1 . British artist Sacha Jafri has had an incredible year. In September, he set the record creating the world's largest painting. Last week, the painting was sold for $62 million, which Mr. Jafri will give to charity.
Mr. Jafri is a 44-year-old artist from England. Last year, as the coronavirus spread and many countries went into lockdown, Mr. Jafri was in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Rather than feeling stuck because he was unable to move on, Mr. Jafri decided to take on a huge project that could "make a really big difference". He decided to create the world's largest painting. And he wanted to do it in a way that would involve people from around the world. He asked children to send him pictures showing how they were feeling during the pandemic. He got artwork from kids in 140 different countries. Using the children's ideas as a starting point, Mr. Jafri began to paint.
The painting is massive --- over 17,000 square feet. Mr. Jafri planned to cut it up into smaller pieces when he was finished, so he could sell them for charity. It took him 7 months to create the painting. He worked long hours --- often up to 20 hours a day.
Mr. Jafri hoped that his painting, called "The Journey of Humanity", would help bring the world together during a difficult time. He tried to keep the ideas from the children's pictures in his mind. He even included the children's drawings in the artwork. When he finished last September, he had set a Guinness World Record for the world's largest painting. The painting was roughly the size of four basketball courts. Since Mr. Jafri's goal was to raise money to help children, the painting was split up into 70 large sections. Mr. Jafri hoped that by selling the sections separately, he could raise $30 million.
But when the auction (拍卖) ended on March 22, Mr. Jafri did much better than that. And he didn't have to split up the pieces. The whole artwork was sold for $62 million. That's the fourth highest price ever paid for a painting by a living artist.
1. What drove Mr. Jafri to work on such a huge project?| A．His talent for painting. | B．His craziness about fame. |
| C．His desire for wealth. | D．His enthusiasm for charity. |
| A．It reflected the ideas of the children. | B．It took him years to get it done. |
| C．It was purchased by different buyers. | D．It was sold at his expected price. |
| A．A Most Famous British Artist | B．A Guinness World Record |
| C．The World's Largest Painting | D．The Most Expensive Painting |
| A．He hates hot weather. |
| B．He has no interest in the beach. |
| C．He is waiting for the football match. |
3 . According to the National Federation of the Blind, fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million people who are legally blind in the U.S. are braille readers. But one woman has made a difference in their lives and my son's life, too.
35 years ago, my son, Jared, was born blind. Fortunately, I learned about a life-changing organization when Jared's teacher introduced us to Seedlings Braille Books for Children. It was founded by Debra Bonde, who helped blind children all over the world.
A shy woman, Debra just wanted to find a volunteer job she could do without having to talk to anyone. So, she signed up for a braille transcription(转录)class in the hope of translating books into braille in the basement of her Detroit home.
Debra began transcribing popular children's books, printing them on a braille printer and selling them for just the cost of the paper.
Word spread among parents and teachers of blind children, and demand grew for more of her books. Friends helped her to form a nonprofit organization so she could start getting grants（拨款）and donations to help with production costs. She named it Seedlings Braille Books for Children because she believes that if you give a child a book, the love for reading will grow. Seedlings has produced 600,000 books across the world so far. They give half of their books away for free. The other half are sold for an average price of only $10 each, about half the cost of producing them.
As a mother, I appreciated that Seedlings provided "typical" experiences for Jared in school. Since books from Seedlings were affordable, it was possible to have a home library. Without the childhood skills Seedlings provided to Jared, he would not have a job as a software engineer now.
1. How did the author get to know Seedlings Braille Books for Children?| A．From Jared's teacher. | B．From the library. | C．From her friend. | D．From other parents. |
| A．To make a living. | B．To read more braille books. |
| C．To do volunteer work alone. | D．To start a nonprofit organization. |
| A．Talented and social. | B．Shy and generous. | C．Helpful and brave. | D．Mild and neat. |
| A．The author lived an easy and rich life. |
| B．Jared got along well with all his classmates. |
| C．The author attached importance to her son's reading. |
| D．Jared will spread the skills he learned during his childhood. |
4 . He came from somewhere south of Rome. I didn't know when or how he got to America,
＂My name Tony Trivionno and I mow （割） your lawn. "he said. It was hard to comprehend his
I managed to
＂I want to be an apprentice （学徒），”he said one day.
Many years later, I found him in our
Tony came to America seeking the American Dream. But he did not find it-he
| A．swam | B．cycled | C．skied | D．sprang |
| A．damaged | B．broken | C．strange | D．appealing |
| A．particular | B．boring | C．plain | D．difficult |
| A．give away | B．turn away | C．pick up | D．pull through |
| A．swept | B．decorated | C．blocked | D．marked |
| A．Hopefully | B．Fortunately | C．Obviously | D．Secretly |
| A．hired | B．warned | C．obliged | D．promoted |
| A．impression | B．experience | C．doubt | D．anxiety |
| A．trouble | B．award | C．reward | D．disaster |
| A．wandered | B．thought | C．worried | D．forgot |
| A．bring in | B．leave out | C．work out | D．take in |
| A．tasks | B．kids | C．animals | D．arguments |
| A．Now that | B．In case | C．Even if | D．Ever since |
| A．read | B．record | C．copy | D．draw |
| A．rise | B．cut | C．step | D．break |
| A．casual | B．memorable | C．formal | D．familiar |
| A．happier | B．luckier | C．heavier | D．paler |
| A．astonishment | B．confidence | C．amusement | D．confusion |
| A．discovered | B．acknowledged | C．deserved | D．created |
| A．office | B．school | C．hotel | D．basement |
5 . Rome can be pricey for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel (旅社). The hostels in Rome offer a bed in a dorm room for around $25 a night, and for that, you’ll often get to stay in a central location (位置) with security and comfort.
Yellow HostelIf I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel. It’s one of the best-rated hostels in the city, and for good reason. It’s affordable, and it’s got a fun atmosphere without being too noisy. As an added bonus, it’s close to the main train station.
Hostel Alessandro PalaceIf you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun. Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests like free shots, bar crawls and karaoke. There’s also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.
Youth Station HostelIf you’re looking for cleanliness and a modern hostel, look no further than Youth Station. It offers beautiful furnishings and beds. There are plenty of other benefits, too; it doesn’t charge city tax; it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms; it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.
Hotel and Hostel Des ArtistesHotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful, providing you with a map of the city when you arrive, and offering advice if you require some. However, you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.
1. What is probably the major concern of travelers who choose to stay in a hostel?| A．Comfort. | B．Security. |
| C．Price. | D．Location. |
| A．Yellow Hostel. | B．Hostel Alessandro Palace. |
| C．Youth Station Hostel. | D．Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes. |
| A．It gets noisy at night. | B．Its staff is too talkative. |
| C．It charges for Wi-Fi. | D．It’s inconveniently located. |
6 . Reese Witherspoon was born on March 22, 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the second child of the family. Reese spent the first four years of her life in Wiesbaden, Germany, where her father John Witherspoon served in the US Army Reserves. Shortly after, John moved the family back to the United States, settling in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reese was introduced to the entertainment industry at a very early age. At age 7, she began modeling. This led to appearances on several local television commercials. At age 11, she was placed first in a Ten-State Talent Fair.
In 1990, she landed her first major acting role in The Man in the Moon(1991). Her role as a 14-year old tomboy earned her good reviews. Roles in bigger films such as Jack the Bear (1993) and A Far Off Place (1993) followed shortly after.
Following high school graduation in 1994, Reese decided to have a pause in her acting career and attend Stanford University where she would major in English literature. However, her plans were shortly stopped when she accepted roles to star in two major motion pictures. Although neither film was a huge box-office success, they did help to make Reese a rising star in Hollywood and open the door for bigger and better film roles.
Her breakthrough role came as Elle Woods in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde In box office terms, the movie was a great success and made Reese one of the top female stars in Hollywood. In the year 2014, she produced both Gone Girl and Wild, for which she got nominated (提名) for a best actress Oscar again for her role.
Reese is actively involved in children's and women’s advocacy organizations. She is a longtime supporter of Save the Children, an organization that helps provide children around the world with education, health care and emergency aid.
1. Why did Reese stop her studies at Stanford University?| A．Because she starred in two successful films. |
| B．Because she was more famous in Hollywood. |
| C．Because she was involved in advocacy organizations. |
| D．Because she decided to take on roles in two important films. |
| A．Caring. | B．Defensive. |
| C．Confusing | D．Admiring. |
| A．Following the order of time. | B．Using figures. |
| C．Giving examples. | D．Making comparison. |
7 . I was 12 years old, and my mum had just died from cancer. My dad had a drinking problem that mum had been managing all these years - suddenly he had a good reason to drink, and no one to stop him any more. He hit the bottle hard.
I went from being quite a high achieving student to being in the bottom quarter for English. But among all this, there was my English teacher. Miss Ward, who was so supportive. She changed my world. She listened to me and engaged with me. She had me talking in front of the English class, and was always reminding me to write something for the school magazine. She’d always find the good in the stuff I wrote.
I started the #FindMissWard action after going to a class reunion. Nobody knew what had happened to her. I’d just written a book about my journey on foot around the edge of the UK to highlight the stigmas (伤痕) surrounding mental health - and I thought it would be fantastic if she came to the launch (发布会). I think about 1.3 million people saw the post asking for help finding her, and tens of thousands of people
The lovely thing was that so many people came out and said they had a “Miss Ward” too. One person on Twitter sent a message about their own Miss Ward and about five tweets later this woman said,“Here I am!” They were reunited almost instantly - it was amazing. I’m certain there’ll be lots of people who have never got round to looking for the teacher who made a lasting impact on their lives, but maybe wish they had. Luckily, we're going to be meeting up in a couple of weeks. I just want to say thank you. I feel very lucky to have had her in my life.
1. What does the underline sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Drank heavily. | B．Put the bottle away. |
| C．Struck bottles strongly. | D．Hurt himself on purpose. |
| A．Honest and helpful. |
| B．Caring and humorous. |
| C．Responsible and encouraging. |
| D．Strong-willed and out-going. |
| A．Because he wanted to know what happened to Miss Ward. |
| B．Because he and his classmates missed Miss Ward so much. |
| C．Because he hoped Miss Ward could come to his book launch. |
| D．Because he suffered mental problems and Miss Ward could help him. |
| A．The author has found his Miss Ward. |
| B．Few people took part in #FindMissWard action. |
| C．Miss Ward had a lasting impact on many people. |
| D．The author's Miss Ward commented on his message. |
8 . There are over 60 zoos in England. We have collected hundreds of reviews, checked the zoo websites, researched several zoo•related resources and visited many of them by ourselves to giv e you this selection: 10 best zoos in England.
Chester Zoo Among top 15 zoos in the world, it is one of the most•visited and largest zoos in England. |
Whipsnade Zoo With more than 2,500 animals, it is one of the few UK zoos with elephants. |
Marwell Wildlife Full of African and Australian animals, there is surely a lot to see within very large grounds. |
Howletts Wild Animal Park It was set up as a private zoo at first and opened to the public later. The place looks very natural and you can get very close to the animals there. |
Port Lympne Wild Animal Park With Britain's largest number of African elephants, it offers truly African experiences. |
Colchester Zoo With 270+ species, it is very child•friendly and offers lots of h ands•on activities. |
Twycross Zoo It holds what is supposed to be the world's largest collection of apes (猿). There are also rare leopard species. |
Bristol Zoo Gardens This is a 175•year•old zoo with rare animals like fruit bats (果蝠). |
Paignton Zoo As home to a collection of around 2,000 animals and 1,600 plant species, it is one of the first places in England combining zoological and botanical (植物的) gardens. |
London Zoo As one of the oldest zoos in the world, it is well worth a visit. |
| A．visit the largest zoo in English. |
| B．watch the African and Australian animals. |
| C．experience hands-on activities. |
| D．have a close observation of the animals. |
| A．Howletts Wild Animal Park. | B．Colchester Zoo. |
| C．Twycross Zoo. | D．Paignton Zoo. |
| A．a science magazine. | B．an adventure fiction. |
| C．a travel guide. | D．a book review. |
9 . Around this time of year when the weather gets cooler in Arkansas, there are a lot of homeless people, as well as people with different situations who just need help.
Oftentimes Our family serves at a soup kitchen where they give out bags of food to needy families in our area. And we’ll help put those bags of food together and hand them out, among other things.
There are a lot of reasons why serving the community is important to me, but one of them has to do with my father. My grandfather died when my father was 4 years old and my grandmother had four kids all under the age of 5, all born pretty close together. That was a time when things were so bad in the country. There wasn’t work and often the family hardly made ends meet, so my grandmother put the kids in a childrenˈs home so that they could at least have food to survive.
My dad said he never forgot the local charity would bring the kids a gift for Christmas. The kids worked hard in the children’s home and the only present they got was from the local charity. He never forgot this kindness and always appreciated the local charity for what it did when he Was a little boy.
My dad was such a hardworking worker- family meant the world to him. I was the seventh baby in my family and my mother had me just after she turned 40. She was one of those high-risk pregnancy moms, and Iˈm so grateful she had me. My mom and dad made a happy home for us, and I’m so grateful for that. I hope my children are catching those lessons, not just from Mom and Dad, but from grandparents and everyone else in their lives.
1. Why does the author consider serving the community important?| A．His father led a hard life in his childhood. |
| B．He was inspired by his fatherˈs life experiences. |
| C．He was grateful for what his father had done for him. |
| D．His father worked hard and took good care of the family. |
| A．The family had too many children. |
| B．The kids were born too close together. |
| C．It provided food for the kids to survive. |
| D．The kids could lead a very comfortable life there. |
| A．Kind and creative. | B．Strict and helpful. |
| C．Devoted and patient. | D．Grateful and hardworking. |
| A．Father meant the world to the family. |
| B．The author hopes his kids learn to be grateful. |
| C．The kids received Christmas gifts from their parents. |
| D．The author’s family opens a soup kitchen to offer help. |
10 . On Aug. 17, the National Parks Service posted the tale of the adorable note on their Facebook page, where it has since been liked over 5,200 times, and shared more than 700.
“Dear Park Ranger, Deep Creek Conversation Park was great! I especially liked the Tom Branch Falls,” the youngster, named Karina, began her letter. “I love it so much; I wanted to have a souvenir to come home with me, so I took a rock. I’m sorry, and now I want to return it. Also, here’s a donation!”
The heartfelt letter concluded with a postscript to “also look on the back”, where the girl drew a picture of the Tom Branch Falls, a waterfall in the grand park near Swain County, N.C. Lucky for Karina, the park rangers were touched by her sincere apologies for the small “theft”, and even wrote back.
“Dear Karina, thank you so much for returning the rock. It has made its way back to the Tom Branch Falls. We are so glad you enjoyed your visit,” the park officials wrote in their Facebook post. “Already, you are becoming an amazing keeper for the park. Thank you for recognizing that what is in the park should stay in the park. If every visitor took a rock home, that would mean 11 million rocks would be gone from the park every year. Now that you know to leave nature the way you find it, we hope you will help share this message with others. It is always a good thing to give another the chance to discover!” the officials concluded.
The cute letter evidently hit all the right notes with Facebook commenters, who agreed that Karina had the quality to be a “future park ranger”, and praised her parents for the valuable lesson the exercise taught the girl.
1. Why did the girl write the letter?| A．To make an apology for her stealing a rock. |
| B．To appreciate the beauty of the park. |
| C．To share her wonderful experience of visiting the park. |
| D．To thank the park rangers for doing a good job. |
| A．Delighted | B．Moved. | C．Confused. | D．Curious. |
| A．Easier said than done. |
| B．Always prepare for a rainy day. |
| C．It’s never too late to apologize. |
| D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
