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2 . An 85-year-old primary school constructed in 1935 in Shanghai has been lifted off the ground completely and relocated using new technology called the “walking machine”. The project marks the first time this “walking machine” method has been used in Shanghai to relocate a historic building.
Urbanization (都市化) has continued to significantly threaten architectural heritage. In the capital Beijing, for instance, more than 1,000 acres of its historic hutongs and traditional courtyard homes were destroyed between 1990 and 2010.
In the early 2000s, due to the critics’ protest against the loss of old neighborhoods, cities including Nanjing and Beijing drew up long-term plans to preserve what was left of their historic sites, with protections introduced to safeguard buildings and set limits to developers. These protection efforts have taken different forms. In Beijing, a near-ruined building was transformed into a restaurant and gallery, while in Nanjing, a cinema from the 1930s was restored to its original form, with some parts of it changed for modern use. In 2019, Shanghai welcomed Tank Shanghai, an arts center built in renovated (重修) oil tanks.
“Relocation is not the first choice, but better than destroying them,” said Lan, the Shanghai primary school’s project supervisor. He also added, “Building relocation is a workable option. The central government is putting more emphasis on the protection of historic buildings. I’m happy to see that progress in recent years.”
Shanghai has been generally acknowledged as China’s most active city when it comes to heritage preservation. The survival of a number of 1930s buildings and 19th-century stone gatehouses has offered distinct examples of how to give old buildings new life.
“We have to preserve the historic building no matter what,” Lan said. “The relocation has challenges, but in general, it is cheaper than destroying and then rebuilding something in a new location.”
1. How did cities respond to the loss of historic sites?| A．They criticized the developers. | B．They rebuilt the historic hutongs. |
| C．They proposed the protection project. | D．They transformed them into restaurants. |
| A．Introduce different opinions on building relocation. |
| B．Summarize the main idea of the previous paragraphs. |
| C．Add some background information about heritage preservation. |
| D．Provide strong evidence for the success in protecting old buildings. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Favorable. | C．Opposed. | D．Skeptical. |
| A．Walking Machine: New Technology | B．Shanghai: A Pioneer of Urbanization |
| C．Old Building Destroyed for Modern Use | D．Historic Site “Walks” to New Life |
3 . When you hear the name Leonardo da Vinci, what pops into your mind? Maybe his most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous and valuable pieces of art in the world hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris, or the Last Supper, the most widely reproduced religious painting ever. Many people call Leonardo da Vinci one of the greatest artists of all time for his great achievements in paintings.
Despite his fame as an artist, da Vinci is also known as a true “Renaissance Man”. The term comes from fifteenth-century Italy and refers to the idea of a person with knowledge and skills in a number of different areas. Perhaps, no single individual defines the idea of a Renaissance man better than Leonardo da Vinci – an artist, inventor, architect and engineer.
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most productive inventors in history. He drew early sketches of devices that would later become the parachute, bicycle, helicopter, and tank. He even drew a flying machine based on thephysiologyof the bat. Leonardo has also been given credit by historians for many more inventions.
Once in the courtyard of Senor Ludovico, Leonardo da Vinci constantly invented various “labor- saving devices” for use in the kitchen. At the same time, he began to keep notebooks filled with drawings and his thoughts. The funny thing was that most of the drawings, which for several hundred years were considered by researchers to be mechanisms for military operations, in fact, turned out to be quite peaceful meat grinders, dishwashers, mechanical devices for cracking nuts. The restless Leonardo invented the manual garlic press, which has remained virtually unchanged to our day, a foot-operated napkin dryer, an egg cutter, and many other useful things.
The most interesting anecdote about him may be his invention of spaghetti (意大利面条). Of course, pasta has existed in Italy since ancient time. But it was hard and very broad substance, like a heavy lump of lasagna (面块). Leonardo made a machine that cut pasta into long thin strips, which after boiling turned into spaghetti.
1. Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned as a “Renaissance Man” because ________.| A．he was one of the greatest artists. | B．he had diverse talents. |
| C．his paintings were universally copied. | D．he was born during the Renaissance in Italy. |
| A．They were practical for everyday use. | B．They included many notebooks. |
| C．They have remained unchanged to our day. | D．They were intended for military operations. |
| A．Taste. | B．Color. | C．Fragrance. | D．Shape. |
| A．da Vinci’s life experiences. | B．da Vinci’s skills in engineering. |
| C．da Vinci’s achievements in architecture. | D．da Vinci’s personalities. |
4 . A few years ago, I moved to Aurora, Ont. with my boyfriend and I longed to make friends in my new neighborhood.
Where we lived the houses were jammed together so tightly. But the irony (讽刺) of living so close was that no one actually talked to each other; as in an open-concept office, they pretend they can’t hear or see each other to maintain at least an illusion of privacy.
It was not so easy to make friends as an adult. I was about to give up when I caught sight of a beautiful, tall blonde taking out her recycling. She walked with confidence—even her ponytail bounced. I gasped, “I recycle too! We have so much in common!”
The question was, how would we meet? What would I say? So I thought, “What if I just happened to be jogging by?” I put on my running shoes, but after a few times around the block, dripping sweat, I didn’t see her. I decided to seize on the one thing I already knew about her— she takes out her blue bin.
The following day, I woke up a little earlier than usual. A little after 8 a.m., the garage truck appeared and the blonde emerged. I grabbed a bin and made my way to the end of my driveway. “Just act naturally, Megan,” I told myself. “Good morning. How are you?” I said, cool as a cucumber. “Good. And you?” she replied. “Doing well…I am a new comer, just a DJ. I talk for a living. Clearly!” “Interesting,” she said.
As we both walked away, I turned and called out, “Oh, and by the way, I’m Megan.” “Michelle,” she replied. I walked back inside, wearing a giant grin.
Our “coincidental” recycling meet-ups continued for a few weeks until I finally gathered my courage to ask her to watch The Bachelor with me and she said yes.
That night, after we got everything ready, we settled on the couch and proceeded to drink wine, binge from our buffet, dissect doomed television relationships, tell stories about our own and laugh our faces off. We “found what we’d been looking for”: a new friend to fall platonically in love with.
1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?| A．The author lived in a small house. |
| B．The neighbors actually didn’t have privacy. |
| C．The author lived in a very crowded neighborhood. |
| D．The neighbors did not communicate with each other. |
| A．The tall blonde pretended to be very cool. |
| B．The tall blonde wore a big smile when talking. |
| C．The author was quite satisfied with their first talk. |
| D．The two friends met accidentally when the truck came. |
| A．Timid but kind-hearted. | B．Shy but persistent. |
| C．Hospitable and generous. | D．Caring and modest. |
| A．A DJ talking for a living began to recycle. |
| B．A blonde watched The Bachelor with a DJ. |
| C．A new comer finally made friends with a blonde. |
| D．Two women recycled together in the neighborhood. |
5 . As the popularity of hiking vacations grows , scores of walkers have discovered hiking over trails(路线) sparks an instant connection with the land. This interaction with nature also provides fantastic exercise, combining sightseeing and workouts into one.
Inca Trail, Peru
The four-day, 27-mile trail starts outside the tiny town of Ollantaytambo and winds through a number of passes in the Andes Alone the wav the trail passes nearly a dozen archaeological sites that serve as evidence of the Inca culture.
Cape Scott Trail, British Columbia
The new five-day, 36-mile Cape Scott Trail begins gradually. From the trailhead at Cape Scott Provincial Park, the trail follows an old settler's road along a stream. The highlights of this hike are its river crossings. Hikers must pull themselves across the cable-car crossings for both water ways , an effort that leaves shoulders suffering pain from overuse. Still, the thrill of crossing wilderness rivers is hard to get anywhere in life.
Skeleton Gorge(峡谷) , South Africa
The three-day trail through Skeleton Gorge is absolutely a natural feast to the eyes. The trail begins just outside Kirstenbosch, one of eight National Botanical Gardens in the country. Starting at Cecilia Forest, the trail is flat for the first section, and then climbs steeply into the gorge. This second part of the hike is tricky, with two ladders and loose river stones to negotiate as the peak comes into view.
Larapinta Trail, Australia
Australia's Larapinta Trail, a 130-mile hike across the northern desert of the island continent, is divided into 12 sections, each of which can be completed in l or 2 days. Each section is accessible by off-road vehicle. The route itself passes some of the most spectacular natural features: Simpsons Gap, Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Gorge and Glen Helen.
1. Which trail takes the longest time?| A．Inca Trail, Peru. | B．Larapinta Trail, Australia. |
| C．Skeleton Gorge, South Africa. | D．Cape Scott Trail, British Columbia. |
| A．Little effort to complete it. |
| B．An old settler's road of exploring. |
| C．Great pleasure to swim in the stream. |
| D．A unique experience of crossing rivers. |
| A．Various natural features. | B．Different botanical gardens. |
| C．Wonderful desert scenery. | D．Convenient off-road vehicles. |
