A. After one month of painting every day, from sunrise to sunset, I was selling here and there, mostly right off the easel (画架), but I quickly burned through my savings, and soon after, lost my apartment and moved into my car parked along the Pacific Coastline. A few more months passed. I was underfed and had no gas to move my car, but I kept painting.
B. This was back in 2008 and so many years later, I’m painting more than ever. I will still pick up an illustration job from time to time, but painting plein air is what I love more than anything - this is how I spend my time. I have work in a couple of galleries here in Oregon, but I do most of my sales through my website, which is updated daily.
C. One day, with a dozen paintings laid out by my feet in South Laguna with a serious sunburn and hungry stomach, a woman walked by, complimented my work and then bought all of my paintings! Turns out this woman was a big art collector. Then she generously gave me a show in her home a couple of weeks later. I nearly sold out at the show and then I got picked up by a famous gallery in Laguna Beach the following week.
D. After graduating from art school with a degree in illustration (插图), I was at a stand still and didn’t know how to work in the art industry. Back then, I was still living in Laguna Beach, California, so I decided to try my hand at plein air (野外写生) painting. This was something I had only done once or twice before, and with little success.
E. After a week, I fell in love with the work of Edgar Payne, William Wendt and the like, and at that moment I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life.
2 . In the eyes of many environmentalists, the world appears to be getting worse. They believe, the natural resources are running out and the air and water are becoming ever more polluted. But if we check the facts, things look different. Energy has become more abundant, not less so. Fewer people are starving. What seems to cause this gap between perception and reality?
One factor is the prejudice in scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that there are more potential problems than actually exist.
Secondly, environmental groups seek attention from the mass media. They also need to get continuous financial support. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes exaggerate (夸大) their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a statement titled: “Two thirds of the world’s forests lost forever”. The truth turns out to be near 20%.
The media can add to confusion too. People tend to be more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants. That, however, can lead to significant misinterpretations. For example, when a natural disaster happens, the media usually highlights the negative parts, giving more attention to the disaster’s details and what happens afterward. This flood of bad news can make people think that such events are more frequent or serious than they actually are. Consequently, people may develop a sense of insecurity, despite statistically low probabilities of similar events happening to them.
Another factor is people’s poor perception. People worry that vaccines can cause severe side effects or long-term health problems. Despite extensive scientific evidence demonstrating their safety and effectiveness, some individuals remain hesitant due to unfounded fears.
It is crucial that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic – but more costly still to be too pessimistic.
1. What aspect of scientific research does the writer worry about in paragraph 2?A.The need to produce results. | B.The selection of research areas. |
C.The lack of financial support. | D.The desire to solve research problem. |
A.To show how influential the mass media can be. |
B.To show how effective environmental groups can be. |
C.To show how the mass media can help groups raise funds. |
D.To show how environmental groups overstate their claims. |
A.educate readers | B.mislead readers |
C.meet readers’ expectations | D.encourage readers’ feedback |
A.Making decisions based on reality. | B.Balancing optimism and pessimism. |
C.Being optimistic to avoid costly mistakes. | D.Addressing the environmental crisis gradually. |
3 . Mei Lum is the fifth-generation owner of Wing on Wo & Co. in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
For Lum, the oldest-running business in Manhattan’s Chinatown sees the neighbourhood growing larger and larger and is an informal living room where she came of age. In the store on Mott Street, she shared meals with her family, took Chinese lessons with her grandparents and helped clean the store as a young girl.
Wing on Wo was started in the 1890s. In the early days, Wing on Wo was a general store that mainly sold dried fish and canned (罐装的) goods. It was also an informal post office. When Lum’s grandmother, Nancy, took over in 1965, she decided to focus on porcelain (瓷器) specifically. Its heyday (全盛时期) was the late 70s to the late 80s. A lot of the goods came from Hong Kong, where Lum’s grandfather grew up.
In 2016, her grandmother planned to sell the porcelain specialty shop and its building. Lum, who was preparing to study international relations at Columbia University, decided to take over the store — not only to preserve (保护) its cultural value, but to create a community centre.
“I see the store as a place for conversation for Asian Americans. They want to learn about family history and tradition, and are curious about their cultural identity. I want them to learn about their identity through our porcelain,” Lum said.
Wing on Wo has remained a family business from its founding. Lum’s father, Gary, has been manning the counter (柜台) for the past 30 years. Her mother, Lorraine, processes orders and manages the website. Even her grandmother helps out with some work in the store.
The pandemic pushed Lum to start learning how to run an online store. She’s also added a lot of new activities, including youth programs, an artist residency and a ceramicist fair, to ensure that in addition to preserving tradition, the business is shaping the future of Chinatown.
1. What did the store mean to Lum according to paragraph 2?A.It gave her a chance to help her neighbours. |
B.It played an important role in her childhood. |
C.It helped her to develop a money-saving lifestyle. |
D.It had a great influence on her choice of university. |
A.She sold Wing on Wo. | B.She opened a new general store. |
C.She began selling only porcelain in the store. | D.She changed the store into a porcelain factory. |
A.To collect money for her college education. |
B.To learn business skills from her grandmother. |
C.To encourage young people to start a family business. |
D.To provide a historical connection for Asian Americans. |
A.Responsible and forward-looking. | B.Humorous and hard-working. |
C.Creative and honest. | D.Kind and patient. |
4 . I had no idea that the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) existed (存在) until I went to the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder club fair with my best friend in September. There was a stand that was run to find volunteers for the festival in the spring, and I signed up. I wasn't quite passionate (狂热的) about films but just wanted to do some volunteer work.
The first volunteer shift I had was before the festival started, and I got to organize all of the passes needed for the festival, including those of all the volunteers, sponsors, filmmakers, and VIP members. I even managed to get a picture of myself and Ale c Baldwin's pass.
During the festival, I worked as a vaccine (疫苗) checker, checking people's vaccination cards and giving out wristbands since BIFF required everyone to be vaccinated to enter the many halls. This job-wasn't terrible, except for the fact that we were outside most of the time and it was snowing. By the end, I could hardly feel my feet, but I kept in high spirits.
After finishing my volunteer work, I was able to see a few films for free. Besides some short films, I really enjoyed “The Last Mountain,” a documentary about the life and death on a mountain in 2019 of the British climber, Tom Ballard, and the mountaineering history of his family. While I was crying throughout most of the movie, it was an inspiring story about love and passion.
I really enjoyed my time at BIFF. It was well-organized and everyone working for the festival was passionate about making it a great experience for everyone alike. Next year, I hope to invite some of my friends to volunteer with me, or at least encourage them to watch a couple of amazing films!
1. Where did the author find out about BIFF?A.At a volunteer event he had attended. | B.At the CU Boulder club fair. |
C.From a volunteer of BIFF. | D.From his best friend. |
A.He guided people to different places at the festival. |
B.He made wristbands for people who asked for them. |
C.He gave out passes to filmmakers and VIP members. |
D.He made sure everyone attending the festival was vaccinated. |
A.It is about a wealthy British family. | B.It is difficult to understand. |
C.It is a sad story. | D.It is really short. |
A.To introduce a special film festival. |
B.To share his experiences at a film festival. |
C.To show how he developed an interest in films. |
D.To discuss the benefits of volunteering at film festivals. |
5 . The cry of the fishing cat sounds like the quack of a duck, and the rest of this midsize cat also enables it to hunt (猎食) in the water. Its streamlined head is perfect for moves in the mangrove swamps (红树林沼泽地) and wetlands of South and Southeast Asia, and its pointy ears even fold (折叠) down when it jumps into deep water. The short and strong tail helps control its direction. The extra-thick coat keeps it warm and dry while swimming.
“I found fishing cats to be very ingenious,” says Tiasa Adhya, co-founder of The Fishing Cat Project, a research and conservation group based in eastern India. Her research recently showed that the animal has two methods of catching fish. In deep waters, the cat stays still on the banks for hours before jumping into the water for the kill. In shallow waters, though, the cat actively drives the fish out of their hiding places by moving about with heavy steps.
Now the fishing cat is facing another challenge: humans. The world has lost almost 90 percent of its wetlands since the 1700s, with Asia suffering the greatest loss. These days, industrialized fish farming, pollution and other human behaviors have destroyed the living condition of freshwater fish and set fishing cats against farmers, as the hungry cats steal farmed fish, and the farmers get even with them. Once found along river systems from Pakistan to Vietnam, the cats have disappeared from large areas of their range.
Researchers are testing new methods, including the commercial launch (商业化推出) of a type of native rice variety. Depending on nutrients (营养物) washed in by rains rather than on chemicals, the rice creates living space for the fishing cat and its food. The idea is that in healthy lakes where there is plenty to feed fishing cats and fishermen alike, killings will be unnecessary. “Nobody takes a loss,” Adhya explains, “when somebody takes a fish.”
1. What does the author want to explain about fishing cats in the first paragraph?A.Why they moved to South and Southeast Asia. | B.What helps them swim well in the water. |
C.What pushes them to live with ducks. | D.Why they love staying in the water. |
A.Friendly. | B.Picky. | C.Clever. | D.Lazy. |
A.The battle between fishing cats and humans. | B.The decision to protect freshwater fish. |
C.The importance of stopping pollution. | D.The method of increasing wetlands. |
A.It will do some harm to the environment. | B.It will create a win-win situation. |
C.It will increase food production. | D.It will cost a lot of money. |
6 . Is art boring? It’s not, really. I don’t think so, at least. But there’s a problem with how we look at art, how we approach it.
Museums are formal and strangely dry. There’s no embrace. Barriers prevent us from leaving the path set by the curator (馆长). Glass traps the paintings permanently in their frames – an invisible barrier that prevents us from ever getting close to the art, from touching it, feeling it. Guides and guards are constantly observing us, stopping us from taking photos, or using selfie sticks, or talking too loud. Museums have too many rules. And they’ve made our art boring.
We should be able to see art, to sometimes touch it. How can we feel any connection to the world? Art is a way to connect to the world, and yet so much of our art (and it is our art, not theirs, not yours — but ours) is unreachable.
Why can’t we laugh in museums? Why can’t we take silly selfies in front of art, our tongues sticking out, our hands in the air? Art is not boring and yet, we as a society, have made it so. We’ve trapped incredible artists behind glass boxes, with random rules governing noise levels, lights, flashes, sounds, photos, selfies, pens & pencils.
I love art. I think it has this incredible power to change our world. It can move us — as individuals, or as a collective society. Art is so often a window to something else. And yet we’ve allowed museums and galleries and collectors to prevent us from ever opening those windows.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy art museums. There are many fantastic ones around the world. And without so many wonderful curators and collectors, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy much of the art that is created -the masterpieces and the newer, more contemporary (and sometimes crazy) art. But at the same time, we’ ve allowed museums too much control.
They’ve taken our art. They’ve controlled our world. And our world, our art — it’s not meant to be controlled. It’s meant to be experienced — however that may be. It’s an individual, personal choice. Let’s take back our art, our museums. And take some selfies.
1. According to the writer, how may visitors to museums feel?A.Interested. | B.Unwelcome. | C.Excited. | D.Ashamed. |
A.The writer believes that art should never be kept in museums. |
B.The writer is losing his love of art due to museums’ policies. |
C.The writer believes museums are taking away the power of art. |
D.The writer believes that art should be replaced by something else. |
A.Help me. | B.Control me. | C.Misunderstand me. | D.Frighten me. |
A.All of us can create art. | B.Museums are of little use. |
C.Admission to museums should be free. | D.Museums should give visitors more freedom. |
7 . It was 8:30 am. Traffic was at
An untidy boy of ten
The boy turned to the traffic, holding the old lady’s hand, and I
The old lady glanced around, determined to
The old lady safely
I watched with a lump in my throat and a(n)
A.full | B.broken | C.gentle | D.smooth |
A.hopefully | B.patiently | C.anxiously | D.casually |
A.car | B.road | C.figure | D.gap |
A.ignored | B.approached | C.introduced | D.matched |
A.nodded | B.shook | C.lowered | D.raised |
A.trust | B.weakness | C.relationship | D.embarrassment |
A.forgot | B.noted | C.delayed | D.accepted |
A.sped | B.flowed | C.grew | D.thinned |
A.praise | B.seek | C.protect | D.spot |
A.pushing | B.pulling | C.guiding | D.dragging |
A.heavily | B.finally | C.suddenly | D.pitifully |
A.relief | B.disappointment | C.exhaustion | D.kindness |
A.moved | B.lifted | C.abandoned | D.delivered |
A.doubt | B.expression | C.tear | D.stare |
A.memory | B.encounter | C.route | D.mistake |
8 . The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone's daily life. While our experiences were
Salons (美发厅) were closed for months, but our
We had
And I wasn't surprised when she said she was
When the salon finally
Any
She wanted a
Days later, as we stood in line at the post office to mail her hair, I looked at my daughter and felt
A.useful | B.important | C.interesting | D.different |
A.hair | B.population | C.weight | D.business |
A.remembered | B.continued | C.learned | D.decided |
A.kept on | B.succeeded in | C.talked about | D.benefited from |
A.knew | B.imagined | C.agreed | D.wondered |
A.safe | B.nervous | C.ready | D.busy |
A.thick | B.long` | C.strong | D.straight |
A.opened | B.moved | C.disappeared | D.failed |
A.hopelessly | B.carefully | C.regretfully | D.confidently |
A.guide | B.visit | C.help | D.invite |
A.worries | B.dreams | C.difficulties | D.comments |
A.silent | B.satisfied | C.frightened | D.strict |
A.bag | B.reply | C.job | D.change |
A.traveled around | B.walked out | C.ran away | D.broke in |
A.proud | B.tired | C.shy | D.ashamed |
Facial surgery (手术) is a serious business, especially on children
This new
Researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) could soon replace the ruler currently
MCRI’s Mr Harold Matthews said current
The project intends
For many of us in the UK and other parts of the world, having an electric kettle plugged in in the kitchen is a part of everyday life. But for people in America, it’s unusual
Sophie lived in America for 10 years before
In America, homes only have a voltage (电压) of 100-127,