1 . People may typically think of memory as the recollection of the past. Memory enables people to learn from past experiences and apply that knowledge in present circumstances. It is a vital part of our identity. So is culture, the way of life specific to a group of people.
Cultural memory is the constructed understanding of the past that is passed from one generation to the next through text, oral traditions, monuments and other symbols. Cultural memory is often amassed in objects, such as museums or historical monuments. To understand culture, humans access a mass of cultural symbols, such as books. Artifacts (历史文物) of the past provide insights into where we came from. Libraries and the Internet keep a seemingly boundless amount of data on what it means to be part of a culture. Cultural memory is the longest-lasting form of memory.
Like all forms of memory, cultural memory has important functions. For example, it makes the experiences a nation owns clear. It provides us with an understanding of the past and the values of the group to which we belong. Besides, it creates a form of shared identity and a means for communicating this identity to new members. The most powerful forms of cultural memory may involve memories of past disastrous experiences undergone by groups of victims. For example, in Russia, their role in World War Ⅱ — in which tens of millions of Russians were killed — is still an important part of modern Russian identity. Because all groups have cultural memory, it can bring about a spirit of resistance or survival among threatened groups.
The main function of cultural memory is not to recall the past, whether it is good or bad. Rather, it is to use knowledge of past experiences to avoid making the same mistakes again and again. Aleida Assmann, a professor who has worked on memory theory since the 1960s, calls this “remembering forward”. Cultural memory enables people to adapt to their culture; it enables cultures to adapt to new circumstances by keeping traces (痕迹) of what worked in the past.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．Reporting a discovery of cultural memory. |
| B．Leading to the concept of cultural memory. |
| C．Introducing the importance of memory in identity. |
| D．Making a connection between memory and culture. |
| A．Stored. | B．Overlooked. | C．Evaluated. | D．Created. |
| A．the features of cultural memory | B．the formation of cultural memory |
| C．the role of big events in Russian identity | D．the impact of cultural memory on identity |
| A．Pass previous wisdom down. | B．Keep traces of history. |
| C．Get people to know about the past. | D．Remind people of their identity. |
When I was seven years old, my family moved from Mexico to America. In Mexico, I was a cheerful girl who loved making people laugh with my jokes and inventing fun games to play with my friends. However, when I arrived in America, I found it hard to fit in, and I became quieter.
We lived in a small house with a modest yard where we grew vegetables—my responsibility. While I took pride in watching them grow, there were times when I dreamed of having a beautiful garden like my schoolmate Luella’s, with its delicate tulips (郁金香). Although Luella lived in the same neighborhood as me, we barely knew each other.
It was after a tornado that Luella and I finally became close friends.
The tornado struck on a Sunday afternoon.The gentle breeze transformed into a strong wind, and thick gray clouds filled the sky. Gradually, the tornado took shape, starting as a thin rope and growing into a large black funnel (漏斗). My entire family gathered in the bathroom, seeking shelter from the storm. Terrified, I sat close to my mom, knees in my chest. After the storm had passed, our worries and fears were replaced by relief that we were unharmed and that our house had remained undamaged.
As I stepped outside, I witnessed the extent of the damage the tornado had caused to our neighborhood. Across the street, a tall tree had fallen, crushing Luella’s garden in front of her yellow house. We hurried over to check on it. Fortunately, her family seemed to be away at the time, and no one was injured. However, her once-beautiful garden was in ruins, with the fallen tree destroying the tulips and debris (碎片) spread everywhere. I could only imagine how heartbroken they must feel seeing this.
Then my mom’s usual words rang in my ear, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and my family started to think about how we could help.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Just at that moment, Luella’s family returned in their car.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella’s sorrow for her lost garden.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a small town called Willow brook, there was a young woman named Emma who owned a bakery. Emma was really good at baking and her delicious treats could cheer up even the most tired people.
But Emma had a problem. Sometimes, she didn’t feel confident in herself and worried that her baking skills weren’t as great as people said. She thought maybe she was just lucky, not talented, so she longed for an opportunity to prove herself.
One day, Emma heard about a baking competition in town called the “Sweet Delight Contest”, Since she was a little girl, she had dreamed of taking part in such contests, so she quickly signed up for it. Feeling both excited and nervous, Emma was determined to prove herself and get rid of her doubts, She worked really hard, waking up early every day to improve her recipes and skills, Her bread smelled amazing as she baked tirelessly, showing how much she cared about her craft.
Finally, the big day arrived. The town square was filled with excitement, Tables were set up with beautiful treats made by all the contestants, Emma carefully prepared her creations, but she couldn’t shake off her doubts, “The judges tasted each dish, and Emma’ s heart raced with nervousness. When they tried her treats, their faces showed no excitement, Emma felt like her doubts were right, and she wasn’t as good as she hoped. Then came the moment of truth. When the host started to announce the winners, Emma listened with hope and curiosity, But when she heard the words, “And the last winner is,” her heart sank, her name wasn’t included, she tried to smile and clap for the deserving winners, but inside, she felt disappointed．
After the contest, Emma’s bakery lost its shine, People still came, but they didn’t seem as excited as before. Emma worried that they saw her as a failure, someone who couldn’t meet their expectations. Doubt took over, and her passion began to fade. But then, something unexpected happened.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
One day, a loyal customer named Mrs, Johnson approached Emma with tears in her eyes．
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With a renewed sense of purpose, Emma changed her focus.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Champion of No Score
Maggie hated Tuesdays—Tuesdays meant gym class, gym class meant picking teams and picking teams meant Maggie would be picked last.
As a newcomer, she’d come up with a special title for each classmate to remember the other kids. There was Kevin, Champion of the Clean Desk. Lynnie, Champion of Knowing the Answer First… Thinking hard, she finally decided her own title: Champion of Quiet.
Maggie felt blue as Tuesday fell again. Mr. Murphy, the gym teacher, asked for volunteer captains to pick their own basketball teams. The usual hands shot into the air. Maggie sighed and glanced to her right. She caught the eye of Jasmine. Champion of Awkward, a girl who was sometimes picked last, too. Then Maggie had an idea. So when Mr. Murphy asked if anyone else wanted to volunteer, Maggie felt her hand slowly rise. Looking again at Jasmine, she took a big breath. Maybe it was time for her to use her voice.
“Maggie?” Mr. Murphy smiled. “You want a turn?”
“Yes,” she said.
The class whispered. Maggie leading a team?
“Yes,” she answered again, louder this time.
Mr. Murphy waved Maggie to the front, where the other three captains—Champion of Jumping Rope, Champion of Never Misses a Shot, and Champion of Doesn’t Know How to Lose—stood, ready to choose their teams.
“Maggie, you get first pick,” said Mr. Murphy. “Jasmine,” announced Maggie. The class snickered. A joke? More than once, Jasmine had tried to score on the wrong basket. Eyes wide, Jasmine took her place beside Maggie. The other three captains called out familiar names—the best players on the basketball court. It was Maggie’s turn again. “I choose Frank.” Frank (Champion of the Untied Shoelace) could not throw, or catch. He knew what it felt like to be the last pick. But not today.
Three very talented teams took shape. And then there was Maggie’s team. Maggie looked at her teammates. There stood Jasmine and Frank, plus Gillian (Champion of Chatter) and George (Champion of Sleepy). “I have chosen the worst team in the history of the world,” Maggie thought to herself.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Hand in hand, the Maggie team walked onto the court.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________They did lose big, but something positive began to unfold in them.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Summer vacation was finally coming, and Rose couldn’t wait to have a trip with her parents. She recalled the joyful experiences they shared last summer, which filled her with excitement for the upcoming holiday.
“Girls!” Rose heard her father calling. She raced to her big sister’s room, 1ellingherthatDad was calling them, and they rushed downstairs log either. Dad put his arm around Mom and told them that they were going on a trip to the Virunga Mountains of Africa. There were three national parks that they would visit.
Rose and Gina looked at each other. “What?” they said with one voice. Mom told them it would be really exciting to go there on a trip. At 12 years old, Rose would prefer going to an amusement park or a beach. She thought it important to let her parents know she didn’t want to go there but to the beach for a week or two.
“Well,” said Dad, “I have to go for an assignment for the paper. We’re covering the mountain gorillas(大猩猩) because they’re critically endangered these years. So, I thought it’d also be a great place to take a vacation. I’m sure it’ll be very educational for you girls.”
Gina let out a sigh, unable to contain her disappointment. She wanted to say something but Mom interrupted and announced that the trip was set on the next Monday.
“Sit down, both of you.” Dad had on his severe look. “Girls, it’s important for you to know about the world around you. This is a wonderful chance for you to experience and learn an amazing place. Do you know anything about the mountain gorillas?”
The sisters shook their heads.
“Well, get your laptop computer, Gina. I want you to look them up right now,” said Dad, “Rose, there is a book on the bookshelf about the cute mountain gorillas. Find it and read it.”
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右：
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The girls dragged their feet upstairs.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next Monday came and the family set out excitedly.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What is the main topic of the notice?
| A．Leaving school early. |
| B．Canceling school tomorrow. |
| C．Stopping students from driving home. |
| A．5 cm. | B．10 cm. | C．20 cm. |
| A．In the cafeteria. | B．In the classroom. | C．At the school gate. |
| A．School schedules. |
| B．Safety suggestions. |
| C．Driving instructions. |
When I started high school, I was fourteen years old and six foot tall. The scary thing about being so tall when you’re so young is that people automatically teat you as if you’re older. Yes, I was the size of an adult (actually, bigger than most! ) , but I was still just a kid. And acting more like an adult wouldn’t win me any fiends. As a card-carrying Good Boy, I wanted to meet adults’ expectations and get their praise, but as a Regular Kid, I wanted to be like my peers and get their friendship.
I walked into school that first day in my bluejacket and trousers, the school uniform. I noticed some of my old classmates from my junior high, the ones who had turned their backs on me, and we continued our policy of actively ignoring one another. I felt the pain of their betrayal (背叛) , but I forced my face to remain expressionless. I was here to study hard at academics and to work hard at basketball under my new coach, Jack Donahue. I was here to be excellent. Nothing else mattered.
Indeed I was excellent. I made the honor roll in the first semester, pleasing my parents and teachers. Leaming came naturally to me. I loved reading, especially about history and adventure stories like The Three Musketeers. Basketball, however, I had to work at to do well in.
As a freshman, my style of play reflected my personality: politely passive. I had some skills, but I didn’t have an aggressive nature: The good player around me knew how to play rough, use their bodies with authority, and power their way to a rebound (抢篮板球) . I knew I had to toughen up, and I was committed to getting better, but it wasn’t happening fast enough.
One morning, our school team was scheduled to play a game against Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, and Coach Donahue surprised me by taking me into his office. I figured he was going to discuss his disappointment in my progress as a player, maybe even say something about it all being a big mistake.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
To my surprise, he handed me a team uniform.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________All day, I allowed myself to imagine the game.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The day Dana and Jeff’s daughter Melody was born was nothing like they expected. The words the doctor said to them completely shook them, “Your daughter was born with a cleft lip (唇裂).” It was impossible for the couple to hide their sadness. They couldn’t believe it was true until they saw their daughter in person. Seeing her cleft made Dana and Jeff heartbroken more than anything. It broke their heart to imagine the kind of life Melody would lead in the future.
When the doctor told Dana and Jeff that their daughter’s condition was treatable with a cleft lip surgery (外科手术), the couple saw a ray of hope. Rather than feeling stressful like the first few days, they promised themselves they never wanted their daughter to suffer from that. They would support Melody as best they could.
Dana and Jeff were ready to do anything for Melody. After bringing Melody home, they immediately began looking for cleft surgery options. However, no matter where they turned, getting Melody the surgery she needed was expensive, and the various treatments and medications she needed in the following would also be much more costly than the young family could afford.
One day, however, things took a turn for the better. While browsing through a medical forum one evening, Jeff stumbled upon (意外发现) a post about a nonprofit organization that specialized in cleft lip surgeries for children. The organization, named Smileatfuture, is dedicated to providing free surgeries to families who could not afford the procedure. The couple had seen a lot of photos and read a lot of stories about children who had cleft surgeries sponsored by Smileatfuture, and the results were unbelievable. The idea that Melody could grow up with hardly a scar (伤疤) where her cleft was lit a fire under the couple. Without any hesitation, Dana and her husband reached out to Smileatfuture and handed in an application for medical aid.
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Everything went more smoothly than Dana and Jeff had expected.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The big day for Melody’s surgery finally came.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . The global secondhand market is expected to increase at three times the rate of the overall global clothing market up to 2027, driven by Gen Z consumers, according to online secondhand platform Thredup.
The company’s 11th annual resale report, released on Wednesday, says Gen Z consumers will account for nearly two-thirds of incremental (增量) secondhand spend as their purchasing power increases. Thredup’s report contains much data and research from analytics firm Globaldata, which conducted a survey of over 3,000 American adults, asking specific questions about their behaviors and preferences for secondhand.
Opportunities exist in great numbers for secondhand platforms to expand business online and connect with Gen Z consumers who already purchase secondhand clothing online. Some 58 per cent of Gen Z who bought secondhand clothing over the last 12 months made at least one purchase online — more than any other generation, the report says.
Demand for secondhand goods is driving retailers (零售商) to rethink their strategies. Some 86 per cent of retail executives say their customers are already participating in resale, up 8 per cent on 2021.“Brands are adopting resale at an accelerated rate to capture more of this demand,” says Thredup president Anthony Marino. “With more than half of Gen Z saying they’re more likely to shop with a brand that offers secondhand alongside new, resale is becoming table stakes (筹码) for retailers.”
One significant question surrounding resale’s growth is whether or not it’s a more eco-friendly way of shopping if customers are still consuming at an ever-rising pace. When secondhand shopping becomes sport-like for a generation of customers, and brands aren’t reducing production levels as they also make profits from resale, experts say it’s not actually a greener option.
“We have a huge issue with overproduction,” says Harriet Vocking, chief executive of the firm Eco-Age. “The fact that there is so much opportunity for resale highlights just how high the production and consumption rates are.” She argues that efforts should be directed at educating consumers and helping them understand the value of their purchases.
1. What does Thredup’s report show about Gen Z?| A．They depend too heavily on online shopping. |
| B．They are easily attracted to secondhand clothing. |
| C．They will be leading the way in secondhand sales. |
| D．They expect to have their purchasing power increased. |
| A．Retailers’ comments on resale. | B．The appeal of resale to retailers. |
| C．Retailers’ expectations of resale. | D．The impact of resale on retailers. |
| A．How to increase production. | B．How to make resale sustainable. |
| C．How to encourage consumption. | D．How to control the resale market. |
| A．Business. | B．Education. | C．Environment. | D．Technology. |
One sunny afternoon in the small town of Oakville, a young boy named Fern was playing soccer in his backyard. His little dog, Lucks, cheerfully ran around trying to catch the ball whenever Fern kicked it too far. The air was filled with laughter and barks, making it sound like a perfect day.
All of a sudden, the sky changed color, turning dark gray. Fern noticed the wind picking up, and the trees began to shake wildly. He looked towards the horizon and saw a terrifying scene—a tornado (龙卷风) coming towards the town.
Fern fought panic and grabbed Lucky quickly. He remembered what the TV weatherman had said: “If you meet a tornado, head for the storm cellar (地窖) immediately.” Lucky whined and struggled in Fern’s arms. “Steady, boy,” Fern said to Lucky.
As he reached the doorstep of the storm cellar, he thought of Mrs. Smith, the elderly neighbor next door. Mrs. Smith lived alone and moved slowly because of her leg problems. Should he check on her? But what could he do? It seemed unlikely that she could make it to the storm cellar quickly enough. Plus, he wasn’t even sure if she wanted him around. She often scolded (训斥) him because his dog, Lucky, would mess up her flower gardens. But if there was a tornado..., she didn’t have a basement or a storm cellar. Fern knew he couldn’t just leave her there.
“Sorry, Lucky.” He set the shaking dog on the steps in the storm cellar and let the door drop shut. Lucky would be scared there by himself, but he’d be safe.
注意：1.续写词数应为 150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
He had to make sure Mrs. Smith was OK.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After what felt like hours, the tornado finally stopped.
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