1 . When you go running in the woods in your running tights, elastane (氨纶) is the reason why they fit you so comfortably. Elastane is an elastic material that allows the fabric to stretch and adapt to your body.

But when elastane fibres are mixed with cotton, wool, nylon or other fibres, as is the case in many clothes today, the clothes become almost impossible to recycle. It is extremely difficult to separate out the different fibres, and therefore the materials in the clothes cannot be recycled.

But this may change, says Assistant Professor Steffan Kvist Kristensen from the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center at Aarhus University. Together with a number of colleagues, he is behind a new technology that can separate out fibres in mixed fabrics.

“We’ve developed a method to remove elastane completely from nylon. We’re not quite there yet with cotton, because some of the cotton fibres are broken down in the process. But we believe that, with some minor adjustments, we can solve this problem,” he says.

It is not easy to separate elastane and other fibres once they have been woven(编织) together. Clothes are made by winding the main fibres, such as nylon or cotton, around the elastane fibres, which consist of long chains of molecules (分子). The fibres only break apart if we break the long chains of molecules, explains Steffan Kvist Kristensen.

By heating the clothes to 225 degrees Celsius and adding a specific alcohol, the researchers have found a method to break down the bonds in elastane chain. When this happens, the chains fall apart and the materials separate. “The whole process takes place in what is in effect a large pressure cooker that we feed the clothes into. We then add a little alcohol and a potassium hydroxide(氢氧化钾) base and heat it up. Then we let it cook for just over four hours, and when we open the lid again, the different fibres will have been separated.” says Steffan Kvist Kristensen.

So far, Steffan Kvist Kristensen and his colleagues have only experimented with two nylon stockings at a time. The technology is therefore not yet ready for application at industrial scale.

1. What can we learn about elastane from the passage?

A．It is an eco-friendly material.	B．It is a kind of stretchable fabric.
C．It makes the clothes far from recycling.	D．It is made up of short chains of molecules.

2. Why is a pressure cooker used in the experiment according to the text?

A．To separate more fibres.	B．To reduce the heating time.
C．To increase the temperature to 225℃.	D．To ensure the safety of the experiment.

3. What can be inferred about this new technology?

A．It can separate all sorts of fibres.

B．It needs plenty of energy to work.

C．There is a long way before it is widely used.

D．There is no possibility to separate elastane from cotton.

4. What is Steffan Kvist Kristensen’s attitude to this new technology?

A．Satisfied.

B．Confident.

C．Critical.

D．Unclear.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Within the Qing (1644-1911) imperial court, a unique collection of paintings can be identified, which were created by European missionaries (传教士) working at the imperial court.

One outstanding example is Pine, Hawk, and Lingzhi Fungus   (《嵩献英芝图》),     1     (complete) in 1724 during the Yongzheng period, and crafted by Italian court painter Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), known by his Chinese name, Lang Shining. This artwork    2     (present) as a birthday gift to Emperor Yongzheng.

    3     are described in the painting-pine trees, a white hawk, and lingzhi fungus-is to symbolize longevity in traditional Chinese culture. Lang Shining perfectly combined Chinese themes of auspicious (吉祥的)     4    (bless), through tangible objects with Western painting techniques, such as point perspective. This combination brought    5    fresh perspective to traditional Chinese bird-and-flower paintings.

Perspective, the Western painting technique introduced by Lang Shining, also found its     6     (influential) in Principles of Visual Perspective (Shixue《视学》), authored by knowledgeable Nian Xiyao (1671-1738),     7     learned from Lang Shining about Western perspectives and drawing techniques. He also played a significant role in the history of Chinese painting,     8     (serve) as a pioneer in cultural exchanges between China and the West. By absorbing Western painting skills    9    traditional Chinese bird-and-flower paintings, he breathed new life into the Chinese painting field,     10     (particular) during the Qing Dynasty.

4 . The Ministry of Education and three other ministries have jointly issued a notice about launching a national campaign on short-sightedness prevention and control to protect children’s eyesight.

A paragraph in the notice says that primary and secondary school students should engage in appropriate outdoor activities during class breaks. Additionally, 30 minutes of physical activity during the daily midmorning break will be organized to give students more time to engage in outdoor activities and long-distance viewing, enabling their eyes to rest fully from visual fatigue.

Midmorning breaks can address more than just vision problems. Physical activity during breaks helps children to not only exercise but also reduce stress, making subsequent classroom learning more focused and effective. At the same time, midmorning physical activities provide children a platform to engage in social activities, strengthening their social adaptation abilities.

Sometime toward the end of 2023 there was a huge demand after some schools did away with even 10-minute breaks for primary and secondary school students. The Ministry of Education responded by saying that it would further regulate activities in schools. Before the latest notice was introduced, several related policies had been guaranteeing midmorning physical activity for primary and secondary school students, which have now been implemented in many cities, showing good results.

To effectively utilize (利用) the 30-minute midmorning break, teachers play an essential role because they can enrich the activities to the maximum extent by combining the interests and hobbies of children of different age groups and adding various sports activities that will benefit children the most. At the same time, it should be clear that the midmorning break is not only the responsibility of physical education teachers. It requires joint efforts from physical education teachers, class teachers and other staff members to ensure the breaks are used effectively.

To make the most of the 30-minute midmorning break, it is also crucial to stimulate the enthusiasm of children. Innovating the form and content of the midmorning break and mobilizing children’s enthusiasm and initiative to participate in midmorning activities are urgent priorities.

1. What do the underlined word “fatigue” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Failure.

B．Disability.

C．Loss.

D．Tiredness.

2. Which of the following is true according to the last two paragraphs?

A．Midmorning activities should appeal to children.

B．Children should be forced to engage in midmorning activities.

C．Midmorning activities should be restricted to traditional sports.

D．Physical education teachers should take full charge of the the midmorning break.

3. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Children Should Participate in More Activities

B．Midmorning Break Should Be Extended to 30 Minutes

C．Kids Should Have a Better Break for Eyesight Protection

D．Physical Activities Should Be Organized for Children’s Health

5 . Showing the rites (仪式) stuff

Nearly a hundred objects of historical value from the Confucius Museum are now on show at the exhibition, Rites, Music, and Costumes, which runs until May 26 at the China National Silk Museum, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. It shows how Confucianism was an essential part of the Chinese liyue culture, an education of social etiquette (礼仪) through engaging in poetry, rites, music and dancing.

These artifacts mark the significance of Confucius and how his teachings have been followed throughout centuries. Several exhibits are being shown in Zhejiang for the first time.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 73-1 Yuhuangshan Lu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8703-5223.

A brush with greatness

In his life, Li Jianchen taught at several universities to help cultivate (培养) for the country many artists and architects of note. Besides his respectable accomplishments in teaching, he was also acknowledged as the “father of modern Chinese watercolor”.

An exhibition now on at Jiangsu Art Museum shows selected watercolors by Li, from his donations to the museum. Painted at different stages of his career, these works trace the evolution of his art, reflecting changing social needs and artistic tendencies. The show ends on March 31.

9 am-85 pm, closed on Mondays. 333 Changjiang Lu, Nanjing, Jiangsu province. 025-8961-0810.

Spanish expression

Different Cycles from Different Eras United by a Single Paintbrush, an exhibition currently running at Shenzhen Art Museum in Guangdong province, brings together 118 paintings produced by Spanish expressionist Jorge Rando since the 1960s. They are from the dozen series he has created over the past five decades, revisiting themes such as a mother’s love, nature, landscapes, butterflies and cycling, to name a few.

In 2019, Rando’s works were shown in Hunan and Sichuan provinces. The current exhibition in Shenzhen runs until May 26.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 32 Donghu Yijie, inside Donghu Park, Aiguo Lu, Luohu district, Shenzhen, Guangdong province. 0755-2542-6069.

1. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A textbook.	B．A travel brochure.
C．A newspaper.	D．A club leaflet.

2. What can people enjoy at the exhibition “Rites, Music, and Costumes”?

A．Music and dancing.	B．Paintings.
C．Watercolors.	D．Sculptures.

3. What do the exhibitions at Jiangsu Art Museum and at Shenzhen Art Museum have in common?

A．They are about Chinese art.

B．The exhibits are donations.

C．They will end on the same day.

D．They are painting exhibitions.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What does the speaker most probably do?

A．She is a tour guide.

B．She is a teacher.

C．She is an organizer of the exhibition.

2. How much is the ticket to the castle?

A．£2.

B．£3.

C．£5.

3. What time will the bus leave on Saturday?

A．At 8:40 am.

B．At 8:50 am.

C．At 9:10 am.

4. What can the listeners learn from the special exhibition?

A．When the castle was built.

B．What ancient people wore.

C．How the cars were invented.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Alex want to watch?

A．Tom and Jerry.

B．Superman.

C．Journey to the West.

2. What does Alex think of Tom and Jerry?

A．It’s silly.

B．It’s funny.

C．It’s popular.

3. Which cartoon character does the woman like best?

A．Tom.

B．Jerry.

C．The Monkey King.

9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Sarah, a high school student, had a great passion for baking. With her parents’ support, Sarah dreamed of opening her own bakery, a place where she could turn her interest into a business. However, she knew the importance of improving her skills and gaining real-world experience.

Therefore, every Saturday, without fail, she would set up a small but charming table at a local park. The park, filled with families and laughter, was the perfect place for Sarah to sell her creations. Her table, neatly laid out with colorful homemade cookies and cakes, attracted passers-by with the desserts’ smell.

On a particularly bright and sunny afternoon, as Sarah was carefully arranging her chocolate cookies and cakes, her attention was drawn to an elderly woman sitting alone on a bench. The woman, with her silver hair and sad eyes, seemed lost in thought. As the hours went by, Sarah noticed that the woman remained where she was, seemingly forgotten by the world. A sense of concern washed over Sarah. So she decided to act. She poured a cup of warm tea carefully and cut a generous slice of her rich chocolate cake, a crowd favorite, and approached the woman.

“I thought you might like some snacks,” Sarah said with a warm, inviting smile. The woman’s face lit up as she accepted the treat. “Thank you, dear. I haven’t had such a delicious treat since my retirement,” she responded, her voice soft yet filled with gratitude. As she enjoyed the cake, tears rolled down her face.

A little shocked, Sarah asked what had happened. The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Wilson, who had been a baker before she retired. Since losing her husband to cancer a week ago, she had been living alone. Her visits to the park were her escape from the loneliness that filled her quiet home. Sarah listened attentively, her heart touched by the woman’s story.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。

Sarah decided to help Mrs. Wilson out.

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Over time, their unlikely friendship became noticed in the park.

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