1 . Back in April, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, made a dramatic attempt at a hostile takeover of Twitter, for a cool $44 billion. That’s a lot of money, even for a billionaire tycoon (巨头), and the takeover attempt quickly slid into court battles. But whoever wins (we’re not going to know for some time), I think the most interesting part of the story is the more fundamental question: why would Musk even want to buy Twitter in the first place?

If you look at the size of Twitter, its appeal isn’t obvious. The company makes a relatively small profit each year, and in terms of the number of users, Twitter is a relative minnow among social media networks. It has around 436 million users every month, which isn’t nothing—but is also a long way behind the likes of Facebook (near three billion), Instagram (two billion), and TikTok (one billion). So why does Musk want to spend a considerable slice of his own enormous fortune on a social network that not many people, in the grand scheme of things, actually use?

The answer might be what makes Twitter so interesting: what it lacks in revenue, size or growth potential, it makes up for in a much harder to define way. It carries absolutely enormous cultural power, and has an unrivalled ability to shape the news we read, the content we consume and the culture we live in.

1. What’s the author’s initial reaction to Musk’s takeover of Twitter?

A．Approving.

B．Confused.

C．Indifferent.

D．Objective.

2. How does the author develop Paragraph 2?

A．By giving reasons.

B．By answering questions.

C．By making comparisons.

D．By showing processes.

3. What can be inferred from the last sentence of Paragraph 3?

A．Compared with other social media, Twitter has its own value.

B．Twitter is as interesting and attractive as other social media.

C．Twitter will be even more successful than other social media.

D．Twitter’s profit will be much easier to measure in the future.

4. Why does the author write this passage?

A．To provide some background information about Musk.

B．To explore the motivation for Musk’s takeover of Twitter.

C．To inform people of Musk’s sudden takeover of Twitter.

D．To express his concern about the coming court battles.

2 . 读后续写

In a coastal village named Seaford, lived a courageous young woman named Amelia. Amelia was known throughout Seaford for her adventurous nature. From the moment she could walk, she would eagerly run towards the crashing waves, feeling the sand between her toes and the cool spray of the ocean mist on her face. She was a woman with a strong will and possessed a heart full of kindness. Amelia’s love for the ocean was intense, and she spent most of her days exploring the beautiful beaches and sparkling waters that surrounded her house.

One sunny morning, while Amelia was walking along the shore, she noticed a group of restless seagulls abnormally circling above the crashing waves. Their unusual calls echoed (回) through the air. Concerned for their well-being, she followed their flight pattern, her instincts guiding her toward danger.

As she approached a towering cliff, Amelia gasped in horror. On a narrow ledge (岩架), high above the violent waves, was a young dolphin trapped in a thick fishing net. Its shiny body shone under the golden rays of the sun, but its freedom was cruelly limited by the trap. With each struggle, the net tightened around its delicate body, leaving painful marks on its skin. Its tail flapped helplessly, each movement a request for help, while its desperate cries for assistance echoed through the air.

A sense of urgency filled her, pushing her forward with determination and resolve. Realizing that time was tight, Amelia knew she had to act instantly to free this innocent creature from its difficult position before it submitted to exhaustion or the force of the tides.

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。
Paragraph 1: Without hesitation, Amelia rushed back to the village.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: As the dolphin was released into the waters, it hesitated for a moment.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . 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。

The 19th China International Cultural Industries Fair kicked off in Shenzhen in South China’s Guangdong province on June 7, 2023,    1    is expected to promote the development of the country’s cultural industry. The five-day national-level fair,    2    (feature) mainly offline events, has attracted more than 3, 500 government bodies, cultural organizations and enterprises.

A digital China exhibition area has been setup for the first time to highlight and promote national-level market players, major platforms, and the    3    (late) technological innovations in the cultural industries.

Since its founding in 2004, the cultural fair has seen a continuous    4    (expand) in its exhibition scale, visitor number and degree of internationalization. It has become     5    important platform to promote the development and opening up of the Chinese cultural industries.

Abduk Basit Khan, a Pakistani exhibitor participating     6    the expo for the second time, attended the fair. He showed Pakistani jade(玉器) products,    7    (special) designed for the Chinese market, and expressed hope for a better year    8    (compare) to the previous one. He mentioned that the Chinese market is significant for jade products, and his business    9    (operate) in China for 10 years.

Chinese experts noted that China is building    10    (it) as a leading country in culture and improving Chinese culture with the spirit of openness, while the Chinese civilization has also inspired other civilizations across the world through exchanges.

5 . 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。

A cultural tourism promotion event titled “Hometown of Confucius, Hospitable Shandong” opened in Rome Italy, on May 6,2023.

    1     (host) by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the event’s opening ceremony    2     (attend) by more than 100 guests, including government officials from both sides, as well as    3    (representative) from Italy.

Shandong is    4    large province in terms of population, economy, culture, and tourism along the east coast of China. It has a population of more than 100 million and is the third    5    (large) economy in China. It has rich cultural tourism resources as it is    6     Mount Tai rises, the Yellow River flows into the sea, and Confucius was born. “Hospitable Shandong” has become an     7     (influence) tourism brand(品牌).

Shandong is willing to work with Italian partners    8     (strengthen) dialogue,enhance trust, and deepen cooperation, drawing a new chapter in the cultural and tourism cooperation and exchanges    9     the two places, said a senior official from the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

During the opening ceremony, Riccardo Busi, president of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), announced the decision to establish the China Coordination Office of the FIAP in Shandong province,    10     (sign) a strategic cooperation agreement with the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

6 . 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。

The annual Halloween arrived, during which kids dressed in traditional clothes went to neighbors’ houses to ask for candy.

Allison lived in a small town. That day after dinner, Allison put on her dress her father had just bought for her. The dress was cheap and second-hand because her family was poor. But Allison still thanked her dad and said, “Everyone will love my dress!” Then, she left for neighbors’ houses to ask for candy.

On the way, she came across Anna and her friends and wanted to join them. “No! Look at your dress! It’s ugly!” Anna said. Her friends also laughed. “Look at our dresses, especially mine! It’s new and beautiful,” Anna added. Her friends nodded, and in some way they were right. Anna’s dress was shiny and looked expensive. She always had the best clothes because her parents were rich.

Allison was shocked and sad. The kids not only disliked her dress but made fun of it. “You can’t come with us!” Anna stressed. “We would never hang out with you!” The other kids agreed and laughed. They all left to start collecting candy for the night while Allison was left alone, embarrassed in the middle of the street.

Anyway, she knew all the neighbors. She often helped around carrying their groceries and helping them with their gardens. People around there knew her. She didn’t need to hangout with Anna or her friends. “I’ll go just alone,” the little girl said to herself and started walking.

She as well as Anna and her friends walked in the same direction: towards their first neighbor Mrs Vaughan’s house. But Allison walked behind and kept her distance from them. And she stopped when Anna and her friends were near Mrs Vaughan’s house.

Just then, Mrs Vaughan looked out of her window. She noticed that Allison was being excluded by Anna and her friends. She knew it was probably because of Allison’s poor dress. She immediately felt pity for Allison, who often helped her and other neighbors. She decided to give Allison much more candy as a reward and teach Anna and her friends a lesson.

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。

When Anna and her friends knocked on her door, Mrs Vaughan opened it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anna looked up and said, “Our clothes are more beautiful! But you gave Allison more candy! Why?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . During my stay at the University of Michigan, one of the senior professors asked me to join a seminar on culture and emotion. In a general________of self-introductions, I introduced myself in a(n)________Dutch way as one of those who are “interested in culture and emotion”. The professor supplemented (补充) my self-introduction to________American standards, saying I was one of the world’s experts on the________. In response, I looked down in________, and thought that “expert” was a big word.

When I lived in North Carolina, my new friends came over to ________. Conversations were full of interest and energy, and there was a lot of ________. At the end of the evening, when my guests left, they thanked me for the dinner. My heart________, because I was born and raised in the Netherlands, where “thanking for dinner” means the relationship is ________. Emotions are different enough to feel out of________when you move from one culture to another. The professor at the University of Michigan meant to make me feel________, but instead made me uncomfortable. My friends meant to show ________, but they made me think they were distancing themselves from me.

We think about emotions as feelings deep inside us, but in________, our emotions happen in interactions with others. In my own culture, it was hard to observe the________emotions of others, but I was able to see them when I moved to the US—a different________from where I was raised.

1.

A．analysis

B．state

C．letter

D．round

2.

A．understated

B．interesting

C．dramatic

D．proud

3.

A．set

B．fit

C．evaluate

D．recommend

4.

A．approach

B．situation

C．topic

D．course

5.

A．curiosity

B．pity

C．disappointment

D．embarrassment

6.

A．play

B．dine

C．work

D．perform

7.

A．support

B．noise

C．fun

D．arguing

8.

A．sank

B．melted

C．raced

D．opened

9.

A．harmonious

B．normal

C．strong

D．distant

10.

A．date

B．shape

C．place

D．sight

11.

A．reliable

B．good

C．serious

D．careful

12.

A．gratitude

B．respect

C．admiration

D．affection

13.

A．total

B．advance

C．detail

D．reality

14.

A．unbelievable

B．pure

C．invisible

D．powerful

15.

A．level

B．culture

C．standard

D．value

9 . At a cafe in scenic Augsburg, Paul Blachut, a waiter is busy at work. It’s a warm Sunday afternoon and many people have come here for __________ beside the Lech river.

The meltwater from the Alps means the water in the river is very __________ at this time of year, and it __________ quickly. Along the S-shaped shore, people are picnicking and children are playing. Among those are a mother and her two daughters. They’re standing on the __________ of the riverbank, playing with an inflatable (充气的) tube. Suddenly, the girls __________ balance and fall into the river. Worse still, the girls __________ hold on to the tube, which their mother is sitting in, __________ her into the river, too. Now all three are caught in the river's current.

Blachut __________ from his work when he hears someone shouting, “Three people are drowning in the Lech!” Blachut __________ the three women a short distance away, waving their arms and trying to grab anything they can. Having taken lifesaving training courses, he hurries to the riverbank and jumps into the river. Despite the cold, what he cares about is __________ saving lives.

As Blachut _________ them, he can tell the mother is in the most trouble. Blachut immediately dives under the drowning woman, lifts her upward and pushes her toward the shore. __________, an onlooker is close enough to __________ the woman’s hand, pulling her to shore. Without __________ Blachut jumps into the current again, saving the daughters in the same way he did their mother.

The mother expresses her __________ appreciation for Blachut, and he is happy to see they are safe and sound.

1.

A．leisure

B．business

C．study

D．research

2.

A．warm

B．pure

C．cold

D．shallow

3.

A．covers

B．dries

C．winds

D．flows

4.

A．edge

B．top

C．bottom

D．entrance

5.

A．keep

B．break

C．find

D．lose

6.

A．energetically

B．desperately

C．properly

D．unwillingly

7.

A．directing

B．exposing

C．pulling

D．following

8.

A．looks up

B．turns up

C．passes out

D．brings out

9.

A．urges

B．spots

C．assumes

D．ignores

10.

A．all but

B．everything but

C．anything but

D．nothing but

11.

A．departs

B．approaches

C．figures

D．awakens

12.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Meanwhile

D．Otherwise

13.

A．grasp

B．offer

C．loose

D．tie

14.

A．doubt

B．permission

C．exception

D．delay

15.

A．breathtaking

B．heartfelt

C．heart-warming

D．good-natured

10 . What comes to mind when you think of a museum? Valuable exhibits? Relaxed atmosphere? Here let's encounter some special museums.

The Museum of Bad Art

The Museum of Bad Art based in Boston, Massachusetts, will bring you a quite different visual experience. As its name implies, all pieces have made their way to the museum for being too bad to be ignored.

All the paintings have been found in yard sales, rescued from the trash or donated to the museum. When viewing such a large collection of failed art, be prepared to laugh your head off.

Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum

Established in 1984 and opened to the public in 1987, the Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum sits in a complex of grand buildings in the architectural style of the Han Dynasty.

The distinctive museum consists of two sections. The aboveground part features models of tombs from the Stone Age to the Han Dynasty. The underground one contains 22 tombs from Henan Province. The tomb of Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei is the highlight of the museum.

The Underwater Museum

Fancy an undersea exploration but have no idea where to go? Then the Underwater Museum at the bottom of Lake Grublsee in Austria can be a good choice.

This incredible museum is perfect for adventurous divers, which surely gives visitors a unique experience. It houses not only copies of ancient people and cultural relics, but also fun, strange pieces like the Statue of Liberty, aliens and skeletons (骨架).

Upside Down House

Another strange museum is the Upside Down House in St. Petersburg. It features an apartment where everything is turned upside down.

When you walk into the house, you will feel quite confused and find the entire museum very impressive. With each item in the apartment turned head over heels, you would experience the illusion (错觉) that comes with standing on the ceiling.

1. Which museum best suits diving enthusiasts?

A．Upside Down House.	B．The Museum of Bad Art.
C．The Underwater Museum.	D．Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum.

2. What can people do in the Museum of Bad Art?

A．Enjoy a big collection of failed art.	B．See several copies of cultural relics.
C．Experience visual illusion in person.	D．Visit historical and grand buildings.

3. What do the four museums have in common?

A．They are located in Europe.	B．They focus on human nature.
C．They show respect for life.	D．They are special museums.