High school was a hard time for me, as it is for many kids. Recently I was reminded (使想起) of a huge reason why I made it through that time of my life. The reason was music.
I was reminded of this because my old high school is about to be pulled down over the Christmas break and the kids will be moving into a bigger newly built school in January. The high school band and chorus(合唱队) recently gave a concert on the 80-year-old stage, and all chorus alumni (校友) were invited to take part in this event. The alumni have been invited back to sing with the chorus in other concerts before, but this one was special. This was our last chance to sing on this stage.
We all arrived early for rehearsal (排练). Many of us did not even need music during rehearsal because we remembered the song so well. It became a tradition to invite alumni back on stage and sing “Honor and Glory” every year. After one rehearsal of it, it was like we never left.
As we waited for the beginning of the concert, we began taking ourselves on one last tour of the high school. We looked at the same artwork that has been on the same walls for years, but the only good memories (记忆) I actually remembered were the time I spent singing in the chorus. When nothing else felt like it was going right, music was there. Music has helped me and saved me.
Soon, everyone will get to experience a much bigger school with a much bigger stage for more amazing concerts, but I will always remember that stage that I sang on with my former classmates. I remember the songs that we sang together, countless memories, and just how thankful I am for my amazing music teachers who helped make music have such a strong influence on my life.
1. Why was the recent concert special? (no more than 10 words)2. What did the author mean by saying “it was like we never left” in paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
3. What did the author think of singing in the chorus in high school? (no more than 1 words)
4. What is the purpose of the text? (no more than 10 words)
5. What precious memories did you have in high school? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)
2 . In the dining room of my grandfather’s house stood a large clock. When I was a child, the old clock
It was even more
After my grandfather
| A．disappointed | B．encouraged | C．interested | D．confused |
| A．picture | B．sound | C．noise | D．time |
| A．meals | B．homework | C．dreams | D．trouble |
| A．beating | B．testing | C．heating | D．watching |
| A．wonderful | B．strange | C．different | D．fearful |
| A．pen | B．ring | C．clock | D．key |
| A．small | B．colorful | C．beautiful | D．magic |
| A．running | B．standing | C．speaking | D．laughing |
| A．painted | B．opened | C．locked | D．repaired |
| A．go | B．play | C．stop | D．leave |
| A．and | B．but | C．or | D．so |
| A．first | B．last | C．next | D．second |
| A．gave in | B．passed away | C．turned over | D．took off |
| A．face | B．door | C．hands | D．eyes |
| A．wet | B．broken | C．dirty | D．shaking |
| A．while | B．sudden | C．way | D．step |
| A．closed | B．lost | C．waited | D．turned |
| A．quickly | B．wrongly | C．carefully | D．angrily |
| A．joy | B．excitement | C．fun | D．life |
| A．cried | B．walked | C．lived | D．listened |
3 . Xi'an
It was called Chang'an in ancient times. As the cradle (发源地) of Chinese civilization, it has a really long history. The city passed through the Zhou Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and some other dynasties as the capital city. It enjoys the title of the “four major ancient civilization capitals” with ancient Athens, Cairo and Rome.
Luoyang
It was the capital city of 13 dynasties, and it was listed as the world's largest city six times in history. Luoyang once was the starting point of the Silk Road in eastern countries. It connected Europe and North Africa with Asia.
Kaifeng
As early as the Neolithic Age (新石器时代), our ancestors lived here. Its history can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty, the Shang Dynasty and the Zhou Dynasty. It was the capital city of the Later Jin Dynasty, the Later Han Dynasty, the Later Zhou Dynasty as well as the Northern Song Dynasty. It achieved great prosperity (繁荣) in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Yangzhou
As one of the 24 famous historical and cultural cities listed by the State Council, Yangzhou has a history of about 2,500 years. It reached great prosperity in the Han, Sui, Tang, and Qing Dynasties. It used to be an important business center and a center of transportation.
Chengdu
It is an ancient cultural city, with two miracles in Chinese history. One is that its name has been the same for 2,000 years; the other is that it has always been the capital city of Sichuan region. It's a capital with a glorious history.
1. What is this passage mainly about?| A．Five of the largest cities with a long history in China. |
| B．Five famous modern cities with a long history in China. |
| C．Five of the most beautiful cities with a long history in China. |
| D．Five famous ancient cultural cities with a long history in China. |
| A．Xi'an. | B．Kaifeng. |
| C．Luoyang. | D．Yangzhou. |
| A．history | B．culture |
| C．economy | D．beauty |
| A．business | B．schooling |
| C．parenting | D．traveling |
4 . The writer of the Epilogue (结语) to my copy of Goethe’s Faust, Hanns W Eppelsheimer, refers to “human arrogance (傲慢), rising up against the spirits, in order to seize a piece of power for itself, with the aid of wizard ryand magic,” as “a very old theme”. He adds: “At the beginning of modern times, when the Renaissance set science free, the simple desires for power, wealth and sensual pleasure (感官享乐) came to be joined by the new striving for unlimited knowledge. ” Enter the historical Faust, the semi-biographical stories about his life.
Let’s go much further back in time. At the beginning of the ancient Biblical Book of Job (圣经·约伯记), the “sons of God” and Satan come before God. “And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job?” (Note the word “servant”). God confirms Job’s goodness. Satan counters that Job is good only because he is in receipt of God’s favours. If he were to suffer, he would curse God. God empowers Satan to test Job, making him suffer. Job loses his family and his animals and his health and retains only the company of his wife. His wife urges Job to curse God, but he refuses firmly.
The story ties into the problem of why good people suffer, where Goethe borrows a theme into Prologue but has changed it out of all recognition:
The Lord: Do you know Faust?
Mephistopheles: The Doctor?
The Lord: My servant!
God acknowledges that Faust serves him, through his striving, despite the mistakes he is sure to make; and Faust remains aware of the correct path to take through life. While God, indeed, permits Mephistopheles to try to divert (转移) Faust from his “fountainhead”. Mephistopheles appreciates the favour and sets to work. And then we meet Faust himself, alone in his study at night, at the beginning of the drama proper, and he speaks for himself:
Ah, now I’ve studied philosophy, jurisprudence and medicine, and alas, theology as well, ardently and painstakingly, from beginning to end.
He has learnt a great deal; but he wants to learn more, beyond the bounds of handed down knowledge — metaphysics (形而上学), perhaps, or the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.
Early in Part 1 of the drama, Faust makes his own bargain with Mephistopheles: if he ever relaxes from his striving and wishes to stay still, in the beautiful moment, then Mephistopheles can take his soul. Compared to Job, Goethe’s hero, instead, is not made to suffer: rather, new enjoyments of life are opened up to him. Unfortunately, Faust’s own joy can be at the expense of other people. (The tragedy of Part 1 is that of Gretchen and her family)
In Part 2, regretful about his faults before, Faust engages in good works, especially, the reclamation of low-lying land from the sea (填海造陆). There arises, though, from the writings of the New Testament (圣经新约), the question as to whether good works are sufficient to ensure salvation (救赎) — a Christian theological (基督教神学的) debating point. St Paul explores this: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law”. Luther is saying here that “a man is justified, without the deeds of the law, only by faith.” He adds the “only”. On this view, Faust’s good works cannot be sufficient for his salvation. We can add that Faust does not have faith, either.
Finally, at the end of the drama, Faust does have one moment of relaxation, and, accordingly, Mephistopheles tries to arrest his soul. But, in the event, Mephistopheles is cheated of his long-sought-after prize — by the intervention of angels, including a transformed Gretchen. Faust is enabled to ascend (上升) to Heaven. Faust’s salvation, on Goethe’s terms, relies upon his own striving, the appearance of the “eternal feminine (永恒女性)”, and the words of forgiveness uttered by his female victim (Gretchen).
Let’s talk briefly about the nature of the completed Faust. It is almost entirely in verse(诗歌). It is extremely long. Whereas many verse dramas of Shakespeare and his contemporaries average roughly 2000 lines, and Part 1 of Faust has 4,612 lines, and Part 2 has 7,499! Moreover, Part 2 has literally hundreds of parts. Therefore, either Part poses great challenges, whenever a staging is contemplated.
I conclude, indeed, that Faust is a poem, and not a play, a drama or a tragedy as ordinarily conceived.
1. What’s function of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To inform readers of the Epilogue to Faust of his version. |
| C．To advertise a classic book. |
| D．To introduce a translator called Hanns W Eppelsheimer. |
| A．God. | B．Satan. | C．Job. | D．Faust. |
| A．Part 1 of the drama: Unsatisfied, Faust has learnt a lot in his long life, but he pursues the knowledge from Mephistopheles, which. is a trap designed by God. He gains great joy at the cost of Gretchen’s tragedy. |
| B．Part 2 of the drama: Repentant (忏悔的), Faust devotes himself to a great cause, which still cannot make up for what he has done before according to a Christian theological debating point, as he doesn’t have faith. |
| C．At the end of the drama : Faust does have one moment of relaxation, but Mephistopheles doesn’t take his “prize” because of angles’intervention. Faust is ascended to Heaven, made a true hero. |
| D．At the end of the drama : Gretchen, the female victim in this play or so-called “eternal feminine”, forgives Faust, completing his salvation. |
| A．There are many different versions of Faust. |
| B．Goethe adapts Bible in a totally different way in Prologue of Faust. |
| C．It can’t be a easy job for Goethe to finish Faust alone. |
| D．Faust is actually a brilliant long poem with more than ten thousand lines. |
| A．Goethe: A Talented Prophet (先知) |
| B．Faust: A Tragic Verse |
| C．Gretchen: A Poor-Fated Lover |
| D．Devil: A Forever Deceiver |
5 . Every year, thousands of teenagers participate in programs at their local art museums. But do any of them remember their time at museum events later in life? A new report suggests that the answer is yes — and finds that arts-based museum programs are credited with changing the course of alumni’s (毕业生的) lives, even years after the fact.
The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles recently asked researchers to conduct a study to find out how effective their long-standing teen art programs really are. They involved over 300 former participants of four programs for teens that have been in existence since the 1990s. Alumni, whose current ages range from 18 to 36, were invited to find out how they viewed their participation years after the fact.
Among the alumni surveyed, 75 percent of them thought the teen art program experience had the most favorable impact on their own lives, beating the family, school and their neighborhoods. Nearly 55 percent thought that it was one of the most important experiences they had ever had, regardless of age. And two-thirds said that they were often in situations where their experience in museums affected their actions or thoughts.
It turns out that participating in art programs also helps keep teens keen about culture even after they reach adulthood: Ninety-six percent of participants had visited an art museum within the last two years, and 68 percent had visited an art museum five or more times within the last two years. Thirty-two percent of alumni work in the arts as adults.
Though the study is the first of its kind to explore the impact of teen-specific art programs in museums, it reflects other research on the important benefits of engaging with the arts. A decade of surveys by the National Endowment for the Arts found that the childhood experience with the arts is significantly associated with people’s income and educational achievements as adults. Other studies have linked arts education to everything from lower dropout rates to improvement in critical thinking skills.
1. What is the main function of paragraph 1?| A．To make a comparison. | B．To propose a definition. |
| C．To provide the background. | D．To present the subject. |
| A．To change the course of alumni’s lives. |
| B．To introduce the art museums. |
| C．To explore the impact of teen art programs. |
| D．To invite people to participate in the art programs. |
| A．Students are more influenced by the family and school. |
| B．Teen art programs in museums are highly beneficial. |
| C．Many teens fail to realize the great value of art programs. |
| D．Most experiences in museums are boring for today’s teens. |
| A．They are intended to attract more adults. |
| B．They are designed to support art museums. |
| C．They create adults who are culturally aware. |
| D．They provide many job opportunities for adults. |
| A．All prove the good effects of art education. |
| B．All suggest the need to improve museum programs. |
| C．All show the growing popularity of art programs. |
| D．All focus on the link between art and education. |
6 . Lydia Denton felt very sad when she learned about the incidents, in which many children died in the hot cars because they were accidentally left behind. But no one has
Two years later, the 12-year-old girl from North Carolina won a $20, 000 prize for her
Lydia used part of her $20, 000 to continue to
With her 14-year-old brother and 10-year-old sister, Lydia also
Lydia’s mom, a science teacher, said it was
| A．come along | B．come up with | C．come about | D．come out |
| A．process | B．response | C．solution | D．decision |
| A．arrangement | B．invention | C．application | D．suggestion |
| A．detail | B．condition | C．temperature | D．quality |
| A．remind | B．affect | C．rescue | D．demand |
| A．reaches | B．hosts | C．attracts | D．prefers |
| A．design | B．master | C．develop | D．describe |
| A．no matter | B．so that | C．as if | D．now that |
| A．regard | B．compete | C．pretend | D．afford |
| A．supplied | B．exchanged | C．shared | D．collected |
| A．improvement | B．variety | C．production | D．advantage |
| A．serve | B．deliver | C．contact | D．charge |
| A．graceful | B．inspiring | C．curious | D．effective |
| A．disappeared | B．recovered | C．adapted | D．existed |
| A．specific | B．traditional | C．worthwhile | D．impossible |
7 . London has already hosted the Olympics twice before and the 2021 Olympics will make it the first city in history to have held three Olympic games.
The first London Olympics in 1908
These games were going to be held in Rome but, because of a volcano, Rome wasn’t ready. London agreed to stage the games and the White City Olympic Stadium was built in just 10 months. What was new at these Olympics was the opening ceremony where athletes paraded (列队行进) with their teams behind their national flags. Only 22 countries took part and the profits were just over ￡21,000!
The second London Olympics
Because of the Second World War, the 1944 Olympics were cancelled. Four years later the war was over and London was able to hold the Games in 1948.Things were very different in London during these Olympic Games and many years of war had left the UK poor and hungry. People called them the “Austerity Games”. But there were still some great sports and some exciting events!
59 countries took part, more than at any other Olympics before and the USA won the most medals with 84. For the first time, cameras filmed the games and broadcast them on television so that people could watch them in their own homes.
The third London Olympics in 2021
The Games this year are going to be bigger, better and more exciting than ever before. There will be more than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries taking part!
London wants to make sure that the benefits of the Olympics don’t just last for a few weeks in summer but go on much longer. The buildings have been designed and constructed so that they can be used for different things when the Games are over.
1. The text is mainly about _____.| A．London will host the Olympics again | B．London’s Olympic history |
| C．London’s Olympics will last much longer | D．London is ready for the Olympics |
| A．London could build a stadium in 10 months | B．only 22 countries took part |
| C．there was a volcano eruption in Rome | D．London could make more profits than Rome |
| A．the UK were poor and hungry then | B．there were some great sports |
| C．the previous Olympic Games was cancelled | D．about 59 countries took part |
| A．the 59 countries | B．the 84 gold medals |
| C．all the athletes | D．the games |
| A．the benefits of the Olympics used to last for months afterwards |
| B．the 2nd London Olympics attracted more countries than any other Olympics |
| C．the buildings for the 3rd London Olympics have more functions for future use |
| D．the 2nd London Olympics were cancelled because of the Second World War |
8 . When Vance Hinds learned of comedian Bert Kreischer’s no-wine October challenge last year, he felt inspired. Hinds decided to prove to himself that he could also achieve something
The Georgia native began his weight loss journey weighing in at 475 pounds. To make sure he stayed on
From the very beginning of his decision to change his life, Hinds’ friends willingly
Day after day, Hinds made his
With Page’s help, Hinds
When he weighed himself one year after beginning his challenge, he felt really
Hinds’ excitement and
| A．as if | B．so that | C．as long as | D．in spite of |
| A．found | B．made | C．began | D．admitted |
| A．top | B．line | C．track | D．average |
| A．posted | B．watched | C．studied | D．criticized |
| A．support | B．laughing | C．requirement | D．misunderstanding |
| A．asked | B．joined | C．invited | D．recommended |
| A．use | B．lose | C．need | D．gain |
| A．afraid | B．anxious | C．careful | D．able |
| A．regretfully | B．secretly | C．proudly | D．accidentally |
| A．cheering | B．fighting | C．sleeping | D．arguing |
| A．joy | B．health | C．education | D．reputation |
| A．forgetting | B．planning | C．refusing | D．starting |
| A．agreed | B．stopped | C．offered | D．remembered |
| A．failed | B．hated | C．dreamed | D．continued |
| A．gave up | B．melted away | C．passed on | D．ran out |
| A．reaching | B．setting | C．changing | D．considering |
| A．shy | B．thrilled | C．embarrassed | D．frightened |
| A．nearly | B．only | C．at least | D．as many as |
| A．desire | B．love | C．patience | D．energy |
| A．friendly | B．serious | C．positive | D．curious |
9 . Many sugar—sweetened beverages(饮料)have little to offer—no nutritional value and lots of calories, and their harmful health effects have been well—documented. Now, a study links drinking too many sugary beverages—and even 100% natural fruit juices—to an increased risk of early death. Specifically, drinking too much fruit juice could lead to an increased risk of early death ranging from 9% to 42%, according to a study.
Overall, the sugars found in orange juice, although naturally occurring, are pretty similar to the sugars added to soda and other sweetened beverages, the study suggests. “Sugary beverages, whether soft drinks or fruit juices, should be limited,” Jean Welsh, a co—author of the study said.
Seven US cities, including New York and most recently Philadelphia, have levied(征收)taxes on sweetened drinks with added sugar in an effort to reduce consumption. The new study defined “sugary beverages” as both sugar—sweetened drinks, like soda and fruit—flavored drinks, and 100% natural fruit juices that have no added sugar. So how does fruit juice compare to soda? “Previous research has shown that high consumption of sugars like those in soft drinks and fruit juices is linked to several cardiovascular(心血管的)disease risk factors,” Welsh explained.
People who consumed 10% or more of their daily calories as sugary beverages had a 44% greater risk of dying due to a heart disease and a 14% greater risk of an early death from any cause compared with people who consumed less than 5% of their daily calories as sugary beverages, the study showed. Each additional 12—ounce(盎司)serving of fruit juice per day was associated with a 24% higher risk of death from any cause, and each additional 12—ounce serving of sugary beverages per day was associated with an 11% higher risk.
This is one of the first studies to examine the relationship between sugary drinks, including 100% fruit juices, and early death, wrote Marta Guasch—Fere and Dr. Frank B. Hu in an editorial published alongside the new study. “Although fruit juices may not be as harmful as sugar—sweetened beverages, their consumption should be moderated in children and adults, especially for individuals who wish to control their body weight,” Guasch—Fere and Hu wrote.
Welsh said we need to consider both fruit juices and sugar—sweetened beverages when we think about how much sugar we consume each day. Between the two, she was in favor of fruit juices: “Given its vitamin and mineral content, fruit juice in small amounts may have a beneficial effect that isn’t seen with sodas and other sugar—sweetened beverages.”
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Sugar—free drinks basically have no nutritional value. |
| B．Natural fruit juices are usually healthier than sugary beverages. |
| C．The negative effect of drinking too many beverages remains unknown. |
| D．Drinking too much fruit juice may not be a healthy option. |
| A．To increase the government’s income. |
| B．To let people buy less sweetened beverages. |
| C．To urge people to turn to sugar—free drinks. |
| D．To increase the consumption of natural juice. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By giving advice. | D．By stating the facts. |
| A．Avoided. | B．Increased. | C．Reduced | D．Encouraged |
| A．sugar is a major cause of cardiovascular disease |
| B．the sugar in juice is different from the sugar in sweetened beverages |
| C．fruit juices are only recommended when consumed in small amounts |
| D．the amount of sugar we consume mainly lies in drinks with added sugar |
10 . In the city I live in, we have a small local national park full of trees. I like that place very much, although I do wish it was bigger.
One day, I was walking around in the park along a path (小路) when I saw a beautiful squirrel (松鼠) lying in the middle of the path. I stopped and found that there was something wrong with one of its legs.
Just at that time, a man with two little kids was behind me. They were my neighbors. They were going up the same path. I said hello to them. The dad asked me, “Why are you standing still here?” I said,“Look! Here is a beautiful squirrel, but....” Noticing the squirrel, one of the kids shouted, “Quickly dad, catch it for me. I want to put it in my birdcage.” His brother nodded, asking their dad to catch the squirrel.
Then I stopped them.“Please wait. Do you really want to catch it and put it into the birdcage?” My neighbor said, “Yes. I will catch it and take it home.” I said angrily, “Animals are our friends and this is the last place in our city that the squirrel can live in. We must protect them. If we are kind to this tiny animal then we can start to be kind to bigger ones.” My neighbor smiled and said,“You misunderstood me. I will take it home and cure (治疗) it and when it is well, I will take it back to the park and set it free. Do you come long with me?”After hearing his words, I became happy. I followed him with the injured squirrel to his home. A few days later, when the squirrel was well, we took it back to the park and sent it free.
I felt glad that we did a good thing. We should protect animals.
1. Where did the author see the squirrel?| A．In his back yard. | B．In a small birdcage. |
| C．In a local park. | D．In his neighbor’s home. |
| A．It was injured. | B．It was lost. |
| C．It was dead. | D．It was dirty. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Excited. | C．Anxious. | D．Angry. |
| A．It was killed. |
| B．It was sold. |
| C．It was sent back to the park. |
| D．It was kept in the birdcage. |
| A．treat animals friendly |
| B．communicate with kids sometimes |
| C．go to local parks more often |
| D．get along well with neighbors |
