1 . An underwater dance performance brought He Haohao into the spotlight. The show, titled Pray, features He as the Goddess of the Luohe River. It became popular after being played on Henan TV in June 2021. Thousands of Internet users were amazed at her graceful but highly demanding moves, such as flying in the water.

The 31-year-old started to learn synchronized (花样的) swimming at the age of eight and won a national championship. In 2013, she graduated from college and went to work a nine-to-five job in an office. But her true passion for the underwater sport pushed her out of her comfort zone. Three years later, she gave up the job and was qualified as a professional dance coach.

To let more people know about the underwater dance, she has been trying to film short videos of dances that feature Chinese traditional culture. One of her most impressive pieces of work is an underwater dance for a public service announcement about ocean protection in 2018.She created the dance in the sea.

“As a lover of traditional culture, it’s my own way to present it by combining it with the underwater dance,” He added. “You can do many impossible movements that can’t be accomplished on land, such as flying.” This makes the underwater dance more beautiful to watch.

When shooting Pray, she had to wear counterweights (平衡物) weighing from 2 to 10kilograms to stand still in the water. More dangerously, her neck was once wounded around by costumes that can float without control under the water.

Now, her next work that features swinging tai chi swords is to be released soon. The audience is expecting to see another fascinating performance under the water.

1. What became popular in the first paragraph?

A．An underwater sport.	B．Internet users in Henan.
C．A dance show called Pray.	D．The Goddess of the Luohe River.

2. Why did He quit her nine-to-five job?

A．She got fired by the employer.	B．She longed to do something she likes.
C．She was encouraged by Internet users.	D．She desired to go into the comfort zone.

3. What is special about He’s dance Pray?

A．It is filmed to show environment protection.

B．It can be performed well both on land and underwater.

C．It combines Chinese traditional culture with underwater dance.

D．It includes many movements that other dancers can perform as well.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Seeking for Dance Dream on Land	B．Learning How to Dance Under Water
C．Advertising a Dance Performance Pray	D．Getting to Know a Professional Dance Coach

3 . If you have some free time in fall, would you like to go to the theatre?

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Sep. 12th, —Oct. 28th, 2024

Main Stage: UK Royal Opera House

Follow Alice down the rabbit hole in Christopher Wheeldon’s beautiful ballet, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s much-loved book.

Conducted by Koen Kessels. Last few tickets at $6.99.

Music: Joby Talbot. Designer: Bob Crowley.

Running time: 2hrs, 40 mins.

Enjoy three of your favorite productions in our Autumn Season for a 10% discount.

Cats

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running classic music al is back on Broadway!

Jul. 31st, — Dec. 30th, 2024

No show on Wednesday.

THEATER: Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52nd Street, New York, NY.

Running time:2hrs, 20 mins.

Buy tickets from $59! Group tickets: 12 seats or more.

Les Misérables

Start from Sep. 20th to Sep. 29th, 2024

The West End’s longest running classic musical, Les Misérables has been enjoyed by over 70million people in 42 countries and in 22 languages around the globe and is still breaking box-office records as it passes its 30th year in London.

Book your Les Misérables tickets, playing at the Queen’s Theatre today.

Running time: 3 hours.

Buy group tickets from $69.

If you require more than 8 tickets, please call us for great rates: 020-7492-0810.

Recommended for children aged 7 or over; children under 5 will not be admitted.

Carmen

Check https: //www.laopera. org for best availability and lowest prices        !

“Much greater than any other opera”— Los Angeles Times.

SCHEDULE: Opening on September 9th,2024. Opening night celebration tickets available. Call213-972-8097. Closing on October 1st, 2024.

Running time: about three hours and 25 minutes, including two breaks.

Two operas available:

Opera at the Beach: Santa Monica Beach. Opera in the Park: Victoria’s Park.

1. Which show has the longest running time?

A．Cats.	B．Les Misérables.
C．Carmen.	D．Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

2. How much does it cost if a couple want to see ballet?

A．$6.99.

B．$13.98.

C．$59.

D．$138.

3. What do Cats and Les Misérables have in common?

A．They are both classic musicals.	B．They are playing at Neil Simon Theatre.
C．Their show time are more than three hours.	D．Their group tickets are at least eight people.

5 . Los Angeles County Museum of Art

What to know?

Next door to the La Brea Tar Pits sits the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the linchpin of the Los Angeles museum district. Since its opening in 1965, LACMA has showcased thousands of pieces, from Islamic artifacts to European impressionist paintings to modern art. With constantly shifting exhibitions and unique architecture, LACMA offers a rewarding experience for both serious art lovers and casual travelers.

More information

LACMA’s collection is housed in multiple buildings. The Ahmanson Building, the Hammer Building, and the Art of the Americas Building are historical structures that have long been part of the museum’s landscape. Currently, the museum is constructing a new building for its permanent collection, called the David Geffen Galleries, which is scheduled to open in 2024. For now, pieces will be on display in the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion. The Urban Light and Levitated Mass exhibits remain open to visitors. There is a restaurant and grab-and-go eatery on-site. Many visitors appreciated both the indoor and outdoor art exhibits and were impressed with the size of the collection of modern and contemporary art.

When to visit?

Situated on Wilshire Boulevard in west Los Angeles, LACMA is open from 11 am to 6 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; from 11 am to 8 pm on Fridays and from 10 am to 7 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. It is closed every Wednesday.

Price

As for residents outside the county, general admission tickets cost $25 for adults, $10 for those aged 3 to 17 (children aged 2 and younger get in for free) and parking will set you back $21. Tickets can be purchased online or at the museum’s ticket office.

1. Which building is under construction?

A．The Hammer Building.	B．The Ahmanson Building.
C．The David Geffen Galleries.	D．The Art of the Americas Building.

2. When can the museum be accessible to visitors?

A．At 10 am on Tuesdays.	B．At 3 pm on Fridays.
C．At 8 pm on Saturdays.	D．At 11 am on Wednesdays.

3. To visit the museum, how much will a Canadian couple driving a car pay?

A．$35.

B．$56.

C．$71.

D．$81.

6 . Children with strong family connections are associated with a high likelihood of flourishing in life, a study found. “What is different about this study is that it shows that family connection is associated with thriving and not just surviving or avoiding harm,” said lead study author Dr. Robert Whitaker.

Researchers surveyed over 37,000 children in 26 countries. In the study, family connection was determined by a mean score of five categories: care, support, safety, respect, and participation. Flourishing was determined by a mean score of six categories: self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth, environmental mastery and autonomy. The essence of family connection is children feeling that they are accepted and cared for at home, which allows them to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are in a safe environment as they are building their identity,Whitaker said.

Children with the greatest level of family connection were over 49% more likely to flourish compared with those with the lowest level of family connection, according to the study. The highest scores in both family connection and flourishing came from children who said they lived with both parents, had enough food or never had their family worrying about finances. Researchers then controlled the data for families’ poverty levels to remove the effect they might have had on the numbers. After controlling the data, the strength of family connection still impacted how much children flourished.

According to Whitaker, adults have a very powerful influence on the emotional climate in the home, so it’s important to create a space where children feel seen and heard. A great opportunity to strengthen family bonds is around the dinner table. Adults should create an environment where children feel comfortable speaking freely. While they are talking,grown-ups should show that they have a genuine interest in what their children are saying. Silence is also another powerful form of communication, Whitaker said. Children and parents spending time together in silence or even doing chores can create a connection.

1. What is the study mainly about?

A．The importance of family connection to children’s survival.

B．The relationship between family connection and children’s success.

C．The factors affecting children’ self-acceptance.

D．The impact of poverty on children’s development.

2. Who are more likely to achieve high scores in both family connection and flourishing?

A．Children who live with a single parent.

B．Children who have enough food and money.

C．Children who know of their strengths and weaknesses.

D．Children who have a whole family and economic security.

3. Which of the following might be an influencing factor in the result?

A．Family income.	B．Parents’ educational level.
C．Children’s age and gender.	D．The number of people in the family.

4. How can adults strengthen family bonds during mealtime?

A．By showing respect when children are talking.	B．By talking about their own problems.
C．By keeping silent when disagreements arise.	D．By backing children’s opinions forever.

7 . Do you remember that cold you had when you were 10? No? Well, your body does. Each time you faced some viruses, and after you fought them off, your body stored a memory to recognize these threats if they appeared again. It is the memory of cell in your immune system (免疫系统).

The immune system is so adaptable and long-lasting that it might be able to help our bodies to become immune to viruses we’ve never met, or even give us universal immunity. But how does it do the job?

Our first level of defense is physical, like your skin. If something goes through skin, your second line of defense comes into action. White blood cells will search your body for these dangers and attack them. They’ll call in helpers to kill the dangers, and start an alarm system called inflammation (发炎). This is your body’s innate (先天的) immune system at work.

But it isn’t always enough, especially if a more serious threat appears. Some viruses can double in your body every 20 minutes. This can quickly defeat that innate immune system, but luckily, we’ve developed a more complicated line of defense to stop these terrible enemies: the adaptive immune response.

This army of cells is like your body’s special army, and its best soldiers are antibodies (抗体). Each antibody carries a unique area with a special shape that allows it to latch onto one particular enemy, just like a key fits into its lock. When one antibody catches its enemy, it can work together with all your body’s defenses to fight this enemy. And your immune system learns from this fight so it can attack even more strongly if you ever meet that enemy again in the future. That’s called being immune to something.

1. What is the function of our memory of cell?

A．It works as a warning of our health condition.

B．It strengthens our immune system as we grow older.

C．It helps to identify the bacteria our body has met before.

D．It stops us suffering from the same disease again and again.

2. What do we know from Paragraph 3?

A．Inflammation is a preventive response.

B．The first level of defense is easy to break.

C．White blood cells often work independently.

D．Helpers may build an alarm system against enemies.

3. What does the underlined phrase “latch onto” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Seize.

B．Free.

C．Monitor.

D．Suspect.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．How the viruses try to get into our body.

B．What we should do to keep from new illnesses.

C．How the immune system helps us fight diseases.

D．What our minds do to store the sickness memory.

8 . In a fast developing world, many old-fashioned skills seem to be disappearing. It’s hard to find people who know such skills as sewing, but a few decades ago, it was common for every person to learn them.

Now many would think sewing isn’t as useful today. The garment (服装) industry is producing clothing that is cheaper, faster and more fashionable than ever, making it possible to buy a suit for less than $10 at home.

However, that doesn’t mean clothing isn’t indestructible (破坏不了的). Garments with simple tears that could be fixed in seconds with a needle are just thrown away. This causes more than 26 billion pounds of garbage and millions of dollars wasted because of a tear. Even dirty or worn clothing that still has plenty of usable cloth is being thrown away.

The ability to create hand-made clothes doesn’t only reduce waste. It is also tailor-made just for you. Most buy clothes made for a general body type, and to get it tailored by a professional is expensive. So why not do it yourself?

Perhaps the greatest problem of sewing is simply the time involved. Buying a skirt online takes a few seconds. Making a skirt can take weeks. But learning to sew doesn’t always involve complicated projects. Instead they might just be simple adjustments to help the garments fit or match your style.

Schools could easily teach sewing. Yet, they focus more on college preparations, ignoring traditional skills. Actually sewing is a valuable skill to be used in daily life. It wouldn’t take much time to teach children how to sew.

So, instead of letting old things die in this new age of the Internet, how about learning some of the lost skills that helped us for so long?

1. Why do some people think the sewing skill is less useful?

A．Because cloth is too expensive.

B．Because sewing is a bit boring to learn.

C．Because hand-made things are easily broken.

D．Because clothes are cheaper and convenient to buy.

2. Which benefit of sewing is talked about in Paragraph 3?

A．It contributes to creativity.	B．It’s environmentally-friendly.
C．It pushes the garment industry.	D．It gives costumers a typical look.

3. How do schools treat traditional skills?

A．They make the skills easy to learn.	B．They set the skills as basic subjects.
C．They make every effort to teach the skills.	D．They fail to give the skills enough attention.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to the old-fashioned skills?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncaring.

D．Opposing.

9 . I first saw a real durian (榴莲) in an Asian supermarket in Queens. That strange-looking fruit was big, heavy, and covered with sharp pricks (刺). I decided to buy one. The Chinese checkout girl carefully wrapped it thickly in a newspaper before putting it into a shopping bag.

On the train home, I cautiously opened the Chinese newspaper and lifted it out. Its strangeness made me think of kung fu, yoga and Taijiquan.

Upon arriving home, I dug out the biggest knife and cut through the tough prickly husk (壳). I tasted the pale-yellow flesh, delicious!

After that, durian was my favourite fruit. My skill at cutting durian open was improving. I showed the skill to my girlfriend.

A few years later, we moved to Taiwan. One day I noticed some durians had begun to open by themselves. The owner tried to get me to buy one but I shook my head, thinking it was far-gone. Instead I selected one whose outer husk wasn’t open.

The next morning I woke up to a strong durian smell. I found a small crack (裂缝) had appeared all on its own. I used the smallest pressure and tasted a more delicious durian. Suddenly, I realized something. I ha felt so satisfied with my own skill in opening the durian that I never thought about letting the durian open itself. The higher art was not in doing but in not doing — letting the thing happen on its own in the way it happens best.

1. Why did the Chinese checkout girl wrap the durian thickly in a newspaper?

A．To decorate the durian.	B．To stop the durian from falling apart.
C．To prevent the author from being hurt.	D．To encourage the author to read Chinese.

2. What came to the author’s mind when he looked at the durian on the way home?

A．A strange fruit.	B．A delicious dinner.
C．Other passengers’ attention.	D．Some symbols of Asian culture.

3. Why didn’t the author take the recommended durian?

A．He thought it was too ripe.	B．He enjoyed the selection of durian.
C．He wanted a chance to show his skill.	D．He preferred the durian with open husk.

4. What message did the author want to share?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Let nature take its course.
C．Interest is the best teacher.	D．Kill two birds with one stone.

10 . In a recent email to an old friend, I mentioned that our family planned on taking our four­week road trip in our motor home. My friend emailed back and said he thought I was very “brave” to set out on such an adventure with two young children (aged two and five). I laughed when I read his email and wondered if he knew how much he was missing out on by giving up the idea of such a fun RV trip (房车旅) with one’s family.

My husband and I have been “RVing” for over ten years. When we first started traveling, we certainly had some troubles that were not so funny at the time but seem to be funny now. We forgot our pillows and failed to cook dinner on an outdoor grill (烤架) for lack of a flashlight. Then we decided to make our dinner in the motor home but could not get the oven lit! So we went to bed a little hungrier than we had planned!

However, that's nothing compared with the amazing geological and natural wonders we experienced during our RV trips. In addition, we have discovered a new world of family fun and family bonding. We saw the Grand Canyon when our son was only six months old. We play games inside and out, walk together, talk together, read, solve puzzles, and enjoy music and movies. We have got used to doing things with one another. Our kids love to pick out good, old­fashioned postcards to send off via “snail mail” to different family members on every trip.

As our world gets more and more overloaded with cell phones, texting, emails and video games, our family sticks more and more tightly to the wonderfully simple idea of unplugging for a while and jumping into the seat to take a trip in our motor home. Then we come home with fun pictures of our wanderings, and we're able to build special memories for our kids. Now we want to spread the word and tell families of all kinds what enjoyment can be had from packing the family up for a trip in the RV.

1. What did the author’s friend think of her travel plan?

A．A family trip should not last four weeks.

B．It was wise of her to take children on RV trips.

C．A family RV trip might bring unexpected troubles.

D．It was an opportunity to teach children to be brave.

2. What can we learn about the first RV trip of the author’s family?

A．They found many things lost.

B．It was ruined by bad weather.

C．They didn’t prepare well for it.

D．It was quite a scary experience.

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To appeal families to take RV trips together.

B．To show how to make RV trips interesting.

C．To encourage kids to take part in RV trips.

D．To share an unforgettable traveling experience.