1 . The TV series, The Longest Day in Chang'an, which was shown on Chinese online platforms last summer became a hit soon. Since then, it has been shown on partnering streaming platforms and TV networks abroad. Some websites overseas also offered the program to their users paying for it—the first time a Chinese series was broadcast as paid content abroad.
“I was amazed by the overseas audience's love for this show，” Cao Dun, director of The Longest Day in Chang'an, told Beijing Review. “I was worried that they wouldn't understand the complex political structure of the Tang Dynasty. But in reality, the show is prompting foreign audiences to research Tang Dynasty's history to better understand the plot.”
The unique culture in ancient China is not a barrier but a bridge to connect with foreign audiences. In the TV series, every figure is given enough space to flesh out his or her character. Telling stories of ordinary Chinese people that resonate (引起共鸣) with the audience might be the way to communicate with the world. “The success of the TV series shows that beauty is a universal language crossing borders，” he told Beijing Review.
His ambition is to distinguish Chinese dramas from the TV shows in the rest of the world. “The TV series is a step in my plan to tell Chinese stories to the world，” Cao said. “After describing the impressive beauty of the Tang Dynasty, I am looking for several plays that tell stories of today's China. I don't want to copy any country's production. Chinese dramas have to be built on our rich culture and Chinese people's everyday life，” Cao added.
1. What do we know about the TV series?| A．It was first put on overseas. |
| B．It can be appreciated for free. |
| C．It was very popular once it was shown. |
| D．It is about the development of the Tang Dynasty. |
| A．Requiring. | B．Reminding. |
| C．Informing. | D．Encouraging. |
| A．Recognition of beauty. |
| B．Stories of ordinary people. |
| C．Diversity of Chinese culture. |
| D．Personalities of every figure. |
| A．To make a successful TV series. |
| B．To tell Chinese stories to the world. |
| C．To show China's different nationalities. |
| D．To learn the ancient political structure. |
2 . Scientists from Imperial College London have found that using virtual reality(VR)headsets can reduce sensitivity to pain, by immersing(沉浸)people in icy Arctic scenery. In a study published in Pain Reports, a team from Imperial used VR video to reduce people’s sensitivity to ongoing pain and sharp shooting pain.
According to the researchers, the findings add to the growing evidence for the potential of VR technology to help patients with long-term pain. Beyond the distracting effect, they think VR may actually cause the body’s own inbuilt pain-fighting systems to start working.
Dr Sam Hughes, the first author on the paper, said "Our work suggests that VR may be getting involved in processes in the key parts of our inbuilt pain-fighting systems and are helpful in regulating the spread of increased sensitivity to pain.
To test their theory, researchers applied a cream containing capsaicin(辣椒素)-the chemical that makes your mouth bum-to 15 healthy volunteers. The capsaicin makes the skin more sensitive to painful stimuli(刺激)like a very small electric shock.
In the first trial, participants were then asked to rate the pain caused by the capsaicin cream on a scale of 0-100 (from 'no pain' to 'worst pain possible' )while either watching a VR scene of Arctic exploration through a headset, or looking at a still image of an Arctic scene on a monitor. Under the same conditions, they were also asked to say when a stimulus applied directly to the skin area is considered as painful.
The team found that ongoing pain was reduced following VR immersion, and that sensitivity to painful stimuli was also reduced. However, the same effect was not seen in people who looked at still images of the polar environment.
They explain that while the findings made at the beginning are encouraging, the study is limited by the small number of healthy participants, without long-term pain. However, the researchers believe VR could hold a bright future to treat patients with long-term pain who have poor inbuilt pain fighting systems.
1. How can VR possibly help long-term pain sufferers?| A．By making their pain-fighting systems function. |
| B．By drawing their attention to fighting pain. |
| C．By controlling the spread of pain sensitivity. |
| D．By slowing down their brains' reaction to pain. |
| A．Making a capsaicin cream. |
| B．Putting on virtual reality headsets. |
| C．Applying capsaicin cream to the skin. |
| D．Looking at pictures on a computer screen. |
| A．Still images helped to ease people's pain. |
| B．VR immersion was the key factor in pain reduction. |
| C．Healthy people were less sensitive to VR than pain sufferers. |
| D．Capsaicin cream brought people more pain than electronic stimulus. |
| A．The team feels confident about future VR treatment. |
| B．The researchers will work on the side effect of VR. |
| C．VR treatment can be applied in other medical fields. |
| D．The trial only has an effect on short-term pain patients. |
3 . On the 1st of March Bulgarian people celebrate a traditional holiday called Baba Marta and it is related to welcoming the approaching spring. People all over the world meet spring with joy and new hopes but in Bulgaria it is saved as an ancient tradition.
On that day, Bulgarians exchange so-called "Martenitsa" and tell each other, "Chestita Baba Marta!"(Happy Grandma Marta! ). This custom is essentially to wish great health, good luck, and happiness to family and friends. The name "Martenitsa" is taken from the Bulgarian word for March, or, as a legend tells, an angry old lady called Grandma Marta-Baba Marta in Bulgarian.
In Bulgarian folklore Baba Marta is a grumpy old woman who changes her mood very rapidly and it reflects in the changeable March weather. When she is smiling the weather is sunny and warm, but if she gets angry the cold will stay for longer and it may even snow. By wearing the red and white colors of the Martenitsa, they hoped that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring.
The Martenitsa is made of twined red and white threads-woollen, silk, or cotton. The white is a symbol of strength, purity and happiness. The red is associated with health and blood.
When someone gives you a Martenitsa you should wear it either pinned on your clothes, on the hand tied around the wrist, or around your neck until you see, or a fruit tree in blossom for the first time in the season. After that you can tie it on a blossoming tree for fertility. Like kind of amulet, Martenitsa was regarded as a magic power believed to protect folks from "ill fortune", diseases and an evil eye.
The custom of wearing Martenitsa is probably one of the most interesting Bulgarian traditions and it is considered to be unique to Bulgaria. According to one of the many legends, this tradition is also related to the founding of the Bulgarian state in 681 AD.
1. What do we know about Martenitsa?| A．It marks a huge improvement on agriculture. |
| B．It is celebrated by Bulgarian people on May 1st. |
| C．It lasts from March 1st until around the end of May. |
| D．It is a traditional holiday connected with welcoming spring. |
| A．Open-minded. | B．Ill-tempered. | C．Easy-going. | D．Cold-blooded. |
| A．By pinning it on the head. | B．By drawing it on the body. |
| C．By tying it around the wrist. | D．By sticking it on the trousers. |
| A．To promote cultural research. | B．To tell people what to do in spring. |
| C．To introduce a Bulgarian tradition. | D．To show how to make the Martenitsa. |
4 . A new app helps blind people know the world around them
One of the best uses of technology is to make life easier.
People can also use Seeing AI to learn words in English. With the app, you can point your iPhone or iPad at any object and Seeing AI will say what the object is. With Seeing AI, users can hear a description of not just objects, but other people.
People can use the app when going shopping. It can read product bar codes (条形码) so users will know whether a can is filled with fruit or dog food, Microsoft says Seeing AI will soon be able to identify banknotes so people know whether they are holding a bill that is worth $100 or $1.
The app is currently available in Canada, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States.
| A．Seeing AI can also identify images. |
| B．It can even tell you about their emotions. |
| C．The app can identify more than one person in a photograph. |
| D．Seeing AI is a new app and will not be 100% correct all the time. |
| E．Seeing AI uses both a camera and artificial intelligence to identify places, objects and people. |
| F．With this intelligent app, just hold up your phone and hear information about the world around you. |
| G．A new product from Microsoft Corporation can just do that for people who have trouble seeing. |
5 . When I went off to college in the fall of 1991, I was an 18-year-old man whose favorite letters were the ones on the sports sweater. Four years later, I was crazy about the letters of the poet Keats, but one author’s penned letters stood out above the rest. You see, my father wrote me one letter per week from the time I left home.
In an age before email, these letters seemed too ordinary. But they arrived. Each week. One after another. Again and again. In snowstorms. On holidays. From foreign countries. They detailed what Dad referred to as “the week that was”—a day-by-day description of my father’s life.
In 1995, I graduated from college, like many 22-year olds, with plenty of uncertainty. Some of my questions were pretty typical: What was I going to do? Where was I going to live? When was I going to apply for graduate school? But one question was more vital than any other thing. What would happen to the weekly letters? Would they continue? To my surprise, the letters kept coming, more heartfelt and emotional than before and always on time. I mean the guy never missed.
As much as I enjoyed my father’s weekly letters, I didn’t fully appreciate them all those years when they arrived like clockwork. And I never fully understood why my dad would always ask if I’d received the letter when we spoke.
But now, as I pen my first official letters to my own sons Jackson and Cassius, it all seems clear. Although our boys have yet to leave for college, I have to accept that day will soon come. Just the idea of their leaving from our home makes me ache with sadness only a parent can know.
I am writing about “the week that was” with my daily details. With a box of over 500 of Dad’s letters nearby and his pen in hand, I write a letter, fighting back the tears I make it to the end and sign it just as he did. All my love, Dad.
1. What were the letters from the author’s father mainly about?| A．Daily details. | B．Keats’ poems. |
| C．College and family. | D．Weather and holidays. |
| A．Professional. | B．Interesting. | C．Difficult. | D．Important. |
| A．Entering college. | B．Writing to his own sons. |
| C．Graduating from college. | D．Sending his sons to college. |
| A．What We Can Learn from Graduate School |
| B．How I Communicated with My Sons by Letter |
| C．How I Came to Appreciate My Father’s Letters |
| D．What We Know About Kids After Being Parents |
6 . Schuylerville High School students have a broad range of interests, which are reflected by the number of clubs and organizations in which our pupils participate. Here are some of the most popular clubs.
Environmental Club
Open to students in grades 9-12
Advisor: Mrs. Flores
The High School Environmental Club is open to all students interest increasing environmental awareness throughout the school. Activities include: recycling, environmental competitions, volunteering with green schools and outdoor events. This run student club collects and recycles paper products throughout the school building.
Freshman Class
Open to students in grades 9-10
Advisor: Mr. winslow
The freshmen class participates in several activities throughout the year to raise money for the class account. The class officers meet once a month to discuss business that affects the entire class. All members of the freshman class are encouraged to participate in some type of community service during the year.
Literary magazine
Open to students in grades 10-12
Advisor: Mr. Sgambati
Members of the Literary Magazine collect, edit and often contribute to the body of student work. Literary Magazine meetings will also give students the opportunity to share and receive feedback on the creative pieces that they re working on, as well as the chance to learn about writing practices and strategies.
Mock Trial Team
Open to students in grades 11-12
Advisor: Mrs. Lewis
Mock Trial is an after-school activity that helps students develop useful knowledge about the law. Students play out all the roles and use general rules of evidence and fact explanations in a school court. They will work with a real lawyer and an advisor to further understand the court process.
1. At which club can you take part in the community service?| A．Environmental Club. | B．Freshman Class. |
| C．Literary Magazine. | D．Mock Trial Team. |
| A．To encourage students to be lawyers. | B．To develop students’ writing skills. |
| C．To explain all kinds of facts at school. | D．To help students learn more about laws. |
| A．A news report. | B．A school website. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A science magazine. |
7 . Watch actor Sterling K. Brown, and one of the first things you may notice is his eyes.
In a scene from the last season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Brown plays Reggie, a hard-nosed manager. His language is rough, but his eyes reveal something more: He's feeling guilty and defensive. Or look at his work on NBC’s hit drama This Is Us, where Brown plays Randall Pearson, a Black man adopted by a white family. Again, Brown's eyes reveal a lot.
Those two performances have allowed Brown to make Emmy Awards history this year： nominated as best lead actor in a drama series for This Is Us and best supporting actor in a comedy series for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon's Prime Video.
Grateful as he is for his nominations, Brown also sees the record number of Black performers nominated for Emmys about 34% of acting nominees this year — as a welcome reaction to the civil rights reckoning and Black Lives Matter protests of the summer.
The actor says it's also part of a long march toward recognition for Black performers’ held back by oppression in Hollywood back to the early 1900s, when white people wore black- face to play Black characters in films.
Brown has made history at awards shows before: in 2018, he became the first Black man to win best actor in a drama at both the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild awards.
With degrees from Stanford University and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Brown has spent about two decades appearing on TV shows like Lifetime's Army Wives and his first series regular role, playing a cop on FX's short-lived 2005 drama Starved.
These days Brown is excited about the new season of This Is Us, which will begin with two episodes addressine both the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests.
1. Why does the author mention the TV series in paragraph 2?| A．To indicate that Brown is an excellent actor. |
| B．To support the idea that Brown is an eye actor. |
| C．To show that Brown has played many roles. |
| D．To introduce the main topic of the passage. |
| A．Brown is awarded two acting prizes. | B．It still doesn't recognize civil rights. |
| C．More black performers get nominated. | D．Black Lives Matter is the theme. |
| A．Add some background information. | B．List Brown's acting experiences. |
| C．Introduce a new topic for discussion. | D．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| A．This Year's Emmy Awards | B．Fight for Civil Rights |
| C．A Black Emmy Nominee | D．Brown: An Eye Actor |
8 . Popular Attractions in San Francisco
San Francisco is a famous city in northern California on America's west coast. There are beautiful landmark sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge and winding Lombard Street.
Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge is the symbol and landmark of San Francisco. The Bridge spans the entire San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate strait of the Pacific Ocean, making it an important transportation hub linking San Francisco and cities to the north. Many US movies and TV shows have been filmed here.
Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman s Wharf is a strip extending from Ghirardelli Square all the way to Pier 35 and close to popular destinations such as Chinatown and the Lombard Street. Famous sites such as Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay Bridge can also be sighted in the distance. This is home to a wealth of shops and restaurants and lively street shows can be seen everywhere.
Lombard Street
Lombard Street is so named for its multiple hairpin turns. The 40 degree inclination here Poses a serious challenge to driving skills. The whole street is paved with bricks and lined on either side with foliage as well as multicolored flowers, offering diverse views all around the year.
Palace of Fine Arts
The San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts was originally built to display works of art for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915, but was mostly rebuilt in 1965. The lake and surrounding trees are also home to wildlife, such as ducks, birds and raccoons. On top of the dusky red stone pillars stand sculptures of nymphs, which are a favorite subject of many photographers.
1. Where should visitors go if they are movie fans?| A．Palace of Fine Arts. | B．Fisherman's Wharf. |
| C．Lombard Street. | D．Golden Gate Bridge. |
| A．Multicolored flowers. | B．The bricks. |
| C．Its sharp turns. | D．Diverse views. |
| A．Take Pictures of sculptures. | B．Improve their driving skills. |
| C．Appreciate lively street shows. | D．Enjoy delicious food. |
9 . If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and
philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks(缺陷)of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
1. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to______________.| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers' interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
| A．a personal biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a cultural newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
10 . When students and parents are asked to rate subjects according to their importance, the arts are unavoidably at the bottom of the list. Music is nice, people seem to say, but not important. Too often it is viewed as main entertainment, but certainly not an education priority (优先). This view is shortsighted. In fact, music education is beneficial and important for all students.
Music tells us who we are. Because music is an expression of the beings who create it, it reflects their thinking and values, as well as the social environment it came from. Rock music represents a lifestyle just as surely as a Schubert song. The jazz influence that George Gershwin and other musicians introduced into their music is obviously American because it came from American musical traditions. Music expresses our character and values. It gives us identity as a society.
Music provides a kind of perception (感知) that cannot be acquired any other way. Science can explain how the sun rises and sets. The arts explore the emotional meaning of the same phenomenon. We need every possible way to discover and respond to our world for one simple but powerful reason: No one way can get it all.
The arts are forms of thought as powerful in what they communicate as mathematical and scientific symbols. They are ways we human beings “talk” to each other. They are the language of civilization through which we express our fears, our curiosities, our hungers, our discoveries, and our hopes. The arts are ways we give form to our ideas and imagination so that they can be shared with others. When we do not give children access to an important way of expressing themselves such as music, we take away from them the meanings that music expresses.
Science and technology do not tell us what it means to be human. The arts do. Music is an important way we express human suffering, celebration, the meaning and value of peace and love. So music education is far more necessary than people seem to realize.
1. According to Paragraph 1, students ______.| A．regard music as a way of entertainment |
| B．disagree with their parents on education |
| C．view music as an overlooked subject |
| D．prefer the arts to science |
| A．compare it with rock music |
| B．show music reflects a society |
| C．introduce American musical tradition |
| D．prove music influences people’s lifestyles |
| A．approach the world from different angles |
| B．explore different phenomena of the world |
| C．express people’s feeling in different ways |
| D．explain what it means to be human differently |
| A．Music education is more necessary. |
| B．Music should be of top education priority. |
| C．Music is an effective communication tool. |
| D．Music education makes students more imaginative. |
