1 . The number of times I’ve been asked how I became a food and travel writer is too many to count. Frankly, I’m not exactly sure how to ______. Eating is a necessary part of life, and I appreciate good ______, whether it’s chicken and rice served from a hawker stand or a perfect dish in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

I’m not a ______ writer of food, since I ______ review restaurants in the traditional sense. Instead, I’m more interested in food’s ______ and what it reveals about cultures. For instance, how did Mexican cacao get to Europe, and how did the Czech kolache find its way to Central Texas? Knowing the ______ behind such things is a ______ in history that goes far beyond a pretty dish presented on a plate.

There’s not a more ______ way to get a taste of a place than by taking food-themed tours. Many tours include market visits, which are the best way to experience life as a(n) ______. Markets are the hearts of communities and reveal not only the way a culture eats, but also how they ______ and interact.

Traditions and culture are deeply ______ food and through cooking lessons. The number of cooking classes that I’ve ______ around the world can’t be counted. Now, I’m no Alain Ducasse in the kitchen, and rarely do I ______ at home. However, including these types of classes into my journey is something that I ______. And even though the acquired cooking skills don’t translate back to my home kitchen, the cultural ______ still resonates (产生共鸣).

1.

A．write

B．recommend

C．count

D．answer

2.

A．food

B．environment

C．appearance

D．mood

3.

A．talented

B．typical

C．famous

D．creative

4.

A．usually

B．currently

C．always

D．rarely

5.

A．origins

B．impact

C．sources

D．production

6.

A．path

B．reason

C．story

D．intention

7.

A．research

B．mark

C．lesson

D．change

8.

A．complex

B．delicious

C．natural

D．enormous

9.

A．shopper

B．observer

C．critic

D．local

10.

A．feel

B．travel

C．communicate

D．respond

11.

A．included in

B．rooted in

C．kept in

D．applied in

12.

A．taken

B．delivered

C．heard

D．judged

13.

A．serve

B．comment

C．work

D．cook

14.

A．enjoy

B．avoid

C．risk

D．regret

15.

A．identity

B．difference

C．understanding

D．background

3 . On the evening of June 22, a Kunqu Opera performance titled The Peony Pavilion took to the stage of Beijing’s Northern Kunqu Opera Theater, starring Wei Chunrong in the role of the female protagonist (主角), Du Liniang. Despite having performed the part on stage over 300 times, Wei still arrived at the theater four hours early, being the first actress backstage to get her makeup done and check the equipment. This is a habit she’s maintained ever since first entering the world of Kunqu in 1982.

Kunqu Opera originated in Jiangsu Province some 600 years ago. As one of the oldest traditional Chinese operas, Kunqu is regarded as the “ancestor of Chinese dramas” and the “mother of Chinese operas”.

Kunqu Opera prospered (兴盛) during the Ming Dynasty, but suddenly experienced a downturn in the mid-Qing Dynasty. Its lyrics (歌词), originally flowery, eventually became non-understandable, while its melodies slowed down to what some people called a “funereal level”. Kunqu therefore became unacceptable to all but a small number of fans.   

But when UNESCO officially listed Kunqu Opera as intangible cultural heritage in 2001, it returned to the spotlight.

“When our application proved successful, we were all so happy and proud. However, I suddenly realized that it actually meant its decline (衰退) and that it required protection.” Since then, Wei has devoted herself to preserving and passing on her beloved art of Kunqu Opera.

To address the lack of young talent in Kunqu Opera, Wei herself today also teaches younger actors, doing for them what her teachers did for her. Offstage, Wei is their friend; onstage, she aims to bring out the best in them as performers of the art through her masterly knowhow and strict demands.

1. Which of the following can best describe Wei according to paragraph 1?

A．Devoted.

B．Creative.

C．Promising.

D．Curious.

2. What can be learned about the Kunqu Opera?

A．It is the oldest opera.	B．It is especially popular with the young.
C．It once lost its appeal.	D．Its lyrics are long and difficult.

3. What is Wei doing to protect Kunqu Opera?

A．Promoting herself as a master.

B．Passing it down to a younger generation.

C．Getting people to learn more about its history.

D．Giving as many performances as possible globally.

4. What would be a suitable title for the text?

A．Kunqu Opera—Intangible Cultural Heritage

B．Kunqu Opera—from Prosperity to Decline

C．The Origin and History of the Kunqu Opera

D．One Master’s Commitment to the Kunqu Opera

5 . It was a sunny afternoon. My husband Dave and I had just arrived home from hospital. I parked the car in front of the house. Dave was so tired that he leaned against the door and waited for me to open it for him. When I opened it, he _________ out of the car onto the ground. He was too _________ to raise himself. I tried to lift him, but my _________ ended fruitlessly. I looked around in all directions for someone to help us but nobody was _________.

I turned to run into the house to make a _________. Just then, a man dressed in white walked toward us. I couldn’t _________ how he appeared suddenly as I’d seen no one seconds before. He looked at Dave on the ground and asked if we needed _________. I nodded, adding that my husband was very heavy and _________ to move.

“Let me _________,” he said. He put one hand under Dave’s arm. As if Dave __________ no more than a feather, the man lifted him. He put Dave’s arm over his shoulder and put his own arm around Dave’s waist to keep him __________.

As I __________ the way into the house, the two men walked up our front stairs and into our home together. The man lowered Dave onto a little sofa. He smiled as Dave tried to thank him and said he was __________ to help. As he turned to go, I thanked him __________. He just smiled, said goodbye, and walked away.

I’ve never seen that man again, but I’ll always __________ him as our angel of light.

1.

A．stepped

B．fell

C．rushed

D．stared

2.

A．weak

B．nervous

C．annoyed

D．ashamed

3.

A．desires

B．efforts

C．judgments

D．adventures

4.

A．in need

B．in place

C．in sight

D．in charge

5.

A．call

B．plan

C．wish

D．promise

6.

A．predict

B．demonstrate

C．understand

D．believe

7.

A．comfort

B．assistance

C．guidance

D．information

8.

A．unwilling

B．unsure

C．unsuitable

D．unable

9.

A．check

B．explain

C．know

D．try

10.

A．demanded

B．lost

C．matched

D．weighed

11.

A．awake

B．focused

C．balanced

D．silent

12.

A．led

B．found

C．marked

D．pushed

13.

A．glad

B．shy

C．qualified

D．prepared

14.

A．awkwardly

B．appropriately

C．independently

D．repeatedly

15.

A．choose

B．introduce

C．remember

D．recommend

6 . If you’ve ever awoken from a vivid dream only to find that you can’t remember the details by the end of breakfast, you’re not alone. People forget most of the dreams they have—though it is possible to train yourself to remember more of them. Dreaming happens mostly during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During this sleep stage, brain activity looks similar to that in a waking brain, with some very important differences.

Short-term memory areas are active during REM sleep, but those only hang on to memories for about 30 seconds. You have to wake up from REM sleep to recall (记起) a vivid dream. If, instead, you pass into the next stage of sleep without waking, that dream will never enter long-term memory. If you sleep only six hours, you’re getting less than half of the dream time of an eight-hour night. Those final hours of sleep are the most important for dreaming. And people tend to remember the last dream of the night — the one just before waking.

Other factors also contribute to whether you’ll remember your nighttime adventures. Women tend to remember a few more dreams than men on average. Young people remember more dreams than older people. Memory of dreams increases in kids from the age at which they can communicate about those dreams, plateaus (停滞) from the early teens to the early 20s and then very gradually declines in adults over the rest of their life. There are a lot of individual differences in dream memory, though. Some people almost never remember a dream while others regularly recall several each night.

It is possible to train your brain to remember more of your dreams. If you want to remember your dreams, you’d better take a moment when you wake up, before you even move your body, to think about what you were just dreaming and remember as much as possible. This moves the dream from short-term memory to long-term memory.

1. What can be learned about dreaming?

A．People are less likely to wake up when dreaming.

B．It causes the same brain activity as in a waking brain.

C．It hardly ever takes place beyond REM sleep.

D．People tend to forget their dreams in a short time.

2. In what condition may we recall a dream clearly?

A．When we wake up from REM sleep.

B．When we sleep with rapid eye movement.

C．When we pass into the next stage of sleep.

D．When we just sleep for about 30 seconds.

3. Which of the following probably remembers the most dreams?

A．A 54-year-old male worker.	B．A 3-year-old kindergartener.
C．A 23-year-old female artist.	D．A 30-year-old male engineer.

4. How can we make our dreams longer memorized?

A．By remembering more details immediately after waking up.

B．By not moving our body for a moment after waking up.

C．By training our brain before sleeping during the night.

D．By reading through articles until falling asleep.

7 . In the animal kingdom, there are many species that give birth to spotted young, from deer to birds and fish. Even species that we don’t typically link with spots, such as lions, wear the pattern as babies, only to lose it later in life.

But what purpose do these spots serve, and why do only some species seem to have them? Kiyoko Gotanda, a biologist at Brock University, said it is likely so common because it functions as excellent camouflage.

For example, spotted young tend to be more common in species that live in habitats with some high grass or forests, and less common in environments that are plain, like pack ice. Indeed, baby seals (海豹) born on pack ice are pure white, and develop spots only when they leave the ice for rocky beaches because spots are easy to be seen on pack ice, which may get them into difficulties.

In other rarer cases, spots actually help babies stand out. Young garibaldi, a fish found in California — have bright-blue spots that advertise their low social positions. As the fish grow and start to engage in the social ranking order, their spots disappear.

Other species may lose their spots as they age because their color goes on to serve another purpose. Lions are born with many spots, yet the spots mostly disappear in adulthood. Males, in particular, trade their spots for thick hair, which can help them attract female ones. Reproducing, rather than hiding, becomes the main focus.

It’s unclear why an animal like a cheetah would maintain its spots while a lion doesn’t. Gotanda said it may come down to hunting practice. Lions hunt in groups, while cheetahs tend to hunt alone and rely more heavily on the smokescreen power of their spots to get near prey (猎物).

1. Which can best replace the underlined word “camouflage” in paragraph 2?

A．Guidance.

B．Reminder.

C．Attractant.

D．Protection.

2. Which young animals use spots to mark their identity?

A．Cheetahs.

B．Seals.

C．Garibaldi.

D．Lions.

3. Which statement might Gotanda agree with?

A．White spots need more energy to grow and maintain.

B．The way of hunting may affect the existence of spots.

C．Male lions tend to use spots to attract strong female ones.

D．Spotted young animals often appear in featureless environments.

4. What is mainly talked about in the text?

A．How spots help animals escape danger.

B．Why so many baby animals have spots.

C．Which kind of young animals have spots.

D．What might happen to spotted young animals.

8 . Here are four universities in Munich, Germany that offer free tuition for their students.

Technical University of Munich(TUM)

This university is the best technical university in Germany. It was established in 1868 by King Ludwig Ⅱ. The university was renamed Technische Universitat München in 1970. Its alumni(校友)have several Nobel Prize winners, including Konrad Emil Bloch for Medicine or Physiology and Robert Huber for Chemistry. This university offers undergraduate degrees in Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Technology and others.

Munich University of Applied Sciences(MUAS)

Established in 1971, the university is the biggest university of applied science in Bavaria. Its establishment was the result of seven colleges of higher education joining together. It offers a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in different subjects. It also works with around 200 different educational institutions around the world.

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich(LMUM)

This is a public university established by the Duke Ludwig IX of Bavaria-Landshut in 1472. It was renamed its present name in honor of the founder of the university by King Maximilian I. The university counts several famous personalities among its alumni, including Pope Benedict XVI, 2005 Nobel Prize winner in physics Theodor W. Hansch, and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Thomas Mann.

University of Television and Film Munich(UT&FM)

Established in 1966, the university is one of the most famous film schools in Germany. It has strict guidelines when it comes to the admission of students. Some of the alumni of the university have received the Academy Award. Among the better-known alumni is Florian Henkel von Donnersmarck, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for The Lives of Others.

1. What is special about Munich University of Applied Sciences?

A．It is the biggest university in Germany.

B．It focuses on training talents of science.

C．It has some Nobel Prize winners in its alumni.

D．It was founded by combining several colleges.

2. Who graduated from University of Television and Film Munich?

A．Pope Benedict XVI.	B．Florian Henkel von Donnersmarck.
C．Konrad Emil Bloch.	D．Thomas Mann.

3. Which university has the longest history?

A．TUM.

B．MUAS.

C．LMUM.

D．UT&FM.

9 . Top Theme Parks and Amusement Parks in Australia

Magic Mountain Merimbula

Located in the town of Merimbula, this small theme park is situated on the Sapphire Coast. There are multiple attractions in this place including Kiddie Splash Pool, Magic Carpet Slide and the Diamond Pyth on Roller Coaster. You can buy souvenirs from the gift shops for friends and family back home.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm

Price: $90 per person

The Big Banana Fun Park

The Big Banana Fun Park is located in the city of Coffs Harbour and it boasts a large walk-through banana. Guests can go roller skating at the ice-skating rink, enjoy water slides and play golf.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm

Price: $25 per adult (age 13-99); $15 per child (age 1-12)

Wet Wild Gold Coast

Owned and operated by the Village Roadshow Theme Parks, this park features 17 water slides, 4 pools, and 2 children’s areas. If you are traveling during the winter season, there is nothing to worry as the pools and slides are heated according to your convenience.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm

Price: $24 per person

Big Splash Waterpark

Featuring nine slides, a 50-meter (164 feet) pool, and kiddie pools, this park is a perfect spot to chill when the sun is out. Being one of the oldest theme parks in Australia, it boasts the famous Jammo Pool.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm

Price: $150 per adult (age 13-99); 40% discount per child (age 1-12)

Enjoy with your kids at one of the theme parks in Australia.

1. What can visitors do in The Big Banana Fun Park?

A．Ride on a roller coaster.	B．Play golf.
C．Buy gifts.	D．Taste big bananas.

2. How much will 8-year-old twins pay if they go to Big Splash Waterpark?

A．$60.

B．$90.

C．$120.

D．$180.

3. Who is the text most probably intended for?

A．Parents.

B．Children.

C．Guides.

D．Swimmers.

10 . Under a midday summer sun in California’s Sacramento Valley, rice farmer Peter Rystrom walks across a dusty and bare plot of land, dry soil crunching (碎裂) beneath each step. In a typical year, he’d be walking across green rice fields in inches of water. But today the soil is dry and baking in the 35℃ heat. It hasn’t rained for 4 weeks in a row.

“Climate change is expected to worsen the state’s extreme swings in rainfall,” researchers reported in Nature Climate Change in 2018. Low water levels in rivers have forced farmers like Rystrom, whose family has been growing rice on this land for four generations, to reduce their water use.

“If we lose our rice crops, we have to deal with severe food crisis. Climate change is already threatening rice-growing regions around the world. This is not a future problem. This is happening now,” says plant geneticist Pamela Ronald of the University of California, Davis, who identifies genes in rice that help the plant stand up to dryness, disease, flood, etc.

To save and even boost production, rice growers, engineers and researchers have turned to water-saving irrigation (灌溉) routines. Building canal systems and reservoirs (水库) can help farmers dampen their fields. But for some, the solution to rice’s climate-related problems lies in enhancing the plant itself. They hold that establishing rice gene banks that store hundreds of thousands of rice varieties ready to be bred into new, dryness-tolerant varieties is more practical and effective. Solutions may be hidden in the DNA of those older breeds.

Three decades have passed since its initial development, and some researchers are looking beyond the genetic variability preserved in rice gene banks, searching instead for useful genes from other species, including plants and bacteria. But picking genes from one species and putting them into another, or genetic recombination, remains debatable. The most famous example of genetically changed rice is Golden Rice (GR). “Looking ahead, it will be crucial for countries to embrace GR rice. But it will take time,” says Ismail, principal scientist at IRRI,

1. What problem does Rystrom have to deal with?

A．Thirst.

B．Drought.

C．Hot sun.

D．Dusty weather.

2. What can be inferred from Para. 3?

A．Downtrend of rice-growing areas is severe now.

B．Climate change is a threatening factor in the future.

C．Humans will face starvation if crop failure happens.

D．Food crisis is a common occurrence around the world.

3. What’s the purpose of setting up gene banks?

A．To store as many seeds as possible.	B．To cultivate climate-adapted varieties.
C．To improve the efficiency of breeding.	D．To show the technology of gene mapping.

4. What’s Ismail’s opinion about GR?

A．Favourable.

B．Impractical.

C．Disapproving.

D．Insecure.