1 . We’ve all been there before. You’re driving down the road when suddenly a pothole(凹坑) seems to appear out of nowhere and sends the _________ bumping. Most people think potholes are _________, but artist Jim Bachor sees them as canvases (画布) for his artworks.

Bachor uses the _________ art form of mosaic(马赛克) to create eye-catching and colorful images of famous people or simple every day _________ like food. He even makes less-appealing visuals of insects.

Bachor was a graphic designer for 20 years before he began his _________ in mosaic. He regards an incidental trip to Europe as his motivation for changing his career. While _________ in Italy, Bachor fell in love with Pompeii, the preserved ancient Roman city. A tour guide pointed out a mosaic, mainly made of glass and marble, and told Bachor, “Glass and marble don’t _________. So, this looks essentially the same as the artist intended.” Bachor says, “That kind of staying power just _________ me so much.”

A year later Bachor returned to attend a mosaic class in Ravenna, Italy, to learn the proper way to _________ the ancient technique. Years after that, he mastered the technique. He __________ that mosaic could be just as significant today as the art form over 1,000 years ago. “I just saw that there was a(n) __________ to bring it into the new age as a contemporary subject,” he says.

So, Bachor decided to make a series of __________ for those potholes. He has __________ mosaic art around Chicago, Detroit and New York City.

While he may not get __________ from drivers or passengers, Bachor’s art is __________ a pleasant surprise to discover.

1.

A．body

B．rock

C．car

D．land

2.

A．challenging

B．interesting

C．discouraging

D．annoying

3.

A．modern

B．ancient

C．elegant

D．mysterious

4.

A．objects

B．ideas

C．routines

D．projects

5.

A．duty

B．career

C．belief

D．instruction

6.

A．traveling

B．living

C．working

D．studying

7.

A．last

B．connect

C．fade

D．break

8.

A．reminded

B．confused

C．troubled

D．impressed

9.

A．introduce

B．apply

C．promote

D．describe

10.

A．promised

B．imagined

C．remembered

D．realized

11.

A．offer

B．time

C．opportunity

D．voice

12.

A．artworks

B．articles

C．poems

D．videos

13.

A．discovered

B．created

C．improved

D．taught

14.

A．help

B．invitation

C．money

D．praise

15.

A．nearly

B．merely

C．certainly

D．personally

2 . Fourth-grader, Sarah Haycox, made it her mission to right a wrong. And in doing so, she has shown the world what one _______ person, with passion, can do.

One day, when _________ by an athletic field near her school, Sarah noticed a small _______ with the name Edwin T. Pratt and the year 1930 - 1969 on it. She _______ who he was and what he did.

After some _______, she learned that he was a civil rights leader who had done many good things to _______ others. Sadly, he was _______ just because someone disagreed with what he was doing.

Feeling that the small memorial was _______ big enough for a man who had so much _______ on others, Sarah ________ to do something!

There was a new ________ going up nearby for young kids. She found out who were ________ the building project and asked them if it could be named after Mr. Pratt. Through great efforts, her vision came to reality! Almost 50 years after his death, Edwin Pratt’s life and impact will be celebrated as the name of the new school.

Most kids simply had walked by the memorial without thinking about who Mr. Pratt was. But Sarah had the ________ to learn more, the vision to imagine something better and the courage to ________ her idea. Her amazing actions have ________ many other young people around the world.

1.

A．honest

B．young

C．clever

D．shy

2.

A．walking

B．running

C．riding

D．driving

3.

A．museum

B．church

C．board

D．memorial

4.

A．forgot

B．realized

C．wondered

D．explained

5.

A．discussion

B．research

C．practice

D．thought

6.

A．teach

B．rescue

C．help

D．repay

7.

A．killed

B．punished

C．blamed

D．arrested

8.

A．rarely

B．simply

C．merely

D．hardly

9.

A．impact

B．impression

C．reflection

D．dependence

10.

A．stopped

B．decided

C．happened

D．announced

11.

A．library

B．theatre

C．school

D．hospital

12.

A．in need of

B．in search of

C．in favour of

D．in charge of

13.

A．curiosity

B．confidence

C．chance

D．energy

14.

A．prove

B．change

C．present

D．pursue

15.

A．astonished

B．inspired

C．attracted

D．protected

3 . When people think about British music, for the most part they think about the 60s or 70s with the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones or more modern artists like Adele or Ed Sheeran. However, stuck between these two ages was, in my opinion, British music’s best period. The 90s were an optimistic time for Britain and indeed Europe, with the economy recovering from the lows of the 80s and the Cold War ending.

One of the defining features of 90s music was the birth of “Britpop”. This was a style of pop music that aimed to promote “Britishness” and commonly featured electric guitars, drums and male singers. Britpop was the style used by world-famous bands such as Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Suede who became known as “The Big Four”. The summer of 1995 was dominated by the “Battle of Britpop” which was between Blur and Oasis for the number one spot. Eventually, Blur won the battle and Oasis settled for second.

However, the 90s weren’t only for the boys, with major female groups also finding fame, the most well-known of which were “the Spice Girls” who were extremely popular in Britain and around the world. Once again they promoted “Britishness” and had catchy melodies and lyrics, but they also started the “Girl Power” movement which helped empower girls and women worldwide. It isn’t too far to assume that without their music, many female singers and artists who we love today would not have had the confidence to pursue their dream.

British music may have had many great times, however the 90s are often overlooked. Although I was not alive to enjoy the music properly, the 90s had a huge impact on British culture that can be felt today and I feel that the decade should get the recognition it deserves!

1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A．The Cold War came to an end in the 80s.

B．Britain’s economy began to pick up in the 90s.

C．The Beatles represented the best British music.

D．Adele is better than Ed Sheeran in modern music.

2. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Britpop.	B．Britishness.
C．The Big Four.	D．Battle of Britpop.

3. What’s the most important influence of “the Spice Girls” according to the text?

A．Promoting “Britishness”.	B．Empowering girls and women.
C．Creating catchy melodies.	D．Finding fame for female groups.

4. The writer thinks the impact of the 90s music on British culture is ________.

A．underestimated	B．well-recognized
C．fairly evaluated	D．reasonably doubted

4 . Aaptiv

Download Aaptiv, take a quick fitness quiz about your goals, and get going. The app will set you up with workouts to do on your favorite cardio(有氧的) machine, at home on a yoga mat, or outside. Where this app stands out: It pairs audio instructions from instructors and personal trainers with songs you love-not boring, canned beats-so it’s more engaging than most recorded workouts. It’s basically like your favorite cycling class in the palm of your hands.

MyFitnessPal

Another app that pairs workouts with a nutrition plan. This free app tracks your personal diet and exercise to determine the best calorie intake based on your body type and workouts. It even gives you the ability to scan food bar codes or enter them by hand to get accurate calorie and nutrient counts.

MyFitnessPal is great at helping people become more aware of their eating habits. It may not be the most accurate at times, but just by having people become more conscious of the foods and drinks they’re putting into their body is a huge win.

Amazon Kindle

Kindle offers a wide selection of books, magazines and newspapers, making it one of the most popular eBook reader apps for smartphones and tablets. You needn’t own a Kindle device to enjoy books through the Kindle app; it’s available on Android and IOS devices too. To increase reading pleasure, Kindle is powered by technology from Amazon that allows you to sync(同步) your last read page, bookmarks, highlights and notes across all devices; it also includes a built-in dictionary that makes it easy to look up new words while reading, and the Kindle app provides access to Google search and Wikipedia as well.

1. What feature makes Aaptiv most appealing?

A．It enables you to exercise as you wish.

B．It allows a quick fitness quiz about your goals.

C．It provides classes of running, cycling and yoga.

D．It offers trainer-led workouts with music you love.

2. What do people most probably download MyFitnessPal for?

A．Exercising with right diets.	B．Studying eating habits.
C．Tracking calorie consumption.	D．Scanning food bar codes.

3. How many advantages does Kindle have for a better reading experience?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.