1 . Frederick Phiri, known as the junk-art king of Zambia, set out on a remarkable journey at the age of 22 when he began earning an international reputation for being able to make complex and elegant sculptures from deserted metal found in his community.

Phiri’s path to artistic recognition was filled with challenges. His childhood was marked by the loss of his father and his mother leaving him behind, making him under the care of his grandfather. While his grandfather provided for his basic education, Phiri faced financial struggles when he entered secondary school, forcing him to take on various jobs to fund his studies. Yet, despite these obstacles, his passion for art remained growing, and he dedicated his free time to drawing and crafting in the classroom.

Upon completing his education, Phiri sought to support himself by creating wire animal sculptures (雕塑品), which he sold to tourists. It was during this period that his exceptional talent caught the attention of Karen Beattie, the director of Project Luangwa, a nonprofit organization committed to education and economic development in central Africa.

Teaming up with local welder (焊接工) Moses Mbewe in 2017, Phiri contributed to the creation of a complex set of doors for Project Luangwa during the rainy season. Impressed by his work, Beattie presented Phiri with a challenge: to create art from abandoned waste metal. Undiscouraged, Phiri embraced the opportunity, transforming forgotten keys, broken bike chains, and old metal bottles into attracting abstract animal sculptures, including elephants, cranes, giraffes, and monkeys.

Today, Phiri’s artistic pursuits continue to flourish as he transforms deserted junk into striking sculptures showcased at the Project Luangwa headquarters. His talent has earned recognition and admiration from the community, fueling his dreams of pursuing formal art education at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka and creating even more magnificent sculptures in the future. Through creativity and determination, Phiri has turned adversity (逆境) into artistic success, leaving a lasting impact on Zambia’s art scene.

1. What is Phiri distinguished for?

A．Serving his community.	B．Collecting works of art.
C．Being the king of Zambia.	D．Turning trash into treasure.

2. What aspect of Phiri’s childhood shaped his early life?

A．His struggle to pay for primary schooling by himself.

B．The loss of his father and abandonment by his mother.

C．His dedication to part-time jobs while attending school.

D．His responsibility to support his grandfather financially.

3. What challenge did Karen Beattie present to Phiri?

A．To create sculptures from wire.

B．To sell his sculptures internationally.

C．To create art from deserted waste metal.

D．To design a complex set of doors for Project Luangwa.

4. What attitude does Phiri exhibit towards his future?

A．Uncertain.

B．Confident.

C．Depressed.

D．Confused.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Recently, Ma Xiaohui, a famous Chinese erhu     1     (perform) and composer with the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, held     2     erhu concert with the theme of “Erhu Holding Hands with the World, New Music Trend, New Cultural Tour” in the Delegates’ Room at the UN headquarters in New York City.

Attendees from different backgrounds and participants in the World Madam Global Awards Ceremony were     3     (deep) moved by the unique charm of traditional Chinese musical instruments     4     (display) during the concert.

The concert began     5     the song “Woman Flower”. In the first movement, “Seven Colors of Erhu, Walking with Beauty, Colorful Silk Road,” melodies from Chinese and Western songs created an “ink painting” of the Silk Road.

In the next three     6     (movement), a classical repertoire (曲目) including “Butterfly Lovers”, “Thoughts on a Silent Night”     7     “The Spirit of My Erhu” attracted the audience. Next     8     (come) the theme song from the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”,     9     beautifully celebrated the classic dialogue between erhu and cello (大提琴).

“This beautiful and     10     (inspire) concert wonderfully mixed classical, Chinese, and cross-cultural themes. It was a feast (盛宴) for the ears and souls,” multimedia artist Ranjit Bhatnagar said.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

George Gershwin was one of America’s greatest composers. He was born in 1898. In 1916, when he was eighteen years old, he published his first song. During the next twenty years he    1    (write) more than five hundred songs.

Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays     2     (perform) in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment during the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever,     3    have been sung and played in every possible way over the years-from jazz to country.

In the 1920s Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert of Paul Whiteman, who was a jazz musician and orchestra     4    (lead). Gershwin did this because he wanted     5     (support) his idea that jazz was serious music. In a short time, he composed     6     piece of music which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were     7     (excite) when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

In 1928, he wrote An American in Paris, which still     8     (remain) one of his most famous works. George Gershwin died in 1937     9    a very young age, with newspapers all over the world     10    (report) his death on their front pages.

4 . Selom Sunu is a successful illustrator (插画家), but his path of becoming an illustrator was a long one.

When he was young, Sunu went to school for a while in Ghana. a country in the west Africa. He remembered that there were not many books with Ghanaian children in them, so he wanted to create his own book and illustrate it. “It is important to draw everyone, so everyone feels included.” Sunu says. Then, he moved to America with his family. To start a new and stable life, everyone in the family had to work hard, leaving him little time to paint. After college, Sunu gave up drawing and didn’t draw for eight years.

Then, one day, he came up with an idea for a book and the wish of his youth reoccurred to him. To sharpen his drawing skill, Sunu applied for a course at university but did not get it. The staff told him to draw every day for a year and reapply. So he drew every day, improved, and got accepted onto the course. Through this experience, he realized that one could learn how to draw by coping other drawings that one liked.

“Sometimes it might look like nothing is happening but, if you keep going, you could get opportunities unexpectedly,” Selom Sunu tells The Week Junior. “So don’t give up.”

Recently, Sunu has worked with Disney and illustrated a book called Christmas Carrolls, which he describes as very funny and warm. Sunu is judging this year’s Christmas cover competition. His advice is, “Stay on the brief, but put your own understanding on it. I’m keen to see that people enjoyed drawing the covers, because enjoyment shines through.”

1. Why did Sunu want to create his own book?

A．Because he desired to work with Disney.

B．Because he dreamt to become a great illustrator.

C．Because he felt like making his enjoyment shine.

D．Because he wanted to illustrate Ghanaian children.

2. How did Sunu improve his drawing skills?

A．By teaching himself only.	B．By copying other staff’s drawings.
C．By depending on his solid foundation.	D．By combining internal effort and external help.

3. Which words can best describe Selom Sunu?

A．Selfless and friendly.	B．Talented and stubborn.
C．Ambitious and devoted.	D．Strong- willed and humorous.

4. What kind of works may appeal to Sunu?

A．Fancy and funny works.	B．Abstract and pleasing works.
C．Simple and personalized works.	D．Serious and educational works.

5 . A recent study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society suggests that Leonardo da Vinci was more experimental with his well-known “Mona Lisa” than previously thought and was likely the creator of a technique seen in works used a century later.

A team of scientists in France and Britain has detected a rare mineral compound (矿物化合物), plumbonacrite, within the piece. Plumbonacrite forms when lead oxides (铅氧化物) combine with oil. Mixing these two substances is the technique that later artists like Rembrandt used to help the paint dry, according to the study.

Detecting the rare compound in the “Mona Lisa” suggested that Leonardo could have been the original user of this approach, said Gilles Wallez, an author of the study. “Everything that comes from Leonardo is very interesting, because he had lots of ideas, and he was an experimenter, attempting to improve the knowledge of his time,” Wallez said, “Each time you discovered something in his processes, you discovered that he was clearly ahead of his time.”

The “Mona Lisa”, like many other paintings from the 16th century, was created on a piece of wood that required a thick base layer. The researchers believed that Leonardo had made his mixture of lead oxide powder with linseed oil to produce the thick coat of paint needed for the first layer, while unknowingly creating the rare compound.

Nowadays, researchers aren’t allowed to take samples from the masterpiece, which resides at the Louvre in Paris and is protected behind glass. Using a microsample that had been taken from an area of the artwork just behind the frame, however, scientists were able to analyze the paint by using a high-tech machine. “These samples have a very high cultural value,” Wallez said. “You can’t afford to take big samples on a painting.”

1. Why is Rembrandt mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To demonstrate his unique talent for painting.

B．To explain how he used the technique correctly.

C．To stress what made him different from other painters.

D．To show the technique was useful for drying the paint.

2. What did Wallez think of Leonardo da Vinci?

A．Independent.

B．Strict.

C．Pioneering.

D．Friendly.

3. How did researchers think Leonardo da Vinci created the rare compound?

A．By accident.	B．With other painters’ help.
C．By reading many books.	D．Through various attempts.

4. What can be learned about the “Mona Lisa” from the last paragraph?

A．It didn’t contain plumbonacrite.	B．Analyzing its paint is invaluable but costly.
C．It was created in the 17th century.	D．Taking its samples is an easy task now.

6 . Famous People Who Begin With Difficulties

Oprah Winfrey

Probably having one of the most famous success stories, Oprah was born into a poor family in Mississippi, raised by a single mother living on welfare. She was physically, and mentally abused during her childhood. Despite her initial struggles as a young girl, she turned herself into one of the most successful talk show hosts of our time.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey has been the star of some of the most successful movies of all time. But Carrey grew up extremely poor in Canada. When he was a teenager, his family took security jobs in a factory to help pay the bills. And during his first stand-up comedy performance, he was booed off （喝倒彩） the stage. Not shortly after, he made it big on In Living Color and then went on to star in Dumb & Dumber, The Mask, and Ace Ventura in the same year!

James Dyson

If you thought Thomas Edison’s failures were bad, let me introduce you to James Dyson, the famous inventor of the Dyson vacuums （真空吸尘器） you see all over the television. Dyson developed over 5,000 failed prototypes （原型） before finding the bagless vacuum brand. Not only that, he put his entire savings account into his prototypes over fifteen years! Luckily, the bagless vacuum worked.

Stephen King

Before Stephen King became known as a great living writer—having written over 60 novels, many of which have been adapted for film and television—King was rejected over and over again. In his memoir, On Writing, King describes how he used to post his rejection letters on the wall for inspiration. His first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times.

1. What do Oprah and Jim have in common?

A．They were abused by parents.	B．They grew up in poor families.
C．They were hired as comedians.	D．They found jobs in a factory.

2. What did James Dyson do?

A．He repaired the failed prototypes.	B．He developed over 5,000 brands.
C．He put all efforts into marketing.	D．He invented the bagless vacuum.

3. Who is a novelist?

A．Oprah Winfrey.

B．Stephen King.

C．James Dyson.

D．Jim Carrey.

7 . Works by George Balanchine, with the music of George Gershwin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Igor Stravinsky, the innovative genius of George Balanchine is brought to the forefront. The following is the introduction of the four artists.

Artist 1: George Balanchine

It is difficult to overlook the influence of choreographer (舞蹈编剧), George Balanchine. Called the Father of American Ballet, he combined the classical training he received as a boy in St. Petersburg with originality to modernism. He transformed ballet into a 20th century art form.

Artist 2: George Gershwin

George Gershwin was amongst one of the most significant and popular music composers for Broadway musicals. He wrote music for both Broadway and classical pieces that connected him to the wider public.

Artist 3: Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky was a Russian-born composer whose works had a revolutionary (革命性的) impact on musical thought. He was honored with the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal in 1954 and the Wihuri Sibelius Prize in 1963.

Artist 4: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

The music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is the very foundation of classical ballet. Russian-born Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable melodies (旋律) and innovative harmonies make his music loveable. Ballet audiences are fortunate to hear not only the works he intended for dance, such as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, but also a wide variety of pieces that have been created by great dance-makers.

1. Which of the following is the achievement of George Balanchine?

A．He made ballet an art form of the 20th century.

B．He was thought as the Father of World Ballet.

C．He was good at giving classical training.

D．He combined music with modernism.

2. What is special about Igor Stravinsky?

A．He was born in Russia.

B．He was a famous composer.

C．He influenced musical thought greatly.

D．He created music for Broadway musicals.

3. Whose music is the basis of classical ballet?

A．George Balanchine.	B．George Gershwin.
C．Igor Stravinsky.	D．Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The 23-year-old Jazz pianist and composer Dai Liang, known as A Bu,     1     stands out as one of the most promising jazz     2     (artist) in China, joins Generation Z’s Words to give his insights on jazz and to encourage Gen Zers to find out     3     (they) true passions in life.

A Bu, born in 1999, is the only Chinese jazz pianist who has been invited by UNESCO     4     (perform) at the International Jazz Day’s Global All-Star Concert. For that event in 2015 he     5     (share) the stage with many famous international jazz musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter     6     Marcus Miller. His professional career as a jazz pianist continues to inspire more and more Chinese musicians to take interest     7     jazz.

A Bu     8     (recent) released an album titled “New Memories”, and he talks about the treasured memories of his mentor Nikolai Kapustin, the late Ukraine-born Russian composer and pianist. In Generation Z’s Words he also gives some tips on song writing. “    9     (compose) is very much about how you let your     10     (creative) and your logic work at the same time and same dimension.” he says, “You have to fight with your ambition and your own imagination.”

9 . John Frederick Kensett was born on March 22, 1816 in Cheshire, Connecticut. He attended school at Cheshire Academy, and studied carving with his immigrant father, Tomas Kensett, and later with his uncle. He worked as a carver in the New Haven area until about 1838, after which he went to work as a banknote carver in New York City. He didn’t know his carving experience would benefit him later. In 1840, Kensett traveled to Europe in order to study painting. He sketched (画素描) and painted throughout Europe, improving his talents. During this period, Kensett developed an affection for the 17th-century Dutch landscape painting. He returned to the United States in 1847.

After establishing his studio and settling in New York, Kensett traveled extensively throughout the Northeast and the Colorado Rockies as well as making several trips back to Europe.

Kensett is best known for his landscape of New York and New England and seascapes (海景画) of coastal New Jersey, Long Island and New England. He is most closely associated with the so-called “second generation” of the Hudson River School. In 1851 Kensett painted a monumental canvas (巨幅油画) of Mount Washington that has become a sign of White Mountain art.

Kensett’s style evolved gradually, from the traditional Hudson River School manner in the 1850s into the more improved Luminist style in his later years. By the early 1870s Kensett was spending considerable time at his home on Contentment Island, on Long Island Sound near Darien Connecticut.

It was during this time that Kensett painted some of his finest works. Many of these were seascapes, the major example being Eaton’s Neck, Long Island (1872) now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The artist was widely praised and financially successful during his lifetime. In turn, he was generous in support of the arts and artists. He was a full member of the National Academy of Design, the founder and president of the Artists’ Fund Society, and a founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Kensett died of heart failure at his New York studio on December 14, 1872.

1. What can we learn about Kensett from the first paragraph?

A．He studied carving at Cheshire Academy.

B．His uncle taught him to paint before 1840.

C．His carving work laid a foundation for his painting.

D．He painted throughout Europe to earn some money.

2. What was the feature of Kensett’s paintings?

A．Most of them were in Luminist style.

B．They had nothing to do with White Mountain art.

C．They were once influenced by the Hudson River School.

D．All of them were closely associated with carving art.

3. When did Kensett produce his best paintings?

A．When he first traveled in Europe.

B．When he painted a monumental canvas.

C．When he learned the Dutch landscape painting.

D．When he was in Connecticut in the early 1870s.

4. What can we infer about Kensett’s later life?

A．He had financial problems.

B．He retired early because of ill health.

C．He gained both fame and income.

D．He devoted himself to charity work.

10 . Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. Here are some of the famous people buried at Westminster Abbey.

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens, who died in 1870, is buried in Poets’ Corner, the resting place and remembrance location for writers of all kinds.

Dickens is known for many of his works, and A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities are two of his most widely known works. It was popular opinion among the people and his fellow writers that Dickens should be buried in Westminster Abbey.

Stephen Hawking

Hawking was a scientist, physicist, and author, who died in 2018. Carved onto his stone is a series of rings, surrounding a darker central ellipse (椭圆). The ten characters of Hawking’s equation express his idea that black holes in the universe are not entirely black but send out a glow that would become known as Hawking radiation.

His epitaph (墓志铭) reads, “HERE LIES WHAT WAS MORTAL OF STEPHEN HAWKING”.

Laurence Olivier

Famous actor Laurence Olivier is also buried in Westminster Abbey. Born in 1907, his career began on the stage in England, and he eventually became a film legend until his death in 1989.

It’s well known that he had won Academy Awards, while also being honoured with special Oscars. Olivier’s grave is located in the South Transept in Poets’ Corner of the Abbey, in front of Shakespeare’s memorial.

Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton is considered one of the most important scientists of all time. He was a physicist, mathematician, and astronomer. He formulated the Law of Motion as well as the Law of Universal Gravitation.

Artist William Kent designed Newton’s complex funerary monument, and it was sculpted by Michael Rysbrack.

1. When did the author of A Christmas Carol die?

A．In 1870.

B．In 1907.

C．In 1989.

D．In 2018.

2. What do Charles Dickens and Laurence Olivier have in common?

A．They won Academy Awards.	B．They were buried in Poets’ Corner.
C．They were praised by Shakespeare.	D．They were famous actors and writers.

3. Whose funerary monument was designed by William Kent?

A．Charles Dickens’s.	B．Stephen Hawking’s.
C．Laurence Olivier’s.	D．Isaac Newton’s.