1 . Four Art Study Abroad Programs in 2024

Whether you love art history, dance, photography, writing, or beyond, here are the top art programs to attend in 2024.

The 6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History Abroad
Program length: 6 weeks in summer
Price: $10,000

If you’re interested in studying artists, criticism, and painting techniques during periods like the Renaissance and styles like baroque, Romanesque, and modern art, then this program is for you. It prides itself on not simply teaching art but also culture and an appreciation of beauty.

Creative Internships (实习) in Australia with ABI | ArtBound Initiative
Program length: 1 month
Price: $3,250

If you’ve ever had an interest in pursuing a career in the creative industry, consider an internship opportunity with ArtBound Initiative. Interns can work in exciting overseas locations while getting one-on-one career coaching from professionals.

The Irish Arts and Culture Program | Irish Gap Year
Program length: 1 semester
Price: $17,000

Explore your own areas of interest as you work side by side with local Irish artists, photographers, writers, and musicians, learning about Ireland’s rich cultural and artistic heritage. Your hands-on experience goes hand in hand with day trips to galleries, museums, and castles, and at the end, you’ll have the opportunity to exhibit your works at the Le Cheile Art Expo.

Creative Semester in France | Berridge Programs
Program length: 1 semester
Price: $16,500

Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced performer or artist, your interests and talents will be nurtured by industry professionals. During your time here, you will work on improving your skills which will end with a feature film or creative performance.

1. Where should you go to obtain career guidance according to the text?

A．France.

B．Australia.

C．Italy.

D．Ireland.

2. Which program enables participants to display their works?

A．The 6-week Gap Year Course in Italy.

B．Creative Internships in Australia with ABI.

C．The Irish Arts and Culture Program.

D．Creative Semester in France.

3. How much should an artist pay to improve his performing skills?

A．$3,250.

B．$10,000.

C．$16,500.

D．$17,000.

2 . It all began on a cold, rainy day．

Sarah, a poor single mother, was ________ to make ends meet. While waiting for the bus with her two children, Sarah ________ an old man sitting on a nearby bench. He was shivering (颤抖), his ________ jacket providing little protection against the freezing weather.

Sarah ________ the man and offered him her coat. She knew it would make her cold, but the thought of this stranger ________ while she had something to give was too much to bear. ________ by her selflessness, the man thankfully accepted the coat and gave back a smile. Little did Sarah know that her simple act of ________ would make a huge difference.

A man, who saw the heartwarming ________, took a photo and shared it on social media. The post quickly became a ________, with thousands of people sharing and commenting on Sarah’s ________. Encouraged by her, people began organizing events to ________ those less lucky. Schools added lessons on the ________ of helping others, and businesses started a “pay it forward” project, where people could buy more and leave the ________ meal for those in need.

Reflecting on this unbelievable journey, we can ________ our individual power, which may create an effect that would ________ reach every corner of the globe.

1.

A．helping

B．continuing

C．struggling

D．seeking

2.

A．left behind

B．came across

C．looked for

D．turned to

3.

A．clean

B．cheap

C．fancy

D．thin

4.

A．followed

B．approached

C．respected

D．caught

5.

A．complaining

B．staring

C．suffering

D．surviving

6.

A．Attracted

B．Confused

C．Moved

D．Shocked

7.

A．connection

B．appreciation

C．duty

D．kindness

8.

A．exchange

B．invitation

C．option

D．performance

9.

A．story

B．symbol

C．chance

D．hit

10.

A．generosity

B．courage

C．curiosity

D．patience

11.

A．change

B．support

C．direct

D．educate

12.

A．creativity

B．strength

C．significance

D．description

13.

A．quick

B．main

C．different

D．extra

14.

A．recognize

B．expect

C．remember

D．admit

15.

A．regularly

B．obviously

C．eventually

D．slightly

5 . 课文语法填空

For forty years Jane Goodall, has been    1    (outspeak) about making the rest of the world understand and respect the life of these animals. She has argued that wild animals should be left in the wild and not used for    2    (entertain) or advertisement. She has helped to set up special places    3     they can live safely. She is    4    (lead) a busy life.

Not that Charlie’s own life was easy! He was born in a poor family in 1889. His parents were both poor music hall    5    (perform). You may find    6     astonishing that Charlie was    7    (teach) to sing as soon as he could speak and dace as soon as he could walk.

With all these    8     (attract), no wonder    9    (tour) is increasing    10     there is a Disneyland. If you want to have fun and more than fun, come to Disneyland.

6 . A sense of humour, God’s greatest gift to mankind, is universally considered the most valuable personality. It is born within every person’s heart, but has to be cultivated (培养). A person without humour is just like a spring without flowers, or like a dish without seasoning (调味品). In a sense, your personality lies in your sense of humour.

Humour can improve physical as well as mental well-being. It helps us bear our burdens, reduce our tension, overcome our frustration. With a piece of joke, all our worries and sadness disappear like smoke, and we are all full of energy once again.

Humour helps us live in harmony with others. It is unavoidable to have misunderstanding and tension with others during work and study. But humour can help us solve these problems more quickly than angry words or quarrels. With it you can always keep on good terms with others.

A sense of humour is really one of the keys to happiness. It gives fun and interest to life to make it worth living.

Here are five ways to improve your sense of humour.

1. Begin to cultivate an atmosphere of humour and laughter in your relationships.

2. Start association with humourous, fun loving people.

3. Learn to laugh at yourself.

4. Collect cartoons and jokes and share them with others.

5. Use humour to deal with conflict in your relationships:

Remember that a sense of humour is learned, not inherited (遗传). You can sharpen your sense of humour if you really want to.

1. What would be the best title for this passage?

A．A Sense of Humour—a Great Personality	B．A Sense of Humour—the Secret to Success
C．How to. Improve Your Sense, of Humour.	D．Humour Helps to Improve Our Health

2. This passage doesn’t tell us that____________.

A．a person without humour is dull	B．humour can make us happy.
C．humour can help us deal with worries	D．humour can help us solve all the problems

3. The underlined word “harmony” probably means ”____________”.

A．pleasing

B．interest

C．friendship

D．eager

4. According to the passage, a sense of humour cannot be____________.

A．learned

B．cultivated

C．inherited

D．improved

8 . A working semiconductor (半导体) has been created from graphene(石墨烯), potentially laying the foundation for a new type of computer with greater speed and efficiency than today’s silicon chips(硅基芯片) allow.

Graphene, a material made from a single layer of carbon atoms, is a good electrical conductor resistant to heat and acids. But a working graphene semiconductor which can be controlled to conduct or separate electricity at will, has evaded scientists. Such semiconductors are key to creating the logic chips that power computers.

The problem has been the lack of what is known as a bandgap. Semiconductors have bands of higher and lower energies and a point—the bandgap—at which excited electrons can jump from one to the other. This effectively allows the flow of current to be switched on and off, so it is either conducting or not conducting, creating the binary system of zeroes and ones used in digital computers.

Now, Walter de Heer at the Georgia Institute of Technology and his colleagues have created graphene with a bandgap and demonstrated a working transistor, an on/off switch that either prevents or allows current to flow through it. De Heer said the electrical properties of a graphene semiconductor were far better than those of silicon chips. “It’s like driving on a rocky road versus driving on a freeway,” he said.

Silicon chips are cheap to make and backed by extensive production facilities, but we are reaching their limits. Moore’s law states the number of transistors in a circuit will double roughly every two years, but the rate of downsizing has slowed recently as engineers reach circuit concentration beyond which electrons can’t be reliably controlled.

“You can use all the technology the whole semiconductor industry is totally comfortable with to scale up this process,” says David Carey at the University of Surrey, UK. But he suspects the world will soon shift to graphene chips, because silicon has such a head start. “Most people working on silicon are bombed daily by new, wonderful materials that are about to replace it and none of it’s ever happened,” he says.

1. What does the underlined word “evaded” probably mean in paragraph 2?

A．Surprised.

B．Attracted.

C．Annoyed.

D．Puzzled.

2. Why is a bandgap crucial?

A．It excites the jump of electrons.	B．It creates the system of zero s and ones.
C．It balances the higher and lower energies.	D．It allows the on and off of the current flow.

3. What advantage might graphene semiconductor have over silicon chips?

A．Superior electrical characteristics.	B．Stronger production support.
C．Lower development cost.	D．Slower downsizing rate.

4. What may be David’s attitude to graphene chips’ application in the near future?

A．Uncaring.

B．Favorable.

C．Doubtful.

D．Disapproving.

9 .    Lots of kids like to talk about sports, but Joseph D’Avirro talks about sports like a professional host in a show called Sliders & Curveballs. The 9-year-old from Newington, Connecticut is a natural at sports talk and has been broadcasting the show—which is about baseball, basketball and other sports—with his dad, Mike D’Avirro, since September 2019.

   The D’Avirro started the broadcast after two former college roommates of Mike died, which made Mike want to spend more time with his son. Then the idea came to him. So far, they have done about 50 programs. Joseph’s favorite is when the father-and-son team interviewed Jim Calhoun, the coach leading the Connecticut Huskies to three national titles. They have also interviewed important sports authors.

   The father and son make about one 30- to 40-minute podcast each month. They prepare for the podcasts by deciding on the questions they want to ask the guest. Joseph asks half of the questions, and Mike handles the other half. Joseph reads his questions again and again to get them in his brain well. It is a lot of work, but Joseph says it is “a lot more fun than homework”. Joseph has also learned to speak up and speak clearly. He has to listen and to go with the flow of the conversation. For example, he said, “If the guest is talking about sports in the 1990s, you have to think about sports in the 1990s.”

When asked how long he and his dad will continue doing the show, he answered, “Until my dad starts growing gray hairs.” Joseph has other ambitions when he grows up—to be a sports player, a sports broadcaster or to own a basketball team. Those are big dreams, but Joseph is already living a dream: talking sports and spending time with his dad.

1. What is Joseph’s show about?

A．Some talk shows on sports.

B．Ways to get along with parents.

C．Stories about famous sports players.

D．Sports that his family loves playing.

2. What inspired Mike to start the show with his son?

A．His son’s talent for sports.

B．His wish to be a host since college.

C．The deaths of his college roommates.

D．The encouragement from his roommates.

3. What does Joseph think of memorizing his questions?

A．It’s as boring as homework.

B．It’s challenging to his brain.

C．It takes a lot of time but means a lot.

D．It’s more interesting than homework.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A rising sports broadcaster

B．A long road to go to success

C．The father-and-son team hosts

D．Joseph D’Avirro’s big dream

10 . London Theatre Shows

Alice In Wonderland

Each ticket to the show includes free entry to Kew Gardens., Alice in Wonderland is playing at the Kew Gardens from 22 July to 28 August 2023.

Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes with no interval (幕间休息)

Performance days

Matinees (日场): Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Important information: Children under 2 years old go free.

Back To The Future: The Musical

It is based on the iconic Back ta the Future films. Back to the Future: The Musical tickets at the Adelphi Theatre, London are available to book for performances up to 11 February 2024.

Age restrictions: Suitable for general audience aged 6+. Children under 3 will not be admitted.

Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes (including interval)

Performance days

Evenings; Monday, Wednesday. Thursday. Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Matinees: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday.

Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour

This show sees Blippi in the ultimate curiosity adventure. Dance, sing, and learn with Blippi as he discovers what makes different cities unique and special. Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour runs at Rose Theatre, Kingston from 29 August to 9 September 2023.

Age restrictions: Recommended for ages 2+.

Running time: 1 hour (no interval)

Performance days

Matinees: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Dinosaur World Live

Join our brave explorers across unchartered territories to discover a pre-historic world of remarkably life-like dinosaurs. Dinosaur World Live runs from 11 August to 3 September 2023 at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London.

Age restrictions: 3+

Running time: 50 mins + a 15-minute post show

Performance days

Matinees: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

1. What do we know about Back to the Future: The Musical?

A．It has no performances on Tuesdays,

B．Booking starts on 11 February 2024.

C．Children under 3 years old can go free.

D．It lasts 2 hours 40 minutes without intervals.

2. Where should you go if you want to learn more about cities around the world?

A．Kew Gardens.

B．Adelphi Theatre.

C．Rose Theatre, Kingston.

D．Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

3. Which show provides after-show interaction?

A．Alice In Wonderland

B．Dinosaur World Live

C．Back To The Future: The Musical

D．Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour