1 . In 1978, Ang Lee had applied to study film at the University of Illinois, which his father was against as a large number of people would apply for the few roles. However, Ang Lee insisted (坚持) on flying to the U. S., which had a bad effect on his relationship with his father.
It was a few years later when he graduated that he understood why his father tried to stop him. It was nearly impossible for a Chinese newcomer to make it big in the American film industry. The next six years were full of struggles for him. All he would do was support the film workers with the equipment, help the editor or take on any other miscellaneous (混合的) duty. Moreover, what hurt him the most was shopping screenplay at more than 30 different production companies, only to get turned down each time. He turned 30 that year.
In Chinese, they say, “At 30, one stands firm.” However, he had no idea about what to do. The household was run on his wife's income. Ang Lee felt guilty as this kind of life was shameful for any other man. When nothing worked, he decided to face reality and signed up in a computer course. He believed that only knowledge of computers could make him ready for work now. His wife noticed a timetable in his bag though she didn't comment on it. The next morning right before she went to work, she turned back and said, “Ang, don't forget your dream.” It was this one sentence that brought his dreams back to life.
He slowly began to get money support for his screenplay and made his films. He has been nominated (提名) for 9 Academy Awards, His film “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” won the Best Foreign Language Film award and he also won the Best Director award for the films “ Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi”.
1. Why did Ang Lee's father get angry?| A．Ang Lee went against his advice. | B．He had no money to send Ang Lee abroad. |
| C．He failed in entering film industry. | D．No roles were suitable for Ang Lee. |
| A．Ang Lee's career as a director. | B．Ang Lee's hardship in the U.S. |
| C．Ang Lee's duties in the company. | D．Ang Lee's meetup with his father. |
| A．She was a talkative person. | B．She starred in Lee's films. |
| C．She received many awards. | D．She gave Lee great support. |
| A．All roads lead to Rome. | B．Well begun is half done. |
| C．Do hold on to your dream. | D．A good name is better than riches. |
2 . A year after Walt Disney made history with the release of Snow While and the Seven Dwarfs, his artists were struggling to find the right design for the woodland backgrounds of Bambi, the coming-of-age tale of a young deer. The film’s production team realized they needed an alternative to the style in their first feature length animated film. Soon they got their inspiration from Tyrus Wong, whose work was on display at New York City’s Museum of Chinese in American Wong, an immigrant (移民) from Taishan, China, arrived in California at 9 with his father in 1919. Wong eventually settled near Los Angeles, where he developed his passions for art and drawing and got trained at the Otis Art Institute.
In 1938, The Walt Disney Studio hired him to draw the frames between the main drawings of the animators. Wong soon learned that the studio was trying to turn Felix Salten’s novel Bambi into an animated film. After reading the story, he saw an opportunity to break out of his boring job.
Inspired by Chinese landscape paintings, he used watercolor and crayons that created the forest scenes with simple strokes (笔画) of color and special attention 10 light and shadow. Wong’s skills caught Disney’s eye and became the guide for Bambi s background artists, who were later trained to mimic (效仿) his style.
By the time Bambi hit theaters in 1942, a strike at The Walt Disney Studio had left Wong jobless after three years of working on the project. He later became an illustrator for Warner Bros, where he worked for more than two decades.
“People admire his work because of Bambi, but Bambi was just a rally small part of his art life,” said Wong’s youngest daughter. “He considers himself not a great artist but a lucky artist, who was at the right place at the right time.”
1. Why did Tyrus Wong catch the attention of The Walt Disney Studio?| A．His painting style fitted Bambi. | B．He impressed the studio with honors. |
| C．He was fond of taking photos. | D．His work won popularity with students. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Fearful. | C．Excited. | D．Regretful. |
| A．He is generous. | B．He is demanding. | C．He is humorous. | D．He is productive. |
| A．Business. | B．Science. | C．Culture. | D．Health. |
3 . The music world lost a rock and roll superstar this week when guitarist Eddie Van Halen passed away. He was only 65 years old.
Eddie Van Halen was a founding member of the band Van Halen. He formed the group in 1974 with his brother Alex, who played the drums. Van Halen released (发行) its most popular single, the song Jump, in 1983. Jump rose to the top of Billboard Magazine’s list of Hot 100 songs and stayed there for five weeks. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio lists Jump among its “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”. Eddie Van Halen released at least 15 record albums with his band over the years, selling more than 80 million around the world. In 2007, Van Halen entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Van Halen brothers were born in the Netherlands. Their father was a professional musician. Their mother was from Indonesia. In the 1950s, some Netherlanders did not support the mixed-race (混种族) marriage, so the family moved to the United States. They settled in southern California. Eddie and Alex Van Halen had to learn English in their new land. Both brothers studied piano for years before getting interested in rock and roll.
As a child, Eddie was considered musically gifted. Eddie told a reporter he did not learn to read music. He said he would watch his teacher play and memorize his moves. He also said that he never took a class on playing the guitar, although he studied under Eric Clapton for a time. His father was among the first to recognize Eddie’s guitar skill. “You’ve got it, kid,” Eddie’s father said to him early on.
Eddie’s guitar playing was hard and fast. He was energetic while performing, often jumping like an acrobat (杂技演员) as he played. He was known for the way he tapped on the guitar strings with both hands. It influenced many musicians that followed.
1. What’s paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Eddie’s band. | B．Eddie’s Jump. |
| C．Eddie’s life story. | D．Eddie’s achievements. |
| A．To make a good living. | B．To escape racial prejudice. |
| C．To receive better education. | D．To experience different cultures. |
| A．To remember a famous musician. |
| B．To express sadness for a superstar’s death. |
| C．To praise Eddie Van Halen for his contributions. |
| D．To show the excellence of Eddie Van Halen. |
4 . The Malaysian actress, Michelle Yeoh, 60, shared some wisdom with the American Film Institute’s newest graduating class in a speech as she accepted an honorary doctorate of fine arts at the class of 2022 graduation ceremony.
She recalled her early years in the industry. After an injury dashed her dreams of going into ballet, Yeoh bounced back at a gym where several stuntmen (特技替身演员) trained and ended up learning some tricks of the trade from them.
“The first thing they taught me what to do was to tuck and roll, then how to fall on my side, and then how to fall on my back. And after a while, it dawned on me that they were teaching me how to fall,” she recalled. “And they said to me, ‘How are you going to go up if you don’t know how to come down?’” “That lesson sticks with me to this day. I had to learn how to fall. Well, you could say I learned it in my bones, literally,” Yeoh added.
The actress mentioned jumping off a 20-foot highway overpass for one stunt, in which she over-rotated (旋转), causing her back to fold in half and a stunt went wrong. “I didn’t land properly, but I completed the scene,” she said.
“These moments taught me perseverance, courage and humility,” she said. “They also taught me to hone my skills and eventually progress to the point where I was running on rooftops and jumping onto moving trains. I’m not asking you all to do that, okay? What I want to share with you today is that our slips and stumbles(绊跌)are the secrets to our flight. Trust me, that’s part of the deal. Success without failure is called luck. It cannot really be repeated or relied upon. It is from failure that we learn and grow,” Yeoh continued.
The Crazy Rich Asians star concluded her speech: “Be courageous, take chances, break barriers, be proud of what makes you unique.” “And most importantly, don’t be afraid to fall, for you are learning to fly,” Yeoh said.
1. What can we learn about Michelle Yeoh from the first two paragraphs?| A．She was tricked by several stuntmen. |
| B．She was passionate about working out in a gym. |
| C．She won a doctor’s degree in fine arts despite her old age. |
| D．She was terribly defeated by an injury and discouraged in her early years. |
| A．God helps those who help themselves. |
| B．Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise. |
| C．Successful people are learning experiences with others. |
| D．The greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. |
| A．Believe. | B．Sharpen. | C．Restore. | D．Dominate. |
| A．Mistakes and failure. | B．Luck and humility. |
| C．Courage and pride. | D．Opportunities and skills. |
A man in black clothes jumps high into the air. Before he lands, he strikes a pose. Sometimes, he carries a red fan. With long white sleeves(袖子), he spreads his arms like wings. His dance is eye-catching, often attracting crowds.
He is Chinese dancer Ma Jiaolong. Since 2020, he’s made short videos of himself dancing in London. He has performed at the city’s parks and iconic landmarks like Tower Bridge. The 35-year-old has nearly 5 million followers on Douyin, where he shares his videos.
Classical Chinese dance combines martial arts movements with those of traditional Chinese opera. He started to learn it at 12. “I was attracted by the dancers who play ancient heroes through the movements of classical Chinese dance,” said Ma.
Later, Ma studied at the Beijing Dance Academy. Since 2019, he has been teaching classical Chinese dance at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Two years ago, Ma had to give online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his small home, he could only make small moves. One day, he took his wife’s suggestion and danced at Greenwich Park, a popular tourist spot. She recorded Ma. He then edited the video, added music and sent it to friends. “Surprisingly, they loved it, which inspired me to share it online,” said Ma.
Later, Ma made more short videos. He combines his dance moves with dazzling action. People are often curious about his performances. So, while dancing, he likes to interact with them. As his videos went viral, he received messages from people around the world.
“Now, making and sharing short videos has become a part of my life, and, most importantly, a great way to introduce classical Chinese dance to more people, especially overseas viewers,” said Ma.
1. What is Ma Jiaolong’s style of dance? (No more than 5 words)2. Where does Ma Jiaolong usually make videos in the UK? (No more than 15 words)
3. How do people feel about Ma’s dances ?(No more than 1 0 words)
4. What does the underlined phrases “went viral” mean? (No more than 5 words)
5. What do you think of Mr. Ma as an influence r online? Please give your reasons. (No more than 25words)
6 . Do you know what you’d like to be when you grow up? It takes most people many years to find out. For the young artist Alexandra Nechita, it never really seemed to be a question. From the day she began drawing at the age of two, she was an artist. Alexandra Nechita was born in Romania in 1985 and moved to California when she was still a baby. As a little child, she loved colouring in her colouring books. Her parents hoped she could spend more time playing with other children, so they took away her colouring books. Alexandra began drawing her own pictures and colouring them in.
By the time Alexandra was seven years old, she had begun painting with oil paints. When Alexandra took a local art class, her teacher was amazed at the young artist’s unusual style of painting. Alexandra’s work was similar in some ways to the paintings by famous artists like Picasso. These artists did not use a realistic style of painting. They allowed their imaginations to play an important part in their work. The interesting thing was that little Alexandra had never seen the work of these artists. People called her “Little Picasso”. This was a great honour, but Alexandra’s style of painting was all her own.
Alexandra’s first public show was held at a Los Angeles public library when she was only eight years old. People were amazed at how young Alexandra was, but mostly they loved her imaginative artwork. It did not take long for Alexandra and her work to become famous. She appeared on television programmes and in newspapers and magazines all over the world. The sale of a single piece can earn the young artist thousands of dollars. But that is not why Alexandra creates artwork. She just cannot imagine doing anything else that would bring her such joy and satisfaction.
Today, Alexandra is a full-time artist. She also works to help support the arts in schools. Alexandra is a strong believer in the power of art as a tool of communication and a bridge to building peace throughout the world.
1. When did Alexandra begin drawing pictures?| A．At the age of eight. | B．At the age of seven. |
| C．At the age of two. | D．In the year of 1985. |
| A．she learned to paint from Picasso |
| B．her style of painting was like Picasso’s |
| C．she was one of Picasso’s big fans |
| D．her style of painting was unusual |
| A．Only painting can make her so happy and satisfied. |
| B．Only money can make her so happy and satisfied. |
| C．Anything can make her feel happy and satisfied. |
| D．Nothing can make her feel happy and satisfied. |
| A．Polite. | B．Generous. | C．Patient. | D．Creative. |
7 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．Oprah Winfrey. | B．Stephen King. | C．James Dyson. | D．Jim Carrey. |
8 . There’s no end to the work to do with improving diversity in children’s media, especially for storybooks. Children need to be able to see themselves in the characters of the stories they hear and read, at a stage where they’re building their understanding of the world around them.
Shachi Kaushik’s new book, Diwali in My New Home, brings the festival of lights to life for an immigrant community.
This picture book is for children aged 5 to 8. It speaks to Indian children’s experiences living abroad when they’ve experienced life in India. The story is about a girl, Priya, who loves being with family and friends to celebrate Diwali. But Priya and her parents began living in the United States this year, and no one seems to know about the holiday. Priya misses the traditions in India. As she joins the lights together and creates rangoli art(地画艺术), Priya introduces the festival of lights to her neighbors. And even though the celebration is different this year, it’s still Diwali.
Kaushik was a lawyer before she discovered the joy of telling stories to young children. Storytelling began when she volunteered in Texas, where she hosted a monthly storytime for children. Seeing the joy on the children’s faces inspired her to write children’s books.
When asked “What’s the secret to making children pay attention to stories?”, she said, “I would say the secret is to be present and not to be shy from acting, singing or dancing. Be a performer. While reading, use facial expressions and voice to add excitement to the story. Also try asking questions like ‘What do you think will happen?’. Let the little ones’ imagination flow. Lastly, try adding a finger play song and some dance moves to get those little ones into the mood.”
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To give explanation of diversity. | B．To explain the aim of the storybooks. |
| C．To show the importance of children’s media. | D．To lead in the introduction of Shachi Kaushik’s book. |
| A．A festival. | B．A country. | C．A community. | D．A character. |
| A．The joy from children listening to stories. | B．The job as a lawyer. |
| C．The experience of selling storybooks. | D．The money earned by hosting storytime. |
| A．To test if they are shy. | B．To attract their attention. |
| C．To encourage them to use facial expressions. | D．To teach them to be a performer. |
9 . The Beatles were a British rock group, led by the song writing team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. They had a profound (深远的的) effect on the course of popular culture in the1960s, Their innovation (创新) led to revolution in pop music, fashion, and youth culture.
The group came together in Liverpool, England in the late 1950s, and soon found an enthusiastic audience. Then, in Hamburg, Germany, they developed their own song writing style.
In 1962, Ringo Starr joined the Beatles on the drums. They released Please, Please, Me, the first of many number one hits. In 1964. this phenomenon crossed the Atlantic. The Beatles appeared on a popular TV show in the US, and at first only young men watched their performances.
They recorded a variety of different styles of songs, from the simple Yellow Submarine to songs expressing political ideas. In their songs, their political activism and social ideas were reflected. It is said that the US government once sought to have Lennon deported(驱逐出境).
The Beatles made pioneering use of the modern recording studio, and released an album that is considered their best. After this album, however, the members pursued separate interests, and ended in breaking up. The group dissolved (解散) in 1971. John Lennon was murdered by a fan on the street in 1980. Fans around the world mourned his loss.
1. The Beatles had a great effect on the _________ of popular culture in the 1960s.| A．development | B．subject | C．matter | D．idea |
| A．found their sponsor | B．was set up | C．was found | D．was not noticed |
| A．became a hit | B．was enjoyed by both sexes |
| C．appeared | D．began to appear on the stage |
| A．the sadness in their hearts | B．complaints about society |
| C．their happiness | D．their social ideas |
10 . Buster Keaton was born on October 4, 1895 in Piqua, Kansas, to Joe and Myra Keaton. At six months, he fell down a flight of stairs. Reaching the floor unhurt, he was picked up by magician Harry Houdini who said the kid was a real buster. The word “buster” means an unusually strong child. From then on, his parents and the world knew him as Buster Keaton. By the age of three, Keaton had joined the family's vaudeville (杂耍) act. It was this training in vaudeville that prepared him for the fast-paced comedy of the silent movies.
In 1917, Keaton moved to Hollywood, where he met another former vaudevillian. Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, a famous comic actor of the time, took Keaton on and showed him the ropes of the movie industry. Keaton regarded Arbuckle as one of his closest friends and his greatest influence. With his remarkable acrobatic (杂技般的) acts, the thin Keaton was a perfect partner for Arbuckle. Within a few years, Keaton became an increasingly popular comic star.
Most of Keaton's famous movies were made during the 1920s. Writing, directing, and starring in these films, Keaton created a crazy funny world. He often found himself in the same difficult situations as Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, but he always kept a sense of stillness throughout, without showing joy, anger, or sadness at all. No matter how lost or unlucky Keaton seemed to be, he was never one to be pitied. The New York Times said of him, “In a film world that exaggerated everything, ... he remained expressionless and serious, his stone face holding back all emotion.”
Though he acted in a number of films in the 1930s, Keaton began to lose his popularity with audiences, partly because of the appearance of the films with sound. It was not until the 1950s that the public liking for Keaton's work returned. The great skills needed to complete his heart-stopping acts amazed people who had become used to simple, flat physical comedy and he was considered one of the greatest comic actors of the silent age.
1. How did Keaton get his first name?| A．From his excellent skills. |
| B．From his parents' love for him. |
| C．From a story about a magician. |
| D．From a harmless fall accident. |
| A．He was a big fan of Keaton. |
| B．He acted as Keaton's guide to the movies. |
| C．He was one of Keaton's main competitors. |
| D．He became Keaton's vaudeville instructor. |
| A．His care about society. |
| B．His understanding of films. |
| C．His unemotional coolness. |
| D．His heart-warming stories. |
| A．His great acrobatic skills. |
| B．The rise of physical comedy. |
| C．The influence of silent movies. |
| D．His achievements in films with sound. |
