1 . There are hundreds of genres (流派) of music, so while some might like one kind, others might like something completely different. Why do people like different kinds of music?
Music can also be nostalgic, that is, it creates a kind of longing for the past. Musicians leave behind a footprint with their music.
We may also find that the music we like is strongly tied to our memory. Maybe there was a song that someone sang to us when we were little that brings up good memories.
When we listen to music that we like, a chemical called dopamine is sometimes released in the brain, which can make us feel good.
People’s taste in music can remain the same in their whole life or it can change many times. But the truth is, we don’t know all the exact answers to why people like different kinds of music — or sports, or food, or colors.
| A．It’s music to our ears. |
| B．Music can be a part of our identity. |
| C．It becomes a mirror that we are holding up. |
| D．They leave a permanent mark in people’s lives. |
| E．Therefore, we might want to listen to a song on repeat. |
| F．Other times, we might find music can bring up sad memories. |
| G．There are lots of different factors that can influence our preferences. |
2 . Searching for a new cat to add to your family? If your home already has a cat, you may wonder how your cat will welcome a new partner.
Your existing cat’s needs come first.
Shower your existing cat with extra attention. Cats can be territorial when it comes to their space; the same can be true for their owners as well.
Introduce the new cat slowly. Your cats will have the chance to get used to each other’s smell through the door. When they seem interested in meeting, you can bring one into the other’s territory.
| A．Separate the cats initially. |
| B．Make sure your cat feels at home. |
| C．Do this at least a few days after the new cat arrives. |
| D．Think about your existing cat’s personality and habits. |
| E．Your cat can get envious of a newcomer easily if feeling ignored. |
| F．Give both cats a special treat when they first meet to encourage peace. |
| G．There is a process to make the change less stressful for both you and the cats. |
Two years ago, Song Fei’s muscle pain was getting worse, despite years of gym exercise. A month after
China’s taijiquan has become
This integration of traditional wisdom into modern lifestyles
4 . Recently I bought a book about signposts. Signposts aren’t very interesting, you’re thinking. Well, that, of course, depends on whether you happen to be lost! Ancient travelers would have been grateful for these when settlements were smaller and further apart. In winter, the ability to reach shelter for the night could be the difference between life and death.
One of the very earliest way-marks discovered is in Cumbria. Dating from Roman times, it had lain fallen until 1836, when a farmer ploughing his fields came across a sandstone shaft (碑文). There are other stone posts that have stood by roadsides for centuries. It wasn’t until 1697 that an act was passed declaring that guide-stones must be built.
This applied to remote parts of the country where there might be confusion as to which path led to the nearest market town. Later, with the appearance of the Royal Mail, the number rose still further. Nowadays many of these early road signs are designated (指定) as Listed Monuments.
“How times change!” Lucy, an enthusiastic walker, to whom I loaned the book, exclaimed.
“I suppose now we all rely far more upon mobile phones to guide us.”
“Yet they aren’t perfect. Whenever I go out, I prefer a map. I never have to worry about running out of battery.” “I’m always grateful to whoever is placing way-markers along the route,” she added, “I suppose that however sure we are, a little outside confirmation is always welcome.”
Lucy is quite right there. Life itself can offer us a great many choices of path, and sometimes it isn’t easy to know if we’ve chosen the best one.
Perhaps when it comes to gratitude, we should also include thanks for those people who appear in our lives when we most need them — either giving us gentle warning that we might be heading in the wrong direction, or reassurance that we are on the right track. After all, we’d be lost without them!
1. What does the underlined word “these ” in the first paragraph refer to?| A．Signposts. | B．Abilities. | C．Settlements. | D．Shelters. |
| A．The market trade. | B．The act passed in 1697. |
| C．The discovery of the sandstone. | D．The appearance of the Loyal Mail. |
| A．Popular. | B．Outdated. | C．Imperfect. | D．Helpful. |
| A．To choose right tracks. | B．To live a colorful life. |
| C．To have a grateful mind. | D．To offer practical choices. |
5 . Climate change has increased average temperatures by 1℃ over the past century, making heat waves more frequent and intense than those from any other point in recorded history.
The following is what happens if you’re the next to be killed. First, your brain sends a series of messages to your sweat glands telling them to increase sweat production. Then your heart starts beating faster to pump blood to the skin while blood flow is directed away from important organs(器官) like your liver, kidneys and gut.
If heat stroke occurs, your body might get hot and direct so much oxygen-rich blood to the skin that it suffocates(把…闷死) vital internal organs. If your body fails to cool you down, its internal temperature might start to climb from a normal level to about 104 degrees.
While you struggle to stay awake and avoid dizzying confusion, the excessive internal heat is damaging your gut, consequently causing an inflammatory(发炎的) response.
That’s just part of what we know about how extreme heat kills you.
| A．As the heat rises quickly, so does the death number. |
| B．That’s because we can’t study it in humans in the laboratory. |
| C．As temperatures tick ever higher, that figure may well rise. |
| D．At that temperature, your brain becomes affected. |
| E．Surviving the organ failure might require an emergency transplant. |
| F．Sometimes that alone is enough to create problems for a weak or aging heart. |
| G．Left untreated, what follows is a flood of organ failure that leads to your death. |
6 . Last year in early summer, I was walking to my house when I saw two large birds standing in my yard. They didn’t seem to
A few weeks later, the birds
As I inched towards the birds,
The mother put the baby birds under her wings and carefully crouched down over them so her babies were well
I was watching them with respect when I suddenly
I felt sorry to have disturbed them and left quickly. I am amazed by their
| A．remind | B．confirm | C．notice | D．protest |
| A．immediately | B．familiarly | C．creatively | D．slowly |
| A．feeling | B．sense | C．opinion | D．idea |
| A．investigated | B．removed | C．gathered | D．reappeared |
| A．stuck out | B．put down | C．hang out | D．turned around |
| A．collection | B．discovery | C．conclusion | D．mission |
| A．jumping | B．fighting | C．seeking | D．marching |
| A．curious | B．patient | C．worried | D．careful |
| A．neater | B．simpler | C．longer | D．stronger |
| A．fed | B．hidden | C．raised | D．identified |
| A．tripped | B．moved | C．alarmed | D．responded |
| A．target | B．defence | C．threat | D．escape. |
| A．shooting | B．spilling | C．folding | D．spreading |
| A．military | B．individual | C．brave | D．average |
| A．gratitude | B．respect | C．emotion | D．pleasure |
7 . An Art Class
When Kelly was twelve, she started taking classes at Miss Grace’s School for Art. She didn’t like it at first: the “novice artists”—the kids who hadn’t really done art before-worked mostly with clay, and Kelly was a terrible sculptor.
It wasn’t until her third year that Kelly found something she was really good at-charcoal drawing (素描). She loved watching the lines spread unevenly across the page as she moved the bits of charcoal back and forth over the paper.
One day, Sophia, the best artist in her class, sat down and set up her easel (画架) next to Kelly. Kelly felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She’d actually found an art form that she enjoyed and was good at-and now Sophia was going to outshine her again? Kelly fought back tears when Miss Grace entered the room.
“Hello class, Miss Grace said.” We’ll continue to work on the project today. What masterpiece would Sophia have come up with?
Kelly looked at Sophia’s easel and she couldn’t believe it-it was a mess! For a brief moment, Kelly couldn’t actually believe her drawing was better than Sophia’s.
But then she looked at Sophia, who was watching Kelly with an anxious expression. “I…. I couldn’t decide what to do,” Sophia said. “And you’re so good. Sometimes I feel like my stuff is just so bad in comparison.”
Kelly looked to see if Sophia was joking, but she seemed completely serious. Now Kelly was shocked. “I’m not talented ... Miss Grace seldom praises me. You’re the best one in our class!”
Sophia raised her eyebrows. “I might be a really good copier of the stuff, but I have no idea what to do when it comes to making up my own images. You are so great at making new things out of the old stuff. I’ve loved your works.”
“I’ve loved yours, too,” Kelly said.
“Well, definitely not this one,” Sophia said.
Kelly smiled. “Maybe not right now. But if you move these lines up...” she said, pointing her finger on Sophia’s paper.
Sophia was quiet for a moment. “That’s a great idea!” she said finally.
Kelly smiled and turned back to her drawing, looking every so often at Sophia’s work to see that she was taking her advice, down to the last line.
1. When Kelly started classes at the art school, she _____.| A．was not good at the course | B．lacked confidence in drawing |
| C．was often pushed by Miss Grace | D．did not get along with the other kids |
| A．Thrilled. | B．Confused. | C．Frustrated. | D．Relieved. |
| A．She inspired Sophia. | B．She praised Sophia’s creativity. |
| C．She decided to outshine Sophia. | D．She finished the drawing for Sophia. |
| A．Interest is the best teacher. | B．You are what you believe to be. |
| C．Everyone has their own strengths. | D．Hard work will eventually pay off. |
8 . Two women in their 50s stand beholding in front of Guanyin of the South China Sea, an ancient Chinese sculpture in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. Over the past 20 years, they have been visiting the museum, describing the “mother Buddha” as “beautiful and tranquil, a symbol of religious traditions in China”. Measuring 2.4 meters high, 1.68 meters wide and 1.1 meters thick, the larger-than-life sculpture was carved from the trunk of a single poplar tree, which has created a sense of calm and warmth in the hall.
Since its launch in 1933, the museum has been actively collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting works of Chinese art, ranging from ceramics to furniture, and from paintings to sculptures. And its Chinese art collection contains masterpieces in various historical stages.
An exhibition on the theme of Lively Creatures—Animals in Chinese Art was held at the museum, displaying tens of Chinese ancient paintings with images of animals in many art forms. The creatures on the paintings represented celebration, personal messages, and even political and religious agendas.
Organizers of the exhibition produced a set of cards, with images of animals on one side and their cultural meanings in Chinese artistic tradition on the other. The cards are provided for visitors for free.
“I find it very interesting, and the way that the things are drawn is very cool,” says 17-year-old high school student Camden Lombard after visiting the exhibition. “I want to go to China someday to find more,” he adds.
“It’s kind of eye-opening and we’re bringing the world together,” says Makar, an educator with the school outreach and education programs of the museum. “There are so many similarities as well as beautiful differences, and we are just trying to understand and appreciate one another.”
“We’re in a moment when it’s sometimes hard to look outside of your own personal viewpoints,” says Howard, manager of volunteer engagement at the museum. “I think having access to seeing what other cultures have created, what they valued and appreciated, and what was important to them, is really important in building that understanding about all the people we share this planet with.”
1. The two women kept visiting the Nelson-Atkins Museum for ________.| A．the grand appearance of the exhibition hall |
| B．their affection for Chinese religious traditions |
| C．the great size of the ancient Chinese sculpture |
| D．their curiosity about the delicate artistic carving |
| A．The organizers gained a handsome profit. |
| B．The cards reflected multinational cultures. |
| C．The visitors had rich travel experiences in China. |
| D．The paintings displayed the charm of Chinese culture. |
| A．Instructive and romantic. | B．Imaginary and fascinating. |
| C．Informative and multicultural. | D．Educational and entertaining. |
| A．To bridge different cultures. | B．To popularize religious symbols. |
| C．To exchange personal viewpoints. | D．To demonstrate Chinese paintings. |
9 . Family vlogging — the frequent recording and uploading of personal videos of the family, usually on video sharing website — has become big business nowadays, especially among parents of young children. The more viewers such videos can get, the more money the family can make. At first thought, it does seem like an easy way to make money. However, are we doing right by putting their lives up for public attention?
For one thing, as the children grow up, they increasingly become aware that what they do needs to be admirable enough for the public to enjoy — Being young children, they also would want to do whatever it takes to please others. They then feel the pressure to be perfect, and as that is something not always possible, they become anxious and stressed. Comments from viewers and the expectations of sponsors (赞助者) can also affect the parents’ reactions towards their children.
Another problem is the lack of privacy in the children’s lives. As the children reach adolescence, there is a greaser need for personal space. At 12 or 13, very few children would appreciate being filmed while eating or having a conversation with their friends. Teenhood is a time of significant change in an individual, both physically and emotionally, and is a time when parents need to protect their children and guide them, instead of exposing them to the eyes of the public.
Family vlogging can be irresistible, given how it allows parents to bring greater fun to their family lives. There is also the easy money and the fame to look forward to. Indeed, all would probably go well, but only as long as parents keep in mind that, if not managed well, making their children live their lives in the unforgiving eyes of the public could prove to be a big mistake.
1. How does vlogging about children’s lives influence the family?| A．Children will get used to public attention. |
| B．Children may suffer from too much pressure. |
| C．Parents may show no concern for their children. |
| D．Parents become addicted to exposing their children to the public. |
| A．By providing examples | B．By listing numbers |
| C．By making comparisons | D．By analyzing causes |
| A．To introduce a new big business |
| B．To show how vlogging influence people’s lives. |
| C．To persuade parents to watch out for comments from viewers. |
| D．To convince parents of the danger of vlogging about children’s lives. |
| A．negative | B．positive | C．neutral | D．uninterested |
10 . Nowadays China plays an increasingly significant role in world politics, economy and culture integration. As one of the most popular languages in the world, English have many differences between Chinese.
This is a brief introduction of the differences in Chinese and English Grammar to help those who have some basis in Chinese to learn this language easier.
1.English emphasizes on the structure, whiles Chinese focuses on the meaning. In English, several meanings can be expressed clearly with complicated structure in just one sentence. In Chinese, a sentence is usually short with little modifier (修饰语), or it will cause confusion in meaning.
2.When expressing the meaning, long sentence is regularly used in English and short sentence is used in Chinese. From point one above, we could conclude that English sentences are usually long and Chinese sentences are usually short. One should “Get the meaning, forget the words” in Chinese learning.
3.It has many clauses in English sentences which are often separated in small sentences in Chinese way of expression. In an English sentence, except some modifiers, it has a lot of clauses which makes a sentence much more complicated. In Chinese, one meaning is usually expressed in separated sentences connecting with comma.
4.In English people use pronouns a lot, but in Chinese people often use noun. In English, people not only use “we”, “you”, “she”, “they”, but also use “that” and “which” to keep a sentence well structured and clearly, and avoid repeat meaning. Due to short sentence structure, a pronoun is commonly replaced by a noun in Chinese expression.
5.The passive voice is often used in English expression; In Chinese, one usually uses the active voice. The passive voice is widely used in English, especially in some scientific articles. For example, “It is (always) stressed that...” is generally expressed as “People (always) stress that...” in Chinese.
1. Who is the passage designed for?| A．Foreigners who teach Chinese |
| B．Foreigners who learn Chinese |
| C．Foreigners who live in China |
| D．Foreigners who visit China |
| A．The sentence’s meaning can be expressed more clearly. |
| B．There will be mistakes in the sentences. |
| C．The structure of this sentence is wrong. |
| D．The sentence is likely to be confusing. |
| A．The active voice is often used in Chinese expression. |
| B．Pronouns are used in English frequently. |
| C．Chinese prefers clauses to small sentences. |
| D．English sentences are usually longer than Chinese sentences. |
| A．Tea is enjoyed by people worldwide and it is good for health. |
| B．People enjoy drinking tea worldwide and it is good for health. |
| C．Tea is enjoyed by people worldwide and tea is good for health. |
| D．People enjoy drinking tea worldwide and tea is good for health. |
