1 . Taylor Swift showed very early promise as a singer of country songs, performing from the age of nine. She learned the guitar and persuaded her family to move to Tennessee so she could further her career. She holds numerous records for achievements in music, has been named among the top 100 most influential people on more than one occasion and was named as Woman of the Decade and Artist of the Decade in the 2010s. Swift’s musical style has evolved from country to pop and her fans number in the millions.
Taylor Swift has a firm belief that we should all be ourselves. She tempers this by saying that we must be respectful of others, honest and strong-willed. Strength of purpose will carry a person through life and see them achieve great things. Do not, she says, be average. Stand out and be the best person that you can.
Her view of life is simple. We each have one life, and we must make sure we do not waste it. Life is there to be enjoyed and to be fulfilled. Only we can control what happens in our lives, and must not allow others to judge us or create false opinions of us.
To live a life that has meaning, we must be prepared to learn from mistakes and failures and deal with them without getting discouraged or distracted from our path. No one should tell you what you can’t do, and you must not let a mistake tell you that either. When someone tries to stop you from doing something, be eager to prove them wrong. Be keen, too, to show that your mistakes won’t hold you back.
Taylor Swift puts great store in happiness. Seeking happiness is a wonderful ambition, and everyone should see it as an aim. Success without happiness is a meaningless achievement. Aiming for happiness can go along with other goals too. Swift doesn’t rest when she has achieved one goal, but picks up another and pursues that with the same vigor and determination.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．She moved to Tennessee to get a degree. |
| B．She has been named among the top 100 most influential people once. |
| C．Her musical style is single. |
| D．She has had a talent in music since childhood. |
| A．We should accept that we are only ordinary people. |
| B．We are masters of our life. |
| C．Never let mistakes block our moving-forward way. |
| D．Without happiness, success equals zero. |
| A．Patient and passionate | B．Positive and ambitious |
| C．Hard-working and optimistic | D．Intelligent and humorous |
| A．A brief introduction to Taylor Swift. | B．Taylor Swift’s autobiography. |
| C．Taylor Swift’s influence. | D．Taylor Swift’s childhood and dream. |
2 . Fast food chains have tried for years to appeal to customers who care about their health. They have added lighter food to their menus, such as salads and yogurt. Of course, the lighter food goes with the usual burgers, fried chicken and shakes.
Menus have changed over the past three decades. According to a recent study, fast food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago. The study suggests the problem is getting worse. The fat, salt content and size of fast food meals are the problem. They are often the reason for the rising obesity (肥胖) rate among adults in the United States. The researchers found that the average main dish weighed more in 2016 than in 1986. It also had more calories and more sodium (钠). One expert said, “The restaurants have not done enough. The big picture is that there have been some positive changes, but they are small. Overall, the changes have gotten worse.”
The average fast food dessert had more calories in 2016. It also weighed more than the average fast food dessert thirty years earlier. Restaurants are counting on bigger sundaes and cookies to increase the amount spent on each order. For example, McDonald’s recently introduced “donut sticks” dusted with sugar. Six sticks have 280 calories. But you can also order 12 sticks for less than the cost of two single orders.
The researchers found that, over the 30 years, there were more calories in items like chips, soup, and French fries. Sodium content rose even though portion(一份) size did not grow much. When consumed together as a single meal, the study found that the average main dish and side order account for nearly 40 percent of a 2000-calory daily diet.
1. Why do fast food chains provide lighter food?| A．To match the fast food. | B．To attract more customers. |
| C．To reduce the cost of each meal. | D．To improve the health of customers. |
| A．They take in more calories from fast food. |
| B．They have little time to exercise regularly. |
| C．They eat much more dessert after every meal. |
| D．They eat fast food more frequently than before. |
| A．Showing the way of restaurants’ making cookies. |
| B．Presenting the popularity of restaurants’ new food. |
| C．Stressing the increase in restaurants’ food varieties. |
| D．Explaining the intention of restaurants’ adding dessert. |
| A．Fast Food Is Still Killing Us | B．Don’t Eat Any Fast Food Now |
| C．Try to Eat More Lighter Food | D．People Are Becoming Fatter and Fatter |
3 . Four famous classic Italian writers
When it comes to Italian literature, many people come up with Dante. But there are many other famous Italian authors. Below are four recommended writers and their masterpieces.
Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533)
Ariosto is best known for his epic(史诗般的) poem Orlando Furioso, which was published in 1977. As a poet always with new ideas, Ariosto invented the way of“singing the poem to the audience”. The poem presents a rich variety of characters, which has been an encouragement for many paintings and musical works.
Italo Calvino (1923-1985)
Calvino was the author of If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler published in 1979. The novel differs from others for its unique description of a frame story — a unifying story within which several tales are related. It has encouraged musicians like Sting to create their works. At the time of his death in 1985, Calvino was one of the world’s most translated Italian writers.
Umberto Eco (1932-2016)
Eco wrote The Name of the Rose, a historical murder mystery novel published in 1980. In the story, he skilfully applied the use of signs and symbols to it. A number of his books deal with the meaning and understanding of communication.
Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873)
Manzoni is most famous for his novel The Betrothed published in 1827. The novel was regarded to be connected with Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement in the 19th century. Probably we can say, without this great novelist and this masterpiece of world literature, Italy wouldn’t be Italy.
1. What can we know about Orlando Furioso?| A．It has influenced musical works. | B．It was published in 1979. |
| C．It was written by Manzoni. | D．It has been translated into many languages. |
| A．A unique describing style. | B．The use of signs and symbols. |
| C．A mix of new ideas. | D．The history of a movement. |
| A．Ludovico Ariosto. | B．Italo Calvino. |
| C．Umberto Eco. | D．Alessandro Manzoni. |
4 . How similar are language and music?
Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world.
Both language and music have a writing system.
Both language and music have their own systems of notation. Language uses alphabets to represent sounds and create meaning.
Listening to the language someone speaks can provide valuable clues about their geographical origin. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.
Both share emotion.
| A．Both are expressive. |
| B．Both vary with culture. |
| C．How do you know that I am annoyed? |
| D．Similarly, music is part of many people’s lives. |
| E．Equally, music uses notes to represent pitches and rhythms. |
| F．We use language to express our thoughts. |
| G．In contrast, you probably also listen to sad music when you are feeling down. |
5 . It’s always exciting to receive a letter in the mail. Even today, when the world is digitally connected, receiving an actual letter in your mailbox from a distant land is a great way for children to make new friends.
The Peaceful Pen Pals Project is a beautiful initiative that combines global connection and self-expression. The project is part of the nonprofit Kids for Peace, founded by Jill McManigal and Danielle Gram in California, in 2006. Letter writing is most certainly hands-on and helps strengthen relationships throughout the world.
The Peaceful Pen Pals Project is open to all children, ages 2 through 17. To date, there are 1500 children from 17 countries participating in the program. Each child is assigned a pen pal of a similar age. This establishes a point of connection right off the bat for the children and promotes a stronger bond. If the letter writers are in the same grade, they can chat about their schools, teachers, and what they are studying. They can also compare and contrast what different states or countries learn about and how the dynamics of the classroom are, whether socially or academically.
Children may be more inclined to write about their issues if they feel like they are speaking to a peer in a similar situation. They also write about the local weather, who the letter writer lives with, and their favorite things to do at home. This will give the pen pal a good sense of the writer’s home life, and they may relate to certain aspects, such as their parents, the number of siblings, or if they share a room. Although pen pals may live in different countries, they may find common ground according to this information.
“Hearing first-hand stories from an international pen pal can encourage teens to take someone else’s perspective and to think outside of themselves,” writes Rebecca Fraser-Thill on Very Well Family. “It can also encourage interest in geography, politics, and history, and promote many key skills, including reciprocation, empathy and mutual concern.”
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 2?| A．To prove the importance of making friends. |
| B．To briefly introduce the Peaceful Pen Pals Project. |
| C．To present the history of the nonprofit Kids for Peace. |
| D．To encourage kids to communicate with others by letters. |
| A．Visit different countries with their parents. | B．Learn foreign languages online. |
| C．Share their lives by writing letters. | D．Solve difficult problems for their pen pals. |
| A．It is necessary for every teenager to have a pen pal. |
| B．Writing letters helps teenagers to make more friends. |
| C．Communicating by letters benefits teenagers in many aspects. |
| D．Teenagers make great progress in their studies by writing letters. |
| A．The benefits of having a pen pal from another country. |
| B．New ways for kids to communicate with their friends. |
| C．Letter writing is becoming popular among kids worldwide. |
| D．The Peaceful Pen Pals Project connects kids around the world. |
6 . Inside а tiny shop in Manchester, Adam Birce carefully carves at а woodblock. He looks carefully at each piece to ensure they fit and match before gently setting them together. Adam Birce, the owner of Four Strings, restores stringed instruments like violins, and his passion is restoring and appreciating what has already been crafted and loved.
Birce started playing the violin in grade school and grew to truly appreciate it. He played semiprofessionally out of high school and later got his degree in music at Virginia Commonwealth University as a violinist. After graduating, he landed a job selling violins. “As fate would have it, I was asked by my employer to learn to fix violins 15 years ago,” he says. “I soon moved off on my own to do restoration.” Since 2014, he has been on a mission with Four Strings to offer excellent fine-instrument restoration services to the community.
Violin restoration isn’t a self-taught skill. Each summer for the past decade, Birce has traveled to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts for up to two weeks to study under famous violin restoration expert Hans J. Nebel. Here, students learn everything from delicate edging repair to violin identification. “A lot of the work itself is learning as you go,” Birce says. “It’s a lot of problem-solving and critical thinking, like coming up with a woodworking plan.
“How long а job takes varies. Most are about 3-6 months for major work, unless a full top-to-bottom restoration is needed, which can take even longer,” Birce explains. “I leave that up to the client if they want to commit to that.” One of his longest jobs was working on a Scottish violin from the early 1800s that had been water-damaged. “I had to use every skill in my toolbox to fix it,” Birce laughingly recalls. “It was a very onerous job.”
If there’s one thing to be learned from Birce’s passion, it’s that each violin is unique in its own right. He compares the fine instruments market to the fine arts market. “A lot of these instruments are fine art,” he says. “I kind of say this is a Picasso I’m playing or a Degas. I’ve worked on a few, which is always a joy.”
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．The special features of Four Strings. | B．The procedures of violin restoration. |
| C．Birce’s life experience with the violin. | D．Birce’s influence in the music industry. |
| A．It’s effortless. | B．It’s self-taught. | C．It’s extremely dull. | D．It’s highly professional. |
| A．Creative. | B．Well-paid. | C．Dangerous. | D．Demanding. |
| A．Birce prefers art to music. | B．Birce has a deep love for his job. |
| C．Birce wants to be as famous as Picasso. | D．Birce has become a master of violin restoration. |
7 . Now more companies are experimenting with the concept of connected clothes. Among the pioneers is London based Cute Circuit, which has been creating fashionable smart clothing since 2004. The company’s latest innovation is the “Sound Shirt”, which allows deaf people to “feel” live music by transforming the tunes into touch sensations (感受) in real time.
The fashionable jacket uses software that changes the music into data and wirelessly sends it to the 16-micro motors fitted inside the clothing’s fabric (布料). The devices shake with the intensity (强度) of the music being played, allowing the wearer to feel each instrument individually. For example, violins can be felt on the arms, while the deeper, heavier bass notes can be felt close to the stomach. The series of touch like sensations across the wearer’s body enable him or her to feel the entire music, resulting in a musical experience.
To ensure the shirt is comfortable, the designers chose to leave out wires and instead wove conductive textiles (导电纺织品) into the garment’s fabric. Francesca Rosella, chief creative officer of Cute Circuit, explains, “There’re no wires inside, so we’re only using smart fabrics — we have a combination of micro-electronics and very thin and flexible and conductive fabrics. All these little electronic motors are connected with these conductive fabrics so that the garment is soft and stretchable.”
Cute Circuit, which has been testing the Sound Shirt for three years, expects to make it available to the general public shortly. Priced at $3,673, the smart jacket won’t be cheap. However, twin sisters Herman and Heredia Breanne, who lost their hearing at a young age, believe the hi-tech garment is a worthwhile investment, especially for deaf people with a passion for dancing. “It’s almost like feeling the depth of the music,” says Herman. “It just feels as though we can move along with it.”
1. Why does the writer mention smart clothing in the first paragraph?| A．To show the development of technology. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| C．To demonstrate the latest trend of music. |
| D．To summarize the main idea of the whole passage. |
| A．The software used in the shirt. |
| B．The musical instruments felt by the wearers. |
| C．The way the shirt functions. |
| D．The experience the wearer gains with the shirt. |
| A．Affordable and fashionable. | B．Cheap and comfortable. |
| C．Interesting but useless. | D．Expensive but comfortable. |
| A．The shirt will be popular with deaf dancing-enthusiasts. |
| B．They will invest in the “Sound Shirt” industry. |
| C．The shirt should be marketed as soon as possible. |
| D．They love music very much. |
8 . Rome can be expensive for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel (旅社).
Yellow Hostel
If I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel. It’s one of the best hostels in the city, and for good reason. It’s affordable, and it’s fun without being too noisy. As an added advantage, it’s close to the main train station.
Hostel Alessandro Palace
If you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun. Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests. There’s also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.
Youth Station Hostel
If you’re looking for a clean and modern hostel, look no further than Youth Station. It offers beautiful furnishings (家具陈设). There are plenty of other benefits, too: it doesn’t charge city tax; it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms; it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.
Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes
Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful, who will offer you a map of the city when you arrive, and advice if you require some. However, you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.
1. What is the major concern of travelers who choose to stay in a hostel?| A．Comfort. | B．Safety. | C．Price. | D．Location. |
| A．Yellow Hostel. |
| B．Hostel Alessandro Palace. |
| C．Youth Station Hostel. |
| D．Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes. |
| A．It gets noisy at night. | B．Its staff is too talkative. |
| C．It charges for Wi-Fi. | D．It’s inconveniently located. |
9 . What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio-technology(生物科技). With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today’s leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs. The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells and so on, in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.
1. According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by ________.| A．diseases and aging | B．accidents and war |
| C．accidents and aging | D．heart disease and war |
| A．Medicine | B．the Internet | C．brain cells | D．human organs |
| A．heart disease will be far away from us |
| B．human brains can decide the final death |
| C．the basic materials of cells will last forever |
| D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine |
10 . There is nothing like a coast redwood. It is the planet’s tallest tree, up to heights of more than 320 feet into the sky. With trunks that grow to more than 27 feet wide, they can live for over 2,000 years. Some of them living today were alive during the time of the Roman Empire (帝国).
Coast redwoods have survived through thousands of years of natural floods, droughts, tsunamis and fires. They can thrive (茁壮成长) and recover from damage as long as they can count on rainwater and coastal fog banks that roll in every morning. And it is those critical water sources that are disappearing as temperatures continue to rise. The damp conditions the trees like are rarer than they used to be. Coast redwoods now occupy less than 10 percent of their original range.
Their loss will have some consequences, particularly in the vast amount of carbon they store. Redwoods can store 2,600 metric tons of carbon per hectare, more than double the absorption rate of the Pacific Northwest’s conifer trees (针叶树), according to a new research published in Forest Ecology and Management.
David Milarch, an arborist from Michigan, says he feels sorrowful about the disappearing redwoods. He spends his days tracking down the healthiest coast redwood specimens (样本) he can find, cloning them in his own lab, and then planting them in carefully chosen places where they can thrive. Milarch’s goal is both to strengthen the coast redwood gene pool with clones of the strongest individuals, and to store loads of carbon. It’s a complicated mission with a simple philosophy: save the big trees, and they’ll save us.
Milarch explains that we need a practical and measurable solution to fighting against climate change. He believes the redwoods are the answer. However, scientist Mark Maslin cautions against viewing tree planting as a magic bullet, since even fast-growing trees take a long time to grow and be mature enough to reach their maximum carbon-trapping time which climate change cannot afford. As a global society, the most important thing we should do now is to reduce our overall carbon emissions if we want to have any impact on the planet’s climate crisis.
1. What causes the decrease of coast redwoods?| A．Forest fires. | B．Soil pollution. |
| C．Climate warming. | D．Human overcutting. |
| A．To show the importance of redwoods to the environment. |
| B．To introduce the approach to reducing carbon pollutants. |
| C．To state the role of the Pacific Northwest’s conifer trees. |
| D．To explain the difficulty of protecting coast redwoods. |
| A．By seeking ideal specimens to clone. |
| B．By exploring ways to raise their adaptability. |
| C．By improving water sources in coastal places. |
| D．By creating a wet growing environment for them. |
| A．Scientists need to find ways to make redwoods grow faster. |
| B．Growing redwoods is an efficient solution to climate change. |
| C．Protecting redwoods can be much costlier than Milarch thought. |
| D．Reducing carbon emissions should be a priority (优先考虑) in solving climate crisis. |
