2 . Summer may well be the favourite season of classical music lovers, with numerous festivals spanning all genres and composers taking place worldwide. And what’s better than enjoying a live performance of your favourite piece? Enjoying it in the great outdoors, of course!

Verbier Festival, Switzerland

Nestled in the breathtaking Swiss Alps at 1500 metres altitude is a picturesque little village called Verbier. Its magical two-week celebration festival has become known for attracting the biggest soloists in the world, and this year, marking its 30th anniversary, is no exception with its all-star cast: Chinese pianist Yuja Wang, the young superstar cellist Sheku-Kanneh Mason and many others.

July 14 — July 30, verbierfestival.com

Granada International Festival, Spain

Since 1952, the International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada has taken up residence in Alhambra Palace and its gardens during the months of June and July, to showcase classical music, opera ballet, Spanish dance and flamenco. The outdoor Generalife Theatre presents the visual spectaculars of the Spanish National Ballet, Hamburg Ballet and Spain’s National Dance Company. Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan will also draw crowds to the breathtaking Generalife.

June 21 — July 19, grandafestival.org

Edinburgh International Festival, Scotland

With the Edinburgh International Festival around every corner, there’s a wonderful atmosphere on the historic streets of Edinburgh in August. Historic squares become circles as people gather to watch miraculous performers. This year, it welcomes violinist Nicola Benedetti as festival director with a fresh programme that invites international guests including the Alvin Ailey from American Dance Theatre, and South Korea’s KBS Symphony Orchestra in their first ever UK performance.

August 4 — August 27, eif.co.uk

Grand Tet on Music Festival, USA

Located at the base of the Tet on mountain range in Wyoming and within easy reach of Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Teton Music Festival offers unrivalled access to the natural world as well as eight weeks of music. The programme will open with a cycle of Beethoven piano concertos with local pianist Garrick Ohlsson and close with concert performances of Puccini’s La bohème.

July 3 — August 27, gtmf.org

1. Which festival is suitable for ballet enthusiasts?

A．Verbier Festival.	B．Grand Teton Music Festival.
C．Granada International Festival.	D．Edinburgh International Festival.

2. What do these four festivals have in common?

A．They are all held in mountains.

B．They are all over three weeks long.

C．They all offer outdoor venues to enjoy music.

D．They all invite famous musicians from home and abroad.

3. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A music magazine.	B．A travel brochure.
C．A commercial advertisement.	D．An art guidebook.

3 . If we want to define grit, the correct way to put it is as a non-cognitive trait (非认知特性) based on someone’s ability to insist despite many challenges and obstacles to achieve a given goal. It is the trait that tells you to keep trying at something when everyone else has given up on you. It is a measure of emotional intelligence and well-being.

New research revealed that students with grit tend to gain a higher grade point average than their less gritty classmates. They are also more likely to win in spelling contests even with a lower verbal IQ.

Grit is equally important as intelligence. One of the most famous stories in science is how Isaac Newton came up with the concept of universal gravity. An apple fell from a tree, and this sparked the genius that later revealed the secret of why things keep falling back to Earth. Such narratives are very appealing stories but discouraging. There is no hard work, just a new concept produced by a gifted man. The apple story then proved wrong. It took many, many years of labor and failures before he came up with the concept. The purpose of this article though is not to undermine intelligence. Newton was clearly a genius, but intelligence alone would not have made him reach their goals.

“Nobody is talented enough to not have to work hard, and that’s what grit allows you to do,” says Angela Duckworth, the foremost researcher on the field of grit study. In her study, Duckworth isolated two qualities that seem to define gritty people. The two important qualities separated are:

·The tendency to not give up tasks from mere changeability
·The tendency to not give up tasks in the face of obstacles

To end this post, I leave you with a quote from Kahlil Gibran, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are burned with scars.”

1. How does the author explain the meaning of “grit” in paragraph 1?

A．By giving a definition.	B．By offering an example.
C．By listing some facts.	D．By making comparisons.

2. What does the author want to say by mentioning the apple story of Isaac Newton?

A．To show the importance of labor.	B．To show his born intelligence.
C．To show the importance of grit.	D．To show his great achievement.

3. What does the underlined word “undermine” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Stress.

B．Lose.

C．Develop.

D．Weaken.

4. Which statement will Duckworth probably agree with?

A．Gritty people favor changeable work.	B．Gritty people are more likely to insist.
C．Gritty people are allowed to work hard.	D．Gritty people tend to achieve higher success.

4 . For Christina and her team, planting trees isn’t the only goal. She hopes to employ residents, especially youth, to get their hands in the dirt and see how they can grow change.

Groundwork Bridgeport hired a team of youth and trained them to provide ongoing care for trees in the community (社区). They serve the neighborhoods where they live, monitoring the trees, providing basic care, and connecting with their neighbors. Their “patrolling” is improving each tree’s longevity while giving them valuable experience and a good payment.

“We’re using data and technology to be able to find even down to the specific city block of where trees are needed the most,” said Amy Lester, Ventures Project Coordinator, Arbor Day Foundation. With a NatureQuant NatureScore® of 10, the east Bridgeport neighborhood was flagged as desperately needing trees. NatureQuant is a tech and research company that helps the Arbor Day Foundation determine where trees are needed most in urban spaces.

The most recent program that happened in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation was a tree giveaway. Fifty trees were given to residents of the neighborhood identified by NatureQuant.

Residents showed their support for the effort by coming out in full force. They know what the trees mean to their community, to their health, to the next generation of those growing up in east Bridgeport.

1. What did Groundwork Bridgeport hire a youth team to do?

A．To cut down trees.	B．To provide guidance.
C．To care for trees.	D．To get a good payment.

2. How did NatureQuant locate areas where trees are needed most?

A．By counting numbers.	B．By using technology.
C．By giving away trees.	D．By observing trees.

3. Which of the following best describes the impact of the giveaway project?

A．Far-reaching.

B．One-sided.

C．Short-lived.

D．Time-wasting.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Tree Planting Plan by Groundwork Bridgeport

B．Employ the Next Generation of Tree Planters

C．A Tree Giveaway Program to Communities

D．Tree Planting Cooperation Between Communities

5 . Lobb, a 24-year-old banker from Toronto, has been sharing everything with his friend, an artificial intelligence engineer Jafri.

One day, the two were _______ in a lunchtime workout on Pier (码头) 15, overlooking the East River, when Lobb froze. “Somebody’s in the water,” he said. _______ Jafri could respond, he climbed over the rail and jumped into the cold water without any slightest _______. Seeing this, Jafri also swan-dived towards him even without _______ his shoes.

_______ the unconscious victim, Lobb saw that it was a big, middle-aged man. He was 3 feet _______ the surface by the time Lobb reached him. The rescuer dove, _______ the man and kicked upward until they both appeared above the water. With great efforts, the pair _______brought him back to Pier 15 where a crowd had gathered.

Both men, extremely _______ from 20 minutes in the water and bleeding from numerous cuts, watched as rescue workers loaded the nearly drowned man into a(n) ________ and drove away. They even ________ learned who he was, what became of him or how he’d fallen into the river.

In place of that knowledge, they have a story they get to tell now, another experience that has further ________ their bond. Lots of people were on the piers that day,________ only the two of them jumped in the water — because, they say, they were the fittest people there and, so, had a moral responsibility.

“If I know I’m ________,” Lobb says, “why wouldn’t I help?”

Jafri ________, laughing, “People always say, ‘If your friend were in danger, would you reach out to him?’ I think I answered that one.”

1.

A．chatting

B．arguing

C．quarreling

D．whispering

2.

A．Until

B．When

C．Before

D．As

3.

A．motivation

B．difficulty

C．response

D．hesitation

4.

A．taking off

B．holding up

C．putting on

D．giving away

5.

A．Measuring

B．Protecting

C．Approaching

D．Tapping

6.

A．above

B．below

C．over

D．beside

7.

A．beat

B．grasped

C．cheered

D．hurt

8.

A．frequently

B．suddenly

C．eventually

D．professionally

9.

A．tired

B．delighted

C．disappointed

D．interested

10.

A．ship

B．helicopter

C．bike

D．ambulance

11.

A．sometimes

B．ever

C．never

D．still

12.

A．tightened

B．ruined

C．challenged

D．rescued

13.

A．because

B．so

C．yet

D．plus

14.

A．rude

B．clever

C．strong

D．capable

15.

A．debates

B．greets

C．adds

D．begs

6 . Everyone has a different way of showing how much they love their family members. When you see the beautiful and ________ “safety bed” a man made for his autistic (自闭症) grandson, you can’t help but feel the depth of his love!

In a video that has gone viral, the ________ grandpa Reddor shows off the custom bed he ________for his 3-year-old grandson. “Some kids with autism and other ________ need a safety bed to keep them safe and contained”. He mentions that he keeps his grandson’s well-being in mind while making the bed a(n) ________ environment with sweet pictures depicting Winnie the Pooh (维尼熊) and friends. He also ________ that the bed is on wheels, so it can be ________ to change the sheets and clean underneath.

To ensure that this bed would be safe in the event of an emergency, Reddor even ________ with the local fire department who familiarized themselves with the bed and gave their ________ throughout the design process. The grandpa even ________ a wrestling mat to prevent self-harm, and a Bluetooth sound system, adjustable LED lighting, and double-monitoring cameras.

The response to the safety bed has been overwhelmingly ________. His grandson was so excited when he first saw it that he cried.

Obviously, no two autistic people’s experiences or needs are the same, but this grandpa made sure what he built was just ________ for his grandson. Just as one netizen wrote in a ________, “Your grandson may not currently have the capacity to fully ________ your efforts, but I do hope he’ll eventually show his ________ to you for this beautiful thing you made for him! ”

1.

A．plain

B．grateful

C．thoughtful

D．common

2.

A．tired

B．talented

C．interested

D．motivated

3.

A．designed

B．purchased

C．rented

D．carved

4.

A．questions

B．conditions

C．requests

D．stages

5.

A．enquiring

B．boring

C．inviting

D．demanding

6.

A．demonstrates

B．rejects

C．argues

D．admits

7.

A．picked out

B．brought out

C．pulled out

D．made out

8.

A．compared

B．consulted

C．negotiated

D．competed

9.

A．evidence

B．principle

C．data

D．feedback

10.

A．suspended

B．spread

C．decorated

D．installed

11.

A．indifferent

B．positive

C．awkward

D．complex

12.

A．necessary

B．convenient

C．right

D．incredible

13.

A．comment

B．magazine

C．blog

D．poster

14.

A．need

B．estimate

C．ignore

D．process

15.

A．potential

B．concern

C．gratitude

D．resolution

7 . Long believed to have little social structure, giraffes actually are socially complex, University of Bristol scientists suggest. Their social organization is comparable to that of elephants, dolphins and whales.

Lead author Zoe Miller started research work on giraffes in 2005. “I had noticed that giraffe population numbers were decreasing, and I realized that the tallest of all land animals had hardly had any scientific work done on them, which I just found unbelievable. I decided to devote my career to understanding this species better,” said Muller.

Muller and her team looked at research work done in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Researchers then considered giraffes very unsociable and that they formed no long-lasting relationships. “However, this was not what I saw in Africa, and I started to question why they were described as having ‘little or no social structure’ when I could clearly observe them always together,” Muller said.

Muller was based in Kenya for five years, conducting research on giraffes and their social organization. She and her team found that giraffes are actually a highly complex social species that may live in matriarchal (母系的) social systems and include shared care of their young.

“Giraffes may take part in shared parenting of the young, and remain in groups of related females. These types of social organization are well-known in other species, for example elephants and whales, but nobody has ever before suggested that the same could be true for giraffes,” Muller said.

The grandmother giraffes stay in their family groups, passing on survival benefits in tough times to the younger members of the group. For example, they may know where there is water or where they can find food. “This is important information, as this means we should focus on protecting the older adult females, since they are important members to aid the survival of younger generations,” explained Muller.

1. What did Zoe Muller think of researchers’ work done in the 1950s-1970s?

A．Questionable.

B．Inspiring.

C．Reliable.

D．Creative.

2. In what way are giraffes similar to elephants according to the text?

A．Their population numbers are dropping.

B．They remain in groups of related males.

C．They have been well protected in the wild.

D．They take part in shared raising of the young.

3. Why are older female giraffes particularly worthy of protection?

A．They can help keep the balance of nature.

B．They can help researchers learn about giraffes.

C．They can pass on life skills to the younger generations.

D．They can help younger giraffes get on well with each other.

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

A．Secrets of Giraffes: The Older, The Smarter

B．Social Structure: A Gap in Animal Research

C．Giraffes: More Socially Complex than Imagined

D．Survival of Giraffes: The Role of Older Members

8 . If your partner gets down on one knee to propose, or you get a call with the job offer, your reaction might be to shout it from the rooftops. But new research suggests that keeping good news a secret before telling someone else could make people feel more energized.

“Decades of research on secrecy suggest it is bad for our well-being. However, this work has only examined keeping secrets that have negative effects for our lives. Is secrecy inherently bad for our well-being or do the negative effects of secrecy tend to originate from keeping negative secrets?” asked lead researcher of the latest research Michael Slepian, PhD, a professor of business at Columbia University.

In the experiment, some participants were asked to reflect on the good news they kept secret, while others reflected on good news that was not secret, and then rated how energized the news made them feel and whether they intended to share the news with someone else. The researchers found that the participants who reflected on their positive secrets reported feeling more energized than the participants who thought about their good news that was not secret.

The research nuances our understanding of the science of secrets. Negative secrets tend to deplete us and have also been linked to anxiety and depression. Positive secrets, however, seem to have an energizing effect and make people alive. One factor could be that people often have different motivations for keeping good news to themselves. Those with positive secrets were much more likely to keep quiet for internal reasons, not because they felt any outside pressures.

“People sometimes go to great lengths to plan revealing a positive secret to make it all the more exciting. This kind of surprise can be intensely enjoyable, but surprise is the most fleeting of our emotions, ” Slepian said. “Having extra time days, weeks or even longer-to imagine the joyful surprise on another person’s face allows us more time with this exciting moment, even if only in our own minds.”

1. What did Michael Slepian think of the previous research on secrecy?

A．One-sided.

B．Pointless.

C．Convincing.

D．Pioneering.

2. In the experiment, some participants were more energized because ______.

A．they were optimistic and cheerful.

B．they were free from secrets.

C．they had undisclosed positive secrets.

D．they had shared good news with others.

3. What does the underlined word “deplete” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Spoil.

B．Exhaust.

C．Confuse.

D．Panic.

4. According to the last paragraph, what did Slepian suggest readers do?

A．Never reveal a secret casually.

B．Let your imagination run wild.

C．Be creative when surprising others.

D．Delay sharing a positive secret.

9 . Ralph Street loves maps. Appropriately (相称) for someone with his surname, he studied geography and town planning. And well before that, his parents _________ took him out orienteering (定向运动).

“I don’t really remember a time before orienteering,” Street _________. “My parents took me orienteering the first week I was born.” He now _________ internationally as an orienteer. In 2023, he won the first place in Orienteering World Cup. Street remembers a childhood trip with friends who trusted him as they realized his excellent _________ for getting around the new city.

Street _________ the sport of orienteering at the age of nine. As his experiences suggest, childhood exposure shapes people’s comfort and _________ with navigation (导航).

People who grew up outside cities, or in more spatially (空间的) complex cities, also appear to be better able to navigate. “Even as adults, we have good _________ that people who navigate more widely around their environment have better spatial skills,” says Nora Newcombe, a psychology professor at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Misconceptions _________ about human navigation. “One of them is that you think you cannot improve,” Newcombe says. Navigational _________ like maps and compasses can lead to a dependence. People can train themselves to better notice environmental __________ like the wind, the sun and slopes.

For people who can’t imagine wayfinding without a phone app, there are still ways to __________ spatial skills. The system on many apps is that “wherever you’re going is straight ahead, which is a terrible way to learn. I advocate keeping north on the top all the time,” Newcombe __________ . Getting a(an) __________ amount of sleep may help too. One global study found that for participants __________ fifty and older, sleeping seven hours a night __________ the best performance in a navigation game.

1.

A．hardly

B．recently

C．regularly

D．typically

2.

A．recalls

B．repeats

C．regrets

D．responds

3.

A．travels

B．competes

C．visits

D．runs

4.

A．ambition

B．purpose

C．skill

D．task

5.

A．took over

B．took up

C．took on

D．took away

6.

A．confusion

B．confidence

C．happiness

D．sorrow

7.

A．insight

B．news

C．information

D．evidence

8.

A．appear

B．happen

C．consist

D．exist

9.

A．aids

B．aims

C．destinations

D．means

10.

A．situations

B．protections

C．measures

D．signs

11.

A．perform

B．evaluate

C．practise

D．motivate

12.

A．comments

B．suggests

C．states

D．decides

13.

A．obvious

B．same

C．different

D．abundant

14.

A．aged

B．aging

C．to age

D．ages

15.

A．was filled with

B．was satisfied with

C．was linked to

D．was compared to

10 . Early in life, my lack of maths skill made me strongly dislike the subject. As a freshman in high school I was far from a math teacher’s dream student.

When I walked into Mr. Ash’s classroom, my focus was on ______ a good seat, surrounded by my friends and with easy ______ to the door. From day one, I made everyone know I hated math. It was not ______ for me to give up midway through an assignment, or became absent-minded during a lesson because I didn’t understand it. I didn’t think I ______ doing well. “I can’t,” I often said to myself.

However, I soon learned that “I can’t” was not a(n) ______ in Mr. Ash’s class. On the first day of class, Mr. Ash ______ us with his arms extended, “Welcome! Smile! It’s a great day to be alive!” These words, which I would often hear in the next four years, became a source of ______ and familiarity. Mr. Ash had a true passion for both math and teaching. His ______ and inspiring attitude never disappeared. And he encouraged each student.

I found myself looking forward to math class, ______ the fact that I still disliked the subject. Seeing Mr. Ash made me feel good ______ I had the potential (潜力) to succeed. However, my story is not one of overnight success. In fact, it was in Mr. Ash’s class that I received my first failing test grade.

But I didn’t give up or use the score as ______ that I was not meant to do well in math. ______, Mr. Ash didn’t give up on me. He became more determined to help me. My determination to succeed ______. I spent an increasing amount of time on my homework. Finally, my hard work began to ______.

Even today, when I feel my mind beginning to think “I can’t,” I hear a deep voice in the back of my mind ______ me to take a deep breath and remember: it’s a great day to be alive.

1.

A．picking

B．reserving

C．winning

D．sharing

2.

A．entrance

B．direction

C．access

D．key

3.

A．usual

B．willing

C．easy

D．uncommon

4.

A．was absorbed in

B．was capable of

C．was tired of

D．was addicted to

5.

A．target

B．activity

C．process

D．excuse

6.

A．inspired

B．provided

C．greeted

D．cheated

7.

A．peace

B．comfort

C．belonging

D．curiosity

8.

A．puzzling

B．humorous

C．generous

D．positive

9.

A．despite

B．beyond

C．including

D．without

10.

A．even if

B．as if

C．in case

D．as long as

11.

A．defense

B．joke

C．relief

D．evidence

12.

A．Instead

B．Gradually

C．Similarly

D．Strangely

13.

A．suffered

B．grew

C．hurt

D．limited

14.

A．turn back

B．pay off

C．take off

D．build up

15.

A．reminding

B．suggesting

C．warning

D．intending