2 . As kids’ behaviour reaches crisis points after the pandemic, many schools are facing pressure from critics to rethink their approaches to discipline.

Approaches such as “restorative justice” were adopted widely in recent decades as educators updated the policies that cut off students’ access to learning, such as suspensions and expulsions (停学和开除). But more students have been acting out, and some school systems have faced questions from teachers, parents and lawmakers about whether a gentle approach can effectively solve problems that disrupt (扰乱) classrooms.

According to federal data, instances of misbehavior have been increasing since students returned to classrooms from the pandemic. A National Center for Education Statistics survey found 56% of respondents said the pandemic led to increased classroom disruptions from students’ misbehavior and 48%said it led to more acts of disrespect toward teachers and staff.

Rachel Perera studies education at the Brookings Institution. “There’s a lot of pressure on schools right now,” she said. “Schools also say they don’t have the resources to address more behavioral problems, and I worry that that will cause schools to fall back on old practices that are not effective in terms of supporting students in the way they need.”

Using restorative justice does not mean a school cannot remove a disruptive student from the classroom, said Thalia González, a professor at the UC College of the Law. But unlike other forms of discipline, restorative practices aim to deal with the root cause of students’ behavior and reintegrated them into classroom.

“That’s the problem with punitive discipline such as suspensions and expulsions,” González said. “You get removed and then you just come back. There’s nothing done to reintegrate into the community and rebuild the climate, the sense of safety, all the things that we know are so important to young people learning.”

1. What do we learn about “restorative justice” according to Paragraph 2?

A．It cuts off students’ access to learning.

B．It’s favored by both teachers and parents.

C．It’s less serious than suspensions and expulsions.

D．It’s more effective than suspensions and expulsions.

2. What did the survey by a National Center for Education Statistics find?

A．An increase in students’ misbehavior.	B．Ways to deal with students’ misbehavior.
C．An improvement on students’ performance.	D．Resources to address behavioral problems.

3. What was Thalia Gonzalez’s attitude to suspensions and expulsions?

A．Negative.

B．Doubtful.

C．Confused.

D．Supportive.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Why are schools relying on restorative justice?

B．Is restorative justice an effective problem-solving approach?

C．How do schools make use of restorative justice?

D．What sets restorative justice apart from other discipline methods?

3 . Just by typing a few keywords and waiting a few seconds, a picture comparable to that painted by a human artist appears on screen.

AI art generators have seemingly swept the Chinese Internet. In some paintings created by AI, an elderly man can be shown as a young animated image, and pets can be turned into adorable cartoon girls or boys.

Huang Ge, an illustrator from Shanghai, said that it usually takes him several hours or days to complete one illustration. But with AI art generators, the efficiency is greatly improved. “Also, the generators have many modification (修改) modes, and the picture can be modified directly in the painting software,” he added. Ding Jiao, a comic artist, considers the popularity of AI art generator s reasonable as many people who are not good at drawing can create great works through them.

So is Al painting gradually replacing human painting? In the hot topic “Using a picture to prove that human artists will never be replaced by Al” online, many netizens uploaded their paintings to prove that humans are better than AI. “Though Al technology has developed rapidly, AI cannot fully replace humans. The warmth and inspiration in human creations are irreplaceable,” said Ding Daoshi, an independent analyst.

Another controversial issue is that there is no consensus (共识) of who owns the copyright of AI art. Some users have openly sold their AI paintings and earned money, but it is still a gray area about whether these artworks belong to users, the digital tool developers or even AI.

Ding Daoshi noted that the various sides should get together to debate the issue and come up with some accepted rules as soon as possible because AI is already penetrating deeply into the lives of human beings.

1. Why does the author mention “an elderly man” and “pets” in Paragraph 2?

A．To show the popularity of AI art generators.

B．To illustrate the disadvantage of AI art generators.

C．To prove the significance of AI art generators.

D．To present the powerful function of AI art generators.

2. What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The efficiency of AI art generators.	B．The benefits of AI art generators.
C．The popularity of AI art generators.	D．The functions of AI art generators.

3. What is a controversial issue about AI painting besides its copyright?

A．Whether human artworks will be replaced by AI artworks.

B．Who AI artworks will really belong to.

C．Whether human artists are better than AI art generators.

D．How AI painting can play a supportive role.

4. What does the underlined part “a gray area” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．A done deal.	B．A give-and-take attitude.
C．An ill-defined situation.	D．A hard-to-get game.

4 . It was July 15, 2021, and my friends had helped me celebrate my 31st birthday in the basement apartment of my sister’s home, where I lived.

Earlier in the day I had prepared for the unlikely event of a flood. We are about a third of a mile from the banks of the Ahr River. It had been raining that week, and authorities had issued a flood warning, though not for where I was. Still, I’d placed sandbags on the floor outside my garden door and piled clothing on tables. Before my friends left, they laughed at me for doing that, but I thought, “Why take a chance?”

As I went to sleep, I was awakened by the sound of rushing water. When I swung my legs off the bed, I was shocked by the sensation of cold-water lapping against my knees and rising fast. The Ahr River had violently burst its banks. And I had to get out fast!

The water was now up to my waist. I started to wade to my only escape: the door that leads upstairs to the rest of the house. Finally, I made it to the door. I managed to make a gap of about a foot, just wide enough to squeeze through and make it into the hallway. I leaped onto the stairs and ran to the third floor.

The river had drowned the neighborhood. What was once a lovely, cozy street was now a waterscape. More than 180 people died, and parts of villages were entirely washed away. Many of the houses around us were destroyed. Not everyone got out.

I came close to drowning that day. But rather than dwell on that, I prefer to recall what my mother told me afterward, “Christian, don’t remember the day when you lost everything. Remember the day you survived.”

1. What does the underlined word “that” refer to?

A．Celebrating a birthday.	B．Managing the garden.
C．Warning friends of a flood.	D．Preparing for the flood.

2. Why did the author try to open the door?

A．To let the water out.	B．To keep things being swept away.
C．To reduce the flow of water.	D．To escape to the upstairs.

3. What is the main idea of the fifth paragraph about the flood?

A．Its cause.

B．Its damage.

C．Its scale.

D．Its process.

4. Why did the author quote his mother’s words?

A．To show his hope for the future.	B．To indicate the loss of everything.
C．To highlight the power of flooding.	D．To stress the role of good luck.

5 . Carillon Canal National Historic Site

The Carillon Canal, built on the Ottawa River for military purposes, was opened in 1833. Located 100 kilometres from Montreal and 130 kilometres from Ottawa, it is today a pleasure boating waterway.

Things to do

The Carillon Canal is fed by the water of the Ottawa River. The Canal opens a huge gate to enable boats to sail an impressive 20-metre drop in just 40 minutes!

Have a family picnic in beautiful scenery, then visit the old barracks (营房) which are now a museum. Curious to see a huge power station up close? Visits are free of charge.

Opening hours

The national historic site is open every day of the year from sun rise to 11 p. m.

Fees

Site access is free. Otherwise, there are fees for locking and overnight mooring(停泊).

When is the Canal the busiest?

From mid-June to the end of August, and especially during the following vacation periods and holidays:

·Fete Nationale du Quebec (June 24th).

·Canada Day (July 1st).

·Summer vacations.

·Labour Day(the first Monday of September).

·Thanksgiving.

What are the best times for sailing?

To avoid waiting lines, experience the Carillon Canal during the quieter periods, i. e. before June 24th, and later in early autumn, from Labour Day to mid-October. In this way, you’ll discover these wonderful places at your own pace, without pushing through the crowd that might have had the same idea as you, and you’ll gain the peace of mind to sail in complete relaxation!

1. What do we know about the Carillon Canal?

A．It was originally for educational purposes.

B．It is now visited by boaters for pleasure.

C．It enjoys a high reputation for its 20-metre drop.

D．It was formed naturally on the Ottawa River.

2. What can visitors enjoy in Carillon Canal National Historic Site for free?

A．Mooring overnight.	B．Staying overnight in old barracks.
C．Exploring a power station.	D．Passing through locks.

3. Which of the following is the best time to visit the Carillon Canal?

A．July 1st to July 24th.	B．October 24th to October 31st.
C．June 1st to June 24th.	D．August 24th to June 30th.

6 . Good news for all Wes Anderson fans — the US director is back with the film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar which hit Netflix, an online film provider, on Sept 27. It is a film adaptation of UK novelist Roald Dahl’s novel under the same name.

The film stars UK actor Benedict Cumberbatch as a wealthy man named Henry Sugar, who develops the ability to see through objects. At the very beginning he uses this power to cheat at cards and win big while gambling (赌博), and later turns his fortune into a global network of orphanages (孤儿院).

Dialogue style

Running for just 40 minutes, the film features Anderson’s quick-paced dialogue style. He also asked the actors to recite lines directly to the audience by looking at the camera, creating “the effect of listening to a podcast (播客) while turning the pages of a lovely picture book quickly”, commented CNN.

Visual style

Anderson’s work is immediately recognizable for his visual style as well. The “Anderson aesthetic (美学)” often uses bright color palettes (调色板) to both add visual appeal and make various ideas known to the audience, reported Yahoo News. In The Grand Budapest Hotel for example, Anderson uses a color palette of deep blues, rich greens and warm pinks to recreate an old-world European feel. In The Royal Tenenhaums the red tracksuits worn by Chaz, one of the main characters, show deep-seated anger resulting from parental trauma (创伤).

Symmetrical style

Another style is his use of symmetry (对称). Many of the shots involve (涉及) a person facing the camera, with the elements around the character set up in a sense of order and balance. Anderson explained to the media that it is out of his nature to “arrange things in a frame”, which he compares to how people can’t change the individuality of their handwriting. “You might try to write very well, but really, you have something your brain tends to do”, he said.

However, his obsessive repetition of these stylistic choices in his films has led some to question his ability to innovate (创新). In response to this, Anderson stated, “It’s not something I make any effort to do. I just want to make films that are personal but interesting to an audience.”

1. What do we know about the film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar?

A．Watching this film is actually listening to a podcast.

B．It reflects the unique style of the director Wes Anderson.

C．It is based on a real story of a wealthy man named Henry Sugar.

D．Its main character gains nothing in gambling in the end.

2. What’s the similarity between the films The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Royal Tenenbaums?

A．They both use colors to get various ideas across to the audience.

B．They both reflect deep-seated anger.

C．They both present an old-world European feel.

D．They both have colorful costumes to add to their appeal.

3. Why did Anderson use symmetrical style in his films?

A．Out of curiosity.	B．Out of innovation.
C．Out of habit.	D．Out of kindness.

4. What is the most probable type of the text?

A．A film script.	B．A film lecture.
C．A film survey.	D．A film review.

8 . This question has fascinated behavioural scientists for decades: why do we give money to charity?

The explanations for charitable giving fall into three broad categories, from the purely altruisic (利他的)— I donate because I value the social good done by the charity. The “impurely” altruistic— I donate because I extract value from knowing I contribute to the social good for the charity. And the not-at-all altruistic— I donate because I want to show off to potential mates how rich I am.

But are these motives strong enough to enable people to donate as much as they would want to? Most people support charities in one way or another, but often we struggle to make donations as often as we think we should. Although many people would like to leave a gift to charity in their will, they forget about it when the time comes.

Many people are also aware that they should donate to the causes that have the highest impact, but facts and figures are less attractive than narratives. In a series of experiments, it was found that people are much more responsive to charitable pleas that feature a single, identifiable beneficiary(受益者), than they are to statistical information about the scale of the problem being faced. When it comes to charitable giving, we are often ruled by our hearts and not our heads.

The good news is that charitable giving is contagious—seeing others give makes an individual more likely to give and gentle encouragement from an important person in your life can also make a big difference to your donation decisions— more than quadrupling them in our recent study. Habit also plays a part— in three recent experiments those who volunteered before were more likely to do donate their time than those who had not volunteered before.

In summary, behavioural science identifies a range of factors that influence our donations, and can help us to keep giving in the longer term. This is great news not just for charities, but also for donors.

1. What can we learn about people who do charitable giving?

A．Most people support charity as often as they think they should.

B．Some people don’t want to leave a gift to charity until the time comes.

C．Those who donate because they can gain an advantage are purely altruistic.

D．Some people send money to charity simply to tell others they are wealthy.

2. In which way will people donate more willingly?

A．Not revealing the names of the donors.

B．Showing figures about the seriousness of the problem.

C．Telling stories that feature a single, recognizable beneficiary.

D．Reminding people to write down what to donate in the will in advance.

3. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 5 mean?

A．People will learn from others and follow the suit.

B．Many people are familiar with charitable giving.

C．Charitable giving helps the beneficiary in all aspects.

D．Charitable giving can bring a lot of benefits to donors.

4. What is the writing purpose of the passage?

A．To persuade more people to donate.

B．To explain the science behind why people donate.

C．To criticize some false charitable giving behaviours.

D．To explore approaches to making people donate more.

9 . A One-woman Cinderella Show Is Coming to Fairfield

A one-woman show that reimagines the classic fairytale Cinderella is coming to the Fairfield Community Arts Center. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati will present Cinderella Wore Cowboy Boots for one night only on Jan.26. The traveling show is for children ages 4 and up and promises “knee-slapping” comedic moments and heartwarming life lessons.

“I love children's theatre,” says Rosvic Siason, who plays Cinderella. “Kids are our future and we introduce them to these stories. We all have situations at one point in our life that look like this conversation. It just kind of helps you develop your brain and learn how to think as a developing person. It’s really important to expose kids to theatre and well-rounded actors they can talk to for guidance.”

These one-man, one-woman shows have so much beauty because it is very raw. People actually follow along much easier than you think. It’s easy to share a feeling. They will be expected to interact, deliver lines and repeat after Cinderella throughout the production. Cinderella Wore Cowboy Boots will deliver a funny, meaningful twist on the classic fairytale that encourages audiences to expand their imagination.

“Using imagination helps kids to think of things in more ways than one,” Siason says. “It opens them up and makes them think, ‘Hey, this is one way this could work.’ Or, ‘I could try this way,’ and then see what happens.”

Visit fairfield-city. org for tickets and more information.

1. What is Cinderella Wore Cowboy Boots?

A．A book.

B．A theatre.

C．A performance.

D．A lesson.

2. Siason thinks stories in children’s theatre can _________.

A．offer temporary amusement	B．help deal with life’s challenges
C．allow individuals to avoid reality	D．provide opportunities to make friends

3. What might Siason encourage children to do?

A．Stick to the rules.	B．Dare to dream big.
C．Always follow the crowd.	D．Think outside the box.

10 . Last year, my friend, Kydee Williams, and I started a non-profit project because we wanted to do charity work differently. Thus, The Pop-Up Care Shop was _________.

TPUCS is a traveling shop of _________ donated goods for people in need. During the holidays, we _________ clothing drives and then went to women’s shelters. Our main goal was to help inspire women who were _________ with hope as well as bring a little holiday cheer to our local communities. _________ any project or movement wasn’t easy. Brainstorming and coming up with cool ideas was the _________ part, but actually bringing those ideas to life can seem almost _________ at times. However, there were lessons about _________ that we didn’t fully realize until we started this journey.

From our experience, we learned smaller shelters, especially those in less-commercialized areas were often _________ when it came to getting community support. Actually, they were typically more __________ to new and creative ideas and would greatly welcome __________ who offered help. Under our inspiration, many __________ people devoted themselves to non-profit work. Many shelters are understaffed and the staff overworked. Working directly with them helped us __________ the specific needs of the shelter.

While material things like food, clothes, money, and shelter can help people survive, what __________ helps people live is the intangible (无形) necessities like love, presence, patience. Even though we can’t help every single person in the world, we can __________ a world of difference for at least one person.

1.

A．found

B．donated

C．born

D．purchased

2.

A．cheap

B．free

C．value

D．messy

3.

A．quit

B．chose

C．forbade

D．held

4.

A．homeless

B．fearless

C．guiltless

D．restless

5.

A．Ceasing

B．Highlighting

C．Starting

D．Monitoring

6.

A．hard

B．fun

C．odd

D．core

7.

A．crucial

B．unnecessary

C．impossible

D．logical

8.

A．breaking down

B．giving back

C．keeping up

D．pulling through

9.

A．ignored

B．emphasized

C．mentioned

D．estimated

10.

A．harmful

B．relevant

C．opposed

D．open

11.

A．shoppers

B．pioneers

C．officers

D．volunteers

12.

A．reliable

B．selfless

C．creative

D．courageous

13.

A．understand

B．satisfy

C．anticipate

D．illustrate

14.

A．originally

B．slightly

C．truly

D．barely

15.

A．identify

B．detect

C．reveal

D．make