1 . Adding to the achievements of a remarkable year, Taylor Swift has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023.

Already a superstar before 2023, Swift’s career has reached new heights thanks to the beginning of her Eras Tour that brought her 3.5-hour performance to 66 shows in 23 cities across North America, Argentina and Brazil. Promoted by her tour, Swift has been named the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify and Apple Music. According to Billboard, the tour made about $900 million (about 6.4 billion yuan) in 2023. In addition, the tour’s movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour became the biggest concert movie of all time, taking more than $250 million globally.

As she was declared (宣布) a billionaire by Bloomberg in November, a hidden “Taylor Swift economy” also promoted sales for business owners across the US. From soaps to a cruise inspired by her different “eras”, interest in Swift-related products went way up.

Apart from her financial contributions, Swift made a significant cultural impact by taking back control of her music. In 2019, her old record label, Big Machine, sold the master tapes of her first six albums (专辑) to Scooter Braun. The sale meant that she didn’t have the rights to the albums. In response to this, Swift began re-recording her first six albums, tagging (加标签于) them “Taylor’s Version”. This move stressed her belief that artists deserve to own their work. “It’s all in how you deal with loss,” she told Time. “I respond to extreme pain by resisting.”

Heading into 2024, Swift will start the Eras Tour again in Japan and Australia. As USA Today noted, “Her current top has been a long time coming, but it may also be just beginning.”

1. What do we know about Taylor Swift?

A．She broke a new record on her tour.

B．She toured South America before 2023.

C．Her achievements received great recognition.

D．Her performance began with the Apple Music.

2. How did Taylor Swift benefit from her Eras Tour?

A．She proved herself to be an artist.

B．She learned to make some products.

C．She got rich and regained album rights.

D．She sold her master tapes to a company.

3. What can we learn about Taylor Swift from the last paragraph?

A．She will end her music career.

B．She will continue her Eras Tour.

C．She will reach her top in Japan.

D．She will make a record in Australia.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards Taylor Swift?

A．Admirable.	B．Uncaring.
C．Doubtful.	D．Critical.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many brothers and sisters did Grandma Moses have?

A．Five.

B．Ten.

C．Nine.

2. What did Grandma Moses spend most of her life doing?

A．Farming.

B．Painting.

C．Working at a drugstore.

3. Why did Grandma Moses paint at her old age?

A．To exhibit her artworks

B．to make money.

C．To pass the time.

4. When did Grandma Moses hold her first exhibition?

A．In 1930.

B．In 1940.

C．In 2000.

3 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Few people expected that a new song     1       (write) by Chinese pop singer songwriter Daolang, who kept himself out of the spotlight for years, would go viral (爆火) on social media. However, the track Luocha Haishi, one of the 11 original songs from the 52-year-old artist's latest album titled Shan Ge Liaò Zai (Folk Songs Fading Away)     2       (become) one of the biggest hits of the year so far. The song, which     3     (release) on July 19, got 8 billion streams by 6 pm on July 30.

The curiosity surrounding the song seems to be driving its     4       (popular). Social media users are     5       (fierce) debating if the lyrics have hidden meanings. Reading between the lines, some online listeners said the song is ạ stinging sat ire (尖锐的讽刺) on the current “unhealthy and chaotic (混乱的) environment in show business”, while others see Luocha Haishi     6    Daolang’s “revenge” on people who once criticized     7     (he) music.

“As a researcher on classic Chinese literature, I appreciate Daolang whose new song is     8    (create) and gives Liaozhai Zhiyi a new interpretation. I don't know whether the song is targeted at a certain group of people     9     one person.     10     makes it meaningful is that it fuels discussions and makes people think,” said Miao Huaiming, a professor at Nanjing University's   School of Liberal Arts.

4 . Top Piano Players in the World

Martha Argerich

Martha Argerich could be considered the next Beethoven, as she is one of the most outstanding pianists ever to play. Argerich preferred being on stage with others instead of performing solo; therefore, she has been performing in a concerto format since the 1980s. Argerich was not one for the spotlight, as she often avoided public appearances such as interviews; however, her great talent was all the publicity she needed, standing out during concertos and sonatas.

Leif Ove Andsnes

Known for his appealing performances of Edvard Grieg’s works, Andsnes has won praise for his performances at some of the world’s most famous concert halls. Andsnes has certainly made his mark in Norway, as he is the founding director of Norway’s Rosendal Chamber Music Festival. Because of his unique voice and interesting approach, he was praised by The New York Times as a “pianist of authoritative elegance, power, and insight.”

Alfred Brendel

Known for his beautiful interpretations of Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert and Mozart, Alfred Brendel was considered one of the greats. He played in various concertos throughout his career and became known for his interpretive coldness in recreating these works. Brendel was considered one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, as he made his mark in the classical music industry. Brendel was self-taught and learned his love of piano at an early age.

Arthur Rubinstein

Arthur Rubinstein was certainly one of the greats. His career began in the early 20th century when he began to come into contact with some of the world’s most important composers, such as Maurice Ravel, Paul Dukas, and Jacques Thibaud. He made various trips worldwide and visited nearly every continent, where crowds met him with great praise and encouragement.

1. What does the female pianist focus on in her career?

A．Skills in hosting concertos and sonatas.	B．Cooperation with other musicians.
C．Close relationships with the media.	D．Unique ways to interpret music.

2. Who learned music by himself or herself?

A．Martha Argerich.	B．Leif Ove Andsnes.
C．Alfred Brendel.	D．Arthur Rubinstein.

3. How is Arthur Rubinstein different from the other pianists?

A．He was the director of a Norwegian festival.

B．He made a difference in classical music.

C．He was the best musician of the 20th century.

D．He got in touch with some famous composers.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why did people come to the bar?

A．To hear the lady sing.

B．To make the lady famous.

C．To listen to the piano.

2. When did the pianist know he had a talent for singing?

A．After he became a famous pianist.

B．That night after his first singing.

C．Long before he played the piano in the bar.

3. What happened to the pianist at last?

A．He became a well-known singer in America.

B．He had his own piano bar.

C．He continued to play the piano in the bar.

4. Which of the following will the author agree on?

A．People will succeed if they have talent.

B．Everyone should make full use of his talent.

C．Few people have real talent.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why did people come to the bar?

A．To hear the lady sing.

B．To make the lady famous.

C．To listen to the piano.

2. When did the pianist know he had a talent for singing?

A．After he became a famous pianist.

B．That night after his first singing.

C．Long before he played the piano in the bar.

3. What happened to the pianist at last?

A．He became a well-known singer in America.

B．He had his own piano bar.

C．He continued to play the piano in the bar.

4. Which of the following will the author agree on?

A．People will succeed if they have talent.

B．Everyone should make full use of his talent.

C．Few people have real talent.

7 . 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 Mona Lisa’s smile is the best example of a lifetime     1     (spend) studying art, science, optics, and every other possible field that he could apply his curiosity     2    , including understanding the universe and how we fit into it.

Leonardo spent many pages in his notebook dissecting (解剖)     3     human face to figure out every muscle and nerve that touched the lips. On one of those pages you see a faint sketch at the top of the     4     (begin) of the smile of the Mona Lisa. Leonardo kept that painting from 1503, when he started it, to his deathbed in 1519,     5     (try) to get every aspect exactly right in layer after layer. During that period, he dissected the human eye on dead bodies and was able to understand that the center of the retina (视网膜)     6     (see) detail, but the edges see shadows and shapes better. If you look     7     (direct) at the Mona Lisa’s smile, the corners of the lips turn downward slightly,     8     shadows and light make it seem like it’s turning upwards. As you move your eyes across her face, the smile flickers on and off.

Being curiosity about everything just for     9     (curiosity) sake, not simply because it’s useful, is the     10     (decision) trait of Leonardo.

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。

Zhang Xuehua is     1     artist of paper cutting, who works attentively in her workshop in Ma’anshan city, east China’s Anhui Province. As she turns the paper, her scissors fly and a paper-cut work is “born”.

    2     (normal), paper cutting craftsmen first draw patterns on paper and then cut them into outlines, but Zhang has a special     3    (capable) to cut without sketching (画素描) patterns ahead of time. She can turn a piece of paper the size of a handkerchief     4     a lifelike paper cutting work in less than one minute. Her works show a mixture of paper cutting styles in northern and southern China.

Zhang     5    (learn) the craft from her grandmother. “In the beginning, I was not able to cut well, but in time I could create little frogs, butterflies, flowers and other works,” Zhang said. “Paper cutting created countless beautiful childhood     6    (memory) for me. ”

The walls of Zhang’s studio are covered with work, large and small, with subjects     7    (range) from the twelve zodiac signs to daily items. The work Zhang remains proudest of is the Folk Girl series,     8     now sits in the National Art Museum of China’s permanent collection.     9    (carry) forward the traditional craft of paper cutting, Zhang often offers paper cutting classes for free at residential communities, schools and museums, well     10    (recognize) by young people who want to understand the living heritage.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did Wallis win in 2013?

A．A nomination for an Oscar Award.

B．An Oscar Award for Best Actress.

C．An Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actress.

2. What did Wallis want to be before starring in the movie?

A．An actress.

B．A dentist.

C．A director.

3. What made Wallis get the role?

A．Her fine performance.

B．Her young age.

C．Her wide knowledge.

4. What do we know about the movie?

A．It attracted no attention at first.

B．It didn’t cost much money to produce.

C．It needed kids between the ages of 5 to 9.

10 . For many people, music helps them escape reality. The musician Carter Hulsey is taking a different approach. He’s using his stage to help people face reality. He performed a selection of songs and then talked about some valuable financial (财务的) knowledge at Burkley Fine Arts Center recently. The rock artist gave a presentation (演讲) covering topics such as balancing a budget, making buying decisions, and how to spend money and save for the future.

“The message from Hulsey would be important for our students to hear,” the teacher Mrs. Dux said. “I believed listening to the band would be an interesting way to communicate that message. As I found out more information, I couldn’t pass up the chance our students to have this experience.”

Hulsey managed the budget for his band when they went on a tour years ago. But at that time, he didn’t know much about being smart with money. He shared his own experience with money management and the troubles that came with it.“When I was your age, we didn’t talk about money in school. We didn’t talk about it at home. I didn’t think about it,” Hulsey told students.“I just started heading around the country and learned all these things the hard way.” He hopes by showing students that even those who live the rock-star life need to understand financial wellness, he can help students to form good spending habits.

Terron Johnson, a teacher at Shiloh High School, is making sure students learn the lesson before they may go into debt. “It’s a real-world thing. A lot of times students will say, ‘Why do I need to know this math? How am I going to use this in real life?’ Well, you will use financial knowledge down the line,” Johnson said. If students understand how to effectively use their money to achieve their goals, they can make their dreams come true.

1. What can be learned about the musician Carter Hulsey?

A．He encourages people to enjoy life.

B．He shares financial knowledge with the audience.

C．His focus has moved from music to financial work.

D．His music is inspired by the life of young people.

2. What is Mrs. Dux’s attitude towards Hulsey’s presentation?

A．Positive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Negative.

D．Uncertain.

3. Why did Hulsey talk about his own experience?

A．To prove the success of his band.

B．To tell students how to find a hobby at a young age.

C．To explain the influence of artistic taste on students.

D．To show the necessity of learning money management early.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．A musician becomes popular with students

B．Young students talk with a great musician

C．A concert brings more than music to students

D．Teachers advise students to be smarter with money