1 . Lightning (闪电) is a beautiful and inspiring phenomenon, but it can be deadly. Over the past 30 years, lightning has killed an average of 67 people per year in the United States alone.
Find shelter immediately
If you find yourself caught in a lightning storm, never stand under a tree, and avoid being close to power lines as they’re both excellent conductors (导体) of electricity and could potentially cause death, if not serious injury.
Watch out for dangers
Windows provide a direct path for the lightning to travel. Keep windows closed, stay away from them and try to stay within inner rooms of the structure.
Being near water is extremely dangerous during a lightning storm, so move away from the body of water. If you are fishing, swimming or on a boat, get out of the water immediately and hurry back to the bank.
Stay inside
Stay inside at least 30 minutes after the last strike. Don’t go out just because the rain is starting to let up. There is still a significant risk of lightning strikes from a departing storm.
Lightning is dangerous but you can minimize your risk. The advice is simple: increase the awareness of avoiding danger and master proper knowledge to protect yourself from a thunderstorm.
| A．Get away from the water |
| B．Prepare enough water |
| C．Go to hospital quickly |
| D．Don’t touch anything metal or electrical |
| E．Find shelter near or under a stony shelter |
| F．Wait for news that the danger has passed |
| G．Fortunately, most lightning-related deaths are preventable |
2 . Believe it or not, sheep are playing an important role in protecting the ruins of Pompeii, an ancient Roman city that was buried under volcanic ash about 2,000 years ago.
Archaeologists have been digging the ruins for over 250 years, but only two-thirds of the 66-hectare area have been explored, reported CNN. To prevent the unexcavated (未发掘的) parts of the ruins from being naturally damaged over time, archaeologists have turned to a group of 150 sheep for help.
Many grassy hills there are dotted (布满) with the remains of old houses and shops. Grass and other plants can cause problems if they are left to grow on ancient walls and houses. Therefore, the task of these sheep is to eat up the grass, preventing any overgrowth that may harm the ruins. Besides, turning to sheep instead of herbicides (除草剂) costs less and is more environment-friendly.
This sheepy solution is part of the Pompeii Archaeological Park’s protection efforts. Since 2018, new excavations have been launched (启动) in Regio V area, the northern part of the city. It has resulted in exciting discoveries such as frescoes (壁画), a snack shop, and the skeletal remains (遗骸) of people who died in the disaster.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, told Go Top News that the sheep initiative (倡议) is a sustainable (可持续的) project that saves money and protects the landscape. Besides, the sheep have become part of the landscape itself, bringing the ancient city back to life. “It’s also something that really gives an idea of what Pompeii was like when it was rediscovered,” said Zuchtriegel. “It was forests, vineyards, sheep and that kind of rural setting, and in the middle of it was Pompeii.”
1. Why do the archaeologists use sheep?| A．To excavate Pompeii quickly. | B．To reduce overgrowth of grass. |
| C．To save herbicides. | D．To promote economy of this area. |
| A．The sheep solution has caused some trouble. | B．It has cost a lot of money to excavate the ruins. |
| C．The discoveries have puzzled archaeologists. | D．Much work has been done to protect Pompeii. |
| A．Helpful. | B．Worrying. | C．Annoying. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．New Discovery in Ruins | B．Sheep Rescuing Pompeii |
| C．Archaeologists’ Achievements(成就) | D．People Worrying about Pompeii |
3 . I’m Zhang Jiabo, 17, from the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. For me, September of 2022 was colorful and unforgettable. So many amazing events happened in my life during that month.
First, I organized a badminton competition at the beginning of the month, which left some very precious (珍贵的) memories. Moreover, I joined a World Wildlife Fund translation project and the main activity for this project is to translate English articles about environmental protection into Chinese. It sounds difficult, but thanks to the many helpful members of our group, everything has gone smoothly so far.
The badminton competition was so meaningful for me—I learned a lot from organizing it. I strengthened my management skills and discovered a new organizational method by the end of the game. For example, I learned for the first time how to keep track of our money correctly. After the badminton competition, I realized that we only needed two courts (球场) when the match got to the final round. Next time, I will use the money more wisely during the process of preparation.
Moreover, through the translation project I learned how to negotiate (协商) with others. Since there are so many people in the translation project, we needed to manage our work according to each person’s condition at that time. Although the process was difficult, it was an excellent chance to enhance my ability to negotiate. It also helped to strengthen my time management skills.
Even though there were problems and obstacles (阻碍) along the way, I’m still very happy that I challenged myself with these events and made friends because of them. I will keep on moving forward and devote (投入) my efforts to such projects in the future, and hopefully become an even better organizer and team player in the end.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．The author won a badminton competition. |
| B．World Wildlife Fund reported the author’s event. |
| C．September of 2022 impressed the author deeply. |
| D．The author needed to translate some Chinese articles. |
| A．To strengthen the importance of courts. | B．To show the difficulty he met. |
| C．To introduce the badminton competition. | D．To explain he gained experience. |
| A．Improve. | B．Limit. | C．Change. | D．Affect. |
| A．Selfish but creative. | B．Brave and humorous. |
| C．Out-going but careless. | D．Positive and determined. |
4 . The Bedford School has held activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year before the winter vacation—this time with a unique change compared to other years. The celebration is a blend (融合) of traditional food, calligraphy, and a performance using Chinese instruments.
The school’s Chinese Society introduced an art form that attracted the students: Chinese calligraphy. The students were surprised at the combination (结合) of visual art and the interpretation (解读) of literary meaning as they wrote Chinese characters with grace. And they tried their best to make what they wrote correct and beautiful. The students also enjoyed delightful Chinese New Year foods, including spring rolls, rice cake, dumplings. They ate fish-shaped sweets with great enjoyment, symbolizing abundance (富足) for the coming year as the Chinese character for “fish” can also mean “surplus”. The idea behind this is that if we manage to have something left over at the year’s end, then more can be made in the new year. Keeping with tradition, the students exchanged red envelopes filled with sweets, symbolizing good luck and prosperity (繁荣). In Chinese culture, the color red symbolizes good luck and good fortune for the year ahead. This is why red decorations are used during many important cultural festivals and significant events.
Due to(由于)China’s rocketing economy and reputation (声誉), Chinese New Year has become a worldwide event. The Bedford School provided a great opportunity for the students to gain (获得) a deeper understanding of Chinese tradition and culture.
1. What can we know about the celebration of this year?| A．It celebrated the winter vacation. | B．It focused more on Chinese traditional cultures. |
| C．It was aimed at raising school’s reputation. | D．It was celebrated the same way as before. |
| A．The writing time. | B．Teachers’ attitude. |
| C．The beauty of the characters. | D．The school’s Chinese Society. |
| A．To get pocket money. | B．To enjoy delicious fish. |
| C．To keep with tradition. | D．To expect a rich new year. |
| A．China’s role in the art world. | B．Chinese calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese instruments. | D．China’s fast development. |
5 . A visit to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World can be one of the most exciting and unforgettable vacations you and your family can take. For a quick introduction of the Wonders, this text presents only four of the historic sites.
Giza Necropolis of Egypt
Located (位于)about 12 miles from Cairo, Giza Necropolis features (以……为特色) the Great Pyramid and the Great Sphinx of Giza and is about over 4,500 years old. It is easy to take public transportation from Cairo but families should consider booking a personal guide or group trip from a tour operator such as Go Travel Egypt or Viator.
Great Wall of China
With a history dating back to 476 BCE, the Great Wall stretches (绵延)13,170 miles across China. The most famous and most visited section of the Great Wall is Badaling. A number of tour operators can be found in Beijing, with recommendations including Viator, Great Wall Hiking and Discover Beijing Tours. Admission (门票费) to Badaling is just 45 Chinese Yuan(about $7.50)but a guided tour from Beijing starts at around $75.
Petra of Jordan
Rediscovered in 1812, Petra was the fourth century BCE capital of the Nabataean empire. Known for its intricate (错综复杂的) carvings into a sandstone mountain, Petra was a business center, located between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Tours to the Lost City can be arranged in Israel or from Anman, the capital and largest city of Jordan 150 miles to the north.
Colosseum of Italy
Located in the ancient center of Rome, the Colosseum started to be built in 72 CE and was finished in 80 CE. Till today, the Colosseum is still the largest amphitheater (圆形竞技场) in the world. Guided tours are easy to find from a number of operators but tickets for self-guided tours can be bought on site for 12 euro.
1. What can Viator probably do for tourists?| A．Lend money to them. | B．Offer wonderful partners. |
| C．Arrange their work schedules. | D．Provide tour service. |
| A．Petra of Jordan. | B．Colosseum of Italy. |
| C．Great Wall of China. | D．Giza Necropolis of Egypt. |
| A．They are new sites. | B．They attract only young people. |
| C．They provide guides. | D．They feature ancient civilisation. |
6 . After decades of exploring the moon, a dramatic vision is finally becoming reality. The Guardian recently reported that a project called Lunar Codex is planning to send and store over 30,000 works on the moon from artists, writers, filmmakers, and musicians from over 150 countries and regions. The goods to be stored range from novels and paintings to music, films，and even soil from Earth.
According to Artnet, the only rule for acceptance for these works is that they must have been pre-curated (预先策划) by a professional known to Samuel Peralta, the leader of the project.
Speaking with The New York Times, Peralta said that the aim of the project is to create “a message in the bottle for the fixture”，showing that “during this time of war, pandemic and economic crisis, people still found time to create beauty.”
In fact, this is not the first time that people have tried sending human legacies (遗产) to outer space. In 1969, the Apollo 12 mission carried a ceramic piece with drawings. In 1971, the Apollo 15 staff left a sculpture to honor those who had died in space exploration. What’s more famous is the Golden Record carried by spacecraft Voyager 1 and 2 from NASA in 1977, which contains human language, music and images. For example, a piece of Chinese guqin music, called Flowing Streams was included in it.
Although we don’t know who determines which symbols of human legacy get sent out to space in most projects, it’s obvious that the criteria keep changing. In the past，space heritage products only focused on space-related works; but gradually, more human-related contemporary goods which held great importance in their respective eras have been added to the list. In the Lunar Codex, films, diverse art and literary works produced by women, disabled artists, and even AI have been collected for the first time to be sent to the moon.
These changing criteria also leave space for ordinary people to imagine and think. Many people are now trying to store their DNA information digitally. Will people be able to find even more surprising and inventive ways to preserve their legacy in the future? Only time can tell.
1. What is the goal of the project?| A．To make the moon livable. | B．To show respect to artists. |
| C．To preserve the existing beauty. | D．To continue the work of Voyager 2. |
| A．To explain the missions are important. |
| B．To complain people explored outer space not so often. |
| C．To show Chinese culture was included gradually. |
| D．To prove people have been delivering legacies to the moon. |
| A．Human civilization is inclusive. |
| B．People don’t care about space-related works. |
| C．Women’s position has been improved. |
| D．People take AI seriously. |
| A．A brochure. | B．A magazine. | C．An advertisement. | D．A poster. |
7 . When Jenny Streete began caring for older people more than 50 years ago, prejudice was part of her everyday working life. Streete, who grew up in Jamaica and came to England in 1967, had a way of dealing with it: “Just put a smile on your face,” she says. “If you let bad words into your brain, it will only cause you more harm.”
The 81-year-old remembers one instance of abuse.
Streete says: “The sister who was managing the ward (病房) tried to calm a woman down. But I told the sister to let her say what she has to say. I don’t mind.”
The next night, Streete noticed the woman’s blanket had fallen off. She replaced it, telling the patient in a low voice exactly what she was doing and why. The same thing happened the next night, and the next. “But then, the night that I was off duty, that same woman asked the sister: ‘Where is that black lady? I don’t want anyone else to look after me while she is on duty. She was so kind.’”
Brought up by her grandparents, Streete found her vocation after a mystery illness that nearly killed her, and left her with permanently damaged vision. She got better, she says, because of “loving care and tenderness”. When she came to England, she was determined to give that care to others.
And Streete hopes to carry on caring for older people as long as possible — although, she says, her children are urging her to retire. She currently works two nights a week in an end-of-life ward which provides specialist nursing. Many of the people she looks after are now a similar age to her.
Her preference for night shifts hasn’t changed, either. She frequently stays on after her shift is finished, to spend time with residents.
She urges those considering a career in care to think hard about why they’re choosing it. “Sometimes, people are not happy because they don’t want to do the job — they have to do it, because there is no other way. Wanting to do it is very different from having to do it.”
But the key quality a care worker needs, she says, is patience, “Some people like to do everything quick-quick-quick, but you have to take your time with residents. I just try to treat everybody the way I would like to be treated.”
1. What do we know about Jenny Streete?| A．She never accepts others’ words. |
| B．She minded so much when abused. |
| C．She fell ill when she left Jamaica. |
| D．She has her own opinions about nursing. |
| A．Her love for England. | B．The tender care she got. |
| C．Older people’s prejudice. | D．Her grandparents’ encouragement. |
| A．Serious and wise. | B．Positive but stubborn. |
| C．Responsible and patient. | D．Honest but indifferent. |
| A．Jenny Streete’s care for others in her whole life. |
| B．Jenny Streete’s advice on how to find a good job. |
| C．Jenny Streete’s experiences of fighting disease. |
| D．Jenny streete’s determination to remove prejudice. |
8 . A series of books in Chinese and English covering eight classic works of Peking Opera recently released, with the aim of revealing details about the art form in a direct way.
The bilingual (双语的) books are from the Translation Series of a Hundred Jingju Classics, a project originated from 2011, which is part of the effort by the central government to promote Chinese culture overseas.
Peking Opera, with its complex and colorful costumes and make-up, as well as the unique performance combining singing, dialogue, acting and acrobatics (杂技), has become a symbol of traditional Chinese culture. Over the last 200 years, more than 1, 000 Peking Opera shows have been produced telling the most classic historical stories in China, as well as giving glimpses of society, according to Wang. The art form was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (非物质文化遗产) by UNESCO in 2010. Famous performers such as Mei Lanfang and Cheng Yanqiu have also taken Peking Opera abroad. And though foreign fans are impressed by it, few understand the stories told on stage.
To help foreigners understand the art form better, Sun Ping, dean, School of Art, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and her team have edited the new books. Different from previous English translations of books that mostly covered the scripts (剧本) of Peking Opera plays, the new series introduces nearly all aspects of the art form, including the script, actors and actresses, performance skills, musical instruments and costumes, according to Sun, who is herself a highly regarded Peking Opera artist.
“It fills the blank in overseas promotions of Peking Opera,” says Liu Jian, a professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts. “The inheritance and promotion of Peking Opera are very important. In a sense, promotion is even more important. The project sets a good example.”
Scott Ian Rainen, an expert from the United States, who works at China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, says he was happy to read the new books. Foreigners often don’t understand the plot in a Peking Opera play, but the books introduce the cultural and historical background, its character modeling, costumes and props, artistic theories and so on.
1. Why are the set of bilingual books released?| A．To stress the importance of Peking Opera. |
| B．To attract foreigners to learn Peking Opera. |
| C．To promote the diversity of Peking Opera. |
| D．To present Peking Opera more effectively. |
| A．The advantage of learning Peking Opera. |
| B．The brief introduction of Peking Opera. |
| C．The benefits of releasing these bilingual books. |
| D．The reason for people’s attachment to Peking Opera. |
| A．They cover stories about Peking Opera. |
| B．They share a more significant art value. |
| C．They are better in covering the scripts of Peking Opera. |
| D．They are overall in showing the features of Peking Opera. |
| A．Subjective. | B．Sceptical. | C．Positive. | D．Tolerant. |
9 . 语法填空
Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education,
10 . A giant origami (折纸艺术) “snail” gets a Guinness World Record. Filled with
This
Making a giant paper “snail” isn’t
Another
“Gold foil paper symbolizes the beauty deep within people’s hearts. Therefore, I hope that everyone who sees this artwork can feel the
| A．creativity | B．curiosity | C．friendship | D．power |
| A．heaviest | B．thickest | C．largest | D．highest |
| A．frightening | B．interesting | C．amazing | D．confusing |
| A．damaging | B．unifying | C．cutting | D．burying |
| A．weight | B．length | C．size | D．sight |
| A．hard | B．famous | C．suitable | D．easy |
| A．brick | B．paper | C．medal | D．statue |
| A．failure | B．success | C．effort | D．trouble |
| A．simplest | B．impressive | C．important | D．obvious |
| A．strategy | B．problem | C．schedule | D．proposal |
| A．refer to | B．focus on | C．lead to | D．apply for |
| A．flat | B．thick | C．small | D．narrow |
| A．exchange | B．carve | C．organize | D．fold |
| A．experiments | B．measures | C．references | D．arrangements |
| A．demand | B．regret | C．advance | D．light |
