterboard (滑板车). It is basically a seat, low to the ground, with legs and four wheels. You control it with handles. Its top speed is three miles per hour.

1. What can’t a robot companion do according to the passage?

A．Watch over pets.	B．Assist others around the house.
C．Learn from human intelligence.	D．Secure around the house.

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

A．naturally

B．personally

C．purposely

D．emotionally

3. Which product is energy-efficient according to the passage?

A．A smart fridge made by Samsung.

B．Hairdryers updated by L’Oreal.

C．A transparent television showed by LG.

D．A scooterboard launched by Droyd Venym.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．AI applications at CES.

B．AI technology in products at CES.

C．Some of new inventions showed at CES.

D．Some of technology companies at CES.

7 . When the spring breeze blows, blooming flowers give off pleasant scents, mixing with the smell of earth. In such a charming season, why don’t you grab your camera and snap some photos of the magnificent golden flower sea? Here’s a list of some popular places to view rapeseed flowers(油菜花) across China. It’s time to start your spring journey!

Luoping county, Yunnan province
Best viewing period: From February to March

Boasting favorable weather and a unique ecological environment, Luoping county in Southwest China’s Yunnan province is home to the world-famous rapeseed flowers. Every year from February to March, the flowers are in full bloom, forming a beautiful and magnificent golden view.

Hanzhong, Shaanxi province
Best viewing period: From March 20 to April 15

Located in southern Shaanxi province and with favorable weather conditions for growing rapeseed flowers, the Hanzhong Basin is a traditional planting and production base for the oilseed rape vegetable. The city of Hanzhong is home to more than 70,000 hectares of rapeseed flowers, yielding 144,000 tons of canola oil each year.

Menyuan Hui autonomous county, Qinghai province
Best viewing period: July

Menyuan Hui autonomous county in Northwest China’s Qinghai province is a production base for the oilseed rape vegetable in northern China. Rapeseed flowers can be seen everywhere, but those growing in Menyuan look extremely magnificent. Against the blue sky of the plateau, the beautiful flower sea complements villages and distant mountains and rivers. While walking into Menyuan Hui autonomous county, you may have a feeling of crossing a natural painting.

Xinghua, Jiangsu province
Best viewing period: April

Known as “a pearl of water town”, Xinghua in East China’s Jiangsu province has rich culture and unique scenery. From April to May, the blooming rapeseeds in Xinghua form a vast golden sea of flowers. The Qianduo area attracts tourists who ride a boat to cruise through the flower sea and are intoxicated by fragrance of the flowers.

1. What do we know about rapeseed flowers in Luoping county?

A．They can be seen everywhere.

B．They are the best rapeseed flowers in China.

C．They bloom earlier than the other three places.

D．They cover the largest area among the four places.

2. Which place best suits people who enjoy beautiful views by riding a boat?

A．Xinghua, Jiangsu province

B．Hanzhong, Shaanxi province

C．Luoping county, Yunnan province

D．Menyuan Hui autonomous county, Qinghai province

3. What do the listed popular places have in common?

A．They are favored by foreigners.

B．They share the same best view period.

C．They are well-known for rapeseed flowers.

D．They are in the southern provinces of China.

10 . During the 19th and 20th centuries, Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was one of the best-known Chinese artists. He grew up in a poor peasant family, but this did not prevent him from pursuing his interest in painting.

Qi was schooled for less than a year due to illness, and he dropped out of school. However, he was too weak to do much of the work and this was why he became a carpenter. As a carpenter, he showed his creativity. He could carve figures of animals, woodblock prints, and sniff-boxes. At the age of 20, he taught himself to paint with Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting. He met many mentors who greatly influenced his painting skills through his painting journey, among whom are the renowned artists Zhu Da and Xu Wei. When he was 28, he became a student of the famous artist Hu Qinyuan, and he began to study Chinese painting.

Qi arrived in Beijing in 1917. While he was in Beijing, he stayed devoted to painting. Most of his paintings represented Chinese tradition. Qi’s works are now found in several famous museums, including National Gallery Prague and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. His works now are the most expensive ever sold at auctions.

Qi got noticed by many institutions, one of which is the Ministry of Culture. In 1954 he was selected as the representative of the Chinese people. Also, in 1956, he was awarded the World Peace Prize by World Peace Council. A college was also named after him, the Baishi School of Art in Hunan University of Science Technology.

1. Why did Qi Baishi drop out of school?

A．He suffered from illness and was too weak.

B．He wanted to devote himself to painting.

C．He wasn’t interested in what he learned at school.

D．His family was too poor to afford his schooling fees.

2. According to the passage, which of the statements is TRUE?

A．He learned Chinese painting on his own.

B．He showed great creativity of art since childhood.

C．His works are one of the costliest ever sold at auctions.

D．At first he learned to paint from some renowned artists.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us about Qi Baishi?

A．His painting style.	B．His painting works.
C．His achievements.	D．His contributions to his hometown.

4. How does the author mainly develop the text?

A．By giving examples.	B．By using data.
C．By raising questions.	D．By following the order of time.