1 . “The past is a different country; they do things differently there," L.P. Hartley wrote in one of his best-known novels, The Go-Between. To the British novelist, the past was irrelevant. And one of my Chinese students once told me "I have no interest in the past. I'm only interested in the present and the future." I have to disagree. The "past" is a very interesting country, and the more we know about it, the more we will be able to understand the present and thus, prepare ourselves for the future.

An ideal place, as I see it, that can allow us to look back on the past is the museum. I prefer to visit museums as if you are sitting in the same room with some of the greatest men in history. While no museums can claim to offer a complete picture of human history, the lessons we can learn from the events and wonders of the past are of great value.

Thanks to modern technology, museums are being transformed from places of looking and learning to spaces of participation and interaction. A large number of immersive (沉浸式) multi-media displays, which allow visitors to engage with its exhibits during their visit, play a big part at the Shanghai Natural History Museum.

The rise in technology has also made museums more accessible than ever. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, traditional museums have started to think outside of the box in order to create new ways for visitors to experience their collections online. It is definitely good news for those who are fascinated by museums but are struggling to actually go there. However, you shouldn't expect to get the same experience that an in-person visit would provide, at least, that is, for now.

International Museum Day is observed on May 18 every year. This is a quick reminder that you should always spare some time to visit museums and appreciate the "must-see 'em" things that are an important part of the cultural heritage of humankind.

1. What does the writer think of “the past”?

A．Different.

B．Significant.

C．Unrelated.

D．Understandable.

2. Why is the museum an ideal place to look back on the past?

A．It’s where to learn and reflect.

B．It’s where to learn about previous events.

C．It’s where to meet with great minds.

D．It’s where to appreciate ancient wonders.

3. What does “outside of the box way” refer to?

A．Offering online exhibits.	B．Allowing more in-person visits.
C．Adding multi-media displays.	D．Showing a complete picture of history.

4. Which could be the best title for the text?

A．Technology Revives Museums	B．Observe International Museum Day
C．Museums Are “Must-see 'ems”	D．Visit Museums In-person or Online

2 . By mid-century there will likely be 9 billion people on the planet, using ever more resources and leading ever more technologically complex lives. What will our cities be like? How much will artificial intelligence (AI) advance? Will global warming cause disastrous changes, or will we be able to engineer our way out of the climate change issues? Recently, the magazine Big Think asked top minds from a variety of fields to weigh in on what the future holds 40 years from now. The result is as follows.

It's likely that by 2050 the majority of the people in the world will live in urban areas and will have a much higher average age than people today. Cities theorist Richard thinks urbanization will transform the education system of, making our economy less houses driven and removing the divisions between home and work.

And rapidly advancing technology will continue ever more rapidly. Cities of the future won't look like “some sort of science-fiction fantasy”, but it's likely that technological advances and information overlays (VR and AR) will greatly change how we live. Self- driving cars will make the roads safer and provide faster transports. A larger version of driverless cars-driverless trucks — may make long-distance drivers out of date.

Some long view predictions are completely dire. Environmentalist Bill says that if we don't make great progress in fighting global warming, it's likely we could see out-of- control rises in sea levels, huge crop shortfalls and wars over limited freshwater resources.

In terms of how we will eat, green markets founder and “real food" supporter Nina believes that there will be more small milk processing plants and more regional food operations and we'll be healthier as a result. New York Times writer Mark thinks that people will eat fewer processed foods and eat foods grown closer to where they live. And more people will be aware of the ethical responsibility" to grow foods.

1. What may happen by 2050 based on the magazine Big Think ?

A．Education will be driven by economy.	B．The majority of people will be taller.
C．AI will cause disastrous changes.	D．Most people will live in big cities.

2. What do we know about technology in the future according to Paragraph 3?

A．It will make people live in science-fiction fantasy.

B．It will ensure safer transports due to faster cars.

C．It will greatly change the way in which people live.

D．It will increase the number of long-distance drivers.

3. What does the underlined word "dire" in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Magical.

B．Terrible.

C．Ridiculous.

D．Meaningful.

4. What does Nina think of foods in the future?

A．People will eat healthier and fresher foods.

B．Land-raised farm systems will be improved.

C．There will be smaller regional food operations,

D．Food supplies will become much more limited.