| A．Their plan. | B．The weather. | C．The beach. |
| A．Well-acted. | B．Difficult. | C．Dull. |
| A．Keep an eye on her stuff. |
| B．Buy lunch for her. |
| C．Look after her kid. |
| A．At home. | B．In the office. | C．In a cafe. |
| A．A bookstore. | B．A gallery. | C．A coffee shop. |
6 . In 2019, after retiring from her career as a social worker, Ane Freed - Kernis decided to build a home workshop and devote all of her free time to stone carving. “I might be covered head to to e in dust but I’m happy — it was something I needed more of in my life when I hit 60,” she says.
This appeal has its origins in Freed - Kernis’ childhood. Growing up on her father’s farm in Denmark, she used to wander through the fields with her eyes fixed on the ground, looking for stones to add to her collection. “I’ve always been drawn to the shapes and textures (质地) of stones,” she says.
After moving to England in 1977 and training as a social worker, Freed - Kernis soon became occupied with her busy career and the demands of raising her son. Stones were the last thing on her mind, until her father died in 2005. “He took a stone carving course in his retirement, and I always thought stone seemed so fun but never had the time to look into it myself,” she says. “After he died, I became determined to learn in his honour.”
Signing up for a week-long stone carving course at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Freed-Kernis began to learn how to turn a block of rock into well-designed shapes. “It was really scary at the start because you would spend hours just hammering (锤打).”
Now 65, Freed-Kernis has a thriving small business built largely through word of mouth. She creates 12 to 15 pieces a year that can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks to complete, while her prices range from £ 200 to £ 3,000. “I’m making smaller ones,” she says. “I don’t have to depend on the money much, so I want to keep prices in the range that people can afford, mainly just covering costs and labour (劳动力).”
1. Freed-Kernis was first attracted by stones when ______.| A．she was 60 | B．she was a child |
| C．her father died | D．she moved to England |
| A．She never cared about her father. |
| B．She led a disappointing life in Denmark. |
| C．She spent lots of time studying stone carving. |
| D．She learned stone carving under the influence of her dad. |
| A．Hopeful and proud. |
| B．Confident and satisfied. |
| C．Nervous and frightened. |
| D．Impatient and unprepared. |
| A．They are easier to move by her. |
| B．They are more affordable to people. |
| C．She wants to save costs and labour. |
| D．She is too old to focus on making large ones. |
7 . In San Francisco, a large group of sea lions move themselves out of the bay waters and hang out on PIER 39, which is a popular tourist destination. According to dock (码头) officials, this is the most sea lions seen in the region in 15 years.
“Over 1,000 sea lions have been counted this week,” PIER 39 harbormaster Sheila Chandor told many different media. “The surge in sea lions is usually a good sign of their strong population and healthy living environment,” said Adam Ratner, Director of Conservation Engagement at the Marine Mammal (海洋哺乳动物) Center in Sausalito, California.
“California sea lions are sentinels (哨兵) of the ocean,” Ratner said. Their population to some extent reflects the health of the ocean. Therefore, seeing a large number of California sea lions is clearly a good thing.
For nearly 35 years, the slippery (滑的) residents have been a star attraction for tourists. That autumn in 1989, PIER 39 had just been repaired, but the ships had not yet been moved back. At that moment, the sea lions unexpected arrival not only attracted fans but also created enemies. According to a website, some dock residents and workers were scared away by the strong and very unpleasant smell and noise of their new neighbors, while others saw these animals as a bright spot after the destructive Loma Prieta earthquake.
The officials sought help from the Marine Mammal Center to find a way to deal with sea lions. Ratner said that the final decision is to let the sea lions stay and coexist with humans. “The fact proves that this is really a good thing,” he said. “This is just a proof of how we can truly work together and think about how we can share our coasts with marine mammals and other wildlife in a way that benefits all the parties involved.”
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By describing a situation. |
| B．By answering a question. |
| C．By holding a conversation. |
| D．By comparing different opinions. |
| A．Sharp increase. | B．Tight control. |
| C．Slow development. | D．Sudden movement. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Uninterested. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Sea lions are pretty cool animals. |
| B．Animals and humans can live in harmony. |
| C．Watching sea lions might not be a proper action. |
| D．Sea lions should be driven out of PIER 39. |
A Tour Guide Wanted David, from England, wants to travel along the ancient Silk Road in China during this summer holiday and is recruiting a tour guide. If you are interested in it, please send an email to David@sina.cn. |
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear David,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
We are so used to many beautiful things that we may even take them for granted without realizing how much
Singapore’s ArtScience Museum,
Harare’s Eastgate Centre is a superb example of biomimicry. It was created by Mick Pearce who was inspired while watching a nature documentary
The Algae House in Hamburg is
Creating buildings such as these
10 . The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is one of the best books I have read in years. This is a page turner with complex characters and situations that will make you think hard about friendship, good and evil, betrayal, etc. It is intense and a great book by many measures.
On one level, The Kite Runner is the story of two boys in Afghanistan and Afghan immigrants in America. It is a story set in a culture that has become of increasing interest to Americans since the September 11, 2001 attacks. It also explores the history of the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. On this level, it provides a good way for people to learn more about Afghan history and culture in the context of the story.
Looking at The Kite Runner as a story about culture, however, misses what the book is really about. This is a novel about humanity. This is a story about friendship, loyalty, cruelty, longing for acceptance, redemption, and survival. The core story could be set in any culture because it deals with issues that are universal.
The Kite Runner looks at how the main character, Amir, deals with a secret in his past and how that secret shaped who he became. It tells of Amir’s childhood friendship with Hassan, his relationship with his father and growing up in a privileged place in society. I was drawn in by Amir’s voice. I sympathized with him, cheered for him and felt angry with him at different points. Similarly, I became attracted by Hassan and his father. The characters became real to me and it was difficult for me to put the book down and leave their world.
I highly recommend this book, especially for book clubs. For those of you who are not in a reading group, read it and then loan it to a friend. You are going to want to talk about it when you finish.
1. The underlined words “a page turner” probably mean that the book is ________.| A．abstract | B．thrilling | C．ridiculous | D．tough |
| A．the beauty of language | B．the history of the Taliban |
| C．the reflection of humanity | D．the culture of immigrants |
| A．The story can provide inspiration for readers of various cultures. |
| B．The author always feels sympathy for the main character, Amir. |
| C．The story is set in the September 11, 2001 attacks in America. |
| D．The secret helped Amir to grow up in a privileged place in society. |
| A．An advertisement of a book. | B．An introduction to a book. |
| C．A summary of a book. | D．A review of a book. |
