1 . Adding to the achievements of a remarkable year, Taylor Swift has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023.

Already a superstar before 2023, Swift’s career has reached new heights thanks to the beginning of her Eras Tour that brought her 3.5-hour performance to 66 shows in 23 cities across North America, Argentina and Brazil. Promoted by her tour, Swift has been named the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify and Apple Music. According to Billboard, the tour made about $900 million (about 6.4 billion yuan) in 2023. In addition, the tour’s movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour became the biggest concert movie of all time, taking more than $250

million globally.

As she was declare a billionaire by Bloomberg in November, a hidden “Taylor Swift economy” also promoted sales for business owners across the US. From soaps to a cruise inspired by her different “eras”, interest in Swift-related products went way up.

Apart from her financial contributions, Swift made a significant cultural impact by taking back control of her music. In 2019, her old record label, Big Machine, sold the master tapes of her first six albums (专辑) to Scoot er Braun. The sale meant that she didn’t have the rights to the albums. In response to this, Swift began re-recording her first six albums, tagging (加标签于) them “Taylor’s Version”. This move stressed her belief that artists deserve to own their work. “It’s all in how you deal with loss,” she told Time. “I respond to extreme pain by resisting.”

Heading into 2024, Swift will start the Eras Tour again in Japan and Australia. As USA Today noted, “Her current top has been a long time coming, but it may also be just beginning.”

1. What do we know about Taylor Swift?

A．She broke a new record on her tour.	B．She toured South America before 2023.
C．Her achievements received great recognition.	D．Her performance began with the Apple Music.

2. What other contribution did Taylor make except economy?

A．She proved herself to be an artist.	B．She learned to make some products.
C．She had influence on music culture.	D．She sold her master tapes to a company.

3. What can we learn about Taylor Swift from the last paragraph?

A．She will end her music career.	B．She will continue her Eras Tour.
C．She will reach her top in Japan.	D．She will make a record in Australia.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards Taylor Swift?

A．Admirable.

B．Uncaring.

C．Doubtful.

D．Critical.

3 . When Param Jaggi was five years old, he had a passion to take things apart to see what was inside. He started with toys and even broke a computer, which made his parents not too pleased. As he got older, he shifted from breaking things to building things, which greatly comforted his parents. In middle school, he started working on projects in his kitchen laboratory, and his first project was making biofuels.

Although Jaggi’s parents initially thought his experiments were just a boyhood fancy, he remained determined to make a difference to the environment. Eventually, his parents came around and started supporting his dreams. Jaggi’s interest continued as he grew up, but he focused more on solving real problems, especially those related to the environment.

At 17, Jaggi went beyond his school projects and co-founded Ecoviate, a company that uses technology to solve everyday energy and environmental problems. He planned to transform people’s idea that going green is expensive, by making available a series of affordable products that are easy to use. Through Ecoviate, he designed products that could contribute to a greener future. One of his notable inventions was the “CO₂ube”, a device that could reduce carbon emissions, and it’s available to many people at low prices.

Young Jaggi, now a third-grade college student studying engineering and economics, has become a famous eco-innovator and his company is developing promisingly. However, Jaggi’s vision to save the environment goes beyond creating products. He plans to launch an online platform through Ecoviate, which will encourage young students interested in science and technology to get actively involved in innovation and invention. Students can submit a science project online, and talk about the help that they need to make the project a reality.

1. What can we learn about Jaggi?

A．He dreamed to be an engineer.	B．He was curious by nature.
C．He always annoyed his parents.	D．He was addicted to playing toys.

2. What do you infer about Jaggi’s parents in Paragraph 2?

A．They were fed up with Jaggi.

B．They were satisfied with Jaggi’s experiments at the beginning.

C．They change their mind and were in favor of Jaggi’s experiments at last.

D．They thought Jaggi’s experiments were fantastic .

3. What drove Jaggi to develop affordable and user-friendly products?

A．His love for greener devices.	B．His pursuit of academic career.
C．His hope to boost green industry.	D．His desire to make a difference in ecosystem.

4. Why does Jaggie plan to launch an online platform?

A．To empower young inventors.	B．To promote smart products.
C．To provide eco-themed courses.	D．To offer environmentalists funds.

4 . Nanjing Yunjin brocade is traditional Chinese silk art with a history of about 1,600 years. Its complex weaving (编织)techniques, various colors and patterns, and its particular choices of materials make it valuable and ancient people said, “An inch of brocade, an inch of gold.” Today, the traditional characteristics and unique skills of yunjin remain to be an award-winning art treasure. Its techniques are passed down from generation to generation by artisans.

Zhou Shuangxi, a national-level inheritor (继承人) of yunjin weaving techniques, is one of them. Back in 1973, he graduated from a mining school and was selected to become a student at the NanjingYunjin Research Institute along with five other students, just because he was “in good shape”. There were only several masters in their 70s and not even a loom (织布机) to use. “The old masters finally remembered a loom was stored somewhere. When I opened the door, I saw what seemed like a pile of wood,” Zhou recalled.

“Weaving was difficult, but different from mining. Mining requires heavy physical labor, but working with the soft and thin silk requires studying and practicing in front of a loom for decades until you master the technique. My hands became quite awkward due to mining, so I used to put my hands in warm water whenever I could. In this way, they could become softer and weave the silk more easily,” he said.

Out of the six or so students, Zhou is the only one who has insisted on the trade to this day. Having devoted the past five decades to yunjin production despite all the sweat and struggles, he has developed his techniques to the point where he can weave the antique dragon robes in all their small details. He also made various artworks that not only show China's intangible cultural heritage but also serve as Zhou Shuangxi's artistic creations.

“I am lucky to be in such a good era and I have the honor of being a representative inheritor,” Zhou said.

1. What was Zhou’s original impression of yunjin weaving techniques as a student?

A．They faced an uncertain future.	B．They were popular among the public.
C．They required much physical strength.	D．They were closely related to his schooling.

2. Why did Zhou put his hands in warm water?

A．To relieve the pain of mining.	B．To make them much more suitable for weaving.
C．To gain an attractive appearance.	D．To rest his hands and draw inspiration.

3. What kind of person is Zhou probably according to the text?

A．Determined and creative.	B．Awkward and hesitant.
C．Encouraging and honest.	D．Adventurous and sociable.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The ups and downs of yunjin.

B．People’s appreciation of a traditional art treasure.

C．Artisans’ struggle to pass down traditional techniques.

D．A national-level inheritor of yunjin weaving techniques.

5 . 语法填空

This summer, have you been surprised by women wearing hanfu, or Han-style clothing, at subway stations, shopping malls or     1    (scene) areas?

In 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China set the     2     (three) day of March in the Chinese lunar calendar,     3     (traditional) the birthday of the Yellow Emperor as the annual Traditional Chinese Garment Day. Since then,     4     beauty of hanfu has gained more and more recognition and acceptance by common people.

Generally, Hanfu refers     5     traditional Chinese clothing worn by the Han ethnic group before the Qing Dynasty (1644—1911). Historically, Han Chinese clothing has also influenced some of its neighboring cultural clothing,     6     (include) the Japanese kimono, Korean hanbok, and clothing of Mongolia, Vietnam and Bhutan.

Hanfu appears elegant and beautiful,     7     is not only due to the thousands of years of culture behind its beautiful design, but also because of its extraordinary craftsmanship and aesthetics (美学). Hanfu includes more than 30      8    (example) of China's intangible cultural heritage as well as Chinese arts and crafts under preservation.

Hanfu     9     (represent) an aesthetic for living and a continuation of traditional Chinese culture. Nowadays, more and more fashion designs look to hanfu for inspiration     10    (create) their own brand.

6 . 语法填空

All over the world millions of people take part in different     1     (kind) of sports, such as surfing, football, running, skipping, plank and so on. As a representative of     2     most popular kinds of sports, Football doesn’t need expensive     3     (equip), which is the basis of its popularity. Kids can     4     (see) playing to their hearts’ content with a ball     5     (make) of plastic bags. Besides, it is the best way     6     (communicate) with each other and much more than just a sport. Running as a popular sport can not only improve lung function but also help treat asthma,     7     deals with stress and     8     (anxious), making people relaxed and energetic, so it is loved by everybody.

    9     a word, we can benefit a lot from doing exercises. If your friends do not like sports, do persuade him/her into     10     (take) part in it.

7 . 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。

Many people while they are at home alone imagine having the opportunity     1     (sing) together with others,     2     was realized as a virtual choir. Anyone can take part in it from anywhere. It has proved to be a positive influence     3     the lives of many people. Award-winning composer and     4     (conduct) Eric Whitacre came up with the idea of a virtual choir, who began studying music in 1988.     5     (move) by Mozart’s classical music, he received     6    master’s degree in     7     (music) composition in 1997. In 2009, his first virtual choir received     8     (million) of views on the Internet and     9     (become) a worldwide phenomenon   since then. In 2014, he     10     (form)the Virtual Youth Choir for UNICEF, and 2,292 young people from 80 countries sang his song “What If”. The virtual choir is a wonderful way for people around the world to sing with one voice and thus make the world a better place.

8 . How to save money to visit Shanghai Disneyland?

The “happiest place on earth” is a top destination on many families’ bucket lists. But taking a vacation to Disney World can be difficult to do on a budget. There are some considerations that you can make to reduce the cost of your Disney World vacation.

1. Buy Souvenirs in Advance

Disney has influenced practically every industry, which makes it easy to find Disney items anywhere, from Walmart, Target, and your local grocery store to department stores and Amazon. You can save a lot of money by purchasing items before your trip at these less-expensive places than at Disneyland.

2. Make an Autograph Book

An autograph book is seen as a must-have by many Disneyland enthusiasts and is a memory you can take home with you. These books can cost anywhere from $7.95 to $19.95 at the Disney Store and up to $30 for the latest-and-greatest autograph book at Disneyland, such as the park’s 60th anniversary edition. Other choices can get the job done for under $5.For example, you can buy a small photo album, cute pads or notebooks.

3. Eat Breakfast before You Arrive

Breakfast is almost as pricey (昂贵的) as lunch or dinner if you eat inside the Disneyland parks. If you have a hotel with a free breakfast, take advantage of it. If you want to eat out, eat at a local restaurant that is inexpensive or has a kids’ menu, such as McDonald’s which is close to the park.

4.Take Advantage of Discounts Offered to Special Groups

Disney offers a wide variety of discounts, including for military service members, college students, teachers, and youth groups. If you think you might qualify for a special discount or group rate, call the Disneyland Resort to book tickets.

1. It may take you more money to buy souvenirs at 　　　.

A．Disneyland

B．Department stores

C．Walmart

D．Amazon

2. How much do you pay for the park’s 60th anniversary edition?

A．$7.95.

B．$19.95.

C．$5.

D．$30.

3. What is one piece of the author’s advice on breakfast?

A．You had better eat at Disneyland.	B．You can eat at a local restaurant.
C．You should prepare it well at home.	D．You can ask the hotel to supply it for free.