1 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

With a puppet (木偶) in her skilled hands, Zhuang Yanhong, a 55-year-old inheritor (继承者) of Chinese hand puppetry, is able to create a kingdom where puppets can perform anything in the world. Zhangzhou hand puppets, also     1     (know) as Zhangzhou glove puppets have had an uninterrupted history of over 1, 000 years     2     the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Hand puppet shows are characterized by the direct handle of the fingers and palm (手掌)     3     (create) dramatic vivid and lifelike effects. In 2006, hand puppetry     4     (list) as a national-level Chinese intangible cultural heritage.

Born into a family devoted to hand puppets, Zhuang entered     5     professional school to study hand puppetry at the age of 10. Zhuang has had a deep affection for the craft,     6     reinforced her determination to follow the exquisite cultural form. According to Zhuang, hand puppet shows     7     (be) once main stream entertainment in southern Fujian province, but declined with the rise of TV dramas and other new leisure     8     (activity). To preserve this ancient art form, creative inheritors in her older generation have been trying to innovate, integrating     9     (tradition) techniques with a modern touch and other show forms like the Peking Opera and modern TV dramas. Zhuang believes there is no limit to hand puppetry, as it often requires much     10     (imagine) and creativity by nature.

2 . Just two weeks before Christmas, I unexpectedly lost my job. As a single parent, this news ______ me hard. My daughter Kristil and I had plan to get our Christmas ______ that weekend, but now everything seemed uncertain.

The following Monday, I ______ a garnet ring and six Precious Moments sculptures at the antique store, ending the day $220 ______ . Over the next week, I actively ______ jobs, but my bank account grew smaller. I felt ______ , as if the world was closing in on me.

I ______ the window. It had been snowing on and off all morning. A petite (纤弱的) woman with short white hair ______ to open her car door against the wind. I realized it was my old ______ . Esther, who had been a great help to me over the years since I had been her student. She said she had ______ me but couldn’t get through, so she came by.

Before leaving, she handed me a Christmas ______ . Opening it, I was shocked to find several hundred-dollar bills inside. Tears of ______ welled up in my eyes as I silently thanked her in my heart.

On Christmas morning, Kristil and I gathered around our tree, and I ______ watched Kristil opened her gifts. I knew that Esther’s ______ had made this possible. It has been many years since that Christmas, but I will never forget what Esther did for us. I’m ______ to have had her in my life.

1.

A．put

B．defeated

C．hit

D．abandoned

2.

A．sock

B．tree

C．hat

D．cake

3.

A．threw

B．got

C．brought

D．sold

4.

A．deeper

B．richer

C．worse

D．fitter

5.

A．applied for

B．committed to

C．appealed to

D．signed up

6.

A．confused

B．awkward

C．satisfied

D．overwhelmed

7.

A．stared at

B．focused on

C．glanced out

D．looked into

8.

A．promised

B．hurried

C．struggled

D．responded

9.

A．professor

B．employer

C．coworker

D．neighbor

10.

A．visited

B．called

C．searched

D．blessed

11.

A．card

B．bill

C．note

D．book

12.

A．sadness

B．curiosity

C．excitement

D．gratitude

13.

A．calmly

B．joyfully

C．sadly

D．amazedly

14.

A．patience

B．concern

C．power

D．kindness

15.

A．successful

B．hopeful

C．fortunate

D．strange

3 . You’ve probably been told that the world is at your fingertips. You have more choices, which can be a blessing for some and a curse for others.     1    

You find meaning in everything. You walk past someone and they don’t make eye contact with you. You walk past them again. And this time they do, but for only a couple of seconds.     2     What does it all mean? You tend to want to find meaning in the world around you. It’s helpful to remind yourself that nothing has inherent meaning other than the meaning you give it.

    3     Maybe you have been mowing something over for weeks. You jump for joy, exclaiming “hooray”, when you’ve finally figured out the answer. Then of course you move onto your next problem and even begin to question whether or not you actually figured out the original problem.

You find it difficult to let things go. Because you’ve put in a lot of effort to figure something out, you find it challenging to let go of it. You don’t want to fall. The more time and energy you put into something the harder to let it go when it isn’t working.     4    

You are patient.     5     You’re delighted when you come out ahead because you’ve put in the time to figure it out. You’re willing to wait it out until you feel comfortable with the knowledge you’ve acquired, which allows you to be patient.

Take comfort knowing you’re not the only one who over thinks. But don’t think about it too much.

A．What problem do they have?

B．They looked away a little too fast.

C．People tend to be upset when waiting too long.

D．You get excited when you finally figured something out.

E．You highly value the time it takes, even if it takes you longer.

F．The more you think about something the more it can eat away at you.

G．Here are some signs that you are an over thinker, even if you don’t feel you are.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Kevin think of abstract art?

A．It has lasting artistic value.

B．It makes little sense to him.

C．It appeals mainly to children.

2. What impression did the first painting give the woman?

A．Hopefulness.

B．Nervousness.

C．Coldness.

3. What color was used for the background in the second painting?

A．Green.

B．Purple.

C．Red.

4. What will Kevin probably do this Saturday?

A．Attend an art class.

B．Visit an exhibition.

C．Buy an abstract painting.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What course does Professor Brooks teach?

A．Public Speaking.

B．European History.

C．English Literature.

2. Why does Vicky come to talk with Professor Brooks?

A．To sign up for his course.

B．To ask for a make-up test.

C．To discuss her homework.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What caused the closure of Pittwater Road?

A．A fallen tree.

B．A flooded river.

C．A car accident.

2. What happened at Town Hall Station?

A．A police officer got hurt.

B．A passenger went missing.

C．The station roof was broken.

3. What are road users advised to do?

A．Drive at low speed.

B．Postpone their trips.

C．Follow traffic signs.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Linda do for plays and shows?

A．She gives actors advice.

B．She assigns roles to actors.

C．She designs actors’ clothes.

2. What does Linda need to research?

A．The setting of the story.

B．The decoration of the stage.

C．The names of the characters.

3. Who does Linda report her work to?

A．The director.

B．The editor.

C．The photographer.

4. What does Linda say about her job?

A．It pays very well.

B．It requires team effort.

C．It involves frequent travel.

8 . When it comes to keeping off extra pounds, watching what we eat may not be enough—we have to keep an eye on our food’s packaging, too. Half the world is expected to be overweight by 2035. In addition to overeating and lack of exercise, the scientific community is exploring another factor that may contribute—eating products packaged in plastic.

For a study published last year, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology set out to determine what chemical compounds (化合物) exist in 34 common plastic items that touch things we eat, such as yogurt cups, juice bottles, candy packages, and plastic wrap used for produce and cheese, as well as items often found in kitchen.

Of the 55,000 chemicals the researchers found in these items, only 629 were identifiable, which influence our bodies’ ability to regulate weight, troubling health effects. “We’re quite certain that there are many chemicals in plastic products that impact metabolism (新陈代谢), but we just couldn’t identify all of them,” Martin Wagner, a study co-author said. Strikingly, Wagner and his colleagues found that a third of all the common products they tested contain chemicals that cause the adipogenic (生脂的) process. Although we are exposed to them daily, most of these mystery chemicals are unknown, unstudied and unregulated.

For years, experts have been warning against plastic food containers, particularly for hot or oily foods which may make the plastics unstable and increase the risk of chemical leaching (渗出). As one of them, Wagner argues that we need to start reducing our exposure to plastic without waiting for more slow-moving research to prove that the plastics in our food, products, blood and organs are risk factors for bad health outcomes.

Really, reducing our plastic exposure should be our overall goal. When we think about cutting junk out of our diets, the criminals shouldn’t just be candy and soda—plastic needs to go, too.

1. What newly-found factor may cause overweight?

A．Eating too much.	B．Lack of exercise.
C．Unhealthy eating habits.	D．Food’s plastic packaging.

2. What is the finding of the study published last year?

A．Most products tested contain adipogenic chemicals.

B．Metabolism is affected by chemicals in plastic products.

C．The influence of plastic products on our health is unknown.

D．Only 629 chemicals in plastic products regulate people ‘s weight.

3. What does Wagner suggest we do?

A．Stop eating foods packaged in plastic.

B．Avoid using plastic products for hot or oily foods.

C．Reduce our exposure to plastic as much as possible.

D．Wait for more research to prove the risks of plastics.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Keeping off extra pounds is urgent.

B．It’s high time to stop using plastic packaging.

C．Chemicals in plastic packaging may lead to overweight.

D．Plastic food packaging proves to contain harmful chemicals.

9 . A model of personalised dementia (痴呆症) support could improve life for people with dementia and their carers by allowing them to make the best choices for their own care needs.

In Britain, there is a concerning gap in dementia support, notes Dr Tomasina, Dementia Care Programme Lead at the University of Plymouth. “They have received a diagnosis but are not yet in need of a care home or input from specialists. Worryingly, these individuals and their carers, who are usually family members, are often left without suitable support to face a range of severe challenges,” she says.

Challenges can include social lonliness, despair and frailty (脆弱) due to combined physical and cognitive decline. However, a five-year research project including the Universities of Plymouth and Manchester-established in 2018 and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research—aims to remedy this disregard by evaluating a system for dementia support they have developed.

Dementia Personalised Care Team(D-PACT) proposes improving the lives of people living with dementia and their carers with personalised emotional and practical support from an appropriately trained Dementia Support Worker. “The Support Worker becomes a trusted point of contact who can spot potential problems before they get into crises,” says Professor Richard Byng, Professor in Primary Care Research at the University of Plymouth. “It’s a model that helps the individual and their carers function and stay together.”

The study, which was conducted in a range of settings, shows potential value and has been well-received by those who took part. “People have described a step change in their support,” says Professor Byng. “They say they feel listened to and treated as a person, getting reassurance and relief—particularly carers—that they are doing things right and someone is alongside them.”

1. What’s the purpose of the personalised support?

A．To cure people with severe dementia.

B．To bridge the gap between patients and doctors.

C．To help people with dementia choose the best carers.

D．To better the life of people with dementia and their carers.

2. What does the underlined word “remedy” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Build up.

B．Make up for.

C．Take over.

D．Take care of.

3. What can a trained Dementia Support Worker do?

A．Deal with potential problems.

B．Propose to D-PACT a better support.

C．Help people with dementia recover quickly.

D．Provide emotional support for patients with dementia.

4. What can we learn about the personalised support?

A．It can relieve people’s stress.	B．It functions like a person.
C．It can help people listen better.	D．It is especially helpful to carers.

10 . When Soares was a young boy growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, his family didn’t have the means to pay for extracurricular activities. However, they found a solution by signing him up for a free circus school that aimed to keep him off the streets and out of trouble. It was there that Soares discovered his passion for performance art, including acrobatics, capoeira, acting, and clowning. Ballet never crossed his mind as a practical career option, as ballet wasn’t a noticeable dance form in Brazil at the time.

At the age of 12, Soares began dancing but not in the traditional sense. His older brother was part of a hip-hop street dance group, and Soares started hanging out with them. He soon combined his circus school skills with hip-hop and capoeira to create a unique style that fascinated audiences in Rio.

One day, the head of a Brazilian dance company saw Soares perform and arranged for him to selection for a dance school. He was awarded a scholarship that covered his tuition fees, and he began studying modern dance. However, it wasn’t long before everyone believed that Soares should switch to ballet. He was immediately put on a fast track, attending academic school in the mornings and ballet classes in the evenings.

Soares’ parents were hesitant about their son pursuing ballet as a career. They were worried about his grades and whether ballet would provide him with a stable future. Soares shared their concerns and had never known anyone who pursued ballet professionally.

Despite these reservations, something incredible happened within two years of Soares starting ballet training. He participated in the Paris International Dance Competition and won a silver medal. This achievement was even more impressive considering that most of his competitors had been studying ballet since childhood. After Paris, Soares joined the national ballet company in Brazil and began earning money from his dancing.

Three years later, he went on to win the gold medal at the Moscow International Competition, previously won by legendary ballet dancers like Mikhail Baryshnikov.

1. Why was Soares sent to a circus school?

A．To seek a chance to make a name.	B．To stop him getting into trouble.
C．To earn money to pay for tuition fees.	D．To develop an interest in performance art.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．Modern dance became his favorite.	B．Winning a scholarship was his main aim.
C．He quickly displayed his talent for ballet.	D．His academic classes had to give way to ballet classes.

3. What is the original attitude of Soares’ parents to his pursuing ballet?

A．Doubtful.

B．Objective.

C．Supportive.

D．Unclear.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．An Unconventional Journey to a Ballet Star

B．The Financial Struggles of a Young Dancer

C．Modern Dance: A Gateway to Ballet Excellece

D．The Dilemma: Balancing School and Ballet for Success