1 . South Koreans are being driven mad by noisy neighbours. And there is not much they can do about it.
The loud music that his neighbours keep playing is fairly
Mr Yoo is not the only South Korean
The government, which recently demanded thicker floors in
The
| A．difficult | B．easy | C．strange | D．competitive |
| A．called | B．posted | C．ordered | D．encouraged |
| A．studying | B．suffering | C．hearing | D．coming |
| A．that | B．who | C．when | D．where |
| A．addicted | B．compared | C．devoted | D．related |
| A．complaints | B．suggestions | C．discussions | D．treatments |
| A．establish | B．worsen | C．balance | D．mend |
| A．unnecessary | B．unbelievable | C．unreasonable | D．unusual |
| A．be fond of | B．put up with | C．get rid of | D．come up with |
| A．court | B．hotel | C．hospital | D．prison |
| A．low | B．new | C．far | D．high |
| A．And | B．Or | C．For | D．But |
| A．design | B．define | C．settle | D．create |
| A．barely | B．sometimes | C．never | D．seldom |
| A．effective | B．sensitive | C．natural | D．normal |
| A．rather than | B．along with | C．such as | D．instead of |
| A．habits | B．noises | C．functions | D．keys |
| A．holding | B．waving | C．following | D．attacking |
| A．number | B．price | C．view | D．scene |
| A．ridiculous | B．scientific | C．certain | D．unsure |
"Almost showtime!" Ms. Tuttle called. "Costumes on and smiles out!"
I frowned at myself in the dressing-room mirror. I was wearing white tights and a white swim cap that hid most of my hair. I was one of 10 snowflakes in my dance school's Winter Wonderland show. I'd learned in science class that no two snowflakes are alike, but all of us snowflakes were wearing the same costume.
"Grandma, I really don't feel like being in the show," I said.
Grandma Lani looked up from my ballet shoe. "Why, my grandchild?”Grandma Lani is Japanese American, and she has always lived in Hawaii. "You love to dance."
I used to love to dance. Then Ms. Tuttle gave the part of the Snow Queen to Christine Abrams. Christine got to wear a feathery skirt that fluttered like a cloud every time she twirled（旋转）. And she got to do a dance onstage all by herself.
The snowflakes just ran to look like a blustery snowstorm. I sighed. "I don't like our dance. And no one would notice if I wasn't there. There are so many of us.”
“I would notice. So would your parents.” Grandma paused as Christine walked toward us holding a basketful of pretty snowflake ornaments（装饰品）.
Christine handed one to me. "Break a leg, Jack" she said, smiling. That means good luck. The ornament had my name on it.
“Thanks. You too,” I said. It was nice of her to paint everyone's name like that.
Grandma Lani smiled at Christine. "What a beautiful costume!” Christine left, her skirt fluttering behind her.
I hung my head. Grandma took my hand. “What's bothering my Jack?”
“You came all this way,” I whispered. "And you won't be able to tell me apart from the other snowflakes.”
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
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Paragraph1:
Grandma was about to speak when something outside the window caught her eye.
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Paragraph 2:
We watched the snow for a few more minutes, even though my toes were turning to ice.
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1. Which color is often used in flags?
| A．Blue. | B．Red. | C．Green. |
| A．To show how important the United Nations is. |
| B．To show which color means peace. |
| C．To show how many colors are on it. |
| A．A research on different colors. |
| B．The colors often used in national flags. |
| C．The difference between different national flags. |
| A．Switzerland. | B．England. | C．America. |
The Palace Museum, known as the Forbidden City, is the
6 . In a world with so many countries, religions, tribes and customs, it is impossible for everyone to like everything. While we have come a long way since civilization began, some communities are stuck with age-old traditions.
Famadihana-dance with the dead
A funeral（葬礼）tradition followed by the Malagasy tribe in Madagascar, people dance with dead bodies as part of the Famadihana custom. After bringing bodies of ancestors from their burial place, they re-wrap them in fresh cloth and dance around the tomb to live music. The ritual is followed once in seven years, but has been in the decline.
Venezuela-don't show up on time
Venezuela are just like Indians! Reaching on time is considered rude in Venezuela and it is recommended to reach at least 15 minutes later than the scheduled time. Guests who reach on time are looked down upon as being too eager and greedy. Well, Venezuela should take some cue from Indians!
India-throw the baby for good luck
This custom is mostly followed in Karnataka where newborn babies are thrown off the 50-feet high above Sri Santeswar temple. The babies are obviously caught by the family in a cloth. Couples who are blessed with a baby take a vow at the temple following this 500-year-old tradition, which is believed to bring good luck to the babies.
Scotland-just blacken the bride
Having some fun before the wedding is great, but this pre-wedding custom in Scotland doesn't seem to have a lot of fun for the bride. The custom involves throwing eggs, spoilt milk and basically, all things disgusting at her. The "blackened bride" is then taken around the town. The custom is a metaphor for the tough life that the bride might have to go through after the wedding. The tradition prepares her for the new chapter as after going through this, all marital（婚姻的）problems will look tiny.
1. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “ritual”?| A．Tradition. | B．Manner. | C．Culture. | D．Belief. |
| A．Dancing with the dead in Famadihana. | B．Showing up on time in Venezuela. |
| C．Throwing the baby for good luck in India. | D．Blackening the bride in Scotland. |
| A．To disguise the bride. |
| B．To pray for the good luck for the bride. |
| C．To show the hardship of marriage to the bride. |
| D．To get the bride ready for the may-be-hard marriage life. |
7 . The conductor on the podium (指挥台) has no baton (指挥棒), no tailcoat and no musical score, but Android Alter 3 is kicking up a storm as it guides a symphony orchestra's players through their paces.
The robot has a humanoid face, hands and lower arms, which gesture with what could pass for passion as it bounces up and down and rotates during the live performance of Keiichiro Shibuya's opera Scary Beauty in the Emirate of Sharjah.
Video from the recent performance in the Emirate of Sharjah showed the machine turning to face orchestra members and waving its arms. Alter 3 even sang at times.
Shibuya said the involvement of robots in the everyday lives of humans is continually increasing. But, he said he thinks people will need to decide in the future how artificial intelligence can best improve the human experience.
Shibuya added that he believes humans and robots can learn to work together to create beautiful art. "This work is a metaphor of that relations between humans and technology," he said. Shibuya noted that sometimes the music-leading robot can "get crazy", making it difficult for the musicians to keep up. But other times, the humans and machines cooperate very well.
Shibuya said the robots and AI that exist today are "far from complete". He is interested in studying how such incomplete technology can be combined with art.
"I think this is a very exciting idea…We came to see what it looks like and how much is possible," said Anna Kovacevic. Another audience member, who gave his name only as Billum, said after the show, "You know, a human conductor is so much better." Although he said he is interested in AI and looks forward to big developments, he concluded on the project: "The human touch is lost."
1. What does Shibuya think of Alter 3?| A．It is not perfect at present. | B．It teams up with humans well. |
| C．It often makes humans crazy. | D．It is better than human conductors. |
| A．The performance drew mixed reactions. |
| B．Billum took no interest in the performance. |
| C．The audience were fascinated by the performance. |
| D．The audience thought Alter 3 would have a bright future. |
| A．Positive | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Critical. |
| A．Robot Cooperates with Humans |
| B．Robot Conducts Human Orchestra |
| C．The Significance of Robots in Art |
| D．The Relations Between AI and Humans |
8 . “All the world’s a stage.” William Shakespeare wrote. More than 400 years later, stages around the world still show Shakespeare's plays. But who is William Shakespeare? And what makes his plays so great?
William Shakespeare was born in 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon, a small town in England. He went to a local school as a boy. When he was 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. Within three years, they had three children. But Shakespeare wanted more from life; he longed to be in the theatre.
Shakespeare joined a travelling acting company. His family stayed in Stratford. The acting group went from town to town performing plays. During that time, Shakespeare began writing his own plays and poems.
By 1594, Shakespeare owned part of the company. In 1599, Shakespeare’s company opened the Globe Theatre, a huge circle with a stage and balconies. Royalty and other rich people sat in the balconies. Common folks crowded into an open courtyard in front of the stage.
Although Shakespeare's theatre looked like other theatres of his time, his plays were different. Unlike many plays written before, in Shakespeare's plays characters behave like real people. They have good qualities, and they have weaknesses.
Some of Shakespeare’s plays are tragedies-serious stories in which sad things happen. But the way Shakespeare wrote has allowed audiences to understand characters’ problems. In the play Romeo and Juliet, terrible things happen to the young lovers whose families hate each other. Shakespeare’s plays make people laugh, too. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, fairies fool with humans' romances, creating some funny scenes.
The language in Shakespeare's plays sounds strange to our modern ears. But people spoke differently 400 years ago. One reason that his language sounds different is Shakespeare's fondness for rhyme. And even when the words don't rhyme, they have a rhythm, or beat.
Shakespeare was an artist, and words were his medium. He played with words until he got them to say just the right thing. And if existing words weren’t right, Shakespeare made up new ones.
Before his death in 1616, Shakespeare had written 37 plays and more than 100 poems. Many are still favourites today; some have been made into movies. Audience love listening to Shakespeare's beautiful language. And they still identify with his characters’ problems and their emotions.
1. Why did William Shakespeare join a travelling acting company after marriage?| A．He longed to be popular. | B．He wanted to leave his home. |
| C．He dreamed to be in the theatre. | D．He planned to leave his family. |
| A．Characters in Shakespeare’s plays were real people. |
| B．Shakespeare’s plays made people think and laugh. |
| C．Shakespeare’s plays included tragedies and comedies. |
| D．There were strengths and weaknesses within the characters. |
| A．He is still loved by audience today. |
| B．He loved writing plays with sad endings. |
| C．He wrote his plays with rhyme, rhythm or beat. |
| D．He made up new words to express the right thing. |
A scavenger (拾荒者) in Foshan city, Guangdong province, found a
His good deed was pictured Sept. 11 on a video, in
So, while
According to the note that
Thanks to this man, local police
10 . Seventeen years ago, Matt Harding quit his day job to go on a journey that would lead him to more than 30 countries in seven continents. Best known for a dance that looks very similar to running in place while moving his body, Matt and his dance eventually attracted the attention of Stride Gum. The company then paid Matt to travel, dance and record videos. He has danced with locals in Mulind, Rwanda; and in a narrow canyon in Petra, Jordan; and in a crowded street in Tokyo, Japan, all on the expenses provided by his sponsor (赞助商). “I’m most thankful for dancing. The dancing gives me an opportunity to see places I’d never get to otherwise. The people and experiences have taught me a great deal,” Matt Harding said.
Every state has its highest point, and Wilson Moniz has climbed them all. By the age of 12, Wilson had already earned the record of being the youngest climber to reach all 50 high points in the United States. His journey, which lasted just 43 days, took him from the lowest high point in Florida to the highest point in Alaska. “It’s important to try to encourage kids to go outside and protect public land.” Wilson Moniz said.
Helen Thayer became the first woman to ski solo to the North Pole at age fifty. She walked across the landscapes, experienced the low temperatures and faced the threat of polar bears. At age 63, Helen walked across all 1,600 miles of the Gobi Desert. She’s also boated 2,200 miles of the Amazon River, which she’s written books about. She said, “That I was the first woman to reach the pole on a solo adventure was unimportant to me. It was the learning experience and the struggle to overcome the challenges that made the journey so worthwhile and precious.”
1. What was Matt Harding most thankful for?| A．The dancing that had a special pattern. |
| B．The experiences that taught him a great deal. |
| C．The expenses which his sponsor had provided. |
| D．The videos he had made with his special dancing. |
| A．Helen got a precious prize for her solo adventure to the North Pole. |
| B．Helen succeeded in her journey to the North Pole thanks to her husband. |
| C．Helen was proud to be the first woman to reach the North Pole by herself. |
| D．Helen thought highly of what she had learned and overcome during her journey. |
| A．Skiing to the North Pole |
| B．Dancing Brings an Opportunity |
| C．Three Inspiring Travelers’ Stories |
| D．The Youngest Climber in the US |
