1 . Two women in their 50s stand beholding in front of Guanyin of the South China Sea, an ancient Chinese sculpture in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. Over the past 20 years, they have been visiting the museum, describing the “mother Buddha” as “beautiful and tranquil, a symbol of religious traditions in China”. Measuring 2.4 meters high, 1.68 meters wide and 1.1 meters thick, the larger-than-life sculpture was carved from the trunk of a single poplar tree, which has created a sense of calm and warmth in the hall.
Since its launch in 1933, the museum has been actively collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting works of Chinese art, ranging from ceramics to furniture, and from paintings to sculptures. And its Chinese art collection contains masterpieces in various historical stages.
An exhibition on the theme of Lively Creatures—Animals in Chinese Art was held at the museum, displaying tens of Chinese ancient paintings with images of animals in many art forms. The creatures on the paintings represented celebration, personal messages, and even political and religious agendas.
Organizers of the exhibition produced a set of cards, with images of animals on one side and their cultural meanings in Chinese artistic tradition on the other. The cards are provided for visitors for free.
“I find it very interesting, and the way that the things are drawn is very cool,” says 17-year-old high school student Camden Lombard after visiting the exhibition. “I want to go to China someday to find more,” he adds.
“It’s kind of eye-opening and we’re bringing the world together,” says Makar, an educator with the school outreach and education programs of the museum. “There are so many similarities as well as beautiful differences, and we are just trying to understand and appreciate one another.”
“We’re in a moment when it’s sometimes hard to look outside of your own personal viewpoints,” says Howard, manager of volunteer engagement at the museum. “I think having access to seeing what other cultures have created, what they valued and appreciated, and what was important to them, is really important in building that understanding about all the people we share this planet with.”
1. The two women kept visiting the Nelson-Atkins Museum for ________.| A．the grand appearance of the exhibition hall |
| B．their affection for Chinese religious traditions |
| C．the great size of the ancient Chinese sculpture |
| D．their curiosity about the delicate artistic carving |
| A．The organizers gained a handsome profit. |
| B．The cards reflected multinational cultures. |
| C．The visitors had rich travel experiences in China. |
| D．The paintings displayed the charm of Chinese culture. |
| A．Instructive and romantic. | B．Imaginary and fascinating. |
| C．Informative and multicultural. | D．Educational and entertaining. |
| A．To bridge different cultures. | B．To popularize religious symbols. |
| C．To exchange personal viewpoints. | D．To demonstrate Chinese paintings. |
2 . If you haven’t decided how to spend your summer, you may want to think about the possibility of participating in a summer program.
Virtual Experience:Harvard’s High School Programs
If you’re wondering what college is like, Harvard offers online college programs just for high school students who are curious. Harvard’s high school programs allow you to take real courses and earn college credit. Financial aid is available for qualifying students.
Virtual Experience:American University High School Summer Scholars
This multi-week, online program helps high school students pursue their interests in a variety of topics. Each online course is 1-credit hour. Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a 3.0 GPA (Grade Points Average) can choose 1 course from 14 subjects-from Political Action and Public Policy to Oceanography and more.
Virtual Experience:Worcester Polytechnic Institute(WPI) — Frontiers Program
This online, summer program is designed for high school students entering their junior and senior years. Program participants are challenged to explore the outer limits of their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with current laboratory techniques and exploring unsolved problems across a wide range of disciplines.
Virtual/In-Person Opportunities:Immerse Education Programs
Immerse Education’s summer programs offer in-person and online courses in a variety of subjects and take place throughout the United Kingdom and Australia. Students ages 11-18 from around the world get to learn on the campuses of Cambridge, Oxford, London and the University of Sydney.
1. Which program will you possibly choose if you are from a family on a tight budget?| A．Immerse Education Programs. |
| B．Harvard’s High School Programs. |
| C．American University High School Summer Scholars. |
| D．Worcester Polytechnic Institute(WPI)-Frontiers Program. |
| A．They provide access to online learning. | B．They set academic requirements. |
| C．They offer participants college credits. | D．They take place in the United States. |
| A．College staff. | B．College students. |
| C．Program organizers. | D．High school students. |
3 . It’s that time again when we’re busy buying and giving them. Sometimes we call them
The words come from different
The words gift and present are well-matched synonyms that mean almost the same thing.
Gift can also act like an adjective to describe another noun. What do you call the type of shop where you can buy presents for people? A gift shop. Present doesn’t work well in this role of
Still,
| A．gifts | B．awards | C．friends | D．families |
| A．mistake | B．difference | C．plan | D．promise |
| A．games | B．stories | C．situations | D．languages |
| A．giving | B．speaking | C．leaving | D．listening |
| A．dream | B．chance | C．advice | D．idea |
| A．possession | B．attitude | C．colors | D．decisions |
| A．Therefore | B．Moreover | C．However | D．Otherwise |
| A．behavior | B．use | C．spelling | D．development |
| A．transparent | B．concrete | C．positive | D．public |
| A．thanks | B．attention | C．donations | D．discounts |
| A．wrong | B．easy | C．unlucky | D．cool |
| A．explaining | B．correcting | C．analyzing | D．describing |
| A．because of | B．according to | C．in spite of | D．in addition to |
| A．actions | B．events | C．words | D．directions |
| A．order | B．offer | C．make | D．prefer |
4 . Desperate to help his 96-year-old mother to speak her mother tongue again, Keith McDermott made an
Ray moved to America after meeting her husband when she was only 18, hence waving goodbye to her
So Keith, 70,
“When you have a parent in their nineties, you will find you two have something in common: you’re both old, so I am very sympathetic to my mother’s feelings of loneliness and isolation. I’m feeling it myself. ” Keith hopes to
| A．indication | B．appeal | C．assignment | D．apology |
| A．lady | B．traveler | C．explorer | D．gentleman |
| A．senior | B．childhood | C．enthusiastic | D．lonely |
| A．friends | B．life | C．tongue | D．Relatives |
| A．hope | B．tension | C．similarity | D．home |
| A．Concerning | B．Apart from | C．Despite | D．Due to |
| A．blue | B．faded | C．fragile | D．clear |
| A．leave | B．return | C．quit | D．talk |
| A．given | B．supposed | C．remembering | D．neglecting |
| A．go | B．fly | C．happen | D．start |
| A．searched | B．mentioned | C．linked | D．posted |
| A．embarrassed | B．touched | C．hooked | D．puzzled |
| A．stable | B．happy | C．fluent | D．passionate |
| A．take up | B．make up | C．bring up | D．set up |
| A．remind | B．accuse | C．inform | D．cure |
5 . Some of the most attractive pictures to come out of the Alaska earthquake are the photos that show slope (斜坡）failures, in which parts of formerly solid hills caved in，tore or let loose. And if there happened to be a road or building on top of the slopes that failed，the result was horrible.
Slopes can fail without earthquakes, as the result of pouring rain qr w：eathering. But the shaking caused by a quake — particularly a large one like what occurred near Anchorage on Friday — can either speed up the process or create entirely new failures that wouldn't have otherwise happened.
Several slope failures were documented in the Anchorage area in the hours after the earthquake Friday, the most interesting of which was on Vine Road southwest of Wasilla. It’s as if someone came along with a large destroying ball and dropped it on Vine Road, which wrinkled like a broken egg.
Scientists seemed surprised at how many slope failures occurred as a result of the 7.0-magnitude (震级）quake. The center of the quake was deep, at 27 miles below the surface — a key reason why the damage in Anchorage was relatively light. Such an earthquake would be expected to produce shaking over a large area, but probably with reasonably modest top ground accelerations, Friday’s earthquake would certainly be felt, but the surface of Earth wouldn't be moving badly enough to produce widespread landslides.
Photos from Alaska show a lot of lateral (横向的）spread, in which the ground tears open. Whatever is on top of the ground at the place it tears in half is also torn in half afterwards, like highways or buildings. The buildings surrounding the spread are also at risk of damage because of the force of the ground spreading out away from the tear. There’s also documentation of block spread，in which part of the ground breaks off a hill and slides away mostly perfect.
1. What do we know about slope failures?| A．They may cause earthquakes. |
| B．They usually happen with a road on top. |
| C．They always happen with earthquakes. |
| D．They may pull parts of the hills apart |
| A．Earthquakes have great effect on slope failures. |
| B．Most slope failures occur after the pouring rain. |
| C．Earthquakes result in slope failures immediately. |
| D．Slope failures occur mainly with large earthquakes. |
| A．It produced shaking over a large area. |
| B．It caused fewer slope failures than expected. |
| C．It wasn’t felt for its deep center. |
| D．It didn’t produce landslides. |
| A．Land slides. | B．Slope failures. | C．Lateral spread. | D．Block spread. |
6 . I had not hugged a friend or a family member for more than two years.
I hadn’t had that
There was war in my home town in Bosnia, so I found every moment was full of
That same night my parents managed to arrange my escape from our war-torn city. They desperately wanted at least some of my childhood to be
Now, due to our pandemic lives, hugging a stranger is the
| A．love | B．courage | C．warmth | D．trust |
| A．cold | B．fine | C．mild | D．hot |
| A．regretted | B．hated | C．denied | D．missed |
| A．disappeared | B．remained | C．arrived | D．left |
| A．thrills | B．miracles | C．dangers | D．potentials |
| A．finally | B．hardly | C．immediately | D．simply |
| A．though | B．since | C．unless | D．when |
| A．walked | B．rushed | C．wandered | D．returned |
| A．aimless | B．hopeless | C．powerless | D．useless |
| A．dragged | B．invited | C．forced | D．persuaded |
| A．Hopefully | B．Painfully | C．Carefully | D．Thankfully |
| A．virus | B．scar | C．mark | D．cure |
| A．acceptable | B．admirable | C．imaginable | D．reasonable |
| A．normal | B．unusual | C．legal | D．exceptional |
| A．out | B．up | C．down | D．in |
| A．happiness | B．loneliness | C．calmness | D．eagerness |
| A．kiss | B．trust | C．hug | D．dream |
| A．last | B．best | C．first | D．most |
| A．ever | B．still | C．yet | D．even |
| A．warn | B．pray | C．swear | D．beg |
7 . Pieter Bruegel’s 1565 realistic painting The Harvesters hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The work describes farmers cutting wheat nearly as tall as they are,” Ghent University biologist Ive De Smet says. “Nowadays, if you walk through a wheat field, you basically see wheat is about knee-high, which is a consequence of selective breeding (培育) from the second half of the 20th century.” De Smet says he’s teaming up with art historian David Vergauwen of Amarant to look at things where they can spot differences in shape, in color, and in size. Wheat is just one example of how historical artwork can help track the transformation of food crops over time.
Friends since childhood, they took interest in plants in artwork and began with a visit to the Hermitage Museum in Russia — where they noticed an odd-looking watermelon in an early-17th-century painting by Flemish artist Frans Snyders.
“So if you think of a watermelon, you cut it through, it should be dark red on the inside. But that one appeared to be pale and white.” De Smet assumed the painter had done a poor job. But Vergauwen said, “This is one of the best painters ever from that era. So if he paints it like that, that’s the way it must have been.” Other paintings showed that both red and white watermelons were raised during the 17th century.
The team hopes to set up an online research database of historical plant artwork. They create a social media hashtag (主题标签) for it. Anyone could send pictures of relevant artwork and details of plants when they visit a museum or exhibit through the hashtag. But, they add, the sources need to be realistic. “If you’re going to use, for example, Picasso to understand how a pear looked, you might be misled.”
1. What can we learn from De Smet’s words in paragraph 1?| A．Humans have mainly fed on wheat since 1565. |
| B．Wheat has gone through great changes in height. |
| C．The scene in The Harvesters may be unbelievable. |
| D．Selective breeding affects agricultural structure. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Disapproving. | C．Favorable. | D．Curious. |
| A．To encourage people to focus on art. |
| B．To collect more paintings for their database. |
| C．To advertise their research database. |
| D．To share some historical plant artwork. |
| A．Ancient paintings focused on food crops. |
| B．Two men create a database of plant artwork. |
| C．Plants today are different from their ancestors. |
| D．Old art reveals agricultural information. |
8 . I had not hugged a friend or a family member for more than two years until recently when my sister flew in for a brief visit. For safety, we met outside. Despite the wintry weather, her hug warmed me from the inside out. It’s strange, but only now do I truly realize how much I’ve missed embracing loved ones.
I grew up through war in my hometown of Sarajevo, Bosnia, and every moment was full of danger. On one peaceful morning, I had begged my mom to let me go outside after spending weeks indoors. She finally agreed. I was outside for only 10 minutes when I was caught in an explosion. I ran to my neighbor’s house for safety and hung my arms around her neck just as my legs collapsed underneath me.
Thankfully, I made a full physical recovery, but the emotional scars never left me. Years later there was another explosion near my house. I was safely inside, but my father had left to buy a loaf of bread. He had only just missed the explosion. When he came back inside, I gave him the biggest hug imaginable. I was caked in tears as I held him tight.
That same night my parents managed to arrange my escape from our war-torn city. I was 16 and came to America on my own. A generous host family took me in. They had a large dog called Oscar. Over the next several months, I secretly struggled with feeling homesick and worried about my family back home. Despite managing quite well at school, I couldn’t express my feelings. The only way I shared how I felt was by giving Oscar a big hug.
It is yet another sad aspect of our pandemic(疾病大流行的) lives that hugging a stranger is the last thing on our minds. For many of us, even hugging a relative or a friend comes with stress and anxiety over risks and precautions. As I look back on my past, I count myself truly lucky to have been held, shielded and encouraged at some of the most key moments of my life by the power of a hug.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．Experience of war. | B．Love for family. |
| C．Impact of pandemic. | D．Power of embracing. |
| A．Frightened. | B．Ashamed. | C．Relieved. | D．Astonished. |
| A．She had her arms hurt in an explosion. |
| B．She missed her family very much while in America. |
| C．She couldn’t catch up with her classmates at school. |
| D．She recovered quickly from the wounds of the war. |
| A．Protected. | B．Persuaded. | C．Covered. | D．Understood. |
9 . The State of the World’s Birds — report from conservation group Bird Life is the latest critical survey that highlight the scale of the current biodiversity crisis. It says, more than half the world’s bird species are in decline, as human activities including agriculture and expansion into habitats continue to wreak havoc on bird populations.
“We have already lost over 160 bird species in the last 500 years, and the rate of extinction is accelerating,” said Lucy Haskell, who is lead author of the report. “Historically, most extinctions were on islands, but worryingly there is a growing wave of continental extinctions, driven by landscape-scale habitat loss.”
The report reviewed data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Analysis showed that 5,412 of bird species worldwide, or 49 percent, have declining populations, while 38 percent are stable, 6 percent are increasing, and 6 percent have unknown trends. One in eight species is threatened with extinction, and also highlighted the massive scale of population loss in several well-surveyed areas.
The expansion and intensification (集约化) in agriculture is the leading threat to birds, the report said, impacting at least 73 percent of threatened species. Unsustainable logging and management of forests is another significant threat, impacting nearly half of threatened bird species.
Birds play an essential role in the health of ecosystems around the world. They are predators, pollinators, seed dispensers, and scavengers, and help to move and cycle nutrients across wide ranges. “Birds tell us about the health of our natural environment — we ignore their messages at our peril,” Lucy said.
Authors of the report said that governments must prioritize more sustainable agriculture practices and the protection of natural habitats in order to slow population decline in bird species. There are numerous examples of populations bouncing back with the help of well-coordinated conservation programs. “If we give nature a chance, it can recover,” said But chart, who is chief scientist for Bird Life. “There is no denying that the situation is terrible, but we know how to reverse these declines.”
1. What does the underlined phrase “wreak havoc on” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Gradually change. | B．Sharply increase. | C．Slightly disturb. | D．Seriously damage. |
| A．By listing causes. | B．By making comparisons. | C．By analyzing data. | D．By answering questions. |
| A．Illegal hunting for birds. | B．The development of agriculture. |
| C．Poor management of forests. | D．The loss of landscape-scale habitats. |
| A．Birds play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity. |
| B．Governments have protected natural habitats greatly. |
| C．Conservation programs need to be updated more frequently. |
| D．Scientists are confident about slowing population decline of birds. |
10 . For 30 years, Eddie Rankin has been driving his truck before dawn each Saturday, coming to create a treasured weekly routine for people who populated Woodley Park and who became his devotees.
The tradition ended Saturday, when Rankin unloaded his last truck filled with fresh fruit and vegetables.
“People will probably keep coming, but it won’t be the same,” said Kate Shawcross, one of Rankin’s first customers. “He knows your children’s names and where they go to school—he’s just the classic good neighbor, and here in Washington, we need some of that.”
Rankin was a farmers market pioneer, who got into farming by accident, said Bernadine Prince, executive director of FreshFarm Markets. Rankin is the co-owner of Twin Springs Fruit Farm and has witnessed the explosion of American interest in fresh produce and locally grown food.
“He’s just one of those people who are interested in you as an individual and your tastes,” said Bernadine Prince. “Think about when you go to the supermarket: Who do you talk to? Nobody. ”
In 1984, a “farmers market” consisted of some peaches, apples and cherries that the typical American might have considered as overpriced. But Rankin drew customers charmed by his huge smile and agricultural knowledge. He remembered to set aside things you asked for, would cash your check if you needed bills and gave your 10-year-old child his or her first job.
The people who came to Saturday’s market sang to Rankin, presented him with poems about his influence on their lives and told stories of good deeds he had done for them.
Many described coming to Rankin's market as a routine in their lives.
Rankin said he is retiring because he wants to spend more time traveling to see his children and a sister back in Ireland. The children of one of Rankin’s partners are taking over Twin Springs.
He has a “fantasy,” he said, of using his knowledge to help fruit-growers elsewhere in the world.
He has faith that others can keep the Woodley Park market going, that the role of a farmers market is now established.
1. People love Rankin mainly because he ________.| A．cares about customers | B．always appears on time |
| C．sells cheap and fresh goods | D．offers whatever customers need |
| A．Because he wants to travel around the world. |
| B．Because it’s time for him to realize his fantasy. |
| C．Because he wants to have more time with his family. |
| D．Because it’s time for new generations to take charge. |
| A．Smile, when you meet each other |
| B．Goodbye, the apple of market’s eye |
| C．The big fish in the small-farmer pond |
| D．We need good neighbors in Washington |
