1 . 假设你是红星中学高二学生李华。你的英国笔友Jim对中国传统文化很感兴趣，近日他看到了伦敦孔子学院（Confucius Institute）的海报，很想去那里学习，写信询问你的意见，请你给Jim回信，内容包括：
1.简要介绍孔子学院；
2.表达你的想法。
注意：1.词100左右。
Dear Jim,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 . Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the old object s launched into space, such as rockets and satellites? It’s called space junk, and much of it is still out there now. According to NASA, the definition of space junk is “any man-made object in orbit (轨道) around Earth that no longer serves a useful function”.

One large piece of space junk, an abandoned rocket, hit the dark side of the moon on March 4. The rocket’s origin is not clear, but scientists know that it was massive—weighing about 3 tons. It must have left a large crater (坑), estimated 10 to 20 meters wide, on the moon’s surface. It won’t be visible right away, but scientists are trying to locate it. “We will find the crater, eventually,” Mark Robinson, lead investigator for NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, told USA TODAY. “Depending on its location, it could take as long as 28 days.”

What’s significant about this space junk crash is that it draws attention to some of the potential dangers of space junk. First, the accumulation of space junk in Earth’s orbit means that satellites and the International Space Station (ISS) are at risk. In 2016, tiny space debris (残骸),smaller than a millimeter, caused a tiny chip in the ISS’ window. Imagine the damage that a larger piece of debris could cause. The European Space Agency website states that objects “up to 1 cm in size could disable an instrument or a critical flight system on a satellite” while objects over 10 cm “could shatter a satellite or spacecraft into pieces”. If this sounds terrifying, that’s because it is. Any collision (碰撞) with larger pieces of debris could be especially dangerous for manned spacecraft.

In addition to potential damage to spacecraft and satellites, space junk also poses a threat to the Earth itself Crashes can send debris into the atmosphere where it can remain for many decades. Some powerful collisions can even send large debris hurtling (猛冲) toward Earth’s surface where it can affect the local environment. Leftover rocket debris can contain toxic materials that are harmful to plant and animal life. Some people in Siberia have even reported serious health problems after rocket debris landed in their regions in 2012, a local doctor told the BBC.

1. Which of the following can be regarded as space junk?

A．A disused space station.	B．A spacecraft orbiting the moon.
C．A crater on the moon’s surface.	D．A satellite working in low Earth orbit.

2. What does the underlined word “it” refer to in Paragraph 2?

A．Locating the crater.	B．Tracking the rocket.
C．Cleaning up the space junk.	D．Finding out the rocket’s origin.

3. What can be inferred about space junk from the last paragraph?

A．It’s likely to cause a global environmental crisis.

B．It’s impossible to stop it from entering the atmosphere.

C．It can cause a lasting threat if it remains in the atmosphere.

D．The toxic materials contained in space junk are the biggest risk.

3 . 2023 Illustration(插画) Competition

Welcome to enter for the Communication Arts Illustration Competition, most respected and admired in the industry for creativity in illustration. Each winner will receive a professionalized Award of Excellence, a trophy (奖杯) and a certificate. This award is one of the most desired awards. If chosen, winning will place you in the highest position of your industry.

What To Enter With

Any illustration first published or produced from Jan. 2023 to Jan. 2024 is qualified. Entries may originate from any country. Descriptions in English are necessary for the judges to read.

Entries Can Be Submitted (提交) In The Following Formats

Digital Images: RGB images in JPG format with a maximum file size of 2 MB. GIF images may be livelier, but would be turned down, and so would the PNG ones.

Dlustration Competition Categories & Entry Fees

Category	Single illustration	Series of illustration
Books (covers, jackets, etc.)	$40	$80 (limit of 5)
Motions (media for films, videos, etc)	$90	$180 (limit of 3)
Student Work	$20 (Image) $45 (Video)	$40 (limit of 5) $90 (limit of 3)

For more categories, please download the category PDF.
Late Fees

Entries must be registered no later than Jan. 13,2024. Entries registered after that date will be charged a fee of $ 10 each. No entries can be registered after Jan. 27, 2024.

1. What will the winner get?

A．A tailor-made award certificate.	B．A chance for overseas study.
C．Widely accepted in the industry.	D．Prize money from Communication Arts.

2. Which of the following is qualified for the competition?

A．An image with 1MB JPG format.	B．A motion published within 2 years.
C．A series for jackets of 10 illustrations.	D．A student work without English introduction.

3. How much should be charged for a series of four cover illustrations submitted on Jan.25,2024?

A．$ 80.

B．$ 120.

C．$ 110.

D．$ 90.

5 . Einstein’s Opinions on Creative Thinking

“The greatest scientists are artists as well,” said Albert Einstein, one of the greatest physicists and an amateur pianist and violinist.

For Einstein, insight did not come from logic or mathematics.     1     “All great achievements of science must start from intuitive (直觉的) knowledge. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

    2     Surprisingly, it wasn’t the content of an idea, or its subject, that determined whether something was art or science, but how the idea was expressed. If what is seen and experienced is described in the language of logic, then it is science. If it is communicated and recognized intuitively, then it is art.     3     That’s why he said that great scientists were also artists.

    4     “If I were not a physicist,” he once said, “I would probably be a musician. I often think in music and I see my life in terms of music. I get most joy in life out of music.” Music provided Einstein with a connection between time and space, which both combine spatial (空间的) and structural aspects. “The theory of relativity occurred to me by intuition and music is the driving force behind this intuition,” said Einstein. “My parents had me study the violin from the time I was six.     5    ”

A．But how did art differ from science for Einstein?

B．Instead, it came from intrusion (直觉) and inspiration.

C．My new discovery is the result of musical insight.

D．There is no doubt that my theory was a great breakthrough then.

E．Einstein himself worked intuitively and expressed himself logically.

F．Einstein also owed his scientific insight and intuition mainly to music.

G．For Einstein, it was the humanities that mainly contributed to his achievements.

7 . A few weeks ago, I received a package containing seeds from my friend. When I asked her what they would _______ into, a smile crossed her face. “Just plant them and be patient. You’ll see for yourself _______!” she said.

I sowed the seeds in a flowerpot. In the first few days, I was very excited to search for the slightest signs, but _______ happened. With heavy loads of homework, I began to feel sad and _______. How much I longed for the color in my fast-paced life.

I watered the plants in dry periods. On the eighth day, to my great _______, a few light green sprouts (新芽) appeared. Bending down and studying the plants, I could almost hear them growing. More days passed, and the flowerpot soon became _______ with coriander (香菜) plants. Now they are taller than the edge of the pot, constantly shaking their leaves in the gentle wind, as if they were merrily singing a song of _______.

I am certain that after a few more days, my plants will be ready for_______. These plants have played an important part in _______ up my everyday life. They may not be a main dish on our table, but using some will surely make our dishes delicious.

Let us all slow our pace down and be patient. So long as we take steps to set our hearts free, time and patience will ________ us with the pure pleasure of being alive in this lovely world.

1.

A．grow

B．run

C．look

D．break

2.

A．immediately

B．finally

C．quickly

D．regularly

3.

A．anything

B．everything

C．something

D．nothing

4.

A．shocked

B．disappointed

C．embarrassed

D．scared

5.

A．surprise

B．pity

C．shame

D．anxiety

6.

A．packed

B．lined

C．crowded

D．piled

7.

A．courage

B．freedom

C．interest

D．relief

8.

A．harvest

B．loss

C．sights

D．rest

9.

A．picking

B．ending

C．brightening

D．taking

10.

A．impress

B．assist

C．surround

D．reward

8 . Open water swimming

I had only swum in open water a few times, and always in gentle lakes, so I wasn’t prepared for how rough Lake Windermere appeared on a cold day. A swimmer told me the water felt colder than it had been measured, and that the water was a bit rough. But I, along with 10,000 others, was about to complete the challenge.

Most of the people taking part were doing a one-mile race, and 10 races were planned over the weekend. There seemed to be a mix of open-water enthusiasts alongside complete beginners—which is precisely the aim of the swims, to get as many people as possible completing their own challenge. The oldest woman competing was 77, taking part in the two-mile race, alongside a man who last year had swum in every one-mile race.

I had chosen the third one-mile race of the day. There were over 600 people in my race. We were taken through an acclimatization area, a children’s paddling pool-sized part of the lake where we moved in to feel how cold the water was. “Not too bad” was everyone’s thought! Then we headed out towards the middle of the lake.

We’d been warned that the first 100 metres would be really rough. However, somewhere near the 750m mark I was still waiting for the calm; it felt more like swimming in the sea than a lake. I tried to focus on my breathing and technique, and just keep going. As I approached the 400m-to-go mark my lower right leg became painful. I recalled overhearing people talking about how they kept swimming through the pain, so I tried. But it didn’t work. I began to feel the entire leg tight and painful. I didn’t want to stop, so I bent my right knee and just kicked with the left leg.

Finally I saw the finishing post, and I just concentrated on getting there—still one-legged. My finishing time was 38 minutes 25 seconds but that didn’t matter—the atmosphere was fantastic and everyone felt a sense of achievement, whatever their time. I’m hooked, and want to give it another go. I’ve already signed up for my next open-water swim.

1. How did the author feel before the race?

A．Scared of the most challenging race.

B．Disappointed by the difficult conditions.

C．Concerned about the other swimmers in the race.

D．Determined to be as tough as the people around her.

2. Why does the author mention the two people in Paragraph 2?

A．To stress the importance of the race.

B．To praise the experienced swimmers.

C．To show the wide range of the participants.

D．To introduce the various events of the race.

3. The author suggests in Paragraph 4 that ______.

A．the race would cause breathing problems

B．the race became harder than she had expected

C．it was really necessary to prepare for tough swims

D．it would have been easier if she had taken others’ advice

4. What does the author talk about in the last paragraph?

A．Her confidence in her own ability.

B．Her pride in having swum so quickly.

C．Her eagerness to repeat the experience.

D．Her surprise at having managed to finish.