1 . Let’s get to some famous attractions in London!

Chinatown

At the beginning of the 20th century, many Chinese immigrants gathered together in the East End of London and set about creating businesses to provide services for Chinese people who frequented the area. In the 1930s and 1940s, with a large inflow of immigrants from Hong Kong and a growth in popularity of Chinese cooking style, many Chinese restaurants opened elsewhere.

Natural History Museum

It was ever known as part of the British Museum which was established in 1753. The museum exhibits a large number of cultural relics. It holds collections coming from every continent around the globe. It exhibits millions of life and earth samples, and visitors can witness collections having great scientific value like samples that were collected by Charles Darwin.

Madame Tussauds London

The museum is created by the w ax sculptress, Marie Tussaud. Located on Marylebone Road, it is the first Madame Tussaud’s museum, which opened about 200 years ago, though there are now a variety of other branches within different cities around the globe. The museum hosts lifelike figures, including royal people, film stars, sports stars and models.

Royal Observatory, Greenwich

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich in London, has played a global role in the history of astronomy and navigation. It was established in 1675 with the key function being to set right the places of the fixed stars and find the desired navigational places. With its position overlooking the River Thames in central London, it makes for an excellent tourist attraction on a year-round basis.

1. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A course plan.	B．A tourism journal.
C．A science magazine.	D．A history textbook.

2. What makes Natural History Museum different from the other three places?

A．Its scientific samples.	B．Its birth city.
C．Its Chinese architectural style.	D．Its lifelike figures.

3. Which attraction has the longest history?

A．Chinatown.	B．Natural History Museum.
C．Madame Tussauds London.	D．Royal Observatory, Greenwich.

2 . Travelling abroad can present many challenges, including long journeys, language problems, and culture shocks, plus the expense of transport and accommodation.     1     It is rewarding to get to experience life in different ways.

One of the wonderful benefits of going abroad is that you can learn history and culture without real effort. There’s a natural tendency to absorb other cultures and pick up historical concepts, while enjoying yourself at the same time.     2    

Another great benefit is that living in a foreign culture is the only real way to fully understand its language.     3     Even if you’re a complete beginner and only manage to pick up a few key phrases of the local language, you still know more than when you arrive.

    4     People in other countries can demonstrate different ways of doing things and alternative ways of being. It can open up your mind and generate new ideas. A direct encounter with a fresh expression of arts, religions, architecture, and food can contribute to an enlightening and valuable experience.

Removing yourself from the familiar and travelling to a new country can be a very powerful tool for gaining self-awareness and deeper understanding.     5     It can help you shift how you see yourself. Perhaps ironically, visiting a foreign country can also teach you things about your homeland. You get to view your land of birth from another perspective and have something to compare it with.

A．It’s far superior to learning it in a classroom.

B．The new land gives you a fresh social environment.

C．The direct experience helps you remember something easily.

D．Many people wonder what they should do in a foreign country.

E．Travelling abroad can also boost creativity and drive innovation.

F．Another benefit of travelling abroad is the relaxation you can get.

G．However, there’s rarely a dull moment when you’ re in a different country.

3 . The most obvious dog fetish (迷恋) today is the longing for cuteness. Almost every day you can see adorable pictures of dogs and other animals that will make you smile and say, “How cute!”

It is a cultural phenomenon that the media scholar James Meese calls the “cute economy” which exists primarily on social media, is user-generated, and is heavily dominated by pictures of animals, especially pets. The goal is to generate a positive response, probably followed by a tap on the screen to “like” and “share”. We can click through image after image of cute animals doing cute things, feeling a little boost of good cheer.

The marketing researchers have identified some of the most common categories of cuteness in online pet content: animals doing silly things; animals of extreme size; animals with unusual looks; and animals behaving in ways that seem human-like. Dogs and other animals in the “cute economy” are often further humanized by being dressed in clothing and accessorized (装饰) with hats, jewellery, nail polish and fur dyed a rainbow of colors. Users who post successfully and with some strategies can make money by doing so. Thus, certain dogs have become cuteness celebrities, with millions of devoted followers and paid content from advertisers.

Unfortunately, the price of the “cute economy” comes at a serious cost. The cutest and most popular breeds tend to be those with the most significant risk of health and behavioral problems. Cuteness is often coupled with their discomfort. People are drawn to the cuteness of dogs with extremely foreshortened skulls and extremely short legs and awkwardly long bodies, such as the French bulldog and the corgi.

Actually, there are well-established health issues. We should treat the “cute economy” with caution, like resisting the commodification (商品化) of appearance by opting out of social media channels promoting the “cute economy”. We can also choose not to “like” or “share” images of dogs whose cuteness is linked with discomfort. Although we are biologically attracted to dogs that are super cute, we should be mindful in our “impulses”.

1. What is the key to the “cute economy” according to the text?

A．Taking photos of different animals.

B．Cute animals’ attractive appearance.

C．Pets’ owners’ liking adorable pictures.

D．Posting cute animals’ pictures on social media.

2. Which kind of cuteness is most likely to be the online pet content?

A．A normal-sized dog is eating bones.

B．A white cat is quietly lying next to its owner.

C．A monkey is attentively taking care of its baby.

D．A parrot dressed in a suit is singing and dancing.

3. What is the side effect of the “cute economy”?

A．It will change the animals’ nature.

B．It may make the animals not so cute.

C．It may cause health problems to the animals.

D．It will result in a decline in animal population.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．The Cute Economy and Its Price	B．Share Pictures or Not
C．Happiness from Pets	D．Marketing Strategy — Cuteness

4 . As a public research university in the USA, our mission is the creation, dissemination (传播), preservation and application of knowledge for the betterment of our global society. Here is something that you need to know to have a clearer understanding about University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Awards and Honors

With 16 Nobel laureates, 15 MacArthur fellows, 120 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships and more Olympic medals than most universities, our university has become a household name with academic and athletic brilliance. Because of this storied history, it’s easy to imagine that we’ve been around forever, when in fact, our university turned its 100th anniversary in 2019. We are just getting started the beginning of the story.

Community Engagement and Impact

The global city of Los Angeles is a dynamic environment for building and testing dreams. People come here because they want to make the world a better place and they find support in our mission, values and community. Their passion becomes a public service to the city, the state and the world.

Experience Major and Minor Discoveries

If you’re not sure of a major yet, don’t worry. Many freshmen change their major while at our university. Thanks to the width of our top-ranked academic program and our cross-disciplinary (跨学科的) approach, you’ll have endless opportunities to find your path. And our 10-week quarter system lets you sample a multitude of subjects and classes.

Freshmen generally decide on a major by the end of their sophomore year (大二学年). Transfer students who declare a major when applying must satisfy lower-level course requirements. You may be able to add a minor in an area that interests you.

1. How many years does UCLA have by 2023?

A．102.

B．103.

C．104.

D．105.

2. What is the benefit from community engagement of UCLA?

A．Getting support from community engagement.	B．Strengthening family connections.
C．Improving the city’s reputation.	D．Developing leadership.

3. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．Sophomores can choose their major.

B．The university has few majors to choose.

C．The students are not allowed to add any minor.

D．The freshmen have no options to choose their major.

5 . I am 49 now. Reader’s Digest has been a(n) _______ part of my family since even before I was born. My father, a planter who _______ a tea estate in Sri Lanka, has _______ Reader’s Digest since the late 1950s. And then he naturally changed from a tea merchant to a writer for it.

In an era with no television or the Internet, the evenings were spent _______ the magazine. By the time I became literate, there was a cupboard full of Reader’s Digest _______ by me, which my father bought for me. With its _______, my knowledge was gathered too. At first, it was the real stories that were most _______ for me, where I learned some life lessons.

I read through them all over my school holidays. One thing I learned from Reader’s Digest is how to reverse (倒车) a car, which still benefits me today. I _______ reading a small piece of news about the tips on _______ a car up to a space in a short time, and to date, I can make it with the ________ effort and the most relaxed mind than most people.

I’ve ________ had to spend much time getting trained how to reverse a car fast. Every time I need to do it in one ________ step, I thought of the textual ________ and the vivid diagram from the Reader’s Digest. Who would have thought Reader’s Digest could be a “________”? I hope that the next generations will continue to enjoy reading and gain something ________   like me.

1.

A．essential

B．awkward

C．challenging

D．legal

2.

A．left

B．ran

C．spotted

D．visited

3.

A．given away

B．set aside

C．subscribed to

D．stored up

4.

A．copying

B．booking

C．reading

D．printing

5.

A．collected

B．designed

C．assessed

D．purchased

6.

A．publication

B．transformation

C．increase

D．display

7.

A．difficult

B．instructive

C．tiresome

D．traditional

8.

A．admit

B．postpone

C．propose

D．remember

9.

A．backing

B．picking

C．giving

D．counting

10.

A．latest

B．slightest

C．biggest

D．craziest

11.

A．never

B．indeed

C．occasionally

D．usually

12.

A．close

B．false

C．frequent

D．quick

13.

A．errors

B．requirements

C．limitation

D．explanation

14.

A．merchant

B．loss

C．coach

D．barrier

15.

A．fashionable

B．practical

C．previous

D．financial

6 . The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, known as “the third pole”, or “the roof of the world”, is one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. While biological evolution at several genomic loci (基因组位点) enabled early people in Xizang to better adapt to high altitudes, obtaining sufficient food from the resource-poor highlands would have remained a challenge.

Now, a new study of The British Academy reveals that dairy product was a key component of early human diets on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The study reports ancient proteins from the dental calculus of 40 human individuals from 15 sites across the inner plateau.

“Our protein evidence shows that dairying was introduced onto the hinterland plateau by at least 3,500 years ago,” states Prof. Hongliang Lu, corresponding author of this study. Ancient protein evidence indicates that dairy products were consumed by diverse populations, including females and males, adults and children, as well as individuals from both upper class and lower class. Additionally, prehistoric Xizang highlanders made use of the dairy products of goats, sheep, and possibly cattle and yak. Early pastoralists (牧民) in western Xizang seemed to have had a preference for goat milk.

“The adoption of pastoralism helped to revolutionize people’s ability to occupy much of the plateau, particularly the vast areas too extreme for crop cultivation,” says Prof. Nicole Boivin, senior author of the study.

Tracing dairying in the deep past has long been a challenge for researchers. Traditionally, archaeologists analyzed the remains of animals and the interiors of food containers for evidence of dairying. However, the ability of these sources to provide direct evidence of milk consumption is often limited.

“Palaeoproteomics (古蛋白质组学) is a new and powerful tool that allows us to investigate Xizang diets in unheard-of detail,” says coauthor Dr. Shevan Wilkin. “The analysis of proteins in ancient human dental calculus not only offers direct evidence of dietary intake, but also allows us to identify which species the milk came from.”

1. What made early humans in Xizang adapt to high altitudes?

A．Sufficient food.	B．Dairy products.
C．Their strong will.	D．Natural selection.

2. What is reflected in ancient proteins about early humans in Xizang?

A．Their physical age.	B．Their daily diet.
C．Their mental health.	D．Their social status.

3. What is the restriction of the traditional way of tracing dairying?

A．Failing to ensure the correctness.

B．Taking up too much space and time.

C．Lacking remains of ancient animals.

D．Demanding too many professional researchers.

4. Where does the text most likely come from?

A．A government work report.	B．A local radio program.
C．A science journal.	D．A collection of anecdotes.

7 . Cheerleading squads (啦啦队) are known for their energy and athleticism, and always add fun and excitement to any event. Most cheerleading groups have young members, so this Arizona cheerleading squad certainly stands out. Sun City Poms, which only recruits (招募) members who are over 55, has distinguished itself as a cheerleading squad that brings joy to seniors and audiences of all ages.

Established in 1979, the team consists of women aged over 55 who live in Sun City, a retirement community in Arizona. This community of active seniors women are passionate about dancing, performing and staying active, and prove that there is no age limit to what you love to do. The team has become increasingly popular, and the members are known for their energetic performances at parades, festivals and events throughout the state.

Despite the demanding schedule, the women remain committed to the team. This cheerleading squad brings joy to seniors by keeping members physically fit, building friendships, and fostering a sense of community. The Sun City Poms currently has 30members and a handful of trainees, who can join after completing a three-month class, learning two routines, and proving they have what it takes.

On March 25, the group successfully held the “Celebrate the Poms” show, which drew a crowd of over 700 people. It even included a special number from “The Flops”, who count the husbands, friends and lovers of the Poms as members.

Zirbel, in her eighties, already has a lot of memories with the group and is ready to make more. She shared that in one event alone. She estimated that she walked about three miles. Despite the tiring schedule and off days, Zirbel is not about to leave the team anytime soon.

1. What made the Sun City Poms special?

A．Its founders.

B．Its members.

C．Its location.

D．Its service.

2. What should an applicant do to join the Sun City Poms?

A．Get through qualification training.	B．Demonstrate their advantages.
C．Remain committed to the team.	D．Practice 3 routines in 2 months.

3. Why did Zirbel mention “three miles” in her sharing?

A．To prove her energetic daily life.	B．To indicate her tiredness of the work.
C．To show the effort involved in the event.	D．To complain about the stress of the training.

4. Which of the following sayings best suits the story?

A．No young or old learner is a teacher.

B．When is life enough to be idle and idle?

C．One year older, one more point of responsibility.

D．Although the violin is old, it can still play a good tune.

8 . 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。

Think of travel in Greece, and your mind may wander to images of ferries cruising(巡航)across the Aegean Sea. Taking to the water is essential if you plan to travel between the Greek islands, but there     1     (be) plenty of other ways to enjoy Greece’s amazing landscapes, including planes, trains, buses     2     bicycles.

Cycling in Greece is growing in     3     (popular), best done in spring and fall rather than high summer. Strong leg muscles are     4     must to tackle the mountains, or you can stick to some of the     5     (flat) coast roads than the mountain roads. Some are bicycle-friendly, but others have such steep roads     6     cycling is not recommended.

Overall, cycling infrastructure around Greece leaves something to be desired. Bicycle lanes are rare to nonexistent, and there is a real danger from speeding cars —     7     (drive) by locals and tourists alike.

Bicycles may be carried for free on some ferries, while on others, there may be a fee, or they may not be allowed at all because of a lack of space on board.

You can rent bicycles in most tourist hangouts, but they are not as     8     (wide) available as cars and motorcycles. Prices range     9     €10 to €20 per day,     10     (depend) on the type of bicycle. Always make sure the rental cost includes the use of a helmet.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的词或括号内单词的正确形式。

China’s first ever Master’s degree in comprehensive Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) research kicked off at Tianjin University in August 2022. Now, the major has received its first update, and a set of textbooks     1     (tailor) to the special degree are currently being compiled (编写).

The titles of three textbooks    2     (reveal) so far. The General Theory of Intangible Cultural Heritage aims to provide students with a theoretical foundation for ICH research and will be     3    great use to newcomers in the field. The Book of Wolk Literature and Art and The Oral History of Inheritors are designed with case study examples attached to each subject.

The textbooks are being worked on by leading experts in the field. Twenty years ago, Chinese     4    ( pioneer) scholar Xiang Yunju published a book called Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The book has become     5    basic guide for the world’s as well as China’s scholars to establish a comprehensive ICH system. Currently, Xiang is working as the chief    6    (edit) of The General Theory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Although the major is not the only Master’s degree in China to touch upon the subject of ICH, yet unlike all other “cultural heritage” majors    7     see ICH as a sub-discipline, the    8     (new) established major attempts to provide students from different backgrounds with the most targeted training according to the     9    (official).

Such a kind of “interdisciplinary” training led Su Junjie, a Chinese ICH scholar with years of teaching experience at Deakin University in Australia,     10     (call) it “innovative” and “world-leading”.

10 . 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。

It was the afternoon before Christmas Eve as I looked tiredly at my youngest daughter Kitty’s wish list for her presents. Major dental surgery (牙科手术) two days earlier had left my face painfully swollen (肿胀的), and most surely influenced my holiday spirit.

To make matters worse, Kitty had provided me with the world’s least helpful list: “Something red. Something old. Something you can put things in. Something strange ...”

After completing the important shopping of lots of food necessary for a big family gathering the next day, I was just quite tired and impatient. But no matter how hard it was to please my youngest daughter, I couldn’t let her down. Then her older sister Helen came up with the solution. The local antique store was sure to have something that fitted Kitty’s wish list. Owned by an extremely nice couple, the place was packed with valuable things and also not-so-valuable ones.

Surely, it was the last place where I wanted to go. Three years before, I had rushed out of the place in tears after selling them my grandmother’s silver forks and spoons and most importantly my valued ballet-dancer doll. That year had been difficult, and though I told myself that they were only things, it hurt to trade my remaining valued things, especially my ballet-dancer doll, for common things such as electricity and food. The shame of crying in public over it only made matters worse. Since that year, I had never visited that store.

After this long period of time and with a greatly swollen face, I thought it was unlikely that the owners of the store would recognize me. And, sure enough, the place offered gifts for every possible taste.

So in the afternoon before Christmas Eve, wearing a hat, I left home together with Helen to the antique store to pick up the gifts that Kitty wanted. Before long, we arrived at the store. While walking and choosing the gift there, I wondered, “What if the owners recognize me?”

注意：
1.续写词数应为 150 左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

So I pulled down the edge of my hat to hide my face.

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And the owner held out my old ballet-dancer doll, adding, “It’s our Christmas present to you.”

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