1 . Nixon, 59 years old, was born and grew up in St. Petersburg. Each morning, he sits on a bench, watches the sunrise, and connects with
Eight years ago, he decided to begin each day from a bench (a kind of chair) with an impressive view of the St. Petersburg waterfront (圣彼得堡海滨), because it made him feel calm and
About a year later, a woman stopped to say hello, and she said something that
Instead of staring straight ahead at the waterfront, Nixon started
No matter what problem a person wants to
Nixon was always happy to listen, and he listens without
And at that moment, she truly wasn’t.
1.A.teenagers | B.relatives | C.strangers | D.neighbors |
A.peaceful | B.excited | C.proud | D.surprised |
A.formed | B.changed | C.developed | D.supported |
A.agreed | B.realized | C.imagined | D.remembered |
A.pointing | B.laughing | C.shouting | D.smiling |
A.joining | B.noticing | C.leaving | D.praising |
A.say | B.face | C.hear | D.create |
A.fame | B.success | C.marriage | D.privacy |
A.health | B.hobbies | C.kids | D.job |
A.give up | B.calm down | C.speak up | D.slow down |
A.emotion | B.consideration | C.judgment | D.interest |
A.guide | B.teacher | C.friend | D.workmate |
A.hugged | B.greeted | C.competed | D.satisfied |
A.secrets | B.worries | C.happiness | D.silence |
A.sad | B.alone | C.stressed | D.hopeless |
2 . A study from the University of Montreal and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, published in Frontiers in Medicine, found that regular virtual visits to museums could help seniors stay mentally active and come with a host of additional health benefits. That’s because these digital connections can make retirees feel less lonely and isolated (孤立的).
Social isolation has been associated with the risks for heart disease and the decline of recognition abilities in seniors and the pandemic (疫情) increased the risks due to the need for seniors to stay home and isolate, according to a press release from the university.
The researchers investigated the potential benefits of weekly virtual visits for a three-month period. The participants were people aged 65 and older who lived in Montreal. Half of the participants took part in online visits and a discussion afterwards, while the control group did not participate in any cultural events at all. The group who participated in the virtual visits showed improvements in their quality of life. “Our study showed that art-based activities may be an effective intervention,” lead author Dr. Olivier Beauchet, a professor at the University of Montreal, said in the press release. “On a global scale, this participatory art-based activity could become a model that could be offered in museums and arts institutions worldwide to promote active and healthy aging.”
The initiative reflects approaches recommended by the World Health Organization to manage certain diseases, according to Beauchet. For instance, the WHO launched the Aging and Health Program in 2015 that included using community-based organizations to promote culture as a key component of improving health. Traditionally, these sorts of preventive health activities have taken place in schools, community centers, and workplaces. “While these are suitable locations that reach a great number of people, there are additional organizations and sectors that could become partners in public health research and practice development,” Beauchet said. “Museums are among such potential partners. They are aware of the needs of their communities and are consequently expanding the types of activities they offer.”
1. How do seniors benefit from regular virtual visits to museums?A.They get survival skills. | B.They raise interest in art. |
C.They improve quality of life. | D.They connect more with family. |
A.Participants come from the whole world. | B.The museum needs better cultural events. |
C.Face-to-face discussion is a useful intervention. | D.Seniors should attend more art-based activities. |
A.To advocate. | B.To entertain. | C.To advertise. | D.To warn. |
A.The Aged Form a Community to Reduce Loneliness |
B.Virtual Art-based Activities Bring People Together |
C.Online Museum Trips Improve Seniors’ Well being |
D.Retired Individuals Pay More Visits to Museums |
3 . Bikini Atoll, Micronesia
This was the main area of nuclear testing in the Pacific. There were 23 tests on this small island from 1946 to 1958.When you have flown in from Honolulu, you might be surprised at what you find. Despite its nuclear past, the area looks like an undestroyed place. Thanks to a recent rise in tourism, popular activities include diving and fishing off the beautiful coastline.
The Panama Canal Railway
The world’s first transcontinental (横贯大陆的) railway was built between 1850 and 1855. It not only connected two cities-Panama City and the port of Colon―but also two oceans―the Pacific and the Atlantic. The line had been in disrepair for many years until areas of land were cleared and a new track was laid over a period of 18 months. In July 2001 it was reopened, offering a 45-minute ride through a forested area.
Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
In 1971, this wildlife park attracted 12,000 visitors who wanted to see the biggest lion population in Africa. From 1983 to 1992 the park was turned into an environmental disaster area during the Mozambican Civil War. After the war, the number of large animals in the park had fallen by 95%. Now, buffalo (水牛) have been reintroduced and the park has received donations from businesspeople and pop stars. You won’t find cheetahs or rhinos back in the park yet, but the beautiful Mount Gorongosa (1,863m) is perfect for hikers.
Mount Elgon, Kenya
For years, border disagreements between Kenya and Uganda meant it was impossible to walk to this volcano. Now the situation has been eased, so this far corner of East Africa has reopened. Climbers can enjoy the fantastic view from the top of Mount Elgon (4,321m) but perhaps the most interesting feature is the caves. Some are over 60 m wide and run 200 m into the mountain.
1. What was Bikini Atoll used for in 1946?A.Studying volcanoes. | B.Carrying out tests. |
C.Encouraging tourism. | D.Developing the fishing industry. |
A.It was built in 2001. | B.It is now being damaged. |
C.It connected two oceans. | D.It is the world’s first railway. |
A.Go diving. | B.Watch buffalo. |
C.Explore war records. | D.Go deep into caves. |
4 . A 15-year-old student has been praised a hero after it was found out that he had saved the life of a man who had suffered a heart attack. Sheng Xiaohan hadn’t told students and teachers the story until the man
Sheng recalled he was
When he saw the man was unresponsive, he
He first tried the Heimlich maneuver, but then thought the old man might have
“I didn’t dare stop or ask others to replace me in case of any
Sheng said he didn’t feel tired during the process, but afterwards his arms were
A.turned up | B.cleaned up | C.made up | D.gave up |
A.leaving | B.staying | C.returning | D.attending |
A.abnormal | B.hopeless | C.aimless | D.unconscious |
A.touched | B.checked | C.measured | D.assessed |
A.cold | B.mild | C.soft | D.warm |
A.rarest | B.latest | C.slightest | D.grandest |
A.suffered | B.survived | C.recognized | D.attracted |
A.courage | B.energy | C.space | D.destination |
A.grasped | B.removed | C.settled | D.pressed |
A.treatments | B.services | C.approaches | D.management |
A.dragged | B.hiked | C.rushed | D.transformed |
A.inconvenience | B.trouble | C.risks | D.comments |
A.strength | B.ability | C.challenges | D.awareness |
A.broken | B.sore | C.swollen | D.flexible |
A.ordinary | B.satisfactory | C.admirable | D.available |
5 . Animals being extinct from the Earth is a serious issue. When this happens in order to use their fur or skin for fashion, it is even worse, since it’s not even for a matter of human survival. That’s why a London zoo decided to make a powerful statement at the Siamese crocodile enclosure (鳄鱼围栏).
When visitors come in expecting to see a crocodile, they’re greeted with the handbag instead, making a very effective and powerful point about illegal wildlife trade and the harm it takes on the species involved.
A sign by the enclosure reads, “This bag used to be found swimming in slow-moving rivers and streams across Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Over the last 75 years, more than 80% of Siamese crocodiles have disappeared. Many, like this one, were hunted for their skins as part of the illegal wildlife trade.”.
Native to parts of Southeast Asia, Siamese crocodiles are critically endangered and have become virtually extinct in the wild. Due to hunting as well as habitat loss, they are now absent from nearly 99% of their original range. A huge part of the decline of population is due to humans using their wetland habitat for rice farming, and things only took a turn for the worse when large-scale hunting for their skin for commercial purposes began in the 1950s.
The particular handbag that is on display at the zoo was confiscated at a UK airport, according to Benjamin Tapley, leader of reptiles and amphibians at ZSL London Zoo.
Tapley told The Huffington Post, “We made this exhibit, within ZSL London Zoo’s Reptile House, to draw visitors’ attention to the destructive impact the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is having on species around the world. At ZSL, we are working globally with governments and local communities to protect wildlife, support law enforcement (执法) that targets illegal trade networks, empower local communities affected by IWT and reduce demand for threatened wildlife.”
1. Why does the sign say this handbag used to swim?A.It is made of a crocodile’s skin. |
B.It is made into a crocodile shape. |
C.It is light enough to float on water. |
D.It was kept in flowing river at first. |
A.Wildly hunting of Siamese crocodiles. |
B.Destruction of Siamese crocodiles’ habitats. |
C.Commercial value of Siamese crocodiles. |
D.Causes to make Siamese crocodiles endangered. |
A.Seized. | B.Sold. | C.Found. | D.Stolen. |
A.The importance of wildlife protection. |
B.The crisis endangered animals are facing. |
C.The purpose to show the handbag. |
D.The harm IWT caused. |
6 . What is the place of art in a culture of inattention? Recent visitors to the Louvre report that tourists can now spend only a minute in front of the Mona Lisa before being asked to move on. Much of that time, for some of them, is spent taking photographs not even of the painting but of themselves with the painting in the background.
One view is that we have made tourism and gallery-going so easy that we have made it effectively impossible to appreciate what we’ve travelled to see. In this society, experience becomes goods like any other. There are queues to climb Everest as well as to see famous paintings. Thus, leisure is considered as hard labour rather than relaxation.
In the rapidly developing society, what gets lost is the quality of looking. Consider an extreme example, the late philosopher Richard Wollheim. When he visited the Louvre he could spend as much as four hours sitting before a painting. The first hour, he claimed, was necessary for incorrect impression to be removed. It was only then that the picture would begin to disclose itself. This seems unthinkable today, but it is still possible to organise. Even in the busiest museums there are many rooms and many pictures worth hours of contemplation (沉思) which the crowds largely ignore.
Marcel Proust, another lover of the Louvre, wrote: “It is only through art that we can escape from ourselves and know how another person sees a universe which is not the same as our own and whose landscapes would otherwise have remained as unknown as any there may be on the moon.” If any art remains worth seeing, it must lead us to such escapes. But a minute in front of a painting in a hurried, harried (烦扰) crowd won’t do that.
1. Why does the author mention the example in Louvre in Paragraph 1?A.To express his concern about Louvre. | B.To report the popularity of Mona Lisa. |
C.To introduce a good place to take photos. | D.To show a disappointing current situation. |
A.People need to clear up their misunderstanding of paintings. |
B.People have to stay at least 4 hours when appreciating paintings. |
C.It is impossible for modern people to admire paintings attentively. |
D.The longer one admires the paintings, the more unlikely he loves them. |
A.Art is of help for us to accept ourselves better. |
B.Art makes our life more colourful and meaningful. |
C.Art allows us to know the world in the view of others. |
D.Art pushes us away from ourselves and explores the moon. |
A.Into art attentively. | B.Escape from ourselves. |
C.Beyond art completely. | D.Go to the museums often. |
7 . India’s robotic spacecraft landed on the moon undamagedly on August 23, 2023, a historic achievement for the country’s growing space program.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is the first ever to touch down at the lunar south pole. Many nations and private companies have set their sights on the region because of its ice, thought to be buried in the polar craters. The natural resources are coveted because they could supply drinking water, air, and rocket fuel for future missions, ushering a new era in spaceflight.
The success also means India has been one of countries who have landed a spacecraft on the moon. The victory comes four years after India’s previous mission, Chandrayaan-2, crashed.
An Indian official, who watched the live stream from Johannesburg, South Africa, said, “On this joyous occasion, I would like to address all the people of the world: India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone. This success belongs to all humanity.”
About 60 years have passed since the first unpiloted (无人驾驶的) moon landings, but touching down is still demanding. The moon’s atmosphere is very thin, providing virtually no drag to slow a spacecraft down as it approaches the ground. Furthermore, there are no GPS systems on the moon to help guide a craft to its landing spot. Engineers have to make up for these shortcomings from about 239,000 miles away.
Over the past four years, private companies and other nations have tried and failed. But perhaps now there’s more hope.
The Indian official said, “I’m confident that all countries in the world including those from the global south are capable of achieving such a success. We can all aspire (渴望) to the moon and beyond.”
1. What does the underlined word “coveted” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Desired. | B.Legal. | C.Tough. | D.Balanced. |
A.It was connected by Chandrayaan-3. |
B.It landed on the south surface of the moon. |
C.It was the first to touch down at the south pole. |
D.It fell and broke when carrying out space mission. |
A.The unfamiliar preens for scientists. |
B.The materials used to make the spaceship. |
C.The shortage of previous successful cases. |
D.The limitation of the moon’s atmosphere and technology. |
A.Indifferent. | B.Positive. | C.Objective. | D.Doubtful. |
8 . My neighbors across the street take pride in one of the most striking trees in the neighborhood — a towering oak that is over 75 years old. This year, after a wet, warm summer, leaves were a bit different in my Massachusetts town. And through some combination of events, that glorious oak seemed to have dropped all of its uncountable leaves on a single windy day. I arrived at home that afternoon to find our front walkway, driveway and sidewalk completely blanketed.
My son and I had a great time making a leaf pile for jumping and enjoying pillowy fun. The whole time, I was fascinated by the speed of this year’s leaf drop. Even though I was aware that it was an accident of wind patterns that left all the leaves in our yard, I kept looking up and feeling a rush of awe at the suddenly bare branches that watched quietly over our neighborhood, starting its restful season before setting spring leaf buds.
And I felt thankful for those fallen leaves as I was reminded of my favorite quote from the author and naturalist Hal Borland. He wrote it referencing October, but this year’s later drop had me change the month: “November is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations (星座) above them once again.”
When I lay in that pile of dry, crisp leaves and looked up into the oak tree across the street, I felt a clarity and peace that comes along with the inconveniently early sunsets and chilly temperatures of the transition from fall into winter. I could still admire the tree as I had in spring and summer, but I could also see through it, beyond it, to the big sky that blankets us all.
1. What’s unusual this year?A.Outdoor activities are limited due to heavy winds. |
B.A series of special events happened in the neighborhood. |
C.The weather is especially cold in winter in Massachusetts. |
D.The neighbors’ big tree almost dropped all its leaves within a day. |
A.Anxious. | B.Sorrowful. | C.Astonished. | D.Comfortable. |
A.To express the author’s admiration for the naturalist. |
B.To emphasize the importance of getting close to nature. |
C.To stress the beauty of the author’s childhood memories. |
D.To convey the author’s feelings about the leaf-falling season. |
A.The Fall of Massachusetts | B.The Beauty of a Newly-bare Tree |
C.The Sky Far Beyond | D.The Memories of Peace and Beauty |
9 . In 1999, Rebecca Constantino began doing a study at schools across Los Angeles. She had just completed a PhD in Language, Literacy and Learning, and she was analyzing children’s access to books in wealthy and low-income communities.
One day, she saw something that stopped her in her tracks. “I was at a school in a wealthy community, and they were getting rid of almost brand-new books because they didn’t have room in the library, “said Constantino. She put the books in her car and drove them to a school in an underserved community.
Shocked by the difference she saw in public school libraries, Constantino became determined to bridge the gap. “School libraries are not funded well, and sometimes not funded at all,” said Constantino. “If you’re a child in an underserved community, you’re left with boring, outdated, and uninteresting books. “
The word about Constantino’s work was spread, and books began piling up. Today, her nonprofit organization, Access Books, has provided more than 1. 5 million books to public-school and community libraries across California. The group has also redecorated close to 350 libraries in public schools and homeless shelters.
Constantino recruits (招募) volunteers who work alongside the community to create a warm, vibrant (充满生机的) and welcoming library space. Students and their families, as well as school staff and teachers, come together to join in. “We’re working together. It’s not a gift; it’s a partnership. It really builds a sense of community,” said Constantino.
In addition to book donations and refurbishing (再装修) libraries, the group offers author visits with schools and holds an annual writers conference for kids. Constantino said, “If we provide high-interest books and a beautiful library space, they do come and they do read. We found that in the schools that we serve, the number of books borrowed increases significantly after our coming. So we know that kids are really interested in the books that we give. My goal is that kids can always have a friend in a book and they can always turn to a book to find comfort and to learn something.”
1. Why did Constantino do the study in 1999?A.To prepare for a PhD. |
B.To reduce the waste of books. |
C.To donate more books to poor communities. |
D.To figure out kids’ ways of gaining reading books. |
A.By obtaining donated books. |
B.By raising money on the street. |
C.By founding a profitable organization. |
D.By getting support from the local government. |
A.Challenging. | B.Successful. | C.Depressing. | D.Doubtful. |
A.They can turn to writers on campus. |
B.They are more willing to read books. |
C.They donate their own books to school libraries. |
D.They think the books on the shelf difficult to read. |
10 . Silence is important for learning. I got it from my fourteen-month-old daughter Arielle.
One day, she sat on the foor with an old baby doll. Without buttons, it could neither
At that moment I discovered how human
Like adults, children need time that is
Indeed, the toys most likely to encourage creative play are not those that make
A.smile | B.stand | C.walk | D.talk |
A.hand | B.arm | C.ear | D.foot |
A.got | B.covered | C.hurt | D.felt |
A.satisfied | B.surprised | C.confused | D.amused |
A.aging | B.communication | C.learning | D.intelligence |
A.imagination | B.curiosity | C.creativity | D.determination |
A.Eventually | B.Sadly | C.Hopefully | D.Fortunately |
A.unless | B.while | C.until | D.since |
A.safe | B.delicate | C.smart | D.interesting |
A.required | B.forbade | C.urged | D.caused |
A.quiet | B.limited | C.extra | D.precious |
A.changing | B.developing | C.expressing | D.reflecting |
A.noise | B.profits | C.progress | D.records |
A.However | B.Instead | C.Therefore | D.Besides |
A.asking | B.studying | C.deciding | D.suggesting |