1 . Hope to have a cultural trip? Why not try these biggest and best exhibitions around the world?
Acts of Creation
The pains and joys of motherhood are not always described with as much care and detail as in this exhibition. With over 100 artworks by over 60 artists, three themes of motherhood — creation, maintenance and loss — will be explored through paintings, photographs, sculptures, sound and films.
Time: Until November 12
Location: Midlands Arts Centre, Bristol
From the Other Side
An exhibition on horror? It might not sound a good one for those who are not brave. However, you needn’t worry: this collection is far different from scary paintings. Instead, these artworks of 19 Australian artists aim to raise questions about horror in the women’s views.
Time: Until December 23
Location: ACCA, Melbourne
Modes and Characters
This museum exhibition is taking a look at the history of modern graphic design and explores how computer-based publishing technology has changed the world of design. Special focus is given to the work of Japanese designers and Japan’s different graphic culture, with individual exhibits ranging from magazine covers to the posters seen on trains.
Time: Until October 30
Location: 21 Design Sight, Tokyo
Hip Hop and Contemporary Art
Hip hop has had an influence on culture over the last 50 years, and this exhibition is taking a deep dive into its history. It ranges from fashion and photography to video and sculpture. Highlights include a large-scale installation from Lauren Halsey, the work of artist Hank Thomas, and photographs from Deana Lawson.
Time: November 5
Location: Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
1. Where do the artists for the exhibition on horror come from?| A．England. | B．Australia. | C．Japan. | D．Canada. |
| A．The technology of computer. | B．The contribution of Japanese designers. |
| C．The history of modern graphic design. | D．The importance of magazine covers. |
| A．Acts of Creation. | B．From the Other Side. |
| C．Modes and Characters. | D．Hip Hop and Contemporary Art. |
2 . “Never give up! Never give up!” sang my two young children, Max and Charley, as they marched barefoot behind their grandmother Mimi on another adventure, off the beach where they had spent the day building sand castles and beating the waves. This time, they were seeking the ice-cream truck.
Over the years, Mimi had become our family’s source of positivity through her effort. My father’s death left her to raise me and my ten-year-old brother alone at forty. She faced tragedy that is powerful enough to cloud just about anyone’ s outlook. Instead, she challenged herself to find joy every day. She was always up for a new challenge, whether parasailing over the Gulf of Mexico, or signing up for tap-dancing classes at fifty. Leading by example, Mom taught us how much one could accomplish with a positive attitude.
She has taken the same approach in her relationship with her grandchildren. Prior to starting her adventure with Max and Charley that hot July afternoon, Mimi heard the familiar sound of the ice-cream man’s bell from her beach chair. The ice-cream man’s visit is a daily occurrence at the beach, but one must be quick to catch his truck. Max and Charley were disappointed when they didn’t catch him in time that day, until Mimi’ s eyes sparkled and explained that they could rush to find it at its next stop.
They walked block after block. My kids’ tiny legs were tired, but they went on. After about twenty minutes’ walking, Max spoke out loud, “Maybe we should give up.” Charley responded with a quick “No way! Never give up!” and resumed her singing with Mimi.
Just two blocks later, they found it. Max and Charley screamed with excitement, “Never give up!” Simple though it was, that phrase has become our battle cry (口号) for the challenges we face. Upon hearing those words, they are instantly transported to a positive state of mind—where the next ice-cream truck is just around the corner.
1. Why were Max and Charley marching barefoot?| A．To get some extra exercise on the beach. |
| B．To meet their grandma’ s special request. |
| C．To run after the truck for an ice cream. |
| D．To build sand castles and fight the waves. |
| A．She was optimistic despite misfortune. | B．She once had a bright prospect in life. |
| C．She was dominant in her community. | D．She developed an interest in adventure. |
| A．She blamed him for being loud. | B．She took the chance to be outstanding. |
| C．She turned to Mimi for some advice. | D．She opposed him and went on seeking. |
| A．Self-trust is the first secret of success. | B．Remain positive in times of difficulties. |
| C．Seize a chance in life before it disappears. | D．Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. |
3 . Talking to your children about the misinformation (错误信息) they may find online is a great idea. Children don’t always have the judgment or critical thinking skills to test what they read or watch, but they’ll develop these abilities quickly if you help them figure out how to separate fact from fiction. We’re here to help you do just that!
Don’t wait for your kids to approach you with questions-instead, take a few minutes to sit down with them. Let them know that there’s a lot of content out there on the Internet, and not all of it is true. With everything going on in the world, remind your kids that they might be seeing a lot of confusing, false information going around on social media and other parts of the web.
It’s a good idea to turn news reports and TV shows into teachable moments. Look for small opportunities to start helpful conversations about misinformation with your kids. Take a TV show or newspaper article and transform it into a helpful, easy way to understand what misinformation is and how to avoid it.
Misinformation can be really upsetting and stressful for your kids to think about. Let them know that you’re always available to listen and answer their questions if they’re feeling confused. Reassure your kids that there are no stupid questions, and that you’re always willing to explain something to them.
Teach your kids a few tricks to fact-check misinformation online. Remind your kids to be on the lookout for strange-looking website like those ending with co. Tell them to read through the headline. If it has a lot of mistakes, or if it’s written in all capital (大写的) letters, there’s a good chance that it might be misinformation. Additionally, introduce your kids to official websites, which are quick and easy ways to fact-check information.
1. Why should people talk to their children about online misinformation?| A．There is no information holding true online. |
| B．There is no one else willing to teach the children. |
| C．Children lack the ability to judge the information sometimes. |
| D．Children can’t develop the judgment on their own. |
| A．To relieve children’s financial burden. |
| B．To discourage children from asking stupid questions. |
| C．To remind parents to seize every chance to teach. |
| D．To encourage children to communicate with parents. |
| A．A passage on the website www.i21st.cn. |
| B．A passage on the website www.pep.com.cn. |
| C．A passage titled with “Origins of the Mandela Effect”. |
| D．A passage titled with “SHOK! GAS RAN OUT YESTERDAY”. |
| A．Parents. | B．Teenagers. | C．Students. | D．Teachers. |
4 . Five Ancient Chinese Poems about Spring
As the winter chill still lingers through early spring, longing for warm days has sprung up everywhere. Before the flowers are in full blossom, here is a collection of ancient Chinese poems picturing the revival of life during spring. The English translations used in this article are from Chinese translator Xu Yuanchong’s editions.
Spring Morning — by Meng Haoran (689-740) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907)This spring morning in bed I’m lying,
Not to awake till birds are crying.
After one night of wind and showers,
How many are the fallen flowers?
Written in a Village South of the Capital — by Cui Hu (772-846) of the Tang DynastyIn this house on this day last year, a pink face vied
In beauty with the pink peach blossoms side by side.
I do not know today where the pink face has gone;
In the vernal breeze still smile pink peach blossoms full-blown.
Happy Rain on a Spring Night (Excerpts) — by Du Fu (712-770) of the Tang DynastyGood rain knows its time right;
It will fall when comes spring.
With wind it steals in night;
Mute, it moistens each thing.
Dreaming of the Southern Shore — by Bai Juyi (772-846) of the Tang DynastyFair Southern shore,
With scenes I adore.
At sunrise riverside flowers redder than fire,
In spring green waves grow as blue as sapphire,
Which I can’t but admire.
Love Seeds — by Wang Wei (701-761) of the Tang DynastyRed berries grow in the southern land,
How many load in spring the trees?
Gather them till full is your hand;
They would revive fond memories.
1. What can we learn about the poets?| A．Meng Haoran lived longer than other poets. |
| B．Both Cui Hu and Bai Juyi died at the same age. |
| C．All of the poets were not from the Tang Dynasty. |
| D．Cui Hu wrote a poem highlighting the color green. |
| A．Love Seeds. | B．Happy Rain on a Spring Night. |
| C．Dreaming of the Southern Shore. | D．Written in a Village South of the Capital. |
| A．Spring. | B．Summer. | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
5 . On the outside, 12-year-old Luna seems like your average kid. It’s not until you get to know her that you learn that Luna is anything but average.
Born with a heart defect (缺陷) called dextrocardia, Luna has had three open-heart operations and continues to pursue her interests in art and fashion. But when Luna was approached by athletic shoe company Saucony to design a shoe for sale across the country, it came as quite a surprise.
“This is so incredible. I got to use my art and creativity for something new that I’d never thought I’d be able to design,” Luna said. She is one of six patients from Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) who have partnered with Saucony to design their own shoe to launch the Shoes with Soul campaign.
“Rather than just a donation, we wanted to create an experience and a moment that would not only raise money, but also awareness to highlight all the amazing work that’s being done at BCH,” says Chris, Saucony’s vice president. “Specifically, we wanted to give some of the BCH kids an opportunity to share their stories and their talents with the world.”
Luna’s design is fashionable. “On the tongue, they digitalized one of my drawings, and then on the bottom it’s a really bright pink color, and on the inside, the sole of the shoe is actually another drawing I did of a sunset,” she said. “Thinking about kids everywhere around the world wearing my shoe is amazing. It blows my mind.”
The income from the shoe sales will benefit the Boston Children’s Hospital Cardiac Fitness Program, which encourages kids to “find your possible” through personalized exercise programs tailored for each individual patient’s heart condition.
“It feels really good to help people and it's really something I can relate to,” says Luna. “The advice I would give a kid or someone like me is to never give up. There are a lot of kids out there with your condition and you’re not alone.”
1. What can we infer from Chris’ words?| A．It’s unwise to raise money. | B．It’s optional to seek donations. |
| C．It’s wonderful to study art. | D．It’s necessary to show kids’ talents. |
| A．I’m overjoyed. | B．I’m very serious. |
| C．My mind goes blank. | D．My mind is racing. |
| A．Grateful and helpful. | B．Generous and serious. |
| C．Gifted and determined. | D．Creative and sensitive. |
| A．Tell us the challenges the disabled face. | B．Introduce a campaign with kid patients. |
| C．Launch Saucony’s new brand shoes. | D．Set a good example to the disabled. |
6 . When my school offered the opportunity to take part in a School Challenge, I didn’t hesitate to sign up for the initial meeting.
Of course, it was not a case of simply signing up and paying the money.
We had been warned that our trip would not be a holiday and that things would not always go to plan. We certainly experienced the difficulties during the trip.
My School Challenge trip influenced my life in so many ways. It gave me a taste for independence and adventure, and certainly made me want to travel more.
| A．This had to be raised by us to fund the trip. |
| B．Despite the obstacles, it was a truly amazing trip. |
| C．Above all though, it has made me realise how easy my life is. |
| D．It was much more challenging than I thought it would be at times. |
| E．This was where we met other team members and chose our destination. |
| F．However, we wouldn’t be spending any time there until the end of the trip. |
| G．For example, a few people became ill because we were so high up in the mountains. |
7 . By the late 1960s, painter Harold Cohen had represented Britain at important festivals with his oil paintings and was seeking a new challenge. “Maybe there are more interesting things going on outside my studio than inside it,” he thought. Cohen turned from the canvas (画布) to the screen, using computers to find new ways of creating art. In the late 1960s, he created a program named Aaron. It was the first artificial intelligence software in the world of fine art, and Cohen first presented it in 1974 at the University of California, Berkeley.
Now, with AI filling the headlines, a new exhibition called “Harold Cohen: Aaron” at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art draws attention to Cohen’s pioneering work. The Whitney is offering something deeper than most previous Aaron exhibits: a real-time experience, in which visitors can watch the software produce art.
Cohen provided Aaron with all sorts of knowledge: about basic objects, physics, and fundamental techniques of drawing. Aaron uses the given knowledge to follow instructions, complete tasks, and make decisions like human beings- a very different approach from today’s generative AI art programs.
The Whitney is displaying two versions of Cohen’s software, along with the art that each of them produced before Cohen died. The 2001 version, Aaron KCAT, generates images of figures and plants and projects them onto a wall more than ten feet high, while the 2007 version produces jungle-like scenes. The software will also create art physically, on paper, for the first time since the 1990s. “It is absolutely thrilling,” said Christiane Paul, the museum’s director of digital art, “to have one of those remarkable treasures of digital art in the collection.”
1. What was Aaron born out of?| A．Harold’s curiosity. |
| B．Cohen’s imagination. |
| C．The museum’s donation. |
| D．The university’s support. |
| A．See the original version of Aaron. |
| B．Learn about the physical rules in art. |
| C．Observe Aaron creating art on the spot. |
| D．Generate images with the help of Aaron. |
| A．Its ability to assign tasks. |
| B．Its use of modern techniques. |
| C．Its capability to make choices. |
| D．Its dependence on existing database. |
| A．The masterpieces of digital art. |
| B．The latest technologies in the Whitney. |
| C．Harold Cohen’s impact on generative AI. |
| D．The first demonstration of AI in art world. |
8 . The giant Amazon rainforest in South America has been a mystery for centuries. It holds all kinds of natural wonders. Among them in Colombia, a river stands out as “the most beautiful river” in the world.
Locally called Carnio Cristales, this special river lies in a national park. It is made up of several waterfalls, rapids, and plenty of pools. For most of the year, Carnio Cristales looks like a common river: clean, green, and rocky. However, during the short period between September and November, the river explodes (迸发) with life and colour. It appears as any mix of colours including blue, green, yellow, orange, and a purplish red. So it is also known as the “River of Five Colours”.
Although at first it may appear as if some chemicals were added to the water, this rainbow river is completely natural. Carnio Cristales’colours are the result of a rare (稀有) water plant which needs sunlight to grow. The plants change colour depending on how much sunlight they receive, and the amount is decided by the height and speed of the water. Therefore, it is possible for the plants to be totally colourless if the sunlight is too hard to get. They are a delicate plant. This makes them easily damaged in the water.
Actually, the river faces some problems, including drier seasons, wildlife trouble, waste management, and budget (预算) cuts. In 2007, the park was forced to close because it was over-crowded with tourists. Now the park admits only 200 people a day and requires them to mind their behaviour.
Today, Carnio Cristales still shines among Colombia’s most popular natural attractions, drawing thousands of tourists every year.
1. When is the best time to visit Carnio Cristales?| A．In October. | B．In March. | C．In June. | D．In January. |
| A．The water is badly polluted. | B．People add chemicals to it. |
| C．A special plant lives in it. | D．The weather is changeable there. |
| A．The wildlife problem. | B．The poor service. |
| C．Too much rubbish. | D．Too many visitors. |
9 . On February 17th, the Clermont County Animal Shelter, Ohio, shared a story. A woman met with her missing dog Will again.
While
Hannah explained in her Facebook post that Will, a six-year-old went missing from her home in 2019. Although her family looked everywhere, they couldn’t
A shelter volunteer said, “Just yesterday we
It was nothing short of a
| A．commenting on | B．checking out | C．speaking of | D．looking for |
| A．celebration | B．adoption | C．demonstration | D．recommendation |
| A．dynamic | B．lovely | C．familiar | D．friendly |
| A．shelter | B．describe | C．forget | D．locate |
| A．received | B．forwarded | C．left | D．delivered |
| A．duties | B．achievements | C．owner | D．appearance |
| A．possibly | B．obviously | C．actually | D．typically |
| A．hesitation | B．guilt | C．anger | D．panic |
| A．popular | B．thankful | C．supported | D．reunited |
| A．guess | B．know | C．discuss | D．doubt |
| A．heartwarming | B．mind-bending | C．convincing | D．entertaining |
| A．danger | B．need | C．happiness | D．uncertainty |
| A．sharing | B．reading | C．revising | D．saving |
| A．connection | B．treasure | C．wonder | D．success |
| A．excited | B．motivated | C．amused | D．urged |
10 . For eight years, Sophie created realistic-looking limbs (肢) for those who wanted to fit in. But she longed to work on more odd designs that would stand out. Then she met Pollyanna Hope, a young amputee (被截肢者).
“She wanted something a little different on her leg: pictures of a cartoon she loved, Peppa Pig,” said Sophie, who is now based in London. So she designed a unique leg covered in tattoo-like images of Peppa and other pigs riding a bicycle and eating ice cream. Working with Hope made Sophie realize there was a potential market for limbs.
Since then, Sophie founded the Alternative Limb Project (ALP) to make artistic limbs. Her work includes an arm wrapped in sculpted snakes and a leg that looks like porcelain (瓷器) covered in a painted flowery vine. She makes about six limbs per year, always including clients’ ideas so that they receive a personal piece they can celebrate rather than hide.
Of course, a fancy-looking limb won't suit everyone. For Sophie, the basis is that each limb must satisfy a combination of comfort, beauty and functionality, and pushing too hard in one direction can weaken other areas. But for amputees who appreciate novelty, Sophie has some amazing ideas.
“I’d really like to make a candy-dispenser leg with colorful candies inside it” she says. “Or a cuckoo-clock leg with a wooden bird that pops out every hour.” Her goal is to fashion a striking limb.
“It’ll transform the limbs from an elephant in the room into a conversation piece.”
1. Why did Pollyanna Hope come to Sophie?| A．She hoped to have a tailored limb. |
| B．She intended to design a cartoon figure. |
| C．She longed to expand the market for limbs. |
| D．She expected to sell Sophie some odd ideas. |
| A．boost users’ confidence | B．sharpen users’ creativity |
| C．improve Sophie’s sculpture skills | D．extend Sophie’s art business |
| A．The novelty of the pattern tops the list. | B．The balance of multi-needs comes first. |
| C．Fashion is the best policy. | D．Functionality is the key. |
| A．Sophie resolves to lead the fashion of limbs. |
| B．Sophie plans to further transform artistic limbs. |
| C．Amputees will feel at ease to talk about limbs. |
| D．Amputees will have easy access to artistic limbs. |
