2 . The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci , Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titian and Veronese.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van de Dyck, Velázquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Fridays 10 am to 9 pm ) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).

1. In which wing can you see religious paintings?

A．In the West Wing	B．In the North Wing
C．In the East Wing	D．In the Sainsbury Wing

2. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．The National Gallery is the biggest British national art museum.

B．The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm.

C．The Gallery is completely free.

D．There are four exhibition areas in the National Gallery.

3. Where does the text probably come from?

A．A museum guide.	B．An artist magazine.
C．A news report.	D．A tourist map.

3 . A glimpse at Spring Festival Chinese film releases

The clock is ticking down to 2021! We’ve handpicked some films to help you get in the spirit of the season.

Hi, Mom

The film is widely regarded as the top dark horse thanks to its tear-jerking narration of mother-daughter affection, which is directed by Jia Ling.

Time： Feb. 12—14 9：30 a. m.〜11 ：30 a.m.

Place： Room 1

Treats： Popcorn, Ice cream

Price： ¥80

Detective Chinatown 3

Directed by Chen Sicheng, this movie topped the list of the most-anticipated holiday films sent by movie ticketing platform Maoyan.

Time： Feb. 14-16 1：00p. m.〜3：00P.m.

Place ： Room 2

Treats： Popcorn, Ice cream （for free）

Price： ¥75

A Writer\ Odyssey

Director Lu Yang showed a boldly imaginative visualization of a horrible fantasy world, taking the third seat with 410 million yuan.

Time： Feb. 13—17 9 ：30 a. m. 11 ：30 a. m.

Place： Room 3

Price： ¥65

Endgame

The film illustrates a comical up and down fate between an unsuccessful theater actor and a famous professional assassin（刺客）who loses his memory accidentally.

Time： Feb. 15 — 18 3：30 p. m.〜5：30 p. m.

Place： Room 4

Price： ¥60

Welcome to book through the WeChat account!

1. Which room will show a film about family love?

A．Room 1.

B．Room 2.

C．Room 3.

D．Room 4.

2. What time can you get free treats?

A．Feb. 16 3：00 a. m.	B．Feb. 15 2：00 p. m.
C．Feb. 18 2：00 p. m.	D．Feb. 14 11 ：00 a. m.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A report.

B．A poster.

C．A journal.

D．A guidebook.

4 . While some customs like setting off fireworks and counting down the last few seconds seem universal, many countries have their own unique New Year’s Eve traditions.

Denmark: Break plates

A Danish tradition is to throw plates and dishes against friend’s and neighbor’s front doors. It’s a bit of a popularity contest as the bigger the pile of broken china is the next morning, the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year.

Germany: Pouring lead

In Germany, people melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a candle, then pour the liquid into cold water. The shapes from the lead pouring are supposed to reveal what the year ahead will bring. If the lead forms a ball, luck will roll one’s way, while the shape of a crown means wealth; a cross means death and a star will bring happiness.

Spain: Twelve grapes of luck

In Spain, one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity (繁荣). You need to eat one grape with each bell strike at midnight. The tradition dates from 1909 when farmers in Alicante came up with this idea to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.

Philippines: Round food, round clothes, round everything

In the Philippines, the start of the new year is all about the money. The locals believe that surrounding themselves with round things (to represent coins) will bring money or fortune. As a result, clothes with dots are worn and round food is eaten.

1. What is believed to bring good luck for the coming new year in Denmark?

A．A red candle.

B．Round food.

C．Broken china.

D．A lead cross.

2. What inspired the New Year’s tradition of eating grapes?

A．A way to make coins.	B．An act to keep power.
C．A desire to be popular.	D．An idea to gain profit.

3. Which section of a magazine is the text probably taken from?

A．Fashion.

B．Travel.

C．Culture.

D．Entertainment.

5 . Influenced by many negative reports, some people usually regard teenagers as lacking a sense of responsibility, concern for others, and awareness of life. To break the stereotype（刻板印象）, I'm going to talk about the story of Jordan Rice.

I suspect you've got no idea about who Jordan Rice is. Actually, Jordan Rice was a 13-year-old boy who lived with his mom, dad, and little brother Blake in Toowoomba, Australia. He went to buy school uniform this Monday with his mom and brother. It was around 2 pm, when they were in the car on the way back from the shops. Not an unusual day.

Unexpectedly, a huge flood poured into the area. The water rose high enough to shut off the engine. Unfortunately, they were trapped in floodwaters. Mom got into a panic, and Jordan was frightened because he couldn't swim. No one came to help them out until an old man grabbed a rope, tied it to his body, and jumped into the water. Hopes were growing for the survival of Jordan—the old man was swimming toward him. Instead of seizing the chance, Jordan pushed Blake forward, saying, "Save my brother first."

There was no time for arguing. The old man tied the rope around Blake and carried him ashore. Then he swam back to save the other two. But the strain of the flood and the weight of two people were too much for the rope. It broke and so did Jordan and his mothers' hope. They were carried away by the brown water. Though they managed to hold on to a tree for a little while, they finally loosened their grip and accepted their fate. Being the only survivor of the trip, Blake was reunited with his father to become a family of two.

Jordan Rice was a 13-year-old boy from Toowoomba, Australia. During the destructive floods of Queensland, Jordan Rice sacrificed his life for his little brother. He is a hero and deserves to be remembered.

1. What does the author think of some people's opinion about teenagers?

A．It's a reasonable belief.	B．It's a fair evaluation.
C．It's an out-of-date view.	D．It's a prejudiced idea.

2. Why did the old man save Blake first?

A．He couldn't reach others.

B．His rope was not long enough.

C．There was no time for making other choices.

D．He believed that Jordan Rice could swim out.

3. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Your Voice.

B．Star Stories.

C．News Express.

D．Magic World.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Save my brother	B．Meet the challenge
C．Be brave, boy	D．Accept your fate, teenager

6 . Reducing, reusing and recycling is a way of life in Sweden. Recycling is required by law and garbage is sorted at home before it goes to a recycling center. Recyclables are sorted into seven categories and recycling stations are within just 300 meters of all residential areas. “Recycling almost everything is a must in Sweden now. It actually feels very uncomfortable when you visit another country and can't find easy ways to recycle,” said Owen Gaffney, an expert at Stockholm Resilience Centre and Future Earth.

But not all of its garbage is recycled. Sweden uses alternatives that include burning garbage to make electricity instead of using fossil fuels to heat 1.2 million homes. About half of household garbage is sent to one of the 33 waste-to-heat plants. Sweden is importing garbage from other countries to keep these plants running. Sweden is also a world leader in turning food waste into eco-friendly biogas. It has made food waste collection compulsory beginning in 2021. There is a food waste biogas plant, which allows biogas to be used to run public buses and to heat apartment buildings.

Sweden now wants to deal with those remaining items that cannot be recycled by using a circular(循环论证的)economy approach. It means that products can be reused and only recycled when absolutely necessary. The Swedish government formed an advisory group to find a new way of making this part of its environmental policy.

This will not work effectively unless people are taught to change their behavior. Now the government is reforming its tax code so that people could get cheaper repairs or buy used things. The large Swedish clothing retailer(零售商)H&M operates a recycling program that gives customers discounts when they bring back old clothing.

Sweden is fighting climate change by doing all the right stuff. Waste recycling and the plans to switch to a circular economy will go a long way in reducing its carbon footprint and will help stop global warming.

1. What do we know about Sweden?

A．Sweden imports household garbage for biogas.

B．Everything is recycled after being used in Sweden.

C．Half of garbage in Sweden is used to produce heat.

D．It is convenient to recycle things in Sweden.

2. What does the advisory group do?

A．Teach people how to save fossil fuels.	B．Conduct a survey about the local economy.
C．Make sure the citizens recycle wisely.	D．Offer advice on environmental policy.

3. How does the government encourage its citizens to reuse?

A．It provides various recycling programs.	B．It cuts down taxes on new products.
C．It offers lower prices for repairs.	D．It gives discounts to regular buyers.

4. From which is the text possibly taken?

A．A book on city environment.	B．A news report on local environment.
C．A science report on public health.	D．A travel guide on Sweden.

7 . One of the most important creations of science is the invention of the lighthouses. Lighthouses help in a number of activities such as marking of the dangerous coastlines and directing safe entries to the harbours. The following are some famous lighthouses.

The Jeddah Light

It is located in Saudi Arabia. This lighthouse has been constructed very beautifully and adorns a beautiful structure. The Jeddah Light was built in 1990. This lighthouse is considered as the tallest of the world reaching a fine height of around 436 feet.

The Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse

It is addressed as the “lighthouse at the end of the world”. The Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse is located on a small island east of Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world. This lighthouse was built in 1920 and today it has become a very famous tourist attraction in Argentina. However, visits to this lighthouse can be made only by boat.

The Peggys Point Lighthouse

Lit in 1915, it is an icon and a popular monument of Canada. The Peggys Point Lighthouse has become a major tourist sight and is considered as one of the busiest attractions in the area of Nova Scotia. This lighthouse also fetches you a wonderful scenic drive and visiting here, you can indulge yourself in the beauty of nature.

The Slettnes Lighthouse

It is the northernmost lighthouse that is located on the mainland of Europe and is considered as one of the most famous lighthouses of the world. This lighthouse is mostly considered as the North Cape Light and is the top lighthouse of Europe. The Slettnes Lighthouse firstly began to light in 1905. Though it was highly damaged during the World War Ⅱ by the Germans, yet it was restored and lit again. This lighthouse is very classic as to its looks.

1. Which lighthouse is only accessible by sea?

A．The Peggys Point Lighthouse.	B．The Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse.
C．The Jeddah Light.	D．The Slettnes Lighthouse.

2. What do we know about the Slettnes Lighthouse?

A．The lighthouse has a very classic appearance.	B．It was lit again after the restoration in 1905.
C．It is the best-known lighthouse in the world.	D．Visiting the lighthouse draws you close to nature.

3. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A scientific journal.

B．A history textbook.

C．A travel magazine.

D．A design handbook.

8 . According to related new research, tropical cyclones(热带气旋), ranging from hurricanes to typhoons, are moving more slowly across the planet than they did decades ago, meaning that they get more destructive power and last longer.

It may seem like a good thing that cyclones crawl at a slower speed, but in fact it’s quite the opposite. Although the cyclones are moving slower across the ground, they still get high wind speeds inside, which on the contrary makes hard rains stay longer over communities.

“Nothing good comes out of a slowing storm,” says James Kossin, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Center for Weather and Climate in Madison, Wisconsin. “It can increase storm surge. It can increase the amount of time that structures are subjected to strong wind. And it increases rainfall.”

According to Kossin’s findings, changing storm patterns are causing greater destruction in another way. He noted that the speed of global tropical cyclones slowed by an average of 10 percent from 1949 to 2016. The pace of the storms slowed even more as they made landfall in some regions. In the western North Pacific, it declined by nearly a third. That means there will be more time for a storm that may already contain much moisture (水汽) to release more of it in each spot.

Basing his research on the details of nearly 70 years’ worth of storms, Kossin did not try to determine the cause of the slowdown. Even so, the shift is, exactly as he and other cyclone experts said, the expected result of climate change.

Kossin’s work was considered to be “pretty convincing” by Christina Patricola, a scientist with the Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division of California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

It is Kossin’s hope that a model demonstrating which communities are likely to be at the highest risk could be developed by scientists. Given that in some regions, the storms are moving poleward and gaining in strength as well, places not normally passed by could be affected by unusually heavy rainfall as a result. “These are not good things to be combining,” he says.

1. Why are cyclones more destructive when they crawl more slowly?

A．They get higher wind speeds inside.

B．They cause more serious climate change.

C．They move poleward and affect more regions.

D．They make rains and winds stay longer over a place.

2. What has Kossin found about the western North Pacific?

A．The speed of the storms there slows more.

B．It has much wetter air.

C．It has higher risk of being hit by storms.

D．The storms there cause less damage.

3. What’s Christina Patricola’s attitude to Kossin’s work？

A．Ambiguous.

B．Cautious.

C．Critical.

D．Approving.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Entertainment.

B．Science.

C．Health.

D．Education.

9 . Welcome to the North Pole Adventure

The North Pole Adventure is a one-of-a-kind interactive Christmas attraction for the entire family. Unlike other Christmas attractions, it is open from November 26 until Christmas Eve. It is not a guided tour. While elves (小精灵) are throughout the adventure to interact with your children, your kids can spend as much time in each area as they wish. The adventure features a replica (复制品) of the North Pole including everything you imagine at Santa’s North Pole.

Santa’s House

Kids will experience what it’s like at the North Pole and see first-hand what it takes for Santa and his elves to get ready for Christmas each year. The memories your children will take away from Santa’s House will be ones they will remember for a life time.

Post Office

All kids will be assisted by Santa’s elves in writing a letter to Santa and then depositing it in Santa’s magical mailbox. A few days before Christmas, they will receive letters at their own homes from Santa.

Elf University

Elf University is the place where elves go to school. It’s also the place where kids enjoy making Christmas presents, coloring Christmas pictures, and even filling out applications to become elves one day.

Admission

Buy your tickets online to avoid waiting in line. If the tickets sell out when you buy them online, there will still be tickets available at the ticket office.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．The North Pole Adventure provides visitors with tour guide service.

B．The North Pole Adventure arranges elves to entertain kids in some areas.

C．The North Pole Adventure is modeled on other Christmas attractions.

D．The North Pole Adventure is open to visitors for nearly one month.

2. What can we learn about the North Pole Adventure?

A．Kids can have fun in Santa’s House by dressing up like Santa.

B．Elf University offers kids opportunities for becoming elves.

C．Kids who visited Post Office would receive letters on Christmas Eve.

D．Tickets to the adventure can be bought online if they sell out at the ticket office.

3. Where can you probably see the text?

A．A tourist booklet.	B．A science fiction.
C．A newspaper.	D．A story book.

10 . What do you usually do to comfort your friends when they are feeling sad or depressed? You probably pat them on the back or shoulder, or maybe you give them a big, warm hug.

We used to think that knowing when and how to comfort others was an ability that only humans have. But scientists have discovered that apes （猩猩）have this ability, too. Two researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, US, went to an Ape Protection Centre in Congo to study bonobos （倭黑猩猩）,which are closely related to humans.

The researchers analyzed the bonobos' reactions after more than 370 cases of stressful situations, such as fights and losing temper, and found that some bonobos rushed to hug those that were screaming after being attacked, just like humans would have done.

However, researchers said that not all bonobos were able to comfort others. In the protection centre, many bonobos are orphans （孤儿）whose mothers were killed by hunters. They were found to be more anxious in times of tension and have greater difficulty controlling their own emotions, malting them worse at reaching out to help friends in need.

"Orphans, who have not had the benefit of a mother helping them handling their emotions, are much worse al comforting others,” Professor Frans de Waal, one of the researchers, told The Telegraph. "Bonobos with moms were able to curb their negative emotional reactions more quickly. Therefore, they pay more attention to others.” This pattern mirrors the way that human children have been found to react. Those who seem more capable of handling their own emotions—for example, the ones who can calm themselves down more quickly after upsetting experiences—are usually better at expressing their concerns for others .

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Orphan bonobos never give a hand to friends.

B．There were 370 bonobos involved in the research.

C．Moms play a significant role in handling kids' emotions.

D．The ability to comfort others is unique to human beings.

2. The underlined word “curb" in the 5th paragraph probably means

A．express

B．observe

C．hide

D．control

3. Where are you most likely to find the passage?

A．A science journal	B．A travel leaflet
C．A literature review	D．A science fiction

4. What's the main purpose of this passage?

A．To uncover the mystery of Apes.

B．To inform readers of a new study.

C．To provide better protection for Apes.

D．To compare human behaviors with Apes.