1 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the Supreme Court of the United States. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 25 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams noted for in history?| A．Her social work. | B．Her teaching skills. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. | D．Her community background. |
| A．Her lack of proper training in law. |
| B．Her little work experience in court. |
| C．The discrimination against women. |
| D．The poor financial conditions. |
| A．They are highly educated. | B．They are truly creative. |
| C．They are pioneers. | D．They are peace-lovers. |
2 . The following four famous paintings—from Jan van Eyck’s portrait to Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece—have stood the test of time.
The Arnolfini Portrait
The Arnolfini Portrait of Jan van Eyck, an oil painting on wood produced in 1434, in which a man and a woman hold hands with a window behind him and a bed behind her, is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces in the National Gallery, London. This painting is as visually interesting as it is famed. It is also an informative document on fifteenth-century society, through Jan van Eyck’s heavy use of symbolism—while husbands went out to engage in business, wives concerned themselves with domestic duties.
The Starry Night
During his 12—month stay at the mental hospital near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France between 1889 and 1890, Vincent Willem van Gogh painted The Starry Night, an oil on canvas(帆布), a moderately abstract landscape painting of an expressive night sky over a small hillside village. When the Museum of Modern Art in New York City purchased the painting from a private collector in 1941, it was not well known, but it has since become one of Van Gogh’s most famous works.
The Harvesters
The Harvesters is an oil painting on wood completed by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in 1565. It depicted the harvest time which most commonly occurred within the months of August and September. Nicolaes Jonghelinck, a merchant banker and art collector from Antwerp, commissioned this painting. The painting has been at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City since 1919.
Guernica
Guernica, a large black-and-white oil painting, was painted by the Cubist Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso in 1937. The title “Guernica” refers to the city that was bombed by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. The painting depicted the horrors of war and as a result, has come to be an anti-war symbol and a reminder of the tragedies of war. Today, the painting is housed at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.
1. Which of the following paintings was produced earliest?| A．Guernica. | B．The Harvesters. |
| C．The Starry Night. | D．The Arnolfini Portrait. |
| A．Pieter Bruegel the Elder. | B．Vincent Willem van Gogh. |
| C．Jan van Eyck. | D．Pablo Picasso. |
| A．It was an oil painting on wood. |
| B．It depicted the painter’s life in mental hospital. |
| C．It wasn’t widely recognized before 1941. |
| D．It was given away to the museum by a private collector. |
3 . The Amazon rainforest is as undisturbed a place as most people can imagine, but even there, the effects of a changing climate are playing out. Now, research suggests that many of the region’s most sensitive bird species are starting to evolve in response to warming.
Birds are often considered sentinel (哨兵) species — meaning that they indicate the overall health of an ecosystem — so scientists are particularly interested in how they’re responding to climate change. In general, the news has not been good. For instance, a 2019 report by the National Audubon Society found that more than two-thirds of North America’s bird species will be in danger of extinction by 2100 if warming trends continue on their current course.
For the new study, researchers collected the biggest database so far on the Amazon’s resident birds, representing 77 non-migratory species and lasting the 40 years from 1979 to 2019. During the study period, the average temperature in the region rose, while the amount of rainfall declined, making for a hotter, dryer climate overall. According to the report on November 12 in the journal Science Advances, 36 species have lost substantial weight, as much as 2 percent of their body weight per decade since 1980. Meanwhile, all the species showed some decrease in average body mass, while a third grew longer wings.
Because of the study’s long time series and large sample sizes, the authors were able to show the morphological (形态学的) effects of climate change on resident birds. However, the researchers themselves are unsure and wonder what advantage the wing length changes give the birds, but suppose smaller birds may have an easier time keeping cool. In general, smaller animals have a larger rate of surface area to body size, so they dissipate more heat faster than a bigger animal. Less available food, such as fruit or insects, in dryer weather might lead to smaller body size.
1. Why are scientists fond of doing research on birds?| A．They have small body sizes. | B．They are sensitive to hot weather. |
| C．They are ecological balance indicators. | D．They live in an undisturbed rainforest. |
| A．Two-thirds of species showed a considerable decrease in weight. |
| B．About 26 species responded to climate change with longer wings. |
| C．36 species lost 2% of their body weight every year from 1979 to 2019. |
| D．A third of species have been extinct for a decade due to the hotter climate. |
| A．Put off. | B．Give off. | C．Put away. | D．Give away. |
| A．Why it is easier for smaller animals to keep cool. |
| B．Why the Amazonian birds have lost substantial weight. |
| C．Whether bird species in Amazon will be extinct in 2100. |
| D．What effects the wing length changes have on birds. |
4 . Interesting Exhibitions Held in Four Different Museums
Name: The British Museum
Phone: 020-7323-8000
Website: www.britishmuseum.org
Opening hours: daily 10 a.m.—5.30 p.m.
Price: Free
This exhibition aims to show the mysteries of mummification(干尸化). From a king`s daughter to a temple doorkeeper, the displays explore the identities of eight people, using their bodies to discover clues about how they lived. By using new methods, such as CT scanning and 3D visualization, the British Museum has been able to build up a picture of life in the Nile valley over 4000 years, from prehistoric Egypt to Christian Sudan.
Name: The Fashion and Textile Museum
Phone: 020-7407-8664
Website: www.ftmlondon.org
Opening hours: daily 11 a. m. —5.30 p. m.
Price:￡8.80 adults, ￡5.50 students
This Fashion and Textile Museum is housing the first-ever exhibition on classic Mexican shawl(披肩), which became famous in the 20th century. Mexican artists, photographers and fashion and textile designers will be exhibiting their colorful works there.
Name: The Victoria and Albert Museum
Phone: 020-7907-7073
Website: www.vam.ac.uk
Opening hours: Mon., Thur., Sat., Sun., 10 a. m.—5. 30 p. m.; Fri.10 a. m.—10 p. m.
Price: Free
The Victoria and Albert Museum has dug out some of their most charming wedding dresses to record their history during the past two centuries. White wedding dresses were made popular by Queen Victoria in the nineteenth century. See beautiful wedding dresses made by famous designers.
Name: The Science Museum
Phone: 0870-870-4868
Website: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
Opening hours: daily 10 a. m.—6 p. m.
Price: Free
This four-day festival displays the latest exciting gadgets(小装置)and introduces their inventors. Visitors can explore electronics, build robots, get hands-on with new technologies and have a go at 3D printing. There will be displays taking place throughout the festival, which is suitable for anyone aged ten and over.
1. Which number would you call if you’re interested in exploring history using modern technology?| A．020-7323-8000. | B．020-7407-8664. |
| C．020-7907-7073. | D．0870-870-4868. |
| A．The British Museum. | B．The Fashion and textile Museum. |
| C．The Victoria and Albert Museum. | D．The Science Museum. |
| A．The exhibition will last a week. |
| B．It displays CT scanning technology. |
| C．Visitors themselves can try new technologies. |
| D．More information can be found at www.vam.ac.uk. |
5 . My father loves his garden. He planted some seeds in it. But at that time, I didn’t understand why working in the dirt excited him so much.
Unfortunately, in early May, my father was seriously injured in an accident. He had to stay in bed for a while. My mother had several business trips, so she couldn’t take care of the garden. I didn’t want my father to worry, so I said that I would take care of his garden until he recovered. I assumed that the little plants would continue to grow as long as they had water, and luckily it rained fairly often, so I didn’t think much about the garden.
One Saturday morning, my father said to me, “Christine, the vegetables should be about ready to be picked. Let’s have a salad today!” I went out to the garden and was upset to see that many of the lettuce leaves and carrots had been half eaten by bugs. There were hundreds of bugs all over them!
I panicked for a moment but then I quietly went to the nearest store to buy some vegetables. When I gave the salad to him, he said, “Oh, Christine, what a beautiful salad! I can’t believe the carrots are this big already. You must be taking very good care of my garden.” I felt a little bit guilty.
Coming home, my mother saw the bag from the supermarket in the kitchen. I was embarrassed, and I admitted Dad wanted a salad but the garden was a disaster. I didn’t want to disappoint him so I went to the store. She laughed but promised to help me in the garden and weeks later I was finally able to pick some vegetables.
I carefully made a salad and took it to my father. He looked at it with a hint of a smile, “Christine, the carrots are smaller in this salad, but they taste better.”
Now, I better understand how putting a lot of effort into caring for something can help you appreciate the results more, however small they may be. Perhaps this was one of the reasons for my father’s love of gardening.
1. Why did Christine originally promise she would do the gardening?| A．She was asked by her father to do it. | B．She was interested in growing vegetables. |
| C．She knew it was important to her father. | D．She wanted to improve her gardening skills. |
| A．Insects destroyed the lettuce and carrots. | B．Animals often dug holes in the garden. |
| C．The plants were given too much water. | D．The vegetables were marked incorrectly. |
| A．Her mother helped her to buy the vegetables. |
| B．Her mother regularly helped her to make a salad. |
| C．Her father couldn’t see the progress of the vegetables in his garden. |
| D．Her father went on a business trip at that time. |
| A．Always get ready for a rainy day. | B．Don’t be disappointed by bugs. |
| C．Working alone produces results. | D．Hard work can often be rewarding. |
You’ve been asking for a while now, so we’re agreeing to it, but there are going to be some rules, OK? This is going to be your dog, not Mommy and Daddy’s, which means you will be taking care of him. And taking care of another living thing is a big responsibility.
It’s going to be your job to feed him, to bathe him and to walk him. If he poops, you’re going to clean it. If your dog gets sick, you’ll have to take him to the vet. If he goes to Doggy Heaven, you will have to bury him. If he happens to be buried in a magic place that causes him to come back to life and become a zombie dog, and I know we may sound like a broken record here, it’s going to be your job to take care of him. Dead or undead, it’s still your concern.
If he kills a deer and drags it to our yard, it’s going to be your responsibility to remove that dead deer. Your pet, your dead deer. If he steps things up and kills a human, perhaps a mailman, as his owner, you might be legally involved in that person’s death. If you try to coverup that death and, in a rush, bury him in the same magic place, bringing him back to life too, don’t scream and cry because a zombie mailman is trying to burst into your bedroom. Your pet, your zombie mailman.
If the zombie mailman kills you, will we be upset? Of course we will. You’re our child. And our child didn’t take her pet-ownership duties seriously enough to predict this sort of thing. If we choose to bury you in the same magic place and allow you to come back to life, well need to make one thing absolutely clear. Just because your human life ends doesn’t mean your human responsibilities end with it. Homework is homework. If the dog’s still kicking around, food/walks/baths you know the drill.
So the answer is yes, you can get a dog. Or just stick with your goldfish. Your call.
1. What can we infer from the underlined part “we may sound like a broken record”?| A．The parents keep playing a broken record. |
| B．The parents keep reminding their child of her duty. |
| C．The parents are frightened of a zombie dog. |
| D．The parents are confident of their child’s ability. |
| A．He is sure to upset the parents. | B．He is bound to kill a deer or a man. |
| C．He is expected to become a zombie. | D．He is supposed to be cared for well. |
| A．By comparison. | B．By analysis. | C．By assumption. | D．By debate. |
| A．To show the responsibilities of raising a pet dog. |
| B．To show the excitement of raising a pet dog. |
| C．To persuade the child not to get a pet dog. |
| D．To persuade the child not to get any pet at all. |
7 . Some Greatest Bookstores
Another Country
Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany. Another Country is an English Language second hand bookshop which is mostly used as a library. They have about 20,000 books that you can buy or borrow. Some regular events are held at the shop, such as readings, cultural events, social evenings and film nights.
Atlantis Books
Oia, Santorini, Greece. Atlantis Books is an independent bookshop on the island of Santorini, Greece. It was founded in 2004 by a group of friends from Cyprus, England, and the United States. Throughout the year it has hosted literary festivals, film screenings, book readings, and good old fashioned dance parties.
Bart’s Books
Ojai, California. USA. “The World’s Greatest Outdoor Bookstore”, a bookstore founded by Richard Bartinsdale in 1964. Shelves of books face the street, and regular customers are asked to drop coins into the door’s coin box to pay for any books they take whenever the store is closed.
Adrian Harrington
Since1971. Rare books: rare first editions; leather bound sets and general antiquarian (古玩). Address: 64 a Kensington Church Street, Kensington, London, England, UK.
Corso Como Bookshop
Milan, Italy. Extensive selection of publication on art architecture, design graphics and fashion, along with a strong emphasis on photography. It was founded in 1990 in Milan, Italy, by Carla Sozzamil.
The Bookworm
China. A bookshop, library, bar, restaurant and event space, now with four divisions in three cities — Beijing, Suzhou and Chengdu. The interconnecting rooms with floor-to-ceiling books on every wall are light and airy in summer, yet warm and comfortable in winter.
1. What can you do in Atlantis Books?| A．Sell rare books. | B．Learn photography. |
| C．Attend a festival. | D．Buy books anytime. |
| A．Bart’s Books. | B．Atlantis Books. |
| C．Adrian Harrington. | D．Corso Como Bookshop. |
| A．It is used as a library. | B．It has branches in different cities. |
| C．It hosts all sorts of activities. | D．It opens only in summer and winter. |
8 . It is natural that young people are not often comfortable when they are with their parents. They say that their
When you want your parents to let you do
Young people often make their parents angry with their choices in clothes, in
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to
If you plan to control your life, you’d better
| A．parents | B．teachers | C．friends | D．classmates |
| A．in | B．for | C．to | D．with |
| A．often | B．always | C．usually | D．seldom |
| A．hate | B．trust | C．support | D．envy |
| A．loved | B．studied | C．felt | D．learned |
| A．choosing | B．worrying | C．promising | D．thinking |
| A．stood | B．grown | C．got | D．brought |
| A．more | B．younger | C．older | D．less |
| A．agree | B．think | C．plan | D．sense |
| A．painful | B．foreign | C．unexpected | D．unlikely |
| A．something | B．everything | C．anything | D．nothing |
| A．after | B．before | C．while | D．until |
| A．entertainments | B．services | C．behaviors | D．sports |
| A．controlled | B．connected | C．separated | D．focused |
| A．friends | B．minds | C．own | D．sense |
| A．normal | B．active | C．unforgettable | D．unhappy |
| A．say | B．speak | C．state | D．express |
| A．looked after | B．left alone | C．watched over | D．cared for |
| A．forgive | B．frighten | C．persuade | D．employ |
| A．right | B．advice | C．instruction | D．explanation |
9 . When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it, storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. “Storm chasing is 95% driving,”says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it.“When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley.“Every storm is an example of the power of nature. It is the greatest show on Earth.”
1. The underlined word “chasing” in paragraph 2 probably means _____.| A．running after | B．enjoying | C．experiencing | D．showing up |
| A．head straight for the center of the storm |
| B．collect information about a coming storm |
| C．wait patiently for the storm to develop |
| D．get into the car for safety |
| A．not to drive in a heavy rain |
| B．not to get too close to a storm |
| C．to join in a group of storm chasers |
| D．to spend more time on it in summer |
| A．Storm chasing is only fit for young people. |
| B．Many storm chasers get killed in the storms. |
| C．Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world. |
| D．Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment. |
10 . In all the world’s cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that all fields focus on its study. Experts find that because of the way our brains take in music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.
Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada followed children’s IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes uses several areas of the brain, increasing our ability to learn school subjects. For example, reading notes is helpful in solving math problems.
Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memory. The secret lies in the way the brain takes in music. One area near the forehead(前额) connects music with memories stored in two other areas. That’s why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases of memory losses, listening to music can help unlock buried memories.
With music’s benefits, it’s no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education systems. People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment, music is also great for the brain．
1. According to the Canadian study, which children increased IQ scores?| A．Those who already had high IQ scores. |
| B．Those who studied music for a while |
| C．Those who couldn’t play any instrument |
| D．Those who always studied hard. |
| A．Children who can play a musical instrument must be the cleverest. | B．Music can be the best medicine to treat diseases of memory losses. |
| C．Music plays an important role in people’s lives. | D．All the old people should learn how to sing to prevent from diseases. |
| A．Music and mind | B．Music and health |
| C．Music and education | D．Music and instrument |
