1 . For the arts “to mean more, to more people,” as Arts Council England (ACE) argues that they should, would be excellent. Music, drama, dance, visual arts, poetry and literature are among the most precious human achievements. To live in a country in which these are more widely shared and enjoyed would be proof that we are making progress. The point is not to entertain or educate people, or bring communities together. Nor is it all about boosting jobs and investment. Imagination has intrinsic (内在的) value, and research carried out by ACE in the course of preparing its 10-year strategy showed that people from all walks of life value and get pleasure from cultural activities.

Positioning itself as a development agency, ACE will now hope to win government backing for a change of direction that orients it away from the biggest and most prestigious national institutions and towards the towns, villages and grassroots organizations that should be similarly deserving of attention. There, it envisions a role for itself “building the identity and prosperity of places,” bringing professional artists together with voluntary groups, particular in areas that have previously not been well represented on the cultural map.

ACE’s chair, Sir Nicholas Serota, quotes the first world war centenary (百年纪念) project devised by the artist, Jeremy Deller, and theatre director, Rufus Norris, as the model of what he wants his organization to be about. By dressing up volunteers as soldiers, and orchestrating their encounters with members of the public in settings across England, the artists succeeded in “dissolving the barriers between artists and audiences.”

The emphasis on participation — on culture as something that more people should actually do — is newer. This is the difference between being in a play or a band and buying tickets to watch them, and for ACE to play a more active role in promoting the former would be beneficial. This begins in childhood, and ACE clearly hopes that the government will think again about policies that have seen music, drama and other arts subjects systematically downgraded in favour of science, technology and maths.

To what extent the vision is realized will depend in part on whether ACE’s ambitions catch the government’s interest sufficiently to influence the upcoming spending review, and provide a counterweight to the scorn (轻视) that is regularly poured on the humanities. Around £400m has been cut from local government arts budgets since 2010, and ACE cannot plug this gap. The closure of youth clubs and live music venues, and growing financial pressures linked to the property market, are among other reasons for this worrisome narrowing of opportunities. So far Boris Johnson has offered few signs that he has in mind a starring role for the arts in post-Brexit Britain, although 2022’s Festival of Brexit is one such event. ACE’s plan should boost the profile of all those, in government and outside, who are arguing for more.

1. The purpose of making arts available to more people is to __________.

A．enlighten people from all walks of life

B．consolidate various communities

C．create job opportunities for artists

D．maximize the natural value of art

2. According to the passage, ACE is most likely to promote the arts of ___________.

A．national institutions

B．commercial centers

C．local governments

D．towns and villages

3. Which of the following statements would Sir Nicholas Serota most probably agree with?

A．Audiences with little education can also gain pleasure from cultural activities.

B．Artists and audiences can create and enjoy the arts together without barriers.

C．The soldiers and volunteers should vividly show scenes about the First World War.

D．Science, technology and maths are more important than humanities and arts nowadays.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．For the arts to get revitalized more extensive efforts are needed.

B．The current British government has done enough to promote arts.

C．ACE should narrow the financial gap left by the local government.

D．Many performing venues have closed due to the rising property market.

2 . One of the best essay contests of 2024, this competition sponsored by the Writer’s Digest promotes nonfiction of all kinds: “personal or political, traditional or experimental”, but your essay should be at least 1,000 words and 1,500 words at most.

Eligibility (资格):

Students are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas. Students may be attending a public or private school. Entries from home-schooled students are also accepted.

Submission:

Fill out the online registration form. All fields on the online form are required, including uploading a Microsoft Word (doc. or docx.) file of your original work with a title in English which should include a comprehensive list of sources consulted. Entries must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman.

Teacher or parent: Student registration forms must have a teacher or parent name. That person may review the submitted essay and act as the key contact.

Do not place your last name or your school’s name on any of the pages of the essay.

Your essay will be disqualified if it does not meet the requirements or is submitted after the submission date of 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 1, 2024.

Prizes:

$1,000 to the writer of the winning essay, in addition to an all-expense paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference! The runner-up wins a writing coaching package valued at $650 and the third, a diversity editing package valued at $350.

1. Who can participate in the contest?

A．A Chinese teenager.	B．A high school teacher.
C．An American tenth-grader.	D．A professional writer.

2. What is a requirement for the entry?

A．Uploading a Word version of the original work.

B．Writing personal name on the first page of the entry.

C．Filling in the application form and posting it in time.

D．Making sure of the words of the entry beyond 1,500.

3. What will be the second prize?

A．A free trip.	B．A cash prize.
C．A diversity editing package.	D．A writing coaching package.

3 . Even minor changes in behavior can have a positive environmental impact. Therefore, it is suggested to remove or reduce single-use plastic bags from your shopping trips, because the bags break down slowly, causing them to linger in landfills. But how long does a plastic bag really stick around?

The Center for Biological Diversity estimates that it takes a bag roughly 1000 years to break down. The term “break down” is a little misleading, though. Plastic ends up photodegrading (光降解) from ultraviolet (紫外线) radiation because the majority of microorganisms cannot eat it. And even after the bags degrade, the micro-plastics they leave behind may still harm the environment.

While 1000 years seems long, it is only an estimate. Since the invention of plastic bags in the 1950s or so, humankind has never actually seen the substance break down in real time. Instead, scientists have adopted respirometry tests (呼吸运动测量法), which helps estimate the breakdown rate of an organic substance by measuring the CO₂ that the microorganisms produce when breaking down the material. When an organic substance, such as food waste, is present, CO₂ levels rise, which allows scientists to estimate the rate of breakdown. However, because plastic bags don’t produce any CO₂,—microorganisms aren’t eating them, the bags are just sitting there. If buried in a landfill and sheltered from ultraviolet light, plastic bags will last a very long time.

Bags have an impact on the environment beyond just their removal. It takes fossil fuels to make bags; one estimate puts this amount at 12 million barrels (桶) of oil annually. And after a bag has served its purpose in a consumer’s hands, it may then enter the food chain for wildlife. Plastic that builds up along the food chain is consumed by creatures like birds and fish.

While reducing the use of plastic bags is a good idea, choosing a cloth bag might not be the habit that will help the environment the most. The carbon footprint left by the cloth bags must be countered by thousands of uses.

1. What does the underlined word “linger” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Reproduce.

B．Integrate.

C．Emerge.

D．Last.

2. What do we know about the breakdown of plastic bags?

A．Its duration of 1000 years is an overestimate.

B．Exposure to ultraviolet light is essential to it.

C．Respirometry tests effectively estimate its rate.

D．The level of CO2 released during it usually rises.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The multiple environmental costs of plastic bags.

B．The consumption of fuels for plastic bag production.

C．The harm of plastic bags to the food chain for wildlife.

D．The challenge of removing plastic bags from the ecosystem.

4. Which of the following is proposed according to the last paragraph?

A．Declining plastic shopping bag offers.	B．Reducing the production of plastic bags.
C．Reusing the same cloth bag repeatedly.	D．Switching from plastic bags to cloth ones.

4 . Joyce Loaiza lives alone, but when returning to her apartment at a senior community, she often has a chat with a friendly female voice. The 81-year-old is among the first in the United States to receive the robot ElliQ made by Intuition Robotics, which has been the only device using artificial intelligence specifically designed to address loneliness of the old.

Looking like a small table light, the device has an eyeless, mouthless head. It remembers each user’s interests and their talks, helping create a special experience with each new discussion, which can be as deep as the meaning of life or as light as a small joke. “She’ll make comments like, ‘I would go outside if I had hands, but I can’t hold an umbrella,’” said Loaiza. ElliQ also plays music and provides spiritual sayings. It leads exercises, asks about the owner’s health, and gives reminders to take medicines and drink water. It can also support video calls and contact family, friends, or doctors in an emergency.

The average user interacts with ElliQ more than 30 times a day and more than 90 percent report lower levels of loneliness, Intuition Robotics CEO Dor Skuler said.

Brigham Young University professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who studies the effects of loneliness on health, worries that a device like ElliQ might have short-term helpful effects but it could make people less likely to seek human contact. She noted that the difficult feeling of loneliness should push people to reconnect socially.

Skuler and state officials agreed that ElliQ is not an alternative to human contact. But some older people cannot leave home or do not have many friends. Charlotte Taylor, director of an Area Agency on Aging, said Covid-19 left many older people more disconnected. Her agency has provided 300 ElliQs which, she believes, help the situation. She said, “People generally like her and she makes them smile.”

1. What can we infer from Loaiza’s comments on ElliQ?

A．It sometimes fails to be of any help.	B．It is humorous and has the human touch.
C．Some of its comments make no sense.	D．It shows an interest in the outside world.

2. What concerns Holt-Lunstad about ElliQ?

A．Its inefficiency to ease loneliness.	B．Its failure to push people to reconnect.
C．Its potential for being addictive.	D．Its replacement for human interactions.

3. How does Taylor find ElliQ?

A．Novel.

B．Popular.

C．Satisfying.

D．Advanced.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Chatty Robot Helps Seniors Fight Loneliness	B．AI-based Device Is to Dominate Elders’ Life
C．ElliQ: a Revolutionary Innovation in AI Field	D．ElliQ: a Remarkable Assistant after Covid-19

5 . On Sept. 17, 2022, a father and son set out to begin the first of three legs of the Ironman competition in Cambridge, Maryland. Jeff Agar, 59, and his son, Johnny Agar, 28, weren’t the ______ participants. Johnny has cerebral palsy (脑瘫), resulting in his difficulty walking and muscle weakness. Jeff would act as his arms and legs, ______ carrying the weight of his son throughout the race. To ______ as completion, competitors must complete a(n) ______ 140 miles of swimming, bicycling and running in under 17 hours.

From the day Johnny was born, Jeff and his wife refused to let their son be ______ by disability. ______ to show Johnny that he could pursue his dream of being an athlete, when he was 15 years old, they ______ him up with my Team Triumph, an organization that helps kids with ______ engage in endurance (耐力) sports.

Johnny became ______ to racing, and Jeff wanted to be a part of it. Jeff began waking up at 4 am to run while ______ Johnny in a racing chair. Every morning, he ______ himself to run increasingly longer distances.

After 16 hours, 55 minutes and 35 seconds, the father and son ______ the finish line together. As the crowd ______ and congratulated Johnny, Jeff kept a low ______ . “He didn’t want attention to his finish line moment,” says Johnny. “He wanted it to be ______ .”

1.

A．distinct

B．typical

C．ambitious

D．amateur

2.

A．consciously

B．anxiously

C．hopefully

D．literally

3.

A．qualify

B．emerge

C．serve

D．continue

4.

A．impressive

B．smooth

C．frightening

D．exhausting

5.

A．given away

B．turned down

C．taken on

D．held back

6.

A．Forced

B．Discouraged

C．Determined

D．Prepared

7.

A．signed

B．cheered

C．lifted

D．brought

8.

A．experiences

B．difficulties

C．capacities

D．disabilities

9.

A．sensitive

B．attracted

C．limited

D．important

10.

A．pushing

B．comforting

C．displaying

D．treating

11.

A．permitted

B．warned

C．drove

D．persuaded

12.

A．drew

B．left

C．spotted

D．crossed

13.

A．thanked

B．surrounded

C．encountered

D．disturbed

14.

A．voice

B．rate

C．profile

D．grade

15.

A．theirs

B．mine

C．yours

D．his

6 . At first glance, 15-year-old Kenan Pala seems like a typical teenager, playing video games with his friends, but he also loves finance and economics and invests in the stock (股票) market. He founded Kids4Community, a nonprofit offering volunteer projects for kids, when he was just 12.

The idea came out of his family’s experience. Pala’s parents came to the U.S. from Turkey in 1998 and founded a company. “We started very little here,” said Pala’s mother. “But for the help we got along the way, we wouldn’t have been where we are.” The Palas wanted their children to live by this lesson, so they encouraged them to give back to the community.

Anyone can donate with Kids4Community, but its events are intended for kids. Pala’s organization aims to boost young people’s involvement in community efforts because many organizations don’t let children volunteer.

Last month, Kids4Community volunteers made 2,000 hygiene kits containing shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other supplies. Kids4Community organizes the event annually and distributes the kits to the needy through Christmas Day. In fall, the group’s efforts are focused on disaster victims. Over the years, it has made care packages for survivors of earthquakes and Hurricanes.

Another key focus is homelessness — an issue that has taken on particular significance. Years ago, Pala was jogging along the beach when he came across a sickly baby seal (海豹), surrounded by people who were caring for it and calling for help. “Hours later, I saw a homeless person, also sick and needing help, but people were just ignoring him,” Pala said. Now, Kids4Community organizes initiatives both to meet physical needs of the homeless and give them a sense of dignity and hope.

In the coming years, Pala wants to expand Kids4Community’s reach beyond San Diego and perhaps beyond California.

1. What does the Pala family lesson convey?

A．Responsibility.

B．Forgiveness.

C．Gratitude.

D．Struggle.

2. What does Kids4Community mainly work on in autumn?

A．Disaster relief.	B．Supplies delivery.
C．Disaster forecast.	D．Supplies production.

3. Why is Pala’s experience with the seal mentioned?

A．To advocate wildlife conservation.	B．To launch the initiatives for the homeless.
C．To praise the warm-hearted people.	D．To account for his attention to homelessness.

4. Which of the following best describes Pala?

A．Disciplined and reliable.	B．Committed and consistent.
C．Insightful and intelligent.	D．Public-spirited and enterprising.

7 . In-flight announcements can be crucial in providing important information.     1     But beyond the “necessities”, are passengers being flooded with too many announcements?

Imagine boarding an aircraft late in the evening or during the early hours of the day, eager to get some sleep. After forcing yourself to stay awake for the safety briefing, you fall fast asleep.     2     It’s the captain making an announcement. She’s telling you her name, her first officer’s name, the name of every flight attendant, and of course, the cruising speed and altitude. Was this really necessary and was it worth being woken up for?

    3     It’s anyone deep into a film or two passengers trying to talk to each other. In fact, in-flight announcements automatically pause television shows and movies—sometimes coming through your headphones far louder than the volume of whatever you were watching.

Which announcements are necessary? There are many in-flight announcements that are absolutely necessary. Anything to do with safety and security is, of course, essential. Anything to do with delays and scheduling is also important to know.     4     I think most people care about those as well.

However, anything beyond these is questionable. Of course, the additional announcements are meant to better connect passengers to the flight crew, the airline, and the overall experience of flying.     5     But in my opinion, this comes at the cost of the overall flight experience.

So from my point of view, in-flight announcements have gotten out of control and need to be controlled.

A．In-flight meal options?

B．After all, they are rules that should be obeyed.

C．Actually, most of the passengers are likely to feel sleepy.

D．It’s not just passengers trying to sleep that are interrupted.

E．It also seems polite to introduce those who will serve you.

F．Suddenly, you’re in the air and something has stirred you awake.

G．This might include delays, the local time at destination, and of course, emergencies.

8 . In the fast-paced world of Formula One racing, there was a young driver named Alex who was an ________ boy. From a tender age, Alex dreamed of becoming a Formula One champion. Alex’s family, though ________ at first, recognized his determination and supported him in pursuing his dream.

But Formula One was a very ________ world, filled with talented drivers. Alex faced many challenges and ________ along his journey. He was faced with moments of self-doubt, questioning whether he had what it ________ to succeed at the highest level of motor sport.

Yet, Alex refused to let difficulties ________ him. He knew that true champions were made in the crucible (磨炼) of defeat. With great determination, he pushed forward.

As seasons came and went, Alex’s skill and reputation ________. Some famous teams took notice of his remarkable talent, and he eventually ________ a seat in one of the top Formula One teams. It was the ________ of a lifetime, a chance to compete against the best drivers in the world for the ________ of championship.

Alex faced massive pressure and expectations. The ________ of his dream and the eyes of millions were upon him. However, he resisted the pressure and ________ became the Formula One World Champion.

From that day, Alex’s victory ________ a symbol of courage and resilience. And his story ________ us that in the pursuit of our dreams, there are no ________— only possibilities waiting to be realized.

1.

A．ambitious

B．independent

C．influential

D．honest

2.

A．unfamiliar

B．doubtful

C．inexperienced

D．embarrassed

3.

A．uncertain

B．well-known

C．competitive

D．fast-paced

4.

A．conflicts

B．complaints

C．departures

D．defeats

5.

A．ignored

B．took

C．said

D．acknowledged

6.

A．detect

B．change

C．approach

D．define

7.

A．grew

B．continued

C．failed

D．remained

8.

A．arranged

B．shared

C．secured

D．hired

9.

A．opportunity

B．regret

C．challenge

D．course

10.

A．recognition

B．title

C．support

D．cooperation

11.

A．power

B．benefit

C．appeal

D．weight

12.

A．finally

B．suddenly

C．temporarily

D．apparently

13.

A．pointed to

B．served as

C．accounted for

D．resulted from

14.

A．granted

B．promised

C．reminded

D．warned

15.

A．tricks

B．surprises

C．alternatives

D．limits

9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

In 2019, an unattractive package arrived at my front door. Inside was a 2-by-4-foot scrapbook (剪贴簿) filled with candy wrappers over 70 years old. It was sent by Jeffrey S. Green, who was a famous candy company’s vice president. After the company closed down, the scrapbook traveled 2,950 miles to La Verne, California, to the farm my family and I call home.

I’m the founder of the online website “Roadside Attraction: Candy Wrapper Museum”, where I share my 50-year collection of little slips of paper, designed to be tom and thrown away. Why? Because these small objects serve as time machines, opening an emotional door to the past.

I was 15 years old when I started collecting candy wrappers, inspired by friends with cool collections like beer bottles from around the world. Some of their collections are classified either by size and color as well as sports or people. Inspired by these novel collections, I wanted to start one of my own, but of what? I usually spent my few coins on candy at the candy shop. The candy shelves were a wonderland of tasty treats with colorful wrappers in different themes, all shouting: Pick me! Big Bears, Milk Duds, Jujyfruits, Choco’Lite, Lemonhead… How could a girl decide?

Then inspiration struck. Instead of throwing away those wrappers, I would save them. I would create a Candy Wrapper Museum. I hoped that the wrappers would one day be enjoyed as art, nostalgia (怀旧) and humor. It was 1977 when I was a teenager. An idea struck me: I would collect these wrappers throughout my lifetime, then open up the museum as a roadside attraction in my old age. I chose my first pieces, Nice Mice and Cinnamon Teddy Bears, and so began this journey.

My family were the first to leave the candy wrappers to me. Then the relatives. My friends caught the spirit of fun and donated pieces. Collecting became an affordable, novel way to explore the world around me, one that could turn even an ordinary shopping trip into a treasure hunt.

In 2002, inspiration struck again. Why wait until retirement? Why not open the museum right now on the internet, the ultimate “superhighway”?

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。

Building the online museum was a massive six-month, one-person project.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When the museum was launched, I doubted whether anyone would be interested.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . 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。

As a centuries-old art form, the popularity of Yingge dance on the streets of London during the Spring Festival was     1     success in terms of traditional Chinese folk art sailing overseas.

Literally     2     (translate) as the “Songs of Heroes” dance, Yingge dance is a 300-year-old folk dance that originated from the Chaoshan area of South China’s Guangdong Province. Dressed in colorful costumes,     3     (energy) performers wave wooden sticks in their hands in orderly formations while dancing to the music.

Based     4     the stories of the 108 Heroes of Liangshan Mountain from the classic novel Outlaw’s of the Marsh, this is a folk art     5     (combine) a variety of forms, from martial arts and Chinese operas to dance.

With its high compatibility (共存) with various art forms and years of inheritance and innovation, this Chaoshan-born dance art has spread to neighboring countries and     6     (region) in the last century.

Yingge dance     7     (bring) to Thailand by Chinese immigrants around a century ago, where it took off     8     expanded to over 10 provinces. For now, this traditional Chinese dance is     9     (wide) known by its inheritance among the younger generations who have     10     (enthusiastic) in practicing kung fu, and trying dragon and lion dances as well as being on the wind of social media.