1 . These destinations march to the beat of their own drum. So put on your dancing shoes and head to these sweet-sounding cities.

New Orleans

In the 19th century, slaves gathered on Sundays to play drums, dance, and sing in Congo Square. Those lively rhythms of Africa ran head on with the sounds of Europe to create jazz, a typical American art form that has inspired generations of Americans and spread around the globe. But this isn’t suit-wearing, head-nodding, polite jazz. New Orleans jazz sweeps you off your feet and makes you jump and clap and sing along.

Chicago

Large numbers of African Americans left the South in search of better opportunities during 1916~1970 and Chicago attracted scores of these people, who brought with them the sound of the Mississippi River. Here, it changed into something sad and symphonic: blues. Blues was not born in Chicago, but it was here that it found a new voice and began to spread its message around the world.

Memphis

Memphis is the birthplace of rock and roll. It was here in Sun Studios in the summer of 1951 that Ike Turner and his band the Delta Cats recorded “Rocket 88”, widely regarded as the first rock and roll song. But, like so many great things, it happened by accident the guitarist’s loudspeaker broke down during the recording, creating a unique guitar sound that would become a hallmark of the music.   People didn’t know how to classify it, but they knew they loved it. The rest is history.

New York City

New York is one of the world’s greatest cities where you can listen to all kinds of music. But to experience a true New York state of mind, you have to leave the shiny towers and Broadway shows of Manhattan and head to Harlem, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens to explore the city’s hip-hop history.

1. What do New Orleans jazz and Chicago blues have in common?

A．They sound very sad.	B．They have similar origin.
C．They happened by accident.	D．They are played on the guitar.

2. When was rock and roll born?

A．In the 19th century.	B．In the late 19th century.
C．In the early 20th century.	D．In the mid-20th century.

3. What are Harlem and Queers known for?

A．Blues.

B．Jazz.

C．Hip-hop.

D．Rock and roll.

3 . You’ve heard the phrase “home for the holidays”, but I would like to introduce a new phrase: hygge for the holidays. A hygge holiday is all about peaceful, quiet and cozy(温暖舒适的) surroundings. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Holiday hygge is easy and comforting. Most people are already doing at least some of these simple hygge holidays without even knowing it.

Hygge is a Danish word originally coming from an old Norwegian word meaning well-being and protection from the outside harm. It’s known that winters in Denmark are severe and last long. The concept of hygge has been used by Danish people to keep themselves mentally positive in the dark winter season and fill their homes with comfort and love.

Hygge is a very important word to Danish people, often used to describe what their culture is all about and it is not necessarily a thing, something you can buy, but rather more of something you feel. Hygge really is a reflection of one aspect of Danish living, and, happily, in the last five years the concept of hygge has made its way to the US and many other countries. I mean what’s not to like about nurturing(培育)peace and quiet and coziness?

Here are some more descriptive words for hygge: comfort, familiarity, friendship, laughter, and even seasonal homemade food and drinks. While it is possible to achieve hygge any time of the year with hygge activities-an outdoor BBQ with friends and a movie under the stars with family are good examples of summertime hygge, it is most commonly associated with the colder months because of its ability to lift one’s spirits during dark winter months.

Hygge is the most suitable for the November and December holiday season because it’s all about peaceful and cozy surroundings that fill you with contentment. There is indeed something you can do to bring holiday hygge into your home this season.

1. Why do Danish people choose a hygge holiday?

A．To deal with cold and long winters.	B．To follow the latest holiday trend.
C．To fight against nature physically.	D．To spend more time with their family.

2. How does the author find hygge?

A．It reflects Danish living totally.	B．It is mainly about some feeling.
C．It is limited to Denmark and the US.	D．It represents ancient Danish culture

3. What message is conveyed in paragraph 4?

A．People do hygge in more ways.	B．Hygge is preferred in summertime.
C．Hygge is still perfect for winter.	D．People access hygge in certain time.

4. What might the author go on to talk about?

A．Ways of hygge celebrations.	B．Tips on achieving hygge.
C．Different opinions about hygge	D．Benefits of bringing hygge into home.

6 . Leah Brown aged 36 fell several hundred feet from Oregon’s highest mountain right before the eyes of a group of volunteer rescue workers who rushed to her aid and helped save her life.

The woman was coming down a popular path (小路) on Mt. Hood, about 70 miles east of Portland, on Saturday morning, according to the local police. Mt. Hood is the highest in Oregon, standing at around11.240 feet.

The fall was seen by members of Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR), a volunteer organization focused on helping people in mountainous areas. The group called 911 and rushed to the woman, providing medical care. They helped keep the woman warm for seven hours as the police worked to get her off the mountain safely. Finally, the woman was evacuated (转移) to a parking lot at 9:30 pm and taken to a hospital.

The climber, Leah Brown, said she didn’t know what caused her fall. “I can only guess it was either an ice tool or a crampon (冰爪) that didn’t land and stick like it should have, so I became detached from the mountain,” Brown said. “The thing I’d like to most stress is my appreciation for the members of PMR who evacuated me and took good care of me the whole time,” Brown added. “They saved my life. ”

In a statement after the rescue, PMR warned of the dangerous winter conditions at the mountain. “The short days and lower temperatures mean that the snow tends to be very hard and icy, and the conditions tend to be much steeper. Climbing the mountain in icy conditions is much more difficult,” the group said.

1. What happened to Brown on Saturday morning?

A．She lost her way in a forest.	B．She hurt her eye unexpectedly.
C．She failed to call her family.	D．She fell down on a downhill path.

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

A．Different.

B．Hidden.

C．Separated.

D．Tired.

3. How did Brown feel about the members of PMR?

A．Thankful.

B．Regretful.

C．Surprised.

D．Concerned.

4. What did PMR intend to tell us?

A．Climbing requires teamwork.	B．Climbing in winter is too risky.
C．We must remain positive in hard times.	D．We can admire the view on sunny days.

8 . Antoine Craig, a blind athlete, has been blind since 2010. He gradually lost his sight due to a genetic disease. Working through difficulties, Craig says, he has found his value. “Once I lost my eyesight, I began the process of rediscovering myself.” he says.

Craig, now 40, heard from a friend about people running at the school’s gym with their hands linked by shoestrings (鞋带). Craig decided to give it a try. “In the beginning, it was pure coping (应对).” he says. “It allowed me to do something I could be proud of. More importantly, here people became my friends, who were always ready to help me. These people became my family.”

In 2017, he won a silver medal in the 200-meter race at the 2017 US Paralympic Nationals. In 2019 he competed at the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru. In 2021, running for a chance to compete in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo — delayed for a year, he finished second in the 100.

Learning a US national team was forming for blind soccer, he went for it. Last fall. Craig was named to the team, which will play in the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028. On March 19 and 20, 2023, the team hosted its first two “international friendly” games against Canada in Chula Vista, California. Craig couldn’t play as planned due to a concussion (脑震荡) in practice before the games. He spoke with his teammates before both games and, on his Facebook page, asked friends and supporters to lend support. When asked how the team performed, Craig answered cheerfully, “You know, we won!”

Craig finished a psychology degree from VCU in 2016 and completed his master’s degree in mental health counseling (咨询) in December 2022. Now he has his own business, LegendaryU Counseling. focusing on athletes with disabilities. He also regularly posts videos to his Instagram, hoping to inspire others.

1. Why did Craig want to try running at first?

A．To meet friends.	B．To help others in need.
C．To find himself.	D．To escape from his family.

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?

A．It is important to run.	B．Craig was running well.
C．Running is easy for Craig.	D．Craig succeeded in Tokyo.

3. What can we learn about Craig from paragraph 4?

A．He had a positive attitude.	B．He performed well in the game.
C．His team played in Canada.	D．His supporters were disappointed.

4. Why does Craig start his company?

A．To make improvements to himself academically.

B．To help people see beyond their challenges.

C．To win more medals in the competitions.

D．To post videos to the disabled people.

10 . The widespread sedentary (久坐不动的) lifestyle has become a problem in America, fueling the rising obesity (肥胖) rate.

Now a new study finds that being surrounded by active friends can help a person living a sedentary lifestyle get more exercise each day. Researchers at the US Military Academy found that people in social groups where exercise is valued are more likely to be more active themselves. Lonely people are more likely to live sedentary lifestyles without another person around to give them a boost. The findings highlight the idea that the company a person keeps can be a boost to their overall health and direction in life.

Dr. Diana Thomas, a professor at a military school and study author said that the idea for the research came from real life experiences on the campus. Her team had noticed a trend of people becoming more interested in fitness and other activities once arriving at the school. This is not usually the case at other schools and workplaces, where there is no significant impact on fitness. Thomas believed that this trend could be the result of in-group social conditioning, where people will take part in activities that others around them are doing.

People whose data were gathered for the study were split into three groups based on their physical activity level 一 sedentary, moderately and extremely active. Moderately active folks were the most important for drawing people who are sedentary to become active, and to sustain that activity. Thomas explained that sedentary people would be unlikely to change their behavior when placed in a group of the extremely active, as it would seem unattainable.

1. Why does the author mention the rising obesity rate in the first paragraph?

A．To make comparisons.	B．To introduce the topic.
C．To support the argument.	D．To provide examples.

2. What helps a sedentary person become active?

A．Volunteering in social groups.

B．Working in a caring company.

C．Joining sports-loving friends.

D．Giving a lonely neighbor a boost.

3. What might have caused the trend at the military school?

A．Requirements from the school.

B．People’s natural addition to sports.

C．Social interaction within a group.

D．Competition against other schools.

4. Why are extremely active people less influential according to Dr. Thomas?

A．They have no appeal for sedentary people.

B．They are unwilling to involve sedentary people.

C．They themselves often fail to sustain exercising.

D．They seem like an example beyond sedentary people.