1 . According to Americans for the Arts, more than two-thirds of U.S. adults say that the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences.” Still, only 30 percent attended a concert of any type in 2017; 23 percent visited an art museum; six percent attended a literary event. Fewer than half actively created art of any kind.

What has caused this phenomenon is that we do not have time for art — we are weighed down by our day-to-day responsibilities. Maybe you like to play a little background music while you work but most of us rarely, if ever, went to see a live performance, let alone visited a gallery. And reading poetry? Perhaps not since high school.

Too often, we let the realities of life get in the way of the arts, which can feel insignificant by comparison. But this is a mistake. The arts might be the single most in-depth experience you will ever be given to explore the nature and meaning of life. And if you make time to consume and produce art, you will find your life become fuller and happier.

Some philosophers address the problem of life consumed by work and material pursuits. They argue that art provides relief from this routine, expanding our perspective and bringing us closer to true reality.   

Think of a time when you heard a piece of music and wanted to cry. Or recall your fast heartbeats as you stared at a delicate lifelike sculpture. Chances are that it probably stimulated (刺激) a sudden awakening, much like the shock from a lungful of pure oxygen after breathing in smoggy air.

If you are among those who feel that art is “pure pleasure to experience and participate in,” you might see it the same way you see eating out, or skydiving: as a luxury (奢侈品) item in your limited budgets of time and money. As such, it probably gets the same sort of treatment as any minor hobby. Don’t make this error. Treat art more like exercise or sleep: a necessity for a life full of deep satisfaction.

1. What does paragraph 1 focus on?

A．The opinion of U.S. adults about art.

B．The types of art that U.S. adults engage with.

C．The mismatch between value and behaviour as to art.

D．The connection between everyday experiences and art.

2. What is a mistaken idea in the author’s opinion?

A．Art reveals the nature of life.	B．Art gives way to material pursuits.
C．Life without art is meaningless.	D．Background music is a kind of art.

3. What does the author want to convey in paragraph 5?

A．Art awakes people’s talents.	B．Art improves physical health.
C．Art brings us closer to nature.	D．Art makes life fuller and happier.

4. What might be the best title?

A．Art: A Habit, Not a Luxury	B．Art: A Bridge, Not a Barrier
C．Art: A Decoration, Not a Reality	D．Art: A Pleasure, Not a Burden

2 . This past summer I set out on a journey to Canada’s Arctic. When I left I was wrapped in a blanket of uncertainty and ______.

But when I first met the group members, I knew I didn’t have anything to ______. The group was amazingly ______ and I was soon part of a big family boarding on an amazing ______!

Approaching the Arctic, I was repeatedly ______ with its unusual largeness and its beauty. There I flew over vast glaciers (冰河) and stood on the frozen Arctic Ocean, ______   polar bears walk in search of seal holes, and _______ wait for a meal.

However, I also learned the pollutants carried by ocean from far away have a negative ______ on all Arctic inhabitants. And global warming has put polar bears at ______ because a warmer climate means that they have a shorter time to ______ seals on the ice.

During the journey, I talked with some ______ scientists about the ruins of homes once ______ by the ancient Thule people. I made good friends with people from different parts of world.

The Arctic is a land of incredible beauty which ______ to be preserved. I’ve learned why it is so important to ______ it. This journey has made me more determined to try to ______ that I do not leave negative or harmful footprints on either Earth or its people.

1.

A．relief

B．anxiety

C．pride

D．argument

2.

A．put up

B．prepare for

C．give up

D．worry about

3.

A．easy-going

B．well-behaved

C．sensitive

D．flexible

4.

A．failure

B．performance

C．adventure

D．conflict

5.

A．embarrassed

B．ashamed

C．amused

D．shocked

6.

A．watching

B．organizing

C．noticing

D．guessing

7.

A．painfully

B．patiently

C．unconsciously

D．doubtfully

8.

A．source

B．reaction

C．effect

D．development

9.

A．rest

B．ease

C．peace

D．risk

10.

A．hunt

B．explore

C．help

D．meet

11.

A．demanding

B．learned

C．modest

D．rigid

12.

A．classified

B．decorated

C．confused

D．occupied

13.

A．promises

B．benefits

C．deserves

D．intends

14.

A．take care of

B．make use of

C．run out of

D．became tired of

15.

A．deny

B．ensure

C．argue

D．overlook

3 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

The annual Halloween arrived, during which kids dressed in traditional clothes went to neighbors’ houses to ask for candy.

Allison lived in a small town. That day after dinner, Allison put on her dress her father had just bought for her. The dress was cheap and second-hand because her family was poor. But Allison still thanked her dad and said, “Everyone will love my dress!” Then, she left for neighbors’ houses to ask for candy.

On the way, she came across Anna and her friends and wanted to join them. “No! Look at your dress! It’s ugly!” Anna said. Her friends also laughed. “Look at our dresses, especially mine! It’s new and beautiful,” Anna added. Her friends nodded, and in some way they were right. Anna’s dress was shiny and looked expensive. She always had the best clothes because her parents were rich.

Allison was shocked and sad. The kids not only disliked her dress but made fun of it. “You can’t come with us!” Anna stressed. “We would never hang out with you!” The other kids agreed and laughed. They all left to start collecting candy for the night while Allison was left alone, embarrassed in the middle of the street.

Anyway, she knew all the neighbors. She often helped around carrying their groceries and helping them with their gardens. People around there knew her. She didn’t need to hangout with Anna or her friends. “I’ll go just alone,” the little girl said to herself and started walking.

She as well as Anna and her friends walked in the same direction: towards their first neighbor Mrs Vaughan’s house. But Allison walked behind and kept her distance from them. And she stopped when Anna and her friends were near Mrs Vaughan’s house.

Just then, Mrs Vaughan looked out of her window. She noticed that Allison was being excluded by Anna and her friends. She knew it was probably because of Allison’s poor dress. She immediately felt pity for Allison, who often helped her and other neighbors. She decided to give Allison much more candy as a reward and teach Anna and her friends a lesson.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

When Anna and her friends knocked on her door, Mrs Vaughan opened it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anna looked up and said, “Our clothes are more beautiful! But you gave Allison more candy! Why?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . 假如你是李华。在暑假来临之际，学校向全校学生发出安全倡议，请你代表校英文俱乐部写一封防溺水(Drowning Prevention)倡议书。内容包括：
1.倡议目的；
2.倡议内容；
3.发出呼吁。
注意：
1.写作词数应为100左右，开头结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . It was through Bill Bryson’s book The Lost Continent: Travel in Small-Town America that I first experienced small-town travelling. I was interested instantly on reading it, for driving across the countryside is always something I like.

    1     True, the convenience and modernity are what small towns don’t have. However, caught up in the crowd, people tend to lose the true meaning of life. They are moving quickly in the streets, as if there were steamy lava (炙热的熔岩) chasing them.

Many tourists don’t realize the real purpose for travelling is to relax.     2     They manage to escape a nine-to-five schedule of annoying work, only to dive into a nine-to-five schedule of shopping or forcing themselves into packed tourist sites.     3     You don’t get trapped in space filled with tourists, but miles of fields and woods. You don’t get tiny parks with crowds of people, but natural forests where rare animals can be seen. Villagers say hi to you warmly as you drive here and farmers will warmly invite you home.

I once travelled to the Midwest and drove through the countryside. The scenery was absolutely magnificent.     4     Farmers’ houses were in and out of sight behind golden corn. Ponds (池塘) hid themselves behind woods, where a lone fisherman sat there, enjoying life.

Suddenly, it seemed to me that life couldn’t be better. Just throw away the sadness and burdens (负担) that annoy us. What matters is the simple happiness of enjoying life.     5    

A．I have never been a fan of huge cities.

B．Cities are full of people we don’t know.

C．Roads found their way through cornfields.

D．Big cities and small towns have their own uniqueness.

E．In big cities, they just leave one busy center, and get right into another.

F．Those problems, however, simply disappear into air in the countryside.

G．So why not leave the noisy cities behind, and get lost in the streets of small towns?

6 . Climbers targeting peaks above 5,000 meters in the Tibet autonomous region, including the north side of Qomolangma, now have to apply for a permit, according to a rule issued by Chinese sports authorities.

To make climbing safer, or at least less deadly, the General Administration of Sport and the sports bureau of Tibet released a notification (通知) requiring climbers to send an application to the bureau at least a month in advance of their planned climb. It said climbing without permits will be strictly forbidden.

“In recent years, cases of injuries, missing people and deaths have been witnessed as a result of illegal climbing,” the notification said. “Climbing is a highly professional sport with high risk. Most illegal climbers lack professional skills, facilities and tour guides. Such activities will interfere with orderly climbing and bring risks, not only to the climbers themselves but also rescuers. They will also lead to a loss of personal or national property.”

Applications will need to detail each individual climber’s personal information, proposed climbing routes and related plans. Climbers are also being asked to obey related rules to protect mountain environments. The notification also urged regional government departments to strengthen safety checks and the prohibition of illegal climbing, encourage residents to join regular patrols near major climbing routes and promote public education on climbing safety.

In a previous interview with China Daily, Kul Bahadur Gurung, general secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said difficult weather conditions, lack of experience and support personnel, and the commercialization (商业化) of expeditions were the main reasons for the high death toll on the world’s highest peak. “Since the number of people reaching the summit of Everest is increasing, everyone thinks it is easier to climb and everyone can climb, which is a totally false idea,” he said.

1. Why is a permit needed for Qomolangma climbers?

A．To stop illegal climbing.	B．To provide training ahead.
C．To limit the number of climbers.	D．To collect climbers’ information.

2. Which word can best replace the underlined “interfere with” in Paragraph 3?

A．Test.

B．Change.

C．Replace.

D．Disturb.

3. What does Paragraph 4 focus on about the notification?

A．Its content.

B．Its purpose.

C．Its background.

D．Its impact.

4. What does Kul Bahadur Gurung think of the Everest climbing?

A．It’s a totally false idea.	B．It should be eco-friendly.
C．It’s highly professional.	D．It should be non-profitable.

7 . 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。

When Zheng Yaling, 21, received her admission letter (录取通知书) from Hunan University two years ago, she     1     (immediate) started looking up Hunan province on the internet. Born     2     raised in Jiayi, Taiwan, Zheng knew little about the Chinese mainland.

She quickly found that Yuelu Academy, located on the university’s campus,     3     (found) in 976 AD and was one of China’s four major academies. Hunan is also home to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park,     4     the movie Avatar was filmed.

Everything she discovered     5     (excite) Zheng about her upcoming college life. She shared the news with her friends.     6     (know) that she was leaving for a mainland province, however, they had many concerns, because neither she nor any of them knew anything about it.

But to everyone’s surprise, Zheng quickly adapted     7     her new life. In her dormitory (宿舍), she and her roommates looked after and motivated one another. For example, her roommates taught her     8     (type) in pinyin and to write simplified Chinese characters. When Zheng returned to the university after vacations, she got to taste local delicacies from nearly every mainland province,     9     her classmates brought from their hometowns.

“My friends are like my family,” Zheng said. “Their love and care quickly ended my     10     (homesick). Whenever I need them, they are always there for me.”

8 . 阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从方框中选出能填入文中空白处的最合适的单词。注意，其中有两个多余选项。

A. internet     B. careers     C. popularize     D. invited       E. national       F. introducing G. titles        H. cultural     I. understand     J. attracting     K. platform     L. practising

Zhang Hanliang, a martial arts teacher at Tianshui Normal University in Gansu province, has produced many traditional Chinese martial arts videos in the past years,     1     sixteen million viewers at home and abroad on the online     2     Bilibili.

Zhang, now 35 years old, has been     3     martial arts since she was seven. Thanks to her hard work, Zhang won her first sword (剑) championship in Gansu province at 13. She then got sword and spear titles at a     4     level when she was 17, and at 20, she won a series of championship titles in various categories. In 2007, Zhang began to work as a martial arts teacher at Tianshui Normal University, getting new     5     such as first-class national athlete and first-class national judge of martial arts.

In addition to her daily teaching tasks, Zhang has been     6     to France, Russia, Malaysia and other countries many times to teach martial arts. “Martial arts can be a bridge for     7     exchanges between China and other countries,” said Zhang, adding that she wanted to     8     martial arts to the audience through the     9    . And she hoped more and more foreigners could     10     and love martial arts.

9 . Close friends have many benefits, but research shows that having “weak-tie” friendships is as valuable — or even more — as strong ones. Sociology professor Mark Granovetter published a study called “The Strength of Weak Ties” in 1973.     1    

There are two types of “circles” when it comes to a person’s social world: the inner and outer circles.     2     Meanwhile, people whom we talk to but not often belong to the outer circle. Granovetter refers to them as “strong” and “weak” ties. He points out the importance of weak ties when it comes to learning new information and ideas.

Some companies design their buildings with the intention of letting people meet by chance in a specific area. For example, Pixar has a large, central hall where employees come across each other and start small talks. Scientists have also found that weak ties create a better, happier atmosphere.

    3     On the other hand, we run out of (缺少) things to share with our friends when we get the chance to talk to them. Sometimes it’s harder to talk to people we know well because those conversations come with an emotional burden during the pandemic (流行病). But this doesn’t mean we have to stop here.

As stated in Granovetter’s work, we get more information from weak ties. Take advantage of the pandemic by asking your friends how they are.     4     This way, we can get ideas to figure out how we should behave. It is pointed out that right now, social media is the best replacement for small talks. Sparking a small talk is a way to show that you care without using much of your time, attention, and energy.     5    

A．That is the secret behind “weak-tie” friendships.

B．The study makes people value close friends in another way.

C．And then ask how they’re dealing with the current situation.

D．Social interactions nowadays are limited due to the COVID-19.

E．Close friends we feel comfortable with belong to the inner circle.

F．There, he explains that weak ties are important in friendship as well.

G．Because of the COVID-19, the world has seen a change in behaviors.

10 . Meng Wang is a professor of human genetics. She’s been doing experiments about one of the most exciting new areas of medicine — our microbiome (微生物群).

You can’t see it with the naked eye, but our microbiome is all over (and inside of) us. Recent studies show that it can influence how we behave and even how well we respond to different drugs. Wang says, “Sometimes our microbiomes make us sick, but on the other hand, they also play a very important role in keeping us healthy.”

Wang wanted to know whether our microbiome could influence aging. To test it, she decided to work with a kind of worm (虫子) that lives only two or three weeks. Her question was, what would happen if you changed a worm’s microbiome. Would it be able to live for longer?

Wang chose one of the types of bacteria (细菌) that lives inside a worm, changed its genes (基因) so as to make different varieties, and then fed this bacteria to the worms. Three weeks later — by the time they should have all died — she checked on them. To her excitement, she found that the worms had not died. Older worms usually act slowly. The ones with the new microbiomes, however, not only moved around more quickly in their old age, but were less likely affected by illness too.

Wang is now carrying out tests on mice to see whether changing their microbiomes can influence their lives in a similar way. There is a chance that one day we might take pills which do the same of us. How much longer could this possibly allow us to live for? “Personally, I think 100 is already a good number,” says Wang.

1. What influence does Microbiome have on us according to recent studies?

A．Impacting our behavior.	B．Lengthening lifespan.
C．Increasing drug resistance.	D．Leading to deadly illness.

2. What was the result of Meng Wang’s experiment?

A．The worms grew bigger in size.

B．The worms kept active at old age.

C．The worms were free from illness.

D．The worms developed into new varieties.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Man can live as long as 100.	B．Microbiome works on mice similarly.
C．More tests need to be made.	D．Wang will develop anti-aging pills soon.

4. Which might be the best title?

A．Microbiome: the hope of longer life?	B．Tips for scientific research
C．Meng Wang: leading scientist of genetics	D．Into the world of Microbiome