1 . According to Americans for the Arts, more than two-thirds of U.S. adults say that the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences.” Still, only 30 percent attended a concert of any type in 2017; 23 percent visited an art museum; six percent attended a literary event. Fewer than half actively created art of any kind.
What has caused this phenomenon is that we do not have time for art — we are weighed down by our day-to-day responsibilities. Maybe you like to play a little background music while you work but most of us rarely, if ever, went to see a live performance, let alone visited a gallery. And reading poetry? Perhaps not since high school.
Too often, we let the realities of life get in the way of the arts, which can feel insignificant by comparison. But this is a mistake. The arts might be the single most in-depth experience you will ever be given to explore the nature and meaning of life. And if you make time to consume and produce art, you will find your life become fuller and happier.
Some philosophers address the problem of life consumed by work and material pursuits. They argue that art provides relief from this routine, expanding our perspective and bringing us closer to true reality.
Think of a time when you heard a piece of music and wanted to cry. Or recall your fast heartbeats as you stared at a delicate lifelike sculpture. Chances are that it probably stimulated (刺激) a sudden awakening, much like the shock from a lungful of pure oxygen after breathing in smoggy air.
If you are among those who feel that art is “pure pleasure to experience and participate in,” you might see it the same way you see eating out, or skydiving: as a luxury (奢侈品) item in your limited budgets of time and money. As such, it probably gets the same sort of treatment as any minor hobby. Don’t make this error. Treat art more like exercise or sleep: a necessity for a life full of deep satisfaction.
1. What does paragraph 1 focus on?| A．The opinion of U.S. adults about art. |
| B．The types of art that U.S. adults engage with. |
| C．The mismatch between value and behaviour as to art. |
| D．The connection between everyday experiences and art. |
| A．Art reveals the nature of life. | B．Art gives way to material pursuits. |
| C．Life without art is meaningless. | D．Background music is a kind of art. |
| A．Art awakes people’s talents. | B．Art improves physical health. |
| C．Art brings us closer to nature. | D．Art makes life fuller and happier. |
| A．Art: A Habit, Not a Luxury | B．Art: A Bridge, Not a Barrier |
| C．Art: A Decoration, Not a Reality | D．Art: A Pleasure, Not a Burden |
2 . It was through Bill Bryson’s book The Lost Continent: Travel in Small-Town America that I first experienced small-town travelling. I was interested instantly on reading it, for driving across the countryside is always something I like.
Many tourists don’t realize the real purpose for travelling is to relax.
I once travelled to the Midwest and drove through the countryside. The scenery was absolutely magnificent.
Suddenly, it seemed to me that life couldn’t be better. Just throw away the sadness and burdens (负担) that annoy us. What matters is the simple happiness of enjoying life.
| A．I have never been a fan of huge cities. |
| B．Cities are full of people we don’t know. |
| C．Roads found their way through cornfields. |
| D．Big cities and small towns have their own uniqueness. |
| E．In big cities, they just leave one busy center, and get right into another. |
| F．Those problems, however, simply disappear into air in the countryside. |
| G．So why not leave the noisy cities behind, and get lost in the streets of small towns? |
3 . Close friends have many benefits, but research shows that having “weak-tie” friendships is as valuable — or even more — as strong ones. Sociology professor Mark Granovetter published a study called “The Strength of Weak Ties” in 1973.
There are two types of “circles” when it comes to a person’s social world: the inner and outer circles.
Some companies design their buildings with the intention of letting people meet by chance in a specific area. For example, Pixar has a large, central hall where employees come across each other and start small talks. Scientists have also found that weak ties create a better, happier atmosphere.
As stated in Granovetter’s work, we get more information from weak ties. Take advantage of the pandemic by asking your friends how they are.
| A．That is the secret behind “weak-tie” friendships. |
| B．The study makes people value close friends in another way. |
| C．And then ask how they’re dealing with the current situation. |
| D．Social interactions nowadays are limited due to the COVID-19. |
| E．Close friends we feel comfortable with belong to the inner circle. |
| F．There, he explains that weak ties are important in friendship as well. |
| G．Because of the COVID-19, the world has seen a change in behaviors. |
4 . Meng Wang is a professor of human genetics. She’s been doing experiments about one of the most exciting new areas of medicine — our microbiome (微生物群).
You can’t see it with the naked eye, but our microbiome is all over (and inside of) us. Recent studies show that it can influence how we behave and even how well we respond to different drugs. Wang says, “Sometimes our microbiomes make us sick, but on the other hand, they also play a very important role in keeping us healthy.”
Wang wanted to know whether our microbiome could influence aging. To test it, she decided to work with a kind of worm (虫子) that lives only two or three weeks. Her question was, what would happen if you changed a worm’s microbiome. Would it be able to live for longer?
Wang chose one of the types of bacteria (细菌) that lives inside a worm, changed its genes (基因) so as to make different varieties, and then fed this bacteria to the worms. Three weeks later — by the time they should have all died — she checked on them. To her excitement, she found that the worms had not died. Older worms usually act slowly. The ones with the new microbiomes, however, not only moved around more quickly in their old age, but were less likely affected by illness too.
Wang is now carrying out tests on mice to see whether changing their microbiomes can influence their lives in a similar way. There is a chance that one day we might take pills which do the same of us. How much longer could this possibly allow us to live for? “Personally, I think 100 is already a good number,” says Wang.
1. What influence does Microbiome have on us according to recent studies?| A．Impacting our behavior. | B．Lengthening lifespan. |
| C．Increasing drug resistance. | D．Leading to deadly illness. |
| A．The worms grew bigger in size. |
| B．The worms kept active at old age. |
| C．The worms were free from illness. |
| D．The worms developed into new varieties. |
| A．Man can live as long as 100. | B．Microbiome works on mice similarly. |
| C．More tests need to be made. | D．Wang will develop anti-aging pills soon. |
| A．Microbiome: the hope of longer life? | B．Tips for scientific research |
| C．Meng Wang: leading scientist of genetics | D．Into the world of Microbiome |
5 . Mindful eating is maintaining an in-the-moment awareness of the food and drink you put into your body. For many of us, our busy daily lives often make mealtimes rushed things. We find ourselves eating in the car going to work, at the desk in front of a computer screen, or parked on the couch watching TV. We eat mindlessly, taking food down regardless of whether we’re still hungry or not. In fact, we often eat for other reasons instead of hunger — to satisfy emotional needs, to free from stress, or deal with unpleasant emotions such as sadness, anxiety, loneliness, or boredom. Mindful eating is the opposite of this kind of unhealthy “mindless” eating.
Mindful eating isn’t about being perfect, always eating the right things, or never allowing yourself to eat on-the-go again. And it’s not about establishing strict rules for which foods you have to include or avoid in your diet. Rather, it’s about focusing all your senses and being present as you shop for, cook, serve, and eat your food.
While mindfulness isn’t for everyone, many people find it worth trying. By paying close attention to how you feel as you eat, you can learn to enjoy both your food and the experience of eating. It can keep you full with less food, and influence wiser choices about what you eat in the future. It can also help you free yourself from unhealthy habits.
To practice mindfulness, you need to participate in an activity with total awareness. In the case of mindful eating, it’s important to eat with all your attention rather than on multitasking (reading, watching TV, daydreaming, etc). When your attention moves away, gently bring it back to your food and the experience of cooking, serving, and eating.
1. Which belongs to mindful eating?| A．Eating while driving. | B．Eating as quickly as possible. |
| C．Eating to fill emotional needs. | D．Eating only to satisfy physical hunger. |
| A．Rudely. | B．Crazily. | C．Irregularly. | D．Hurriedly. |
| A．It’s a trend in weight loss. | B．It’s worthwhile to have a go. |
| C．It’s a universal rule of diet. | D．It’s helpful to keep energetic. |
| A．The benefits of mindful eating. | B．The practice of mindful eating. |
| C．The reasons for mindful eating. | D．The spread of mindful eating. |
6 . Raising awareness of a serious issue begins with its being visible to students. Amazon has some fantastic things for classroom walls that you can get at a reasonable price.
| Hitting, kicking, slapping, spitting, pushing, blocking Stealing or destroying someone’s possessions Making rude hand gestures (手势) Touching in unwanted & improper ways | Name calling Insults (辱骂) Teasing Improper sexual comments Threatening to cause harm | Lying & spreading rumors (谣言) Telling others not to be friends with someone Embarrassing someone in public Damaging someone’s social relationships | Posting/sending hurtful texts, emails or posts, images or videos Making online threats Imitating others online or using their log-in Spreading unkind rumors online |
 | |||
| A．The types of bullying. | B．The ways of anti-bullying. |
| C．The causes of bullying. | D．The effects of anti-bullying. |
| A．Physical bullying. | B．Verbal bullying. |
| C．Social bullying. | D．Cyber bullying. |
| A．To sell posters. | B．To report a bullying survey. |
| C．To fight against bullying. | D．To reveal a rise in bullying. |
7 . Emma Gatewood — called “Grandma Gatewood” by the world — was one of the early thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the longest walking-only footpath in the world. She was not the first person — or even the first woman — to hike the trail (路线). Her hike was notable because she was the first woman ever to complete the trail alone at an advanced age.
When Gatewood did her first thru-hike in 1955, there were few hikers and it was hard to follow the trail. There were also many fewer resources for hikers — fewer stores near the trail and much less information available about the trail. But still, Gatewood hiked it alone, carrying only a bag and a hiking stick. She ate a lot of sausages and trail mix. Sometimes she ran out of food and ate berries she recognized in the forest.
After her hike, Gatewood had this to say about the trail in an interview: I thought it would be a nice lark. It wasn’t. There were terrible burnt-over areas and sand washouts, and most of the shelters were blown down, burned down or so dirty I chose to sleep out of doors. This was no trail. This was a nightmare. I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn’t and I wouldn’t quit.
All things considered, the only thing more improbable than Emma Gatewood’s completing the trail at the age of 67, is that she turned around and did it again. Twice — once in 1957 and again in 1964, at the age of 76, but this time in sections.
“Gatewood inspired many hikers over the years,” says Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum, “People think, ‘if this elderly woman could do the trail by herself, then I should be able to.’”
1. Which might be the title for Gatewood?| A．The first thru-hiker of A.T. | B．The first female to hike A.T. alone. |
| C．The only woman thru-hiker of A.T. | D．The oldest person to hike A.T. alone. |
| A．She met extreme weather. | B．There was various food. |
| C．She met many fellow travelers. | D．There was limited information. |
| A．Breaking news. | B．Great fun. |
| C．A big challenge. | D．An improbable task. |
| A．Well begun is half done. | B．Action speaks louder than words. |
| C．Success is failure turned inside out. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
8 . For millions of people sitting in a traffic jam or standing on a crowded train, the daily commute (通勤) probably isn’t the best part of their day. But cars and trains aren’t the only travel options.
Electric Vehicles
For those who have a short commute, you could consider getting an electric bike or scooter. An electric scooter has the advantage of being highly portable (轻便的): small and light enough to carry to your office. You’ll just need to check if they are allowed to be used in your area.
Take RYNO for example. It’s a single-wheel electric scooter, whose highest speed is about that of a bicycle. And like other electric vehicles, it can be charged anywhere.
WalkCar
If you want transportation for short distances, the WalkCar might be perfect for you.
The WalkCar looks like a laptop and only weighs three kilograms. It’s also incredibly easy to use — stand on it and it will start to move; move your weight to one side and it will change direction. The WalkCar will take you at a speed of up to 10 kilometers per hour and can travel 12 kilometers on one charge.
Jetpacks
Weighing around 200 kilograms, jetpacks aren’t exactly portable, but they’re sure to have a lot of fun and attract a lot of attention. Running on petrol, the jet engines allow the user to lift off the ground and fly in the air.
The world’s first jetpack is the Martin Jetpack. Once you’ve attached this tiny personal jet plane onto your back, you’ll be able to travel up to 50 kilometers at a height of 1,000 meters. With a price tag of about $150,000, this is probably the most expensive option, but it will almost certainly be the coolest!
1. What do Electric Vehicles and WalkCar have in common?① being portable. ② being rechargeable.
③ being widely used. ④ being suitable for short distances.
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．①③④ | D．②③④ |
| A．The price. | B．The appearance. |
| C．The weight. | D．The flight performance. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Travel. | C．Entertainment. | D．Transport. |
9 . If job seekers knew companies were using AI to fill open positions, would it stop them from applying for the job? The answer, according to a recent study, is yes — sometimes.
The researchers found that in certain instances, like the screening (筛选) of applications, participants usually accepted some degree of automation. But in other instances, like interviews, automation could stop job seekers from applying for a position.
Companies facing recent labor shortages are increasingly turning to AI as a way to facilitate and speed up the hiring process. AI can be used in tasks such as screening job candidates, checking professional licenses, and interviewing candidates.
The new research suggests that using AI in hiring could be quite opposite. For instance, in one part of the study, participants were shown fictional job postings and then asked if they intended to apply for the position. The researchers found that if the job posting said that AI was used both to screen applicants and to conduct interviews, participants’ intention to apply for the position averaged 2.77 on a six-point scale. If AI was used only for the screening process, participants’ intention to apply averaged 3.73.
In another experiment, the researchers also found that study participants saw pros and cons in the use of AI in interviewing. When told the hiring would be fully automated, some participants expected the whole hiring process to be more consistent (始终如一的) in its judgments. But others tended to believe that they had less voice in the final outcome. Overall, the study results suggest this concern tends to outweigh the appreciation of AI’s lack of bias (偏见) at the interviewing stage.
A mixed approach may be a way to get the best of both worlds. Participants may have been more open to automation earlier in the hiring process because they could see some benefits from using AI — such as less-biased decisions. But during the later stages applicants expect personal interaction, to give them an opportunity to sell themselves and to learn more about the company.
1. Why do companies increasingly turn to AI in hiring?| A．To attract more applicants. | B．To boost hiring process. |
| C．To pick out top candidates. | D．To solve labor shortages. |
| A．Screening job candidates. | B．Interviewing candidates. |
| C．Grading professional licenses. | D．Predicting final outcomes. |
| A．Less AI involvement. | B．Lack of consistent judgments. |
| C．Less-biased decisions. | D．Lack of personal interaction. |
| A．Hi-tech is a two-edged sword. |
| B．AI finds its way to hiring process. |
| C．Automation may discourage job seekers. |
| D．A mixed approach should be adopted in hiring. |
When it comes to debates over the Mona Lisa, most people tend to fall into conversation over whether the subject is pretending a smile.
The answer? Perhaps. But not anymore.
In 2007, a French photographer and engineer named Pascal Cotte cast doubt on that idea. Using an advanced camera capable of capturing images of high quality, Cotte claimed he was able to visualize a faint eyebrow hair on her face.
If Cotte's observation is correct, why only one hair? It's possible, Cotte said, that Da Vinci painted a glaze (釉) over most of the piece and then added further detail on top of it.
Cotte's photos allow observers to make their own judgment about whether Mona Lisa's eyebrows were pulled out.
| A．A more careful analysis might raise another argument |
| B．No one will deny it's Leonardo Da Vinci's symbolic artwork |
| C．Perhaps Da Vinci had indeed intended to paint his subject with eyebrows |
| D．In painting the work, Da Vinci was likely to be recognizing the fashion trends |
| E．That may have created a situation where the topmost layer was easily damaged |
| F．It's another element that may make the painting appealing for another 500 years |
| G．It can clearly be seen that cracks (裂缝) around the eye have slightly disappeared |
