1 . Most Famous Paintings in the World

Among the millions of paintings that are created and shown in galleries and museums all around the world, a very small number of them go beyond time and make history. Below are some examples.

The Persistence of Memory — Salvador Dali. Painted in 1931, The Persistence of Memory is one of the most recognizable pieces in art history. This work is known to make people reflect on their way of life and the way they spend their time, and it is also thought that Albert Einstein’s well-known Theory of Relativity gave Dali the idea for this wonderful painting.

Girl with a Pearl Earring — Johannes Vermeer. Considered by many to be “the Dutch Mona Lisa”, this beautiful painting features an unnamed young woman looking over her shoulder to stare directly at the viewer. It was completed in 1665 and is exhibited in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Guernica — Pablo Picasso. The famous painting by Picasso was completed in 1937. It was painted in Paris following the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is on permanent display in the Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain.

Starry Night — Vincent van Gogh. Painted in 1889, Starry Night is one of the most famous paintings in modern culture, which is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is based on van Gogh’s direct observations as well as his imagination, memories, and emotions and was the inspiration for the song Vincent (also known as Starry, Starry Night).

1. What do we know about The Persistence of Memory?

A．It was finished in the 1920s.	B．It centers on people’s lifestyle.
C．It reflects the painter’s memories.	D．It may be inspired by a famous theory.

2. Which painting is based on a true story?

A．The Persistence of Memory.	B．Starry Night.
C．Girl with a Pearl Earring.	D．Guernica.

3. What is the common feature of the listed paintings?

A．They are everlasting artworks.	B．They share the similar theme.
C．They are on permanent display.	D．They give ideas for music creation.

2 . Barbara, 70, and me, at 71, have swum together for at least 50 years. We swim in a quiet cove (小海湾). It’s home to seagulls, a duck or two, and kayaks (独木舟) on occasion. The difficult summer drought of 2021 brought a burning sun that warmed the water. As the drought eased and the water cooled in late August, we decided to keep swimming. We have both read Bonnie Tsui’s Why We Swim, a fine book about cold-water swimming. We challenged ourselves to swim for as long as possible through September and into October.

I have long loved swimming, though the fear of being seen as fat has dogged me. I am one of those female bodies poorly displayed in bathing suits. Cold-water swimming deepened my sense of well-being and let me use my body. It became a ritual Barbara and I embraced as swimming sisters. When she returned to the United States immediately after our Canadian Thanksgiving, I did not know how I could continue our cold-water tradition. I wasn’t prepared to freeze alone.

But, I had to swim; there were larger commitments I should stick to. In the summer, we planned to cross from the cove to an island across the lake. I had to stay fit. We also planned to host a cold-water swimming race for locals in the fall. We would make it an annual event, improving our strength and endurance (耐力) so that, in our 80s, we might swim through October and into November.

With these plans in mind, I joined my local city pool. I had not been in a public pool for about 30 years. But my body said swim, my brain said swim and my heart, could not let go. So I went anyway.

I am swimming. I am alive to my love of the water, alive to my promise for the spring and the summer that will come. I intend to step back into the lake in May, and through September and October with Barbara. We are perfectly matched in our devotion, and increasingly aware of the miracle of being able-bodied enough to share the cold-water wonder side by side.

1. Why was the book Why We Swim mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．It guided the author to learn to swim.

B．It analyzes the advantages of swimming.

C．It is the author’s favorite book about swimming.

D．It partly contributed to the author and Barbara’s common interest.

2. What does the underlined word “commitments” probably mean in paragraph 3?

A．Promises .

B．Preparations .

C．Requirements .

D．Opportunities .

3. What effort did the author make to achieve her goals?

A．She went to a gym to improve her strength.

B．She became a member of the local public pool.

C．She swam across the lake to the island on her own.

D．She participated in a local cold-water swimming race.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A．To describe her friendship with Barbara.

B．To express her passion for cold-water swimming.

C．To recommend people to go swimming to keep fit.

D．To explain how she overcame her fear of swimming in public places.

3 . 可怕的熔岩雨砸下来了，落在空荡荡的街道上、广场上，到处都是，落在波涛汹涌的大海里，发出阵阵巨响。
Over the empty streets—over the forum— far and wide —with __________ __________ __________ __________ in the stormy sea—fell that awful shower!

4 . 每本书后都有一个人，此人身后是一个族群，这个族群后是自然和社会环境。如果一本书要传达这整个信息，我们必须要知道所有的这些。
Behind every book is a man, behind the man is the race, and ______   ______ ______ are the social and natural environments. We must know all these, if the book is to speak its whole message.

5 . 火山岩忽明忽暗，讲述着过去火山几度喷发的故事 ，这本来可以警告这座城里的人，灾难即将到来！
Its ashy rocks,now dark,now light,told a story of past eruptions that   ________ ________ ________ the city what was to come!

6 . The Best National Parks to Visit in Winter

While most parks tend to draw families in the summer and fall, there are also ideal spots for adventurous winter trips.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The country’s oldest and best-known national park takes on an almost otherworldly atmosphere in winter: the air filled with rolling steam, the strong colors of hot springs, the surrounding white landscapes, let alone the impressive wildlife during this time, like bison, wolves, and playful red foxes. Just book a guided hiking tour to get a ranger’s perspective on the park and local people.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

With its giant red rocks and unique trees, you’ll feel like stepping onto a foreign planet as you spend hours hiking the Panorama Loop or Maze Loop. The park is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, featuring virtually zero light pollution and the country’s best views of a starry sky.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

A significantly lower number of visitors in winter means you can take in unblocked views of the South Rim, and get to see the rare beauty of the Grand Canyon dusted with snow. For those adventurous and daring, it is recommended to hike the Bright Angel Trail and take the chance to see the canyon’s wintertime wildlife, including mule deer, elk, and bald eagles.

Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

Surprise! Not all wintertime national park trips need to involve snow. Virgin Islands National Park is most famous for its white-sand beaches. You can also hike inland to visit old sugar plantations, or venture out to the water to swim along with sea turtles and manta rays. You will definitely enjoy a different winter here.

1. Which park will one choose if he/she is interested in stars?

A．Yellowstone National Park.	B．Joshua Tree National Park.
C．Grand Canyon National Park.	D．Virgin Islands National Park.

2. What do we know about the Grand Canyon National Park?

A．We can have a poor view of the South Rim there.	B．It lies in an area with rolling steam and hot springs.
C．There is a slight decline in visitor numbers in winter.	D．The Bright Angel Trail is challenging in cold weather.

3. Which activity is mentioned in all of the parks?

A．Hiking.

B．Skiing.

C．Swimming.

D．Hunting.

7 . Piñatex is made from pineapple leaves that are left over after the fruit is harvested. It is an innovative way of using a product that would otherwise be thrown away, which reduces the amount of organic waste going to landfill and thus the methane emissions (沼气排放) that would result. Tough and durable, it is commonly used as an eco-friendly material for vegan leather by fashion designers.

Piñatex was developed by Dr. Carmen Hijosa, a Spanish leather goods expert who grew horrified at the environmental impact of leather production while working in the Philippines in the 1990s. Nor did she approve of the petroleum-based alternatives that are commonly used. At the same time, Hijosa noticed how some traditional Filipino garments（服装）were made from pineapple fibers, which kickstarted her research into how such a resource could be transformed into something more widely usable.

The fabric is made by extracting (提取) fibers from the pineapple leaves after harvest. They are washed and dried in the sun, then undergo a purification process that results in a soft fiber. This is mixed with corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) and turned into a non-woven product called “Piñafelt”, which is the base for Piñatex products.

Around 480 leaves from 16 pineapple plants go into the creation of a single square meter of Piñatex, which weighs and costs less than a comparable amount of leather. Because the fabric is natural, it is breathable, as well as flexible; it can easily be printed on and sewed. It’s produced in a roll, which means less waste than when an irregularly-shaped animal hide is used. But best of all, it can replace animal leather.

Piñatex is a multi-use material that is suitable for footwear, bags, clothing, pet leashes, and more. It has already been adopted by 1,000 shoe companies, fashion labels, and hotel chains around the world, including Hugo Boss, H&M, and the Hilton Hotel Bankside. The number of partnerships is likely to grow as more designers and consumers discover its benefits.

1. What can we infer about Dr. Carmen Hijosa?

A．She resists Spanish leather production.	B．She disapproves of any leather alternatives.
C．She is devoted to designing Piñatex garments.	D．She has got inspiration from a Filipino tradition.

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?

A．Advantages of Piñatex.	B．Ways to treat Piñafelt.
C．Purification of Piñatex.	D．Process of making Piñafelt.

3. How does the writer think about the future of Piñatex?

A．Ambiguous.

B．Promising.

C．Doubtful.

D．Negative.

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

A．Piñatex, From Rubbish to Treasure	B．Piñatex, New Use of Vegan Leather
C．Piñatex, New Hope of the Earth	D．Piñatex, Innovation to Rid Rubbish

8 . Soldiers, policemen, personnel from local search and r________ office and from disaster agency along with volunteers have been involved in the work. (根据首字母单词拼写)

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

There are many     1    (destroy) forces when it comes to nature,     2    have destroyed whole cities and killed many people. They’re really terrible, but they occur somewhat often.

While the world is a very beautiful place to live in, there will always be parts of the world     3     natural disasters happen more often than in other places. For some people out there, the world is cruel, but they have no choice but     4     (stay) where they are.

In 2004, there was a tsunami in the Indian Ocean. A tsunami is a large wave that towers hundreds of feet     5     the air, and covers whole areas when it comes     6    （crash）down on to dry land. This particular tsunami was caused by an earthquake that happened in the middle of the sea. This tsunami actually reached thirty meters in     7    （high）, and was one of the worst waves the world has ever seen. Over 200,000 people were hurt in the disaster.

In 2005, we also saw a hurricane happened in the United States. It destroyed millions of properties in the area. It also took the lives of nearly 2,000 American people. It was known that for ten days, the wind     8    （sweep）through the area, meaning the most powerful country in the world became helpless in their attempts to save the people who were affected by the hurricane.

Finally, in 2008 we saw yet another natural disaster. This cyclone Nargis had been one of the strongest to have ever occurred,     9     (cause) the death of nearly 150,000 people. All of these were terrible disasters that were     10    （avoid）.

10 . He has ________ confidence in his father.

A．academic

B．abstract

C．appropriate

D．absolute