1 . Directions: Complete the following passages by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. identically     B. beaten     C. lanes     D. curiously     E. changing     F. hit     G. cold     H. sample     I. rising     J. differently     K. friction

To see the country, road trips are the only way to go

I am not an enthusiastic air traveler. Bustling through airports, getting checked by security, and standing in lines leave me     1    . But road trips are different. While the transit time is longer, opportunities to get off the     2     path make it worthwhile. I see places and interact with people and cultures that I otherwise tend to miss, rediscovering how far you can go and how much you can experience without leaving the United States. So, when my son said he wanted to tour the Kansas State University campus after receiving an admission offer, we threw our luggage and a case of bottled water in the car and     3     the highway. One attraction of traveling at the speed of a car is the transitions. Arizona’s Meteor Crater, Two Guns, and Painted Desert give way to New Mexican villages, then farm towns. Red rocks become open plains where grain elevators are the only features     4     above endless miles of flatness.

That flatness poses an unexpected challenge when there’s nothing to step behind. Eating on the road can also be a challenge. For basic sustenance, Anthony and I relied on Subway sandwich shops, which offer the same reliable fare at every location. While not exactly a     5     of local cuisine, they didn’t leave us regretting lunch when we returned to clocking miles. Salads were     6     difficult to come by in the college town of Manhattan, Kansas, although we had no complaints about the burgers and barbecue.   

In contrast to airport excursions, which often feature     7     and even confrontations, our trip was entirely pleasant. When you meet folks in their natural environment after hours of     8     scenery, it’s easier to remember just how big the world is and to appreciate that many of its inhabitants are perfectly happy living     9    , and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be.

As it turned out, the greatest source of stress was the frequent reminder that my son changes     10     like he’s afraid of missing a sharp turn. Fortunately, that’s a travel headache that can be fixed.

2 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. housed   B. overcome   C. mounting   D. distress   E. marveling   F. instrument G. chain   H. facilitate   I. pilot   J. confused   K. striking

Unlocking The Vatican Museums

Gianni Crea has, almost every morning for the past decade, unlocked the doors to the Vatican Museums. He has seen the splendor of the Sistine Chapel and admired the textures of ancient Egypt. “Yes, I’m a key keeper. But the doors I open are the ones to the history of art, and it’s here that exists the biggest and most beautiful history in the world,” says Crea.

The Vatican Museums have     1     collections since the 15^th century, including tens of thousands of artworks and artifacts spanning prehistory to modern times. The most     2     one of them, according to Crea, is Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. He recalls being     3     with emotion the first time he accompanied the former head key keeper to open the chapel more than 20 years ago. Since then, he’s witnessed people of all faiths     4     at the chapel’s loveliness, something the church believes is increasingly vital during these unsettled times.

“In the difficult current context the world is experiencing, in which sadness and     5     seem to have the upper hand, art is more necessary than ever, because beauty is always a source of joy,” Pope Francis said last year.

There is also     6     scientific evidence to support this view. A 2019 WHO analysis revealed that artistic and cultural activities     7     physical and psychological health. In fall 2022, physicians at Brussels’ hospitals partnered with the city to launch a six-month     8     study examining the benefits of “museum prescriptions as supplemental treatment for stress, burnout, and anxiety”. It’s the first investigation of its kind in Europe and is expected to have     9     effects across the continent. And in the wake of the pandemic (疫情), which forced the Vatican Museums to close three times between 2020 and 2021, there’s a growing movement for wider and easier access to the arts for people’s well-being. “The Vatican Museums must open their doors to people from all over the world, as a(n)     10     of dialogue between cultures and religions,” Pope Francis wrote in his 2015 publication.

“Everyone can find something beautiful and moving here,” says Crea, who always welcomes travelers from around the world to accompany him during his morning routine on select dates. “The Vatican Museums will give you an understanding of art and history regardless of your faith.”

3 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. advantage       B. anticipating       C. digitally       D. facilitating       E. geometry       F. giant G. initiated       H. painstakingly       I. potentially       J. reopened       K. sought

How Digital Modeling Plays a Key Role in Restoring the Notre Dame Cathedral (巴黎圣母院)

It’s been more than four years since a fire damaged Notre Dame, the Catholic cathedral in Paris that’s historically drawn millions of visitors every year.

Since then, people from around the world have united to support an effort,     1     by French President, that’s intended to have the building back open to the public by the end of next year. Teams working to restore the Gothic cathedral have     2     to rebuild much of the damaged sections using materials like oak wood (橡木) and stone that have stood the test of centuries.

But the builders, architects and engineers do have the     3     of some 21st century technologies, including modern building information modeling (BIM) software that enables them to work with a(n)     4     detailed 3D digital model of the cathedral and surrounding site, backed by powerful cloud computing technology.

“It allows you to really understand a lot of how a building fits together, how it’s constructed,” says Andrew Anagnost, CEO of design software     5     Autodesk. It has contributed technical consulting, software and financial assistance to the project since shortly after the fire. A digital model, which took more than a year to create, includes more than 12,000 objects.

It was a complex process. Onsite workers captured the point-by-point 3D     6     of the cathedral with laser (激光) and photo equipment. Then, others turned the data points from that process into detailed shapes and objects, down to individual building stones. That let experts see how the building shifted in the fire — important for     7     any stability issues — and plan out the process of reconstruction.

“It’s like Mission: Impossible when they plan,” says Nicolas Mangon, VP of architecture, engineering and construction industry strategy at Autodesk. “Every little piece is done     8    , and with the 3D model you can simulate (模拟) everything.”

Even when the cathedral is     9    , the model may still serve important roles. Mangon says the company is currently in discussions about using it to manage aspects of the complex going forward,     10     using sensors that could show the exact location of any future fires.

4 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once.Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. airflows       B. block       C. challenges       D. cool     E. critically     F. disproportionately G. principles   H. reduces       I. sensitive   J. site-specific     K. stretches

Skywell

A skywell, or “tian jin”, as it is commonly called, is a typical feature of a traditional home in southern and eastern China. Skywells were designed to reduce temperature in buildings well before air-conditioning existed. When wind blows above a skywell house, it can enter the indoor space through the opening. Because outdoor air is often cooler than indoor air, the incoming wind travels down the walls to the lower stories and creates    1    by replacing warmer indoor air, which rises and leaves through the opening.

The main purpose of a skywell is to allow in light, improve ventilation (通风) and harvest rainwater. In Huizhou, a skywell is small but tall, and the rooms around it    2    out sunlight on hot days, enabling the bottom of the skywell to stay cool. Meanwhile, hot air inside the house can rise and escape through the opening above the skywell.

Architects are now looking towards the    3    behind skywells while designing new buildings to save energy. One example is the National Heavy Vehicle Engineering Technology Research Centre in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan. The 18-storey glass-walled tower block has a giant inner skywell in the middle, which    4    from the fifth to the top floor. The elevators, toilets and meeting rooms are all situated around this channel, which helps improve the lighting and ventilation and    5    the overall energy consumption.

Ancient “green wisdom” such as skywells continue to inspire today’s climate adaptive design and innovations in methods that depend on design and technology to    6    a building without the use of power.

However, there are some    7    for bringing skywells into modern designs. The mechanisms of courtyards facilitating natural lighting, ventilation and rain collection are well known, but applying these methods needs to be    8    . Because traditional skywells had different shapes, sizes and features, which were    9    dependent on their natural surroundings, adding skywells into modern buildings requires designers to be    10    to their project’s context and situation, making it difficult to apply them as a universal solution.

6 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one more word than you need.

A. allows     B. reflecting        C. engaging       D. greeted       E. consequently        F. operational G. extends     H. purposefully     I. shelter        J. valued          K. volumes

University Life Gets a restart

Stated as a progressive new model for the design of higher education buildings, the lively student ‘Town House’ expertly captures the spirit of learning and the value of community unity.

Grafton Architects     1     designed a democratic and open space, as its name suggests: Town — referring to the building’s civic aspect, and House—    2     a sense of home and belonging. Many of the students at Kingston are the first in their family to attend university and this building sends an important message to them, their educators and the local community, that this is a place where everyone is welcome and     3     Set back from the street, the project     4     the public area, generously mixing its border with the pavement and inviting everyone in — students, locals and visitors alike. There are no barriers. A 200m long six-storey, deep colonnade (柱廊) offers shadow and     5    , with terraces and gardens above creating shelves of connected public space. The lower levels are permeable (通透的), revealing views to the passer-by of the       6     activities taking place inside — becoming more shaded at upper levels.

Equally open and spacious inside, users and visitors are     7     by a large open space, leading to an amphitheatre (阶梯式座位区). Classic acoustic (音响的) design     8     the noisy open space, quiet library, dance studio and theatre to co-exist, and enrich the experience of the users. Generous     9     can allow people, light and air to flow naturally through the building, which also uses a heat-activated concrete frame to reduce       10     energy use. This highly-adaptable building will stand the test of time and provide an inspiring environment for students, residents and visitors for years to come.

7 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. housing        B. leisurely        C. sought        D. reference        E. primarily     F. leg G. winding        H. wildly        I. pioneered        J. major        K. highlight

18^th Century Grand Tour of Europe

The Grand Tour began in the 16^th century and gained popularity during the 17 th century. Privileged（有特权的）young European graduates     1     a trend where they traveled across the continent in search of art and cultural experiences upon their graduation. This practice, which grew to be     2     popular, became known as the Grand Tour. Specialty guidebooks, tour guides, and other aspects of the tourist industry were developed during this time to meet the needs of wealthy 20-something male and female travelers as they explored the European continent.

These young, classically - educated Tourists were rich enough to fund multiple years abroad for themselves and they took full advantage of this. They carried letters of     3     and introduction with them as they departed from southern England to communicate with and learn from people they met in other countries. Some Tourists     4     to continue their education and broaden their horizons while abroad, some were just after fun and     5     travels, but most desired a combination of both.

A typical journey through Europe was long and     6     with many stops along the way. London was commonly used as a starting point and the Tour was usually kicked off with a difficult trip across the English Channel. Crossing the wide channel was and is not easy. 17^th – and - 18^th - century Tourists risked sea-sickness, illness, and even shipwreck on this first     7     of travel.

Grand Tourists were     8     interested in visiting cities that were considered centers of culture at the time, so Paris, Rome, and Venice were not to be missed. The average Grand Tourist traveled from city to city, usually spending weeks in smaller cities and months in the three     9     ones.

The vast majority of Tourists took part in similar activities during their exploration with art at the center of it all. Once a Tourist arrived at a destination, he would look for     10     and settle in for anywhere from weeks to months, even years. Though certainly not an overly trying experience for most, the Grand Tour presented a unique set of challenges for travelers to overcome.

8 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. inclusion     B. significant     C. exclude   D. implement   E. saving   F. house G. confirmed   H. interconnected     I. desirability       J. ambitious   K. concentrating

Plans revealed for high-tech “10-minute city” in Seoul

The idea of a “15-minute city”, in which residents can all reach work and leisure facilities within a quarter-hour walk — or cycle — of their homes, has gained     1     attention among urban planners during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, a group of architects is planning an even more     2     neighborhood in South Korea’s capital, Seoul: a 10-minute city.

Named “Project H1”, the development is set to transform an old industrial site into a(n)     3     “smart” city. Combining eight residential buildings with co-working offices and study spaces, the 125-acre district is also set to     4     entertainment sites, fitness centers, swimming pools and even urban farms.

Designed by Dutch architecture firm UNStudio and backed by a real estate firm, the neighborhood will also be completely car-free. A press release for the project claimed that “all the conveniences of the city” will be within a 10-minute walk of people’s homes.

In a statement, UNStudio co-founder Ben van Berkel said that residents’ “daily life experience” is the project’s “top priority”.

“We do this through the     5     of a rich density of uplifting, on-site experiences that provide an extensive range of options for how they can spend their living, working and leisure time, thereby also     6     them the time needed to travel elsewhere in the city,” he is quoted as saying.

A spokesperson for UNStudio     7     that project has been green-lit but did not reveal when it is likely to break ground.

The architects also said that clean energy will be produced on site, while systems to capture and store rain are being designed to reduce water use.

Critics have suggested that the concept could cause urban renewal by further     8     wealth in the most accessible and convenient districts. The     9     of “15-minute” neighborhoods may, in turn, result in home prices that     10     low-income and marginalized communities. But the Covid-19 pandemic has seen growing interest in the concept.

9 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. abandoned；B. adventure；C. allow；D. appreciate E. curving；F. effortlessly；G. exploring；H. outlines I. relatively；J. territory；K. winds

Marvelous Mallorca

Located off the southern coast of Spain, the island of Mallorca is often praised as one of the jewels of the Mediterranean. As the Spanish royal family’s preferred summer vacation spot, Mallorca     1     charms visitors with its beautiful villages and mountains covered in orange and lemon trees.

Since it is a(n)     2     small island, Mallorca is best seen by bicycle. The Serra de Tramuntana Mountain range runs along the island’s north-western coast and covers nearly 30 percent of the island’s     3    , which makes it a cyclist’s dream.The     4     roads that cross the tall peaks and rocky cliffs provide some of the most challenging cycling on the island.

However, most of the island’s visitors come to see Mallorca’s splendid coast. Though there are several busy beach resorts built specifically for tourists, you’re better off     5     the 260 beaches around the island on your own. Along the south coast, you’ll find white sands and clear blue waters seemingly made just for diving. In the east, keep an eye out for hidden bays that     6     for peaceful swimming even in high season.

Although Mallorca’s beaches have been its main attraction for many years, more recently, visitors have begun to appreciate the island’s cultural attractions too. Many of Mallorea’s grand old houses and     7     farms are being turned into resorts where visitors can enjoy the relaxed lifestyle of the Mallorcan countryside.

Palma, Mallorca’s lively capital, is also home to many museums, historic buildings, and galleries. Here you’ll be able to     8     paintings by great Spanish master such as Picasso, Dali, and Miro, whose former house in the city’s western district is open to visitors.

As the day     9     down, spend an evening enjoying a freshly caught supper in one of Palma’s oceanfront restaurants while taking in a beautiful Mallorcan sunset. What better way to wrap up your Spanish     10    ?

10 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each -word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. targeted            B. culture        C. consumption       D. interview        E. combine F. distributed       G. especially     H. compete       I. extremely       J. estimates       K. old-fashioned

Spain Looks to Chinese Travelers

Spain's tourism industry is looking to Chinese tourists for its high-end market, according to the president of the Spain-China Tourism Association.

“It is the kind of tourism that is not only interested in the sun, beach and the all-included     1     . They enjoy good food, wine, history and nature, and the new Chinese tourists would also want to spend more money in Spain,” said Rafael Cascales in a recent    2     with Xinhua.

The Spanish business leader described the     3     Chinese tourists as being younger, more international, and perhaps including more women. “They also travel on their own or in couples or in smaller groups. The     4     large groups of visitors have not disappeared, but this new form of traveling is becoming more important,” he said.

Speaking of the     5     pattern of the new kind of Chinese tourists the Tourism Association president said, “The money they spend is     6     better because they will book one flight with one airline, the hotel with another company and the restaurant with another.”

In his eyes, “Chinese tourists are very important because they     7     two things: there are a large number of them and they spend more money than anyone else — almost four times more than tourists from other countries.”

They not only travel abroad in the summer months when Spain has to    8     with the sun and beaches in countries such as Turkey and Egypt, but also travel in the off-peak seasons of a year, according to Cascales.

Spain is the second most popular tourist destination in the world, only after France. It attracted about 82 million visitors in 2017, 700,000 of them from China, a number which the United Nations World Tourism Organization     9     will rise to about 1 million by 2021.

“We are ready; we have the infrastructure (基础设施)at every level,     10     in hotel capacity. Here those visitors can find what they are looking for, including the luxury items which distinguish them,” Cascales noted.