1 . Walt Disney: A Legacy of Dreams

The name “Disney” evokes a rush of images: from the enchanted kingdom of Disneyland to the heartwarming tales of Bambi and Simba. For almost a century, Disney, initiated by Walt Disney himself, has been synonymous with storytelling, imagination, and dreams-come-true. But what’s the journey behind this global empire of happiness?

Founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy O. Disney, the company started as a small animation studio in the back of a real estate office in Los Angeles.     1     The creation of the beloved Mickey Mouse in 1928 marked the beginning of Disney’s ascent to fame. This iconic character not only helped the company regain its footing after a business setback but also paved the way for the world of animation as we know it.

Disney’s first full-length animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered in 1937.     2     Its success proved that storytelling combined with animation had the power to touch the hearts of audiences worldwide, setting the foundation for a series of masterpieces that followed.

Disneyland, opened in 1955, was Walt’s most ambitious venture (经营项目).     3     Termed as “The Happiest Place on Earth”, this theme park was built upon a narrative, each attraction telling its own story, making it a pioneering effort in the world of amusement parks. It wasn’t just about rides, but an experience of stories coming to life.

With Walt’s death in 1966, there were doubts about the future of the company.     4     Today, Disney is not just about animation or theme parks. With its acquisition of entities like Marvel and Lucasfilm, it’s a major player in global entertainment.

Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”     5     Disney remains a testament to the power of dreams, imagination, and pursuit, lighting up lives across generations and geographies.

A．The transformation from a humble beginning to a global business came with both achievements and challenges.

B．Each turn in the park promises a leap into fantasy, ensuring the magic is felt at every corner.

C．This venture greatly changed the landscape of cinematic history.

D．Though faced with initial skepticism, the park became an instant success.

E．Over the decades, it has redefined entertainment, proving that stories have no boundaries.

F．However, despite initial uncertainties in leadership and direction, the enterprise continued to grow.

G．It’s a universe of stories, where every character, every song, and every ride have a heart and soul.

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

The eight-day-long holiday of 2023 began with the Mid-Autumn Festival on Friday and included the Oct 1 National Day. It was     1     people called the longest Golden Week. Big cities like Beijing and Shanghai were favored destinations. Smaller cities, such as Chengdu and Xi’an, were also popular. In Guangzhou and Shenzhen, extra overnight high speed trains     2     (schedule) to cope with the travel increase during the long holiday. So far, both domestic and overseas travels     3     (recover)significantly with domestic travel accounting for nearly three quarters of the total.

3 . 阅读下面短文，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。

In New York, longtime Kunqu artists and students are working together to pass down the ancient traditional form from generation     1     generation, and Kunqu societies     2     (be) active in the city for over 30 years. And recently, these Kunqu Opera artists, young and old, staged a performance at the Big Apple     3     (celebrate) the 35th anniversary of the Kunqu Society of New York, a nonprofit culture and arts organization.

4 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填全。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

More than twenty-five years ago, Philadelphia started a program     1    (stop) graffiti on public buildings. Instead of illegally “tagging” buildings, graffiti artists     2    (give) the chance to make murals (壁画) on building walls in their     3    (community). Now, more than 3, 000 murals have been created through the program, which has taken off in neighborhoods across the city. Since 2001, the program has homeless worked with young people who are in detention centers (临时拘留所) or     4    (home) shelters. The program has also helped teach high school students how to make murals and provided after-school and summer arts education activities.

5 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。

With the ideal time for harvesting fresh tea leaves approaching, locals celebrated the beginning of the tea-picking season with a spirited ceremony held at Jingmai Mountain in Yunnan province.

This annual event, which takes place towards the end of March, is a tradition among local minorities. Having been around for centuries, it is a perfect opportunity to show respect for the tea forest before harvesting the gifts of nature. Jingmai Mountain, renowned for its thick forests of ancient tea trees, has been an essential part of the locals’ lives for centuries. People there maintain an ancient method of tea cultivation featuring a unique multi-layered (层) ecosystem, which is regarded as the key to maintaining harmony between humans and nature.

The village has been located halfway up the mountain, close to the tea forest in the middle of the mountain, while farmland is in lower areas with abundant water sources, which can avoid disturbance to tea forests during planting.

The ancient tea forests are now refreshing as the younger generations are introducing new ideas aimed at better developing the tea industry in this area. Xian Gong, 39, started a farmers’ cooperative in 2010 in Jingmai village. Over time, she expanded the initiative by developing it into a company integrating the cooperative, a tea factory, a hostel and a shop under one roof. Today, the tea gardens cover an area of more than 600 hectares and generate an annual output of more than 200 tons, helping nearly 500 households increase their incomes.

A growing number of villagers are embracing new business opportunities by establishing cooperatives, tea factories and homestays. Many have adapted to the latest trends, such as selling tea through live streaming and sharing details of their daily lives and work on social media platforms.

The recent boom in the modern tea industry has motivated the residents to take better care of their ancient tea forests. In addition to their efforts to resist using chemicals and avoid planting other crops in the tea forests, the local government has applied over 20 rules and regulations for the protection of precious ancient tea forests. They hold a strong belief that the tea mountain is the most valuable gift left by their ancestors and it is their due responsibility to protect and make good use of it.

1. Why do the locals celebrate the beginning of the tea-picking season?
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the key feature of the ancient method of tea cultivation?
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, and then underline it and explain why.
It is only due to the efforts made by the local residents that the ancient tea forests have been protected.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Give another example which mirrors human-nature harmony.
__________________________________________________________________________________

6 . 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。

The world will observe International Museum Dayon May 18th. Since 1977, this day    1    (celebrate) by the International Council of Museums annually to raise awareness of the role that museums play in the development of society. The day is an excellent way of    2    (get) more of the younger generations interested in the history and culture available in museums. Every year, the organization    3    (decide) on a new theme. And the theme for 2023 is Museums, Sustainability and Well-being.

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

The Qinming Festival, originating from the Hanshi Day, is an opportunity for people     1    (remember) and honor their ancestors at tombs. And it became a festival in 732. Then observance (纪念) of Qingming found a firm place     2    Chinese culture and continued for over 2500 years. The Qingming Festival is a time     3     the sun shines brightly, trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. Since ancient times, people     4     (follow) the custom of Spring Outings.

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

What is culture shock? When he first visited the US, Mr Li was confused on a bus. He offered his seat to an elderly man, but the man seemed     1    (annoy) and refused to take the seat. Later Mr. Li’s American friends explained to him that in the US it is not advisable, and even offensive, to offer your seat to elderly people. This is very different from China, where people     2    (encourage) to do so. From the example we can see that culture shock is the feeling of confusion and anxiety when you encounter     3    (situation) where the cultural norms (标准) in your culture no longer apply.

9 . Young German Man Studies TCM in China

Wu Ming is a young German born after 1995. Wu is a big fan of Chinese culture, such as the Shaolin kung fu, a traditional Chinese martial art. He has been learning traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since 2016, almost seven years. Now he is studying for his master’s degree at Henan University of Chinese Medicine.

As he thought some diseases can’t be treated thoroughly with Western medicine, he decided to dig into TCM. Wu came to Central China’s Henan province in 2015, where a strong TCM culture can be enjoyed. After one-year of learning Chinese language, he started to learn Chinese medicine. “TCM is one of the best-protected aspects of Chinese culture”, said Wu. He hopes to solve problems and understand Chinese culture deeply by learning TCM.

In the early stages, Wu always tasted some Chinese herbal medicine by himself, just like Shennong, a character in ancient Chinese stories, who tasted most of the herbal medicine himself. To overcome difficulties in communicating, he also learned and practiced Chinese, especially the Henan dialect (方言), as his teachers, schoolmates, and even some patients speak in Henan dialect in their daily conversations. Although sometimes he still has trouble telling the difference between Mandarin (普通话) and the dialect, he can use the Henan dialect to communicate with others.

Studying TCM also changed Wu’s mind and lifestyle. He used to be addicted to electronic devices and stay up late every night, trapped in this fast but unhealthy daily life. But now, according to the Yin-Yang principle in TCM, he lives a balanced and peaceful life, practicing good habits such as drinking tea and reading ancient books.

In Wu’s opinion, there’s no big difference between China and Western countries. “We are the same. Misunderstanding comes from being out of touch”, said Wu. He plans to run a traditional Chinese clinic (诊所) in China or Germany after graduation, which could serve as a bridge between the two countries and attract public attention to TCM and its culture.

1. What is Wu’s purpose of studying TCM?

A．To get his master’s degree.

B．To prove his learning abilities.

C．To test some Chinese herbal medicine.

D．To better treat diseases and understand Chinese culture.

2. How did Wu overcome difficulties in daily conversations?

A．By reading ancient Chinese books.

B．By learning and practicing the Henan dialect.

C．By asking his teachers, schoolmates and patients for advice.

D．By studying the difference between Mandarin and the Henan dialect.

3. What can we learn about Wu’s lifestyle after his studying TCM?

A．He stays up late every night.	B．He lives a fast and healthy lifestyle.
C．He is addicted to electronic devices.	D．He develops a good habit of drinking tea.

4. In Wu’s opinion, misunderstanding comes from_________.

A．lacking communication	B．language barrier
C．being different from one another	D．mind and lifestyle

5. According to the passage, which word can best describe Wu Ming?

A．Gentle.

B．Honest.

C．Passionate.

D．Outgoing.

10 .

Samantha Cristoforetti . 2022/10/12 …仰观宇宙之大，俯察品类之盛，所以游目骋怀，足以极视听之娱，信可乐也。Looking up, I see the immensity of the cosmos; bowing my head, I look at the multitude of the world. The gaze flies, the heart expands, the joy of the senses can reach its peak, & indeed, this is true happiness. ESA及另外4人

Besides ‘‘wow” and “great”, what else would you say when flying over the Earth in space? Samantha Cristoforetti, an Italian female astronaut, posted several lines of a famous ancient Chinese composition on Twitter during her mission at the International Space Station to share her joy.

She first wrote in Chinese, and then attached an accurate translation of the lines in both Italian and English to help more people understand. The text she quoted is from the Preface to Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion, a Chinese calligraphy masterpiece by Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. She also attached three photos taken in space of China’s Bohai Bay and the day-night view of Beijing.

The beauty of space and Chinese literature resonated on Cristoforetti’s Twitter account. Her post went viral on Twitter with thousands of retweets, likes and replies in a few hours. “Her quotation of the lines shows that she observed the universe with the vision of Chinese civilization while observing China from space,” one user comments. “A European astronaut in space recites Chinese ancient poetry, how romantic,” says another.

Cristoforetti has been highly praised for her Chinese language skills. The Italian speaks half a dozen languages and has previously taken part in joint training between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the China Manned Space Agency. Apart from Cristoforetti, Matthias Maurer, a German astronaut from ESA who went to China together with Cristoforetti for the joint training, can also speak fluent Chinese. Since China and Europe have had friendly cooperation in the field of manned space flight, many foreign astronauts have shown great interest in learning Chinese.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher is positive about the unifying spirit of space exploration. He said, “Space is international. There is no way to put a boundary in space—because the space station and the satellites fly around the earth, cross boundaries, cross cultures, cross religions and different divides in terms of philosophy and history.”

While there may be many problems between nations here on Earth, in space, cooperation is strong.

1. What made Cristoforetti post the message on the Internet?

A．The desire to show off her Chinese.

B．The amazement at the view of the space.

C．The wish to work with Chinese astronauts.

D．The duty of popularizing space knowledge.

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．Cristoforetti spread Chinese civilization on her Twitter account.

B．Cristoforetti’s success in learning Chinese encouraged others.

C．Cristoforetti’s post became a hit on the Internet.

D．Cristoforetti is a genius at learning languages.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Space exploration settles differences between nations.

B．The longing for solving problems on Earth is universal.

C．Mastering more than one language is a trend among astronauts.

D．Cooperation in the space field bridges the gap between cultures.