1 . A study from the University of Montreal and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, published in Frontiers in Medicine, found that regular virtual visits to museums could help seniors stay mentally active and come with a host of additional health benefits. That’s because these digital connections can make retirees feel less lonely and isolated (孤立的).
Social isolation has been associated with the risks for heart disease and the decline of recognition abilities in seniors and the pandemic (疫情) increased the risks due to the need for seniors to stay home and isolate, according to a press release from the university.
The researchers investigated the potential benefits of weekly virtual visits for a three-month period. The participants were people aged 65 and older who lived in Montreal. Half of the participants took part in online visits and a discussion afterwards, while the control group did not participate in any cultural events at all. The group who participated in the virtual visits showed improvements in their quality of life. “Our study showed that art-based activities may be an effective intervention,” lead author Dr. Olivier Beauchet, a professor at the University of Montreal, said in the press release. “On a global scale, this participatory art-based activity could become a model that could be offered in museums and arts institutions worldwide to promote active and healthy aging.”
The initiative reflects approaches recommended by the World Health Organization to manage certain diseases, according to Beauchet. For instance, the WHO launched the Aging and Health Program in 2015 that included using community-based organizations to promote culture as a key component of improving health. Traditionally, these sorts of preventive health activities have taken place in schools, community centers, and workplaces. “While these are suitable locations that reach a great number of people, there are additional organizations and sectors that could become partners in public health research and practice development,” Beauchet said. “Museums are among such potential partners. They are aware of the needs of their communities and are consequently expanding the types of activities they offer.”
1. How do seniors benefit from regular virtual visits to museums?| A．They get survival skills. | B．They raise interest in art. |
| C．They improve quality of life. | D．They connect more with family. |
| A．Participants come from the whole world. | B．The museum needs better cultural events. |
| C．Face-to-face discussion is a useful intervention. | D．Seniors should attend more art-based activities. |
| A．To advocate. | B．To entertain. | C．To advertise. | D．To warn. |
| A．The Aged Form a Community to Reduce Loneliness |
| B．Virtual Art-based Activities Bring People Together |
| C．Online Museum Trips Improve Seniors’ Well being |
| D．Retired Individuals Pay More Visits to Museums |
2 . Art and science may seem like opposite things. One means the creative flow of ideas, and the other means cold, hard data-some people believe. In fact, the two have much in common. Now, a study finds art can help students remember better what they have learned in the science class.
Mariale Hardiman, an education specialist at Johns Hopkins University, noticed that students who used art in the classroom listened more carefully. They might ask more questions. They might volunteer more ideas. What’s more, students seemed to remember more of what they had been taught when their science lessons had involved(涉及) art. To prove that, Hardiman teamed up with some researchers and six local schools.
In the experiment, the researchers worked with teachers in 16 fifth-grade classrooms. They provided traditional science lessons and art-focused ones. In a traditional science class, for example, students might read aloud from a book. In the art-focused one, they might sing the information instead.
The team randomly assigned(随机分配) each of the 350 students to either a traditional science classroom or an art-focused one. Students then learned science using that way for the whole unit-about three weeks. When they changed to a new topic, they also changed to the other type of class. This way, each student had both an art-focused class and a traditional one. Every unit was taught in both ways, to different groups of students. This enabled the researchers to see how students did in both types of classes.
The team found that students who started off in a traditional class performed better after they moved into an art-focused class. But those who started off in an art-focused class did well even when they went back to a traditional science class. These students appeared to use some of the art techniques(技巧) after going back to a traditional class. Classroom teachers reported that many students continued to sing the songs that they learned after finishing the unit. “The more we hear something, the more we retain it,” Hardiman says. “It suggests that the arts may help students apply creative ways of learning on their own.”
1. Why did Mariale Hardiman do the study?| A．To prove the importance of art at school. |
| B．To see if art might improve science learning |
| C．To find a way to help her students learn better. |
| D．To know how to encourage students to ask questions. |
| A．Take two types of classes. | B．Learn three units in total. |
| C．Learn two topics for three weeks. | D．Choose what they’d like to learn. |
| A．Finish. | B．Express. | C．Improve. | D．Memorize. |
| A．Art helps students develop creativity. |
| B．Art-focused classes interest students a lot. |
| C．Art can make science easier to remember. |
| D．Art has something in common with science. |
Last March, Margarito drove to visit his mother who lived in the countryside. When he set off for home, Margarito’s mother looked at the dark sky and noticed the sign of a coming storm. Worried about her son's safety, she told him to drive as carefully as possible on his way home and he promised to give her a call upon his arrival.
With his mother's words in mind, Margrito approached the main road carefully. Soon, it started to rain heavily. Eager to get home, Margarito began to drive faster. Two hours later, he came to a bumpy mountain road that had been flooded by a creek（小溪）.Margarito, driving a four-wheel truck, figured that he would be OK. At that moment, he didn't realize that such a thought would be a big mistake.
It was halfway across the creek that an unfortunate incident took place: The rushing waters grabbed hold of his vehicle, pushing it off the road and sending it down a rocky creek bed. The truck finally stopped some 80 feet away. Margarito’s problems only grew from there as the water had somehow positioned the truck into the creek bank at a 45-degree angle, making it difficult for him to open the driver's side door. Injured and trapped inside with the muddy water rising quickly, Margarito was certain he was going to die. Shaking with fear, he was at a loss about what to do.
On the road right behind Margarito were a delivery worker named Steve and his nephew Mike, who were on the way to deliver furniture to customers in the countryside. They witnessed the horrible incident, and when Margarito's truck came to rest in the middle of the overflowing creek, Steve quickly began to take action. First, he grabbed a rope from the back of his vehicle and used it to ensure he could safely approach the truck.
注意：1．所续词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Next, Steve turned to Mike and yelled," Give me a rock!”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Margarito was about to thank Steve and Mike when the mobile phone in his jacket pocket rang.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Endangered polar bears are breeding (繁殖) with grizzly bears (灰熊), creating “pizzly” bears, which is being driven by climate change, scientists say.
As the world warms and Arctic sea ice thins, starving polar bears are being forced ever further south, where they meet grizzlies, whose ranges are expanding northwards. And with that growing contact between the two come increasing hybrids (杂交种).
With characteristics that could give the hybrids an advantage in warming northern habitats, some scientists guess that they could be here to stay. “Usually, hybrids aren’t better suited to their environments than their parents, but these hybrids are able to search for a broader range of food sources,” Larisa DeSantis, an associate professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, told Live Science.
The rise of “pizzly” bears appears with polar bears’ decline: their numbers are estimated to decrease by more than 30% in the next 30 years. This sudden fall is linked partly to “pizzly” bears taking up polar bears’ ranges, where they outcompete them, but also to polar bears’ highly specialized diets.
“Polar bears mainly consumed soft foods even during the Medieval Warm Period, a previous period of rapid warming,” DeSantis said, referring to fat meals such as seals. “Although all of these starving polar bears are trying to find alternative food sources, like seabird eggs, it could be a tipping point for their survival.” Actually, the calories they gain from these sources do not balance out those they burn from searching for them. This could result in a habitat ready for the hybrids to move in and take over, leading to a loss in biodiversity if polar bears are replaced.
“We’re having massive impacts with climate change on species,” DeSantis said. “The polar bear is telling us how bad things are. In some sense, “pizzly” bears could be a sad but necessary compromise given current warming trends.”
1. Why do polar bears move further south?| A．To create hybrids. | B．To expand territory. |
| C．To relieve hunger. | D．To contact grizzlies. |
| A．Broader habitats. | B．More food options. |
| C．Climate preference. | D．Improved breeding ability. |
| A．A rare chance. | B．A critical stage. |
| C．A positive factor. | D．A constant change. |
| A．Polar bears are changing diets for climate change. |
| B．Polar bears have already adjusted to climate change. |
| C．“Pizzly” bears are on the rise because of global warming. |
| D．“Pizzly”bears have replaced polar bears for global warming. |
5 . Talking to solve friendship problems
Sometimes our friends’ behaviour can offend us; sometimes we can see changes they need to make — but how do we tell them?
It’s important to have solid evidence that there is indeed a problem. Evidence that can be agreed upon makes it easier for other people to recognise issues.
Staying calm is vital.
Be realistic. Complicated problems are unlikely to be solved with one conversation. Consider what is possible in one discussion, and that it may be harder than you initially thought.
| A．Plan ahead properly to make a better conversation. |
| B．Are there any ways to make difficult conversations easier? |
| C．Learn to listen to carefully instead of merely blaming others. |
| D．This will help you to set realistic goals for what you can achieve. |
| E．Becoming tense might lead you to react badly and cause an argument. |
| F．Once you have proof, it’s important to highlight how it impacts us and others. |
| G．Talking about the problems realistically is the best approach to resolving the conflict. |
A funny thing happened to Arthur when he was on the way to work one day. As he walked along Park Avenue near the First National Bank, he heard the sound of someone trying to start a car. He tried again and again but couldn’t get the car moving. Arthur turned and looked inside at the face of a young man who looked worried.
Arthur stopped and said, “It looks like you’ve got a problem.”
“I’m afraid so. I’m in a big hurry but I can’t start my car.”
“Is there something I can do to help?” Arthur asked. The young man looked at the two suitcases in the back seat and then said, “Thanks. If you’re sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble, you could help me get these suitcases into a taxi.”
“No trouble at all. I’d be glad to help.”
The young man got out and took one of the suitcases from the back seat. After placing it on the ground, he turned to get the other one. Just as Arthur picked up the first suitcase and started walking, he heard the long loud noise of an alarm.
It was from the bank. There had been a robbery (抢劫)!
Park Avenue had been quiet a moment before. Now the air was filled with the sound of the alarm and the shouts of people running from all directions. Cars stopped and the passengers joined the crowd in front of the bank. People asked each other, “What happened?” But everyone had a different answer.
Arthur still carrying the suitcase, turned to look at the bank and walked right into a young woman in front of him.
She looked at the suitcase and then at him. Arthur was surprised. “Why is she looking at me like that?” he thought. “The suitcase! She thinks I’m the bank thief!”
Arthur looked around at the crowd of people. He became frightened, and without another thought, he started to run.
注意：续写的词数应为150左右。
Paragraph 1:
As he was running, Arthur heard the young man shouting behind, “Stop! Stop!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
The taxi stopped in front of the police station. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7 . The British Museum
Welcome to the British Museum to experience cultures across the globe, from the origin of human history to the present. The entry can be gained for free if applied on our website.
◆ Open today: 10:00-20:30
◆ Last entry: 19:30
Plan your visit
Book tickets and plan your day including exhibitions, facilities, access, food and travel. Book your free ticket to guarantee Museum entry and receive key information and updates before your visit.
Galleries
Please note that galleries in the Museum may be closed for maintaining clean or private events. All planned closures will be listed on the Visit page. Occasionally we may need to close galleries at short notice for safety reasons. We regret that in these cases we’re not always able to inform the public in advance.
Family visits
Families with children of all ages can enjoy a range of free gallery activities.
◆ Take on a Museum Mission
You can wander through selected galleries and complete five challenges. Find a variety of objects within the gallery, perform for a video using a phone or tablet, discuss an object, look closely at collection highlights, and pose for a photo shoot alongside the objects.
◆ Embark on a Museum Explorer Trail (路径)
Involving the whole family, each trail dives into interesting objects. Trails include Journey Across Japan, Africa Around the World, Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Fantastic Creatures and more.
◆ Explore with a Themed Backpack
This unique experience allows visitors under 16 to explore the museum in a fun way. Jobs in Roman Britain, best for ages 7-11, sees kids match modern objects with ancient objects; Sensory Support Backpack provides resources and ideas to support young visitors aged 3–11 with additional sensory needs in a busy museum environment; Little Feet, a backpack for kids under 5 for use in any area of the museum is also worth trying.
1. How could the visitors get entry to the museum?| A．By informing the staff in advance. | B．By applying on the Internet. |
| C．By sending email s to apply for entry. | D．By buying tickets at the door. |
| A．For keeping clean. | B．For personal activities. |
| C．For security issues. | D．For controlling visiting. |
| A．Having some discussions. | B．Taking photos of objects. |
| C．Doing the object matching. | D．Wandering around galleries. |
I had stopped at the Swindon services (服务区) while on my way back to London. As I drove up the slip road, I spotted a man with a backpack and his thumb (拇指) out. I pulled over and lowered the window.
“Which way are you heading?” I asked. “I’m going back to London.”
“Ah, that would be grand,” came his immediate reply. He opened the door and lifted his backpack on to the back seat. “I’m Brendan,” he said with an easy smile and a rich Irish tongue. “I was getting a bit desperate. I've had my thumb out for a day and half. Nobody seems to stop these days.”
“I haven’t eaten in days,” said Brendan. “I’m trying to get home.”
I’ve always enjoyed picking up hitchhikers (搭便车的人). I used to be a motoring journalist and crossed the country in various test cars. Picking up a hiker always made me feel a little less guilty about all the miles I was doing.
As we headed cast along the motorway, Brendan told me how he came to be waiting for a lift on that particular evening, and also about the two recent family tragedies that had ruined him and pushed him out of his old life and on to the road.
Brendan told me that he was 52. He laughed a lot and enjoyed his off-grid (不入网的) lifestyle. Until last week, that is, when he’d been mugged (抢劫).
“Three young men in Birmingham took my other pack and it had all my money in it. I’ve been sleeping out since then. I haven’t eaten in days. I’m hoping to get some casual work in London, so I can then get myself home to Ireland.”
It must have been the concept of home that got me, and helping a man who'd clearly had a tough time seemed like the right thing to do.
Para.1:
As we were approaching the Heathrow turn-off (希思罗机场岔道), I had an idea.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Para.2:
Before he left to buy his air ticket, he gave me a huge hug.
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9 . London and Paris are two of Europe’s biggest tourist destinations, just a few hours away from each other by road or rail and an hour’s distance by air. What about the train-ferry combination that many recall fondly from their childhoods? Well, though it’s budget-saving, this option is too time-consuming today, so better leave it to your memories. Since the UK is not part the Schengen Area, passengers need to go through passport control prior to boarding.
Air trips
Though flying between London and Paris is by no means recommended, there are still a few people traveling between the two dynamic cities by air. A very low one-way fare is possible through advanced booking, but of course it’s rare, and that doesn’t include the taxi and rail fares traveling to and from the airports.
* One-way fares from Paris can be as low as 49;
* From London, Air France flies with fares as low as £39(46), and British Airways as low as £48 (56).
Rail trips
The only direct train between London and Paris is the Eurostar, which travels 15 -17 times per weekday. Eurostar’s 2015 edition trains can make the journey in two hours at speeds of up to 320 km/h. Besides, they offer good seating space.
* Fares begin at a reasonable £58(68), round trip;
* The earlier you book, the more you save.
Bus trips
The bus is by far the least expensive and longest way to travel between Paris and London. Eurolines and OUIBUS are two major bus lines traveling between the two capitals. The journey takes between seven and nine hours. Both lines advertise free Wi-Fi.
* One-way Eurolines fares begin at 15;
* One-way OUIBUS fares begin at 15 too, but early bird sales can even lower the fare.
1. Which way is probably the cheapest for a round trip?| A．By train-ferry. | B．By air. | C．By rail. | D．By bus. |
| A．Free booking. | B．Taxi pickup. |
| C．Good seating space. | D．Free Wi-Fi. |
| A．There are different competing companies. |
| B．They are cheaper if booked ahead of time. |
| C．They are more expensive from the Paris end. |
| D．There are still additional fees to be included. |
10 . I was at a new school in a new state and needed something solid to stand on: a place to feel grounded. I also needed to do laundry, so I walked to a nearby self-service laundry and stuffed a machine with my clothes. As I struggled to close the washer door, the woman working behind the counter told me to give it a good hit with my hand. The washer did its job, yet even after an hour, the dryer seemed to have barely warmed my clothes. I left, having decided to air-dry them on my car in the August heat.
A month later, I learned her name was Sandy, which she told me after I’d helped her stop a washing machine from moving across the floor. I was grading poems at a table when one of the washers broke loose and skipped an inch into the air. I jumped to the machine and held on while she unplugged it. The next week, Sandy told me dryer No. 8 was the fastest.
It went on like this. I’d do laundry once a week, usually Thursday or Friday. Sandy worked Tuesday through Saturday and we’d talk small while I folded clothes. She told me about her son and his grades, as well as the new dog they’d just adopted. She was fascinated that I was studying poetry. She teased (开玩笑) that it was harder making a living as a poet than as a laundry attendant. Even then I knew she was probably right.
I began to recognize others there: workers taking breaks by the door, a mother and her baby, and even some delivery drivers. But Sandy was the center of my community. For nearly three years and almost every week, I’d do laundry and talk with her. We checked on each other, expecting the other to be there. We asked where the other had gone when we missed a week. There was a note of concern for the other’s absence, a note of joy at their return.
I’d found a place to stand on solid ground.
1. Why did the author leave with his wet clothes?| A．He liked the August heat better. | B．He had to go back to the meeting. |
| C．He wanted to show off his new car. | D．He didn’t think the dryer worked well. |
| A．She was warm-hearted. | B．She needed a volunteer. |
| C．She wanted to thank him. | D．She was sorry for the mess. |
| A．It was harder to fulfill. | B．It was really fascinating. |
| C．It was badly-paid work. | D．It needed a lot of effort. |
| A．He formed a close friendship with Sandy. |
| B．He made a lot of friends in college. |
| C．He expected Sandy to do laundry for him. |
| D．He often wrote to Sandy after graduation. |
