1 . I wasn’t raised to be a fan of snails (蜗牛). I was always taught that if we see a snail on a plant, we should pick it off and
The first time I thought of snails as more than a
Then, I
Giving ourselves time to nourish (滋养) inside and out, and waiting for the right
| A．knock | B．stamp | C．lean | D．click |
| A．relief | B．satisfaction | C．sympathy | D．scare |
| A．view | B．focus | C．debate | D．article |
| A．pet | B．toy | C．pest | D．mascot |
| A．puzzles | B．interests | C．comforts | D．distracts |
| A．dragging | B．using | C．lifting | D．pushing |
| A．eye-catching | B．breathtaking | C．familiar-looking | D．half-blooming |
| A．magically | B．secretly | C．swiftly | D．silently |
| A．cured | B．reminded | C．warned | D．informed |
| A．curiosity | B．excitement | C．calmness | D．eagerness |
| A．placed | B．covered | C．stuck | D．wrapped |
| A．stepped | B．drew | C．crawled | D．walked |
| A．wander | B．sleep | C．hide | D．struggle |
| A．competing | B．resisting | C．exploring | D．adjusting |
| A．reason | B．position | C．moment | D．choice |
2 . The behavior of beavers and other animals has often inspired expressions in English. If someone is very industrious or hard-working in tackling many things at once, we can say the person is “as busy as a beaver.” This phrase hints at one of the characteristics of these wild animals—they are indeed active creatures.
With their large teeth, which are orange due to iron in the tooth enamel (牙齿的珐琅质), beavers can cut down trees and change their environments like no other animals except humans. They use these fallen trees to build dams, creating safe, watery environments. The busy beavers build homes — called lodges — in the ponds created by the dams. The only way to get in and out of lodges is by entering an underwater opening of the structures. This offers beavers protection from predators such as bears, wolves, or coyotes.
It’s also interesting to note that beavers have another reason for cutting down trees aside from building dams. Beavers can digest cellulose, so wood is a significant food source for them, with their diet 15 also consisting of leaves and aquatic plants. Chewing on trees also helps beavers keep their teeth sharp, making it easier for them to keep chopping down trees.
Of course, no discussion about beavers would be complete without mentioning their most noticeable feature their large, flat tails, which have different uses. One is that they act as a rudder, helping them steer in the water. Another is that the animals pound their tails on the water to warn other beavers of danger. Since beavers work so hard building their homes and warning others of potential harm, it’s no surprise that busy as a beaver is a common phrase.
1. Which of the following usages of “as busy as a beaver” correct?| A．My cat is as busy as a beaver since it always lies on the sofa. |
| B．This kind of tree is as busy as a beaver because it takes hundreds of years for it to be used as timber. |
| C．Hanna is having a cup of coffee and listening to music in the living room. She is truly as busy as a beaver. |
| D．Oliver is responsible for two projects and has to train the three new employees, so he has been as busy as a beaver recently. |
| A．What countries beavers are found in. | B．How beavers keep themselves safe. |
| C．The animals that threaten beavers. | D．The food that beavers eat. |
| A．The wood is very strong. |
| B．The water from dams helps beavers digest wood. |
| C．Dams make it harder for other animals to catch. |
| D．Dams provide beavers with lots of water to drink. |
| A．Tail | B．Teeth | C．Paw | D．Head |
3 . The number of times I’ve been asked how I became a food and travel writer is too many to count. Frankly, I’m not exactly sure how to
I’m not a
There’s not a more
Traditions and culture are deeply
| A．write | B．recommend | C．count | D．answer |
| A．food | B．environment | C．appearance | D．mood |
| A．talented | B．typical | C．famous | D．creative |
| A．usually | B．currently | C．always | D．rarely |
| A．origins | B．impact | C．sources | D．production |
| A．path | B．reason | C．story | D．intention |
| A．research | B．mark | C．lesson | D．change |
| A．complex | B．delicious | C．natural | D．enormous |
| A．shopper | B．observer | C．critic | D．local |
| A．feel | B．travel | C．communicate | D．respond |
| A．included in | B．rooted in | C．kept in | D．applied in |
| A．taken | B．delivered | C．heard | D．judged |
| A．serve | B．comment | C．work | D．cook |
| A．enjoy | B．avoid | C．risk | D．regret |
| A．identity | B．difference | C．understanding | D．background |
4 . Growing up in England with a British father and a Chinese mother, I’ve enjoyed food from both countries ever since I was able to hold a knife and fork and chopsticks!
Mum has sweet memories of the food from her home town in Sichuan, and often cooks spicy dishes. Thanks to this, Dad has come to love hot pot! But there are still some dishes that Dad dare not try even after many years of marriage to my mother. Even today he still does not take to eating things like chicken feet. But I enjoy that sort of food myself.
Last week, I went to the butcher’s and asked, “Do you have pigs’ ears?” “No,” the butcher said, pulling at his own ears, “just these ordinary ones.” He must have thought I was joking. Dad can cook a super “full English breakfast” of bacon, eggs, beans, sausages and toast with butter. Mum and I just have to find a way to get him into the kitchen! He also does a typical Sunday roast. We all love roast beef and vegetables.
I’ll never forget my first visit to China. Mum encouraged me to try different kinds of food. But just when I thought I could deal with all Chinese food, I came across stinky tofu, a horrible grey thing that looked and smelt like a burnt sports shoe. I gathered all my courage to take a bite and was amazed to find it wasn’t so bad. It reminded me of blue cheese, a similarly strong smelling type of food you either love or hate. Maybe I’ll fall in love with stinky tofu, someday.
People say that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, but I feel at home with food from both my cultures.
1. What can we learn from this passage?| A．I have enjoyed the food from two cultures since a little child. |
| B．Because of my Mum, Dad loves all kinds of Chinese food. |
| C．We all like roast beef and vegetables except Mum. |
| D．I have fallen in love the stinky tofu now. |
| A．Generous. | B．Mean. | C．Humorous. | D．Serious. |
| A．It means what one person likes may not be liked by someone else. |
| B．It means that one person likes it very much. |
| C．It means that one person cannot get satisfaction from it. |
| D．It means that one person’s food causes another man’s death. |
| A．To introduce two different cultures. |
| B．To advise the readers to try some different food. |
| C．To show the different eating habits between China and Britain. |
| D．To tell a story about a child of his eating experience. |
5 . Most of us have heard of the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. It is the core principle of a sustainable (可持续的) life, but few of us can apply it in our own lives. Now, there’s a “lab” you can explore and discover a way toward living sustainably.
3R Lab is located in Xuhui district, Shanghai. It offers exhibitions, activities and goods that showcase the 3R principle. The key to a sustainable life, according to Vincent T. M. Fong, the 32-year-old from Hong Kong who created the lab, is to make it a long-term promise. “A sustainable life should be sustainable itself in the first place. You can’t lead a sustainable life on a whim. Small and comfortable changes are exactly what you need,” Fong said.
The lab regularly hosts ugly fruit markets, offering these strange fruits which are often thrown away by traditional markets and consumers at a quite attractive price. “They’re thrown away simply because of their appearance. Buying fruit regardless of how they look reduces food waste significantly in our daily life,” Fong commented.
A water tank with two types of straws is another equipment in the lab. “One type is made from normal plastics widely used in our daily life while the other is from PHA, a new replacement for plastics, and the water is sourced from the Suzhou River,” explained Ni Li, an employee of the lab. Visitors can see how the PHA straws degrade (降解) into a thin layer in just one month, while the others remain unchanged.
“Leading a sustainable life does not necessarily mean sacrifice,” said Fong. Consuming ugly fruit and using degradable plastics are small changes that are good for the environment and easy to stick to. Only in this way can the 3R principle become part of our lives, he added.
After working there for six months, Ni, who wasn’t mindful of the 3R principle before arriving at the lab, now uses her cup every time she buys a coffee. “The job has reshaped my life,” Ni said.
1. What does the-underlined phrase “on a whim” in the second paragraph probably mean?| A．In a rush. | B．On a regular basis. |
| C．Without any reason. | D．As a common practice. |
| A．To reduce food waste. | B．To promote healthy eating. |
| C．To sell new kinds of fruit. | D．To provide more affordable fruit, |
| A．The water pollution caused by plastics. | B．The degradation of PHA straws. |
| C．The interaction between two types of straws. | D．The disappearance of normal plastic straws. |
| A．She avoids going to traditional markets. | B．She has devoted less time to her hobbies. |
| C．She has got rid of a few bad habits. | D．She is leading a low carbon life now. |
6 . In the world of contemporary art, there are artists whose creativity and originality challenge the established boundaries, attracting the public with their wisdom. One of these innovators is the famous Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, whose art installations (装置艺术) leave everyone speechless.
With an imaginative mind and an unconventional approach, Cai Guo-Qiang has become a master of fireworks display, employing the gunpowder of fireworks in his art in a truly extraordinary way. Through the mastery of said material and the explosions controlled, Cai creates installations that go beyond expectations and take the public on an unforgettable journey.
One of his most important creations is the installation titled “The rise of butterflies”. In this work, Cai uses a combination of gunpowder and paper to create a striking cloud of flying butterflies. The delicate winged creatures move back and forth in the air, creating a magical and ephemeral effect that goes against the laws of gravity.
But perhaps one of the most curious and daring installations of Cai Guo-Qiang is “The garden of ephemeral sculptures”. In this work, the artist uses controlled explosives to sculpt shapes in huge blocks of ice. As the explosions occur, the icy figures gradually transform, creating an ephemeral and ever-changing scene. It is as if the sculptures come alive for a brief moment before disappearing completely.
Cai Guo-Qiang is an artist who breaks the limits of imagination. His installations transport us to a world of magic, where fire and gunpowder become tools for creation. He combines aesthetic (审美的) beauty with unusual elements, making his works unique and fascinating. Without a doubt, Cai’s impact on contemporary art is undeniable. His installations have attracted audiences around the world and will inspire future generations to break free and find beauty in the unpredictable (不可预测的).
1. Which might be the best title for Cai Guo-Qiang?| A．An explosive genius. | B．A creative sculptor. |
| C．A traditional painter. | D．An artistic pioneer. |
| A．Unique. | B．Short-lived. |
| C．Unconventional. | D．Breath-taking. |
| A．Cai’s impact on art is unpredictable. |
| B．Cai’s success results from global recognition. |
| C．Cai’s art changes traditional concept of beauty. |
| D．Cai’s art inspires artists to think outside the box. |
| A．A diary entry of Cai Guo-Qiang. |
| B．A profile of celebrity in a magazine. |
| C．A scientific research paper on fireworks. |
| D．An advertisement for a fireworks company. |
7 . Consumers may soon find meat on restaurant menus that has never walked the earth—grown from cell to fillet (肉块). The product, called “cultured” or “cultivated” meat, is reaching more plates. Cultivated chicken has been sold in a Singapore restaurant since 2020, and recently the Department of Agriculture approved the sale of cultured chicken in the United States. More than 150 businesses worldwide are working to put beef, fish, and pork on the market, too.
Cultured meat begins as a cell from an egg or a piece of traditionally butchered meat. Fed with certain nutrients for two or three weeks, the meat is processed into forms that consumers are familiar with. “Initial research is in a lab, but the meat is made in a production facility.” says Josh Tetrick, CEO of Good Meat, one of the USDA-approved cultured chicken manufacturers. The company has made public their own nutrient analysis, evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, which reveals that the nutritional profiles of their products are almost identical to conventional meats.
By alleviating the raising and killing of animals, cultured meat companies say their product helps reduce animal cruelty and will be better for the environment. Their process uses far less land because there’s no need to house animals or grow their feed. Cultured beef, especially, could reduce the number of cattle on farms-a significant source of methane emissions. However, some studies contradicted that cultured meat may also require greater energy usage than conventional production. Much of the environmental impact will depend on whether the energy used is renewable and on the efficiency of future production technology.
Given a growing consumer consciousness around animal rights and climate change, supporters foresee a future meat market where consumers will choose between different kinds of conventional meat, cultured meat, and plant-based alternatives. Approved sale of cultivated chicken in the U.S. is a landmark moment, but not yet a revolution. While cultured meat’s widespread consumption and impact on the economy seem a step closer to reality, scientists, philosophers, and the product’s own manufacturers acknowledge years of work lie ahead.
1. What’s the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The official approval of meat marketing. |
| B．The growing popularity of meat products. |
| C．The increasing promotion of cultured meat. |
| D．The widespread consumption of cultured chicken. |
| A．Initial forms. | B．Production efficiency. |
| C．Nutritional contents. | D．Consumption prospect. |
| A．To explain the process of raising animals. |
| B．To compare cultured meat and conventional meat. |
| C．To emphasize the environmental benefits of cultured meat. |
| D．To highlight the significance of reducing methane emissions. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Confident. | C．Doubtful. | D．Worried. |
8 . On the evening of June 22, a Kunqu Opera performance titled The Peony Pavilion took to the stage of Beijing’s Northern Kunqu Opera Theater, starring Wei Chunrong in the role of the female protagonist (主角), Du Liniang. Despite having performed the part on stage over 300 times, Wei still arrived at the theater four hours early, being the first actress backstage to get her makeup done and check the equipment. This is a habit she’s maintained ever since first entering the world of Kunqu in 1982.
Kunqu Opera originated in Jiangsu Province some 600 years ago. As one of the oldest traditional Chinese operas, Kunqu is regarded as the “ancestor of Chinese dramas” and the “mother of Chinese operas”.
Kunqu Opera prospered (兴盛) during the Ming Dynasty, but suddenly experienced a downturn in the mid-Qing Dynasty. Its lyrics (歌词), originally flowery, eventually became non-understandable, while its melodies slowed down to what some people called a “funereal level”. Kunqu therefore became unacceptable to all but a small number of fans.
But when UNESCO officially listed Kunqu Opera as intangible cultural heritage in 2001, it returned to the spotlight.
“When our application proved successful, we were all so happy and proud. However, I suddenly realized that it actually meant its decline (衰退) and that it required protection.” Since then, Wei has devoted herself to preserving and passing on her beloved art of Kunqu Opera.
To address the lack of young talent in Kunqu Opera, Wei herself today also teaches younger actors, doing for them what her teachers did for her. Offstage, Wei is their friend; onstage, she aims to bring out the best in them as performers of the art through her masterly knowhow and strict demands.
1. Which of the following can best describe Wei according to paragraph 1?| A．Devoted. | B．Creative. | C．Promising. | D．Curious. |
| A．It is the oldest opera. | B．It is especially popular with the young. |
| C．It once lost its appeal. | D．Its lyrics are long and difficult. |
| A．Promoting herself as a master. |
| B．Passing it down to a younger generation. |
| C．Getting people to learn more about its history. |
| D．Giving as many performances as possible globally. |
| A．Kunqu Opera—Intangible Cultural Heritage |
| B．Kunqu Opera—from Prosperity to Decline |
| C．The Origin and History of the Kunqu Opera |
| D．One Master’s Commitment to the Kunqu Opera |
9 . I was talking to my friend Sandy about our children. Sandy had recently moved into the neighborhood with her four kids: Jane, Joe, Christopher, and her youngest, eighteen-month-old Kim. She seemed happy to have kids nearby, until she saw our dog, Sam.
Sam, our shiny black dog, loved to play with the kids and protect them. But Sandy had a fear of dogs, and she started to back away as Sam approached. I grabbed Sam’s collar and made him sit, trying to ease Sandy’s discomfort.
Sandy mentioned that she needed to get her kids ready to go to their grandmother’s house. Just then, her door opened and her kids rushed out. Sandy shouted at them to stay away from Sam.
The kids huddled (蜷缩) around their mom, looking at Sam cautiously (谨慎地). Emma, my daughter, showed the kids how to approach a dog slowly and properly. The kids were won over by Sam’s friendly nature, but I knew it would take some time for Sandy to change her viewpoint.
After that incident, we made sure that Sam didn’t go near our neighbors without me present. One day, when the kids were playing across the street, I noticed the eighteen-month-old baby heading towards a small hill. I saw a car approaching and shouted to everyone to watch the baby. Without hesitation, Sam rushed out the door and ran across the street towards the baby. He ran to the boy in time to gently push the baby away from the oncoming car. The kids cheered, completely unaware of the danger. They thought Sam had come to play.
Within a year, Sam had made friends with all the neighbors. Even Sandy started to warm up to Sam and would occasionally come over to give him a hug.
1. How did Sandy feel when she first saw Sam?| A．Excited. | B．Curious. | C．Fearful. | D．Awkward. |
| A．They looked at Sam with watchful eyes. |
| B．They formed a circle to protect their mom. |
| C．They held him by the collar to make him sit. |
| D．They prepared to escape from the dog. |
| A．By running in front of the car to block it. |
| B．By rushing to Sandy’s house to get help. |
| C．By pushing the baby away from the car. |
| D．By jumping to the front of the coming car. |
| A．Curious. | B．Brave. | C．Funny. | D．Sensitive. |
10 . Donnie Wiseman was worn out after work. But his son was
Inside viewing windows was the show’s star attraction, a huge alligator (短吻鳄). It swam around the pool before
For the sake of
Outside the enclosure, some
Apart from minor wounds, Wiseman was more
| A．dependent | B．keen | C．demanding | D．strict |
| A．sent | B．directed | C．invited | D．accompanied |
| A．resting | B．ducking | C．shaking | D．nodding |
| A．scary | B．hungry | C．clumsy | D．foxy |
| A．amusement | B．trust | C．safety | D．respect |
| A．trap | B．attempt | C．contract | D．practice |
| A．Abnormally | B．Undoubtedly | C．Greedily | D．Deliberately |
| A．signaled | B．dragged | C．cheated | D．guided |
| A．wondered | B．checked | C．pictured | D．recalled |
| A．strange | B．casual | C．wrong | D．constant |
| A．scheduled | B．instructed | C．illustrated | D．modeled |
| A．remote | B．short | C．dead | D．still |
| A．bite | B．attachment | C．burden | D．attention |
| A．distributed | B．appreciated | C．seized | D．missed |
| A．confident | B．depressed | C．regretful | D．fearful |
