1 . Once upon a time, there was a small village in the center of a big forest. All the villagers were used to their robotic farm work and none of them had the imagination or the will to try something new, except for one girl named Jo. Most villagers could not read or write, and Jo was an exception.
One afternoon, when Jo was on one of her adventures in the forest, she came across an abandoned cottage. Though she’d been warned to stay away from abandoned places, her curiosity got the best of her. She slid in and was amazed to find a room full of books! Jo’s excitement was huge when she realized she had found a hidden treasure.
She ran to tell the villagers everything, thinking that they would share her excitement but instead, she heard roars of laughter! Jo was confused by this reaction and a little hurt too, but she did not give up on her books.
She came to the cottage every day and got down to reading the books. For her, each page was an adventure with characters who challenged difficulties with their determination and who struggled for good. Knowing the power of stories in impressing on people the values of life, she decided to share the stories with the villagers, though she knew it would be a difficult journey. Making this her mission, Jo started telling stories every day at her cottage.
In the beginning, only a few came to the readings. But word spread rapidly, causing more and more people to come, some of whom even traveled from far away to just listen to her stories. She also conducted workshops in which she taught people how to read and write. She was remembered and lived in her stories even after she was long gone.
1. Which can best replace the underlined phrase “got the best of” in paragraph 2?| A．Discouraged. | B．Beat. | C．Cheated. | D．Scared. |
| A．They took her words seriously. | B．They’ve already known it. |
| C．They thought it was something meaningless. | D．It was all Jo’s imagination. |
| A．Dedicated and honest. | B．Devoted but confusing. |
| C．Adventurous but careless. | D．Determined and influential. |
| A．A Hidden Treasure Discovered by Jo. | B．Jo’s Journey: from Adventure to Education. |
| C．The Power of Stories | D．A Role Model in the Field of Education |
2 . As far as fantastic drives go, few can compete with Highway 395. Here’s what you need to know before starting a road trip along it.
▲ What to Know About Driving on Highway 395
Highway 395 begins in Hesperia, a city about 90 minutes east of Los Angeles. It then continues for 1,300 miles until its end point at the Canadian border (边界). While the entire drive is beautiful, its most famous section runs from the Los Angeles area up to Reno, Nevada.
▲ Where to Stop Along Highway 395
CONVICT LAKE
Convict Lake, one of California’s clearest bodies of water, is a beloved destination for photographers. During your drive, you can pull over for a photo, or quickly hop on a boat and cast a fishing line to see what you can catch.
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN
Just around the corner, you’ll find Mammoth Mountain, one of America’s best ski destinations Mammoth is renowned for its extended ski season, often lasting until July, and offers excellent terrain (地形) for all skill levels.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
During your drive, pay a visit to Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, you can watch climbers make their way up Half Dome, feel the power of Yosemite Falls, and enjoy the beauty of Tuolumne Meadows.
▲ When to Drive on Highway 395
Because many attractive places along Highway 395 are all-season destinations, there’s really no wrong time to depart on this road trip. However, it’s important to remember the road can get rather dangerous in winter. Check the highway website before leaving to ensure you’re aware of the conditions.
1. What do the three recommended places to visit have in common?| A．They are places suitable for sports lovers. |
| B．They shows the historical changes in America. |
| C．They have beautiful views and excellent terrain. |
| D．They offer opportunities for people to get close to nature. |
| A．It starts in Los Angeles and ends in Canada. |
| B．There isn’t a bad time to start a road trip along it. |
| C．No special preparations are needed before leaving for it. |
| D．Its most famous destinations are in the Los Angeles area. |
| A．A geography textbook. | B．An official document. |
| C．A science report. | D．A travel website. |
3 . As the world struggles to deal with the climate crisis, some companies are working to remove polluting carbon dioxide from the air.
Scientists say large amounts of CO2 must be removed from the CO2 atmosphere and stored.
That means humans need to come up with ways of removing carbon from the air and storing it. This is called Direct Air Capture(DAC). The science of removing carbon from the air is challenging, and it’s still pretty new.
A company called Heirloom has just opened the first DAC plant in the United States. The company heats up the limestone to separate out the CO2, which is concrete. The process is extremely expensive.
| A．Plants and trees do this naturally. |
| B．That’s a huge and challenging goal. |
| C．Not everyone is excited about carbon removal. |
| D．Graphyte is another US company working on DAC. |
| E．The new plant can remove 1,000 tons of CO2 a year. |
| F．Most DAC processes require a large amount of energy. |
| G．As a matter of fact, CO2 is just a small part of the gases that make up air. |
4 . If you’re a teen artist, this is the perfect challenge for you. We’ve seen just how talented you can be; but this month, we’re putting your skills to the test. This contest requires your art to be made out of a wide variety of colors. You should use different colors even for your outlines and shading. Think you’re up for the challenge?
Deadline: June 1Rules:
● You must be a teen (aged 13 — 19) to enter.
● No inappropriate content.
● Submissions must relate to the topic (only colors, no black-and-white drawings).
Guidelines and Details:
● Your entry must be a character created by yourself.
● There is no limit to the number of characters you can submit.
How to Submit:
● Submit entries through our website. All entries submitted to Teen Ink are automatically considered for the contest. There is no cost to submit or be published. See our submission guidelines for more information.
● Submit your work to the appropriate art category on Teen Ink. Include “only colors” as one of your submission’s tags. You can do this by using the “additional tags” field in your submission form.
Prizes:
● Winners and honorable mentions will have their works published in Teen Ink magazine.
● The overall winner will receive a $25 gift card.
1. What do we know about the contest?
| A．It tests students’ talents. | B．It focuses on colors. |
| C．It has no content requirements. | D．It targets art students. |
| A．Create characters on their own. | B．Submit the entries before July 1. |
| C．Submit only one entry to Teen Ink. | D．Create black-and-white drawings. |
| A．Cash prizes. | B．Gift certificates. |
| C．Publication of their works. | D．Copies of Teen Ink magazine. |
5 . 
| Summary Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason’s parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha, Boyhood charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before and is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting. | Directed By: Richard Linklater Written By: Richard Linklater |
Want to know what it’s like to be in on the discovery of a new American classical play. Check out Boyhood. Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age tale is the best movie of the year, a four-star game-changer that earns its place in the cultural time capsule.
By Peter Travers1. How do the critics view on the movie Boyhood?
| A．Positive. | B．Mixed. | C．Negative. | D．Neutral. |
| A．Richard Linklater. | B．Mason. |
| C．Ethan Hawke. | D．Patricia Arquette. |
| A．Musical. | B．Sport. | C．History. | D．Drama. |
6 . Iris Apfel, the interior designer and fashion tastemaker, who found fame in her 80s, has died aged 102. “She was forward-thinking in every sense of the world and saw the world through a unique lens. She saw the world as a kaleidoscope (万花筒) of colour, a canvas of patterns and prints,” said Apfel’s agent, Lori Sale.
Born in 1921 in Queens, New York, Apfel studied art history at New York University and later attended art school at the University of Wisconsin. Her first job was as a copywriter at Women’s Wear Daily. She later worked for the interior designer Elinor Johnson and also the illustrator Robert Goodman. In 1948, she married Carl Apfel. Two years later they launched the textile company Old World Weaver s and ran it until they retired in 1992.
As an outstanding authority on old-fashioned fabrics (纺织物), Apfel gave guidance on restoration projects, including work at the White House. She was the subject of several museum exhibitions and more recently starred in campaigns for H&M, eBay, Citroen and even had a Barbie doll made in her likeness. Among those showing respect was the US designer Tommy Hilfiger, who praised Apfel as an “innovator and leader” in the world of textiles and style, saying “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent and amazing effect on so many people with her huge heart and magic touch.”
In 2005, her personal collection of designer accessories (配饰) and clothes became the subject of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was the first time that the Met had focused on a living female who was more than a designer. In another first, Apfel dressed the mannequins (人体模型) herself, styling them in her own unique and magnificent manner.
When asked about aging in a 2018 interview, Apfel said, “I wouldn't want to stop the clock. No, that would be so boring. It would be like being caught in a time machine. I don’t like that. I think variety is the spice of life.”
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．Apfel saw the world through a lens because she was far-sighted. |
| B．Apfel set up the textile company Old World Weavers on her own. |
| C．Apfel offered suggestions on the way to restore the White House. |
| D．Apfel was the first to dress the mannequins for the design industry. |
| A．Because she was a talented film star. | B．Because many US designers praised her. |
| C．Because she had a great influence on people. | D．Because a Barbie doll was made on her looks. |
| A．She believes aging is full of excitement. |
| B．She prefers being caught in a time machine. |
| C．She wants to experience different stages of fashion. |
| D．She thinks variety is significant for a meaningful life. |
| A．Aging with style | B．Growing with talent |
| C．Living with passion | D．Working with determination |
7 . I remember that it was a fall morning when the orchestra (管弦乐队) teachers came into Miss Newell’s third-grade classroom. “You have hands for the viola (中提琴),” Miss Ciano told me. I was excited because my hands were finally good for something. I told my parents I wanted to play, and naturally, they agreed.
Since I first touched the viola, I haven’t been able to put it down. Ignoring the difficulty, I am pulled closer to it each day.
Classical music is truly my best friend. It is the trusted friend of every man, woman and child. Various feelings are expressed in classical music. I discovered that when I was eleven and played a cello concerto (大提琴协奏曲) of Bach in a competition, the first movement was joyful, but the second movement was mysterious and full of pain. From the piece, I learned that music expresses not only feelings, but also sudden mood changes. By listening to classical music, I know that someone else shares these feelings. Since I am lucky enough to be able to play classical music, I am comforted by it when I am upset. It gives me a way to escape from my problems for a short period. Classical music can express my joy, sadness and anger.
Now look back at that fall day in the third grade and think how gullible I was for believing that anyone, even music teachers, could tell whether hands were perfect for a certain instrument. I’m certain they told me I had “viola hands” not because they were fortune-tellers, but because there was a lack of violists in our district. Classical music is one of the best things that ever happened to mankind. If you get introduced to it in the right way, it will become your friend for life.
1. What’s the main cause of the author’s interest in playing the viola?| A．Interesting musical classes. | B．Beautiful viola sound. |
| C．Teachers’ proper guidance. | D．Parents’ strong support. |
| A．By developing social skills. | B．By giving emotional comfort. |
| C．By broadening life experience. | D．By building close relationship. |
| A．Easily tricked. | B．Firmly loved. | C．Greatly challenged. | D．Secretly hidden. |
| A．Special Event, Sweet Memory. | B．Classical Music, Endless Friendship. |
| C．Lifetime Dream, Great effort. | D．Happy Childhood, Unforgotten Experience. |
8 . In 2021, scientists studying animal communication discovered that some dogs connect objects with words similarly to babies. Then what about cats, which are commonly believed to be unconcerned about human affairs?
Saho Takagi, a researcher at Azabu University, doubted cats’ seeming unconcern. “Cats don’t appear to listen to people’s conversations, but in fact, they do,” said Takagi. According to previous research, cats understand human communication better than expected. Like dogs, they can use human pointing and stares to find food. They even can tell the difference between human facial expressions and states of attention, according to a 2016 study. However, cats can do more than that.
Another study showed that cats can discriminate their own names from the names of their cat companions (those that live in the same house). The researchers believed that cats learned to connect names with other cats by observing communication between their owners and their cat friends.
In a recently published study, Takagi and her colleagues compared two groups of cats: cats living with at least two other cats and cats living in “cat cafés” with up to 30 cats. Using a simple two-phase (阶段) test, they assessed the cats’ responses to hearing their names and seeing their faces on a monitor. Sometimes, the cat that appeared on the screen matched the name spoken; other times, the name and the image did not match. If cats knew the names of their cat friends, they would investigate by staring doubtfully at the monitor when the name and image did not match. House cats had a significantly longer stare than café cats, indicating that house cats generally expected a specific cat’s face upon hearing the cat’s name.
“This is the first evidence showing that house cats link human words and their social companions through daily experiences,” the researchers wrote. “However, we could not recognize the mechanism (机制) for learning. But with more and more scientists becoming interested in cats, who are much smarter than we assume, this question is sure to be solved.”
1. What’s people’s common understanding of cats?| A．They have their own language. | B．They can connect objects with words. |
| C．They show no interest in human things. | D．They can use human instructions to find food. |
| A．cats and dogs are all clever animals |
| B．cats’ ability to learn is stronger than dogs’ |
| C．cats and dogs can get along well with humans |
| D．cats’ ability goes beyond recognizing body language |
| A．Choose. | B．Protect. | C．Tell. | D．Learn. |
| A．How cats can recognize other cats’ face. |
| B．Whether cats are much smarter than expected. |
| C．Whether cats can understand human communication. |
| D．How cats link human words and their social companions. |
9 . Professor Dallas Smythe first described commercial media as a system for delivering audiences to advertisers. This perception of the viewing public as a “market” for products as well as an audience for advertising reflects the economic preference of the current media system in America. The unplanned side effects of advertising, however, concern many critics (评论家).
Dinar Godrej holds the view that advertising creates an attack on our senses, that advertising can act as a “compulsive liar”, and that the disorder advertising creates attacks us with images and ideas that result in a cultural change that creates desires for goods that only the wealthy can actually get. This author takes the point of view that there is really nothing positive that advertising contributes to a society, and that just about everything about advertising is negative.
John Calfee addresses many of these issues but also focuses on how the information in ads benefits consumers. He takes the position that advertising functions in the public’s interest, and that even the argument about ads can be beneficial because they can result in competitive pricing for consumers. He also states that individuals can learn about important issues (such as health) through ads.
There are also more neutral (中立的) views, such as those held by people who see it as an economic engine to deliver “free” programs to people, or the idea that advertising is an art form in itself. Whatever the perspective, one thing is true: Advertising can have both obvious and potential (潜在的) impact. It can be defended on solid ground and criticized on solid ground.
1. Why does Dinar Godrej think advertising can be a “compulsive liar”?| A．It creates disorder in our body. | B．It is full of images and ideas. |
| C．It changes our feelings for goods. | D．It creates goods for the wealthy. |
| A．It helps control prices. | B．It decreases public’s interest. |
| C．It avoids arguments. | D．It is good for people’s health. |
| A．Few people hold neutral views on advertising. |
| B．We can not see all the impact of advertising. |
| C．Advertising encourages us to learn about art. |
| D．Advertising is seldom criticized by people. |
| A．Positive. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Subjective. |
10 . Paris is one of the most important and influential cities in the world. In terms of tourism, Paris is the second most visited city in Europe after London. Everyone knows all about the iconic sights in Paris, such as the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum. But what about other facts that your average guide book doesn’t tell you?
•Every year the French celebrate the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris on July 14th 1789. Usually the jail held political prisoners but on the day the Bastille was stormed there were only 7 prisoners in the jail, none of political significance, and four of them had been jailed for check-forging(伪造支票).
• Paris is called the City of Lights. But it has nothing to do with the power used to illuminate the Eiffel Tower or the streetlights of the city. Lights in this case, means intellectuals, referring to the high-concentration of writers, artists and academics that have always been drawn to the city.
•Shakespeare And Company is the most famous English-language bookshop in Paris and it is named after the original store, owned by Sylvia Beach, which published James Joyce’s classic novel Ulysses in 1922. Now it has been a salon for writers and readers in Paris for more than seventy years.
• Paris is a city with a long, interesting but sadly a blood-stained history. Paris’ Latin motto is “Fluctuat nec mergitur” meaning “It is tossed by the waves, but does not sink.”
MoreinformationcanbegainedfromOnlinetravelguide@whatparis.com .
1. What facts about Paris can we learn from the passage?| A．Paris is the second most popular tourist city in the world. |
| B．Prisoners in the Bastille were all of political significance. |
| C．Paris is called the City of Lights because of the power of the road lights. |
| D．Shakespeare And Company is a meeting place for writers and readers in Paris. |
| A．Paris has a long and interesting history. | B．Paris will never sink into the ocean. |
| C．Parisians are tough in face of challenges. | D．Parisians are drowned by huge waves. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．An announcement. |
