1 . “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage.” Ke Huy Quan said after winning an Academy Award for best actor in a supporting role for his portrayal(演绎) of the unfortunate yet heroic Waymond Wang.

“They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This is the American dream.” But Quan has acknowledged the difficulties in his journey, too, and how he almost gave up his dreams when opportunities dried up.

Quan was born in Saigon and came to Los Angeles in 1979 after fleeing Vietnam and living in Hong Kong as a refugee after the war ended. He began his Hollywood career as a beloved child actor in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies.” He kept on auditioning(试镜) after that, but his phone stopped ringing.

Quan reimagined his career path, going on to study film at the University of Southern California and to work behind the scenes as a stunt coordinator(武术指导) and assistant director. He wouldn’t have another film role for nearly 20 years.

Seeing the Asian cast of the 2018 movie “Crazy Rich Asians” made him realize how much he missed acting. And as soon as he came across the “Everything Everywhere” script, he knew he was the right person to play Waymond.

His big-screen comeback has earned him good reviews and numerous accolades, including Golden Globe, Critics Choice and SAG awards for best supporting actor. And Quan, 51, says these days he’s feeling more optimistic about the Hollywood prospects for him and other Asian actors.

1. What can be inferred from Quan’s words in Paragraph 2?

A．He gave up his American dreams.

B．He loved watching movies very much.

C．It’s difficult for him to read stories in America.

D．It’s hard for him to win an Academy Award for best actor.

2. What does the underlined word “accolades” probably mean in last paragraph?

A．Decisions.	B．Prizes.
C．Comments.	D．Opinions.

3. What can we learn about Quan from this passage?

A．Quan’s career path was flat.

B．Quan had a happy childhood.

C．Quan hesitated to play Waymond after reading script.

D．Quan has a positive attitude to the Hollywood prospects recently.

4. According to this passage, which of the following word can best describe Quan?

A．Confident.	B．Determined.
C．Hospitable.	D．Selfless.

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。

A Giorgio Morandi art exhibition, being held in the Dafen Art Museum in Shenzhen, provides China’s art     1     (enthusiast) the opportunity to appreciate the work of the late Italian artist.

A total of 46 works by Morandi are     2     show, including oil paintings, sketches and prints. So far, the exhibition     3     (receive) widespread attention due to the great popularity of the artist, attracting streams of visitors to the gallery.

“Morandi colors” is a term     4     (use) in the design aesthetics industry to describe colors with a grayish tone in the unique style of the Italian painter. Morandi     5     (know) today for his small-scale still life and landscape paintings with intense personal characteristics. He excels at putting the restraint of his personality into his still life paintings     6     (professional), and at capturing the seemingly ordinary scenery outside his window on canvas,     7     (allow) people to experience the eternal when viewing his work.

Visitors to the exhibition are also experiencing a dialogue between Italian art and Chinese philosophy, said Wu Yuhang,     8     is a project director in the Dafen oil painting village. Morandi is considered to have been     9     Western painter with an Eastern spirit.

The collision of two cultural traditions will inspire     10     (differ) creative thinking, providing an opportunity to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Italy and China, Wu said.

3 . 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.

4 . Former Disney child star Jennifer McGill recently shared how, after her mother passed away, she went through an extremely dark period in her life.

Jennifer was born ready for the stage. She grew up in a loving home in Texas. And by age 7, she begged her mom to let her enter contests. Jennifer’s mom was uncertain. But seeing her daughter’s high energy and unshakable love of the stage, she finally supported her daughter’s wish.

Jennifer won many contests, and soon her parents were advised to have her audition (试演) for The New Mickey Mouse Club, a Disney show. Jennifer tried out and landed her dream job.

Many of Jennifer’s co­stars on the show went on to run after their careers. But after many years as a Disney child star, Jennifer didn’t feel ready for Hollywood just yet.

“I just needed to grow up and grow wiser in order to be the artist I thought I was meant to be,” she said. Instead, Jennifer chose to go on to college — a decision her mother fully supported.

Jennifer’s parents were supportive throughout her career and schooling. But her mom was her champion — a constant source of support. Unfortunately, when Jennifer was 24 years old, her mom passed away.

“The biggest light and fan was gone, the person who’d reminded me that I was unique and valuable. I was kind of lost,” she said. The next several years grew very dark. She began feeling herself lonely. She felt lifeless and purposeless.

Much as Jennifer still missed her mother, she realized she should get her life back to normal. She’s now pursuing a new career in music. She also spends her time coaching young artists. She encourages them to put fame at the bottom of their list.

1. What do we know about Jennifer from Paragraph 2?

A．She loved her mother deeply.	B．She had a natural talent for acting.
C．Her parents didn’t support her acting career.	D．Her mother was for her decision from the very beginning.

2. What was special about Jennifer compared with other Disney child stars?

A．She was much wiser than them.	B．She kept practicing her acting skills.
C．She got herself ready for Hollywood.	D．She decided to continue her education.

3. What made Jennifer suffer greatly?

A．The death of her mother.	B．The loss of support from her family.
C．The failure to become a Hollywood star.	D．The lack of courage to pursue her career.

4. Which of the following is Jennifer’s advice to young artists?

A．Never forget the social duty.	B．It is important to earn fame in the career.
C．Never think too much about being famous.	D．Get away from sorrow as soon as possible.

5 . Emma Towers-Evans first picked up a pencil when she was just two years old and said her love for drawing originated from Free Willy, a film about killer whales. Emma loved drawing as a hobby during her childhood and teens, but never thought it could be a future career. But after attending the University of Surrey for music and sound-recording, she began drawing portraits (肖像) of people’s pets. Now she creates incredible portraits of people and animals which are so realistic that they look like photos.

As her success continued, Emma decided to focus on drawing full-time and set up her own website. Now the pencil artist sells her own original work and 25 percent of earnings from sales of her big cat series of prints go toward conservation charities like the Born Free Foundation and LionAid.

The 29-year-old often completes the drawings on a large piece of Al or A0 paper and estimates each piece of artwork can have upwards of 0.5 million individual pencil strokes (笔画). And it takes her up to 100 hours to draw an excellent hyper-realistic pencil drawing.

Since the pandemic lockdown, Emma has been making videos of her painting process and sharing them on TikTok, which have got 265,000 followers and 4.5 million likes. “The first one I posted was a time delay video of a portrait and I can’t believe how popular it has become. The comments and support I get are amazing,” the self-taught artist said. “It’s really exciting to see something come alive on the paper. It took me years of practice, patience, and dedication to get to where I am today. I think anyone can get to that level as long as they have the same determination and self-belief.”

1. What can we learn about Emma Towers-Evans?

A．She desired to be a painter as a little child.

B．She was especially good at drawing whales.

C．She majored in painting during her college years.

D．She managed to turn her hobby into a career.

2. What do the figures in paragraph 3 show?

A．Good artwork is physically demanding.

B．Pencil drawings come in various sizes.

C．Pencil drawing requires much patience.

D．Pencil drawing needs professional skills.

3. How did people react to Emma’s videos on TikTok?

A．They showed little interest in them.

B．They welcomed and enjoyed them.

C．They were confused by her drawing techniques.

D．They were disappointed by the long drawing process.

4. What message does Emma try to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Rome wasn’t built in a day.

B．Time and tide wait for no man.

C．Where there is life, there is hope.

D．All things are difficult before they are easy.

6 . John Myatt is an artist. He may not be the greatest artist in the world, but he is possibly the world’s greatest forger (伪造者). He is able to paint pictures in the style of famous artists like Monet and Matisse.

    1     This unusual skill got Myatt into a lot of trouble in the 1990s. For many years he taught art at a secondary school, but then he got divorced (离婚) and he gave up his job to spend more time with his children. In order to make some money he started painting pictures in the style of famous artists and selling them.

    2     He was honest about his work—he wrote his name on the back, and he sold them for ￡150 each. However, one of his customers, John Drewe, started to resell Myatt’s paintings as genuine, original works. Drewe had sold one of Myatt’s paintings for￡25,000. He contacted Myatt and suggested that they go into business together. Myatt agreed. He continued to paint and Drewe sold his paintings to art collectors around the world.     3    

The amazing thing is that Myatt painted his pictures with decorator’s paint.     4     But it soon came to an end. Drewe was divorced too, and his ex-wife found out about the forgeries. She went to the police and they arrested Dewe and Myatt. At their trial Drewe was sent to prison for six years and Myatt for less than one year.

    5     When he came out he started to produce pictures in the style of famous artists again. But he put his name on the back, as he’d done before he met Drewe. Myatt is now famous and instead of charging￡150 for a painting, he can charge￡40-50,000.

A．It wasn’t illegal.

B．Then he decided to stop copying famous paintings.

C．It was the same paint that people use to paint houses!

D．Myatt only spent four months in prison for good behavior.

E．That’s more than Drewe gave him for his ‘genuine’ paintings!

F．His pictures are so good that experts can’t tell that they are not originals.

G．Between 1986 and 1994 they sold about 200 paintings and made over a million pounds.

7 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Andv Warhol was a successful magazine and ad illustrator     1     became a leading artist of the 1960s Pop art movement. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1926. When he graduated from college, he moved to New York City     2     (pursue)a career as a commercial artist. In 1962, he exhibited the now- iconic paintings of Campbell’s soup cans,     3     created a major stir in the art world. He also drew portraits and opened his own art studio. His works blurred the lines between fine arts and mainstream aesthetics. By the time of his death in 1987, he     4     (become) one of the most important figures in American-art history.

8 . Nearly 200 years after Ludwig van Beethoven’s death, researchers have pulled DNA from his hair, searching for clues about his health problems and hearing loss.

They weren’t able to solve the mystery of the German composer’s deafness or stomach problems. But they did find a genetic risk for liver disease, plus a liver-damaging hepatitis B(乙型肝炎 ) infection in the last months of his life. These factors, together with his frequent drinking, were probably enough to cause the liver failure that is widely believed to have killed him, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology.

March 26 marked the 196th anniversary of Beethoven’s death in Vienna in 1827, at the age of 56. The composer himself wrote that he wanted doctors to study his health problems after he died. Since his death, scientists have long tried to put together Beethoven’s medical history and have suggested various possible explanations for his many health problems.

Now, with advanced DNA technology, researchers have been able to pull genetic clues from some samples of Beethoven’s hair that were cut off and kept in his memory. Using almost 3 meters of Beethoven’s hair, scientists were able to pull out pieces of DNA and put together a genome that they could study for signs of genetic disease.

The researchers didn’t find any clear signs of what caused Beethoven’s hearing loss or stomach problems. However, they found two things probably weren’t causes: celiac disease(腹泻病)— a health problem caused by eating the gluten protein — and lactose ( 乳 糖 ) intolerance — a health problem caused by the lactose sugar in milk.

The researchers also made a surprising discovery: when they tested DNA from living members of the Beethoven family, scientists found a difference in the Y chromosomes (染色体) that get passed down on the father’s side. The Y chromosomes from five men in Beethoven’s family matched each other — but they didn’t match the composer’s. This suggests that sometime before Beethoven was born, a child in the composer’s family was born from an extramarital relationship.

1. What is the purpose of the research?

A．To fulfill Beethoven’s wishes of studying for signs of genetic disease.

B．To introduce the advantages of DNA technology in medical researches.

C．To prove that Beethoven’s hearing loss was not caused by celiac disease.

D．To figure out the reasons for Beethoven’s deafness and health problems.

2. According to paragraph 2, what is generally considered to be the cause of Beethoven’s death?

A．A liver-damaging infection and hearing loss.

B．The liver disease and too much drinking.

C．The lung cancer together with alcohol drinking.

D．A genetic risk of liver disease and stomach problems.

3. What can be inferred from the article?

A．All the men in Beethoven’s family have the same Y chromosome.

B．Frequent drinking will definitely cause liver failure and even death.

C．Scientists pull out pieces of DNA by using more than 3 meters of Beethoven’s hair.

D．Celiac disease is not the probable cause of Beethoven’s hearing or stomach problems.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Lactose Sugar in Milk Can Cause Celiac Disease.

B．DNA from Hair Offers Clues for Beethoven’s Disease.

C．Advanced DNA Technology Help Make New Discovery.

D．Researchers Have Solved Mystery of Beethoven’s deafness.

9 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was born     1     Germany. He started his musical training when he was five     2    (year) old, and his teachers worked him so hard that he often cried. He started writing music when he was nineteen, and two years later he moved to Vienna    3    (study) music and perform. Beethoven first became famous as     4     pianist. However by 1800, his musical works were so popular that he was     5    (think) of by many as the most important composer of his generation. During this same period, he     6    (slow) became deaf. Even though he could not hear with his ears, he could still write music because he could hear music in his head. Most of his     7    (great) musical works were completed after he became deaf. In the later part of his life, he had many     8    (healthy) and money issues. He was also lonely because the woman he loved and wanted to marry     9    (leave) him. His friends tried to help him through his dark times,     10     his life became marked by sadness. He died after a long illness in 1827.

10 . Have you ever thought of being an actress and having to finish a show you started and at the same time, battling a life-threatening illness? That is what Emilia Clarke did. You may know her for her famous role of Daenerys Targaryen from the hit TV series Game of Thrones. This role skyrocketed her to stardom and made a big impact on her life. However, behind the scenes, Clarke had been battling a life-threatening illness for most of the first few seasons.

Just after finishing the first scazon of Game of Thrones, she faced an awful situation following the events of being rushed to the hospital after a workout session at the gym. Her worst fears were realized when she was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage, a kind of disease that kills once out of three people diagnosed with it. She was immediately told that she needed to undergo surgery to remove her brain aneurysm (动脉瘤) but she was a bit skeptical about it since she had a busy life and a busy schedule.

Ultimately, she had to go under the knife and the recovery was very miserable for her. She felt so hard to memorize and remember that it came to the point that she couldn’t even remember her name. At that point, she was extremely desperate since she believed that her life depended on communication and memorization so her life wasn’t worth anything. Luckily, a month later, Clarke recovered well and was able to go home just a few weeks before the start of filming for the 2nd season of Game of Thrones.

After the third season, doctors found out that there was another brain aneurysm that needed immediate surgery. Recovery had been more painful than before and Clarke spent a month in hospital experiencing all sorts of anxiety and depression. Fortunately, she overcame this adversity again. She recovered well and was able to finish all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. Right now, she’s just waiting for all the beauty and surprises that life can bring.

1. What can we know about Emilia Clarke?

A．She hesitated about the first surgery.

B．She suffered less during the second recovery

C．She fought the disease for eight seasons of Game of Thrones.

D．She missed the filming of the 2nd season of Game of Thrones.

2. Why was Emilia Clarke frustrated by the first diagnosis?

A．She wasn’t sure of her sports ability.

B．She was afraid of her upcoming surgery.

C．She wasn’t confident of her acting skills.

D．She was worried about her career development.

3. What words can be used to describe Emilia Clarke?

A．Decent and talented.

B．Diligent and tough.

C．Daring and thoughtful.

D．Dedicated and trustworthy.

4. Which entry can help you access the text?

A．Fashion.

B．Science.

C．Health.

D．Celebrity.