1 . In 2019, after retiring from her career as a social worker, Ane Freed - Kernis decided to build a home workshop and devote all of her free time to stone carving. “I might be covered head to to e in dust but I’m happy — it was something I needed more of in my life when I hit 60,” she says.
This appeal has its origins in Freed - Kernis’ childhood. Growing up on her father’s farm in Denmark, she used to wander through the fields with her eyes fixed on the ground, looking for stones to add to her collection. “I’ve always been drawn to the shapes and textures (质地) of stones,” she says.
After moving to England in 1977 and training as a social worker, Freed - Kernis soon became occupied with her busy career and the demands of raising her son. Stones were the last thing on her mind, until her father died in 2005. “He took a stone carving course in his retirement, and I always thought stone seemed so fun but never had the time to look into it myself,” she says. “After he died, I became determined to learn in his honour.”
Signing up for a week-long stone carving course at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Freed-Kernis began to learn how to turn a block of rock into well-designed shapes. “It was really scary at the start because you would spend hours just hammering (锤打).”
Now 65, Freed-Kernis has a thriving small business built largely through word of mouth. She creates 12 to 15 pieces a year that can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks to complete, while her prices range from £ 200 to £ 3,000. “I’m making smaller ones,” she says. “I don’t have to depend on the money much, so I want to keep prices in the range that people can afford, mainly just covering costs and labour (劳动力).”
1. Freed-Kernis was first attracted by stones when ______.A.she was 60 | B.she was a child |
C.her father died | D.she moved to England |
A.She never cared about her father. |
B.She led a disappointing life in Denmark. |
C.She spent lots of time studying stone carving. |
D.She learned stone carving under the influence of her dad. |
A.Hopeful and proud. |
B.Confident and satisfied. |
C.Nervous and frightened. |
D.Impatient and unprepared. |
A.They are easier to move by her. |
B.They are more affordable to people. |
C.She wants to save costs and labour. |
D.She is too old to focus on making large ones. |
2 . In San Francisco, a large group of sea lions move themselves out of the bay waters and hang out on PIER 39, which is a popular tourist destination. According to dock (码头) officials, this is the most sea lions seen in the region in 15 years.
“Over 1,000 sea lions have been counted this week,” PIER 39 harbormaster Sheila Chandor told many different media. “The surge in sea lions is usually a good sign of their strong population and healthy living environment,” said Adam Ratner, Director of Conservation Engagement at the Marine Mammal (海洋哺乳动物) Center in Sausalito, California.
“California sea lions are sentinels (哨兵) of the ocean,” Ratner said. Their population to some extent reflects the health of the ocean. Therefore, seeing a large number of California sea lions is clearly a good thing.
For nearly 35 years, the slippery (滑的) residents have been a star attraction for tourists. That autumn in 1989, PIER 39 had just been repaired, but the ships had not yet been moved back. At that moment, the sea lions unexpected arrival not only attracted fans but also created enemies. According to a website, some dock residents and workers were scared away by the strong and very unpleasant smell and noise of their new neighbors, while others saw these animals as a bright spot after the destructive Loma Prieta earthquake.
The officials sought help from the Marine Mammal Center to find a way to deal with sea lions. Ratner said that the final decision is to let the sea lions stay and coexist with humans. “The fact proves that this is really a good thing,” he said. “This is just a proof of how we can truly work together and think about how we can share our coasts with marine mammals and other wildlife in a way that benefits all the parties involved.”
1. How does the author start the text?A.By describing a situation. |
B.By answering a question. |
C.By holding a conversation. |
D.By comparing different opinions. |
A.Sharp increase. | B.Tight control. |
C.Slow development. | D.Sudden movement. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Uninterested. |
C.Supportive. | D.Unclear. |
A.Sea lions are pretty cool animals. |
B.Animals and humans can live in harmony. |
C.Watching sea lions might not be a proper action. |
D.Sea lions should be driven out of PIER 39. |
Walking through his neighborhood supermarket in Australia,
Chinese sauerkraut, a pickle which
During the last decades, Chinese businessmen have set
But for Huang, Chinese sauerkraut is an everlasting link to home. “Although I have tried delicacies from across
4 . Lying in my hospital bed, I was flicking through (快速转换) the channels when I suddenly paused. Muscular women were competing in a body sculpting competition on the
It was 2004, and I’d been hospitalized with asthma, which gave me the desire to
The first sessions were so
Over the next 14 years, I
I know many older women have never been in the
A.screen | B.bed | C.way | D.mind |
A.intelligent | B.reliable | C.wealthy | D.incredible |
A.abandon | B.continue | C.adopt | D.alter |
A.mix up | B.stick to | C.show off | D.put aside |
A.rest | B.celebration | C.chat | D.change |
A.suggestion | B.goal | C.order | D.bonus |
A.hard | B.dull | C.ridiculous | D.dangerous |
A.staying up | B.standing by | C.working out | D.passing out |
A.organized | B.sponsored | C.hosted | D.entered |
A.announced | B.whispered | C.predicted | D.assumed |
A.witnessed | B.lost | C.defended | D.won |
A.career | B.fitness | C.education | D.finance |
A.tasty | B.fresh | C.appropriate | D.abundant |
A.gym | B.hospital | C.session | D.building |
A.soon | B.young | C.late | D.fun |
Belinda and Robert Stone were enjoying a peaceful afternoon together in Barbados — their favorite vacation destination. It was a warm afternoon, and they decided it was the perfect time to go for an ocean swim.
“We were floating around, saying how enjoyable this was, what a terrific holiday.” said Belinda. “We swam out, not that far but enough to be out of our depth.”
The couple — who live in London— are both relatively strong swimmers, Belinda said, so they “felt fully confident” being in the ocean. But they hadn’t considered just how strong the current was that particular day. Although they had visited Barbados several times, they didn’t realize the specific area they swam to was known for its strong riptide (激流).
The couple noticed that they were floating in the direction of the neighboring beach, so Belinda decided to swim toward the beach they came from, against the current. She soon realized that her husband was floating behind — and was suddenly too far away to even hear her. She attempted to swim to the shore to get help but struggled to push past the current.
“I just couldn’t get anywhere,” said Belinda, 64, who began to scream out for a lifeguard. No one came after a few minutes.
Two teenage girls — Emma. 14, and Zoe, 13 — were surfboarding near the shore. They were in Barbados as part of a swimming camp and both experienced in the water. Zoe spotted Belinda, who was about 85 feet away, and heard her cries for help. The two girls quickly reached Belinda, and Zoe helped pull her onto the surfboard. They swam parallel to the shore and brought Belinda to safety. Belinda, grateful but still scared, told them that her husband was stuck farther out in the ocean.
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。
Paragraph 1:
The girls were the only ones at the water’s edge.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Finally, they made it to shore.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. 比赛目的;
2. 设计要求。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Sam,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
7 . Food labels seem to provide all the information a thoughtful consumer needs, so counting calories should be simple.
Food-processing includes cooking, mixing and mashing (捣烂).
As a result, when we are losing weight, we should reject processed food. And to do so would be much easier if our food labels gave us some advice about how many calories we would save by eating less-processed food.
A.Same calories, different outcomes. |
B.Processed foods should be given more restrictions. |
C.It can be done by the food industry before you buy. |
D.Food labels fail to offer a specific number of calories. |
E.So why do our nutrition advisers keep silent on the topic? |
F.But things get tricky because food labels tell only half the story. |
G.Our food labeling therefore faces a choice between two systems. |
8 . For the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, fishing equipment is a deadly threat to their lives. In Indonesia’s Mahakam River, two-thirds of dolphin deaths in the past 25 years were drownings caused by being trapped in fishing nets. Now a relatively inexpensive and practical electronic device known as Pinger shows promise for preventing dolphins from becoming trapped. These underwater noisemakers have been used to protect various marine life, but this is the first time they’ve been proven effective at protecting freshwater dolphins.
The small sound device, about the size of a banana, is attached to a fishing net and sends out a pulsing noise (脉冲噪声) that annoys the dolphins but doesn’t harm them. Dolphins are capable of avoiding the nets, being scared of trying to seize fish from them, and can therefore feed and swim more safely in their habitat. Fishers’ nets, meanwhile, sustain less damage and this can make fishers control the cost.
Pingers are lucrative to fishers’ livelihoods. A six-month study, led by conservation organization Yayasan Konservasi RASI and supported by WWF, recently revealed that fishers who used the devices saw a 40% increase in their daily catch — an additional 350 to 500 pounds of fish — and tended to catch larger fish, thus increasing their profits.
Approximately 80 Irrawaddy dolphins live in the Mahakam River. Small populations are found in the Mekong and Ayeyarwady rivers, where, in addition to being trapped by the fishing nets, they’re impacted by the worsening habitat, unsustainable fishing practices, as well as water pollution.
During the study, the reduction in dolphin bycatch was significant. 100% of participating fishers kept using the devices after the trial ended, which proves that the action of using the device to protect dolphins from being harmed or killed is becoming effective.
1. Why is the undewater sound device applied?A.To examine the health of dolphins. | B.To scare fish away from dolphins. |
C.To decrease noise around dolphins. | D.To keep dolphins safe from fishing nets. |
A.Pinger’s efficiency. | B.Pinger’s working principle. |
C.Pinger’s limitations. | D.Pinger’s working conditions. |
A.Sensitive. | B.Familiar. | C.Risky. | D.Beneficial. |
A.Further research will be carried out. | B.The number of dolphins may increase. |
C.Dolphins will move to new habitats. | D.All fishers have employed the devices. |
9 . Look! Dawson is immersing himself in sculpting a pot while Molly is buried in learning to weave. Leo is waving his paint brush on the paper and Jessica is killing her time through knitting. It’s no surprise to see scenes like these. Many of us like to make things which we can use or give as gifts. Crafting is certainly a hobby that’s seen a return and growth, and those who pursue it claim getting creative improves their mood.
Many people, especially those who work from home, are turning to hobbies such as craft making as a way to relieve their working burnout. Knitting, weaving, pottery and painting are all crafts that have seen a renaissance, and many of them are being done by youngsters.
Besides turning to arts and crafts as an interesting pastime, people take it as a way to make a bit of pocket money. A large number of websites, such as Etsy and Folksy, allow people to sell their home-made handicrafts. Richard Sennett, author of The Craftsman, told the BBC: “A lot of people are finding their day jobs pretty empty, while learning a craft provides a real satisfaction. It’s a skill- things like carpentry and weaving are mentally and physically encouraging, and people get essential pleasure out of that kind of work.”
The Internet has also been the paradise to turn to to buy craft tools which help you get started with your craft-making projects, such as candle making. But many people are enjoying designing and making things from the beginning and are doing it just for pleasure or to occupy their minds—and there’s evidence that it’s good for us as well. According to research conducted by BBC Arts, even the briefest time spent on a creative pastime such as painting, pottery or playing the piano, has an impact on our well-being and emotions. The survey of around 80,000 people found being creative can help avoid stress, free up mind space and improve self-development, which helps build self-respect.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?A.By describing scenes. | B.By showing differences. |
C.By giving a definition. | D.By making comparisons. |
A.Beneficial to health. | B.Essential to work. |
C.Easy to make money. | D.Convenient to learn. |
A.Well-being influences people’s creativity. | B.Getting creative enhances people’s mood. |
C.Online shopping helps people avoid stress. | D.People enjoy learning crafts on the Internet. |
A.To display people’s hobbies at home | B.To explain a scientific study by BBC. |
C.To introduce the benefits of craft making. | D.To arouse the youth’s passion for crafts. |
10 . What kind of images does “blue sky” create? A breath-taking scenery, broad-mindedness, or a promising future? For Ruslan, a young Kazakh student in China, it means something special. Ruslan’s microblog ID is “Ruslan Blue Sky,” so he is adorably called Mr. Blue Sky. With his sincere smile, selfless dedication, and goodwill toward the Chinese people, this name cannot be more fitting.
In 2023, Ruslan came to China to study Chinese. He did not feel out of place in the warm and wet Hainan, but found local people and customs charming. He had developed a strong interest in the Chinese culture in his childhood, watching Chinese TV series Journey to the West. While absorbed in studying at Hainan University, he made blood donation for the first time, and learned that he had the rare RH negative blood. With only 0.1% to 0.3% of the population having this blood, RH negative blood is referred to as “panda blood”. A dozen thousand women with this blood type get pregnant in China every year. Local RH negative blood banks are often in urgent need of supplies.
Having acknowledged how rare his blood is, Ruslan became a regular donor, making blood donation twice a year. In eight years, he has donated over 5,000 milliliters of blood. In order to help more people, he asked blood banks to leave his phone number with patients in urgent need. Learning a girl in a car accident needing this type of blood, he rushed to contact relevant hospitals to offer help and encouraged the girl with a microblog post—“Mr. Blue Sky is here to help!”
When receiving praise, he says that blood donation is what he and everyone else should do, and he offers help simply because helping others can be a rainbow in someone else’ cloud.
1. What can we know about Ruslan during his studying in Hainan?A.He found his new life there fascinating. | B.He was called “Panda Blood Boy”. |
C.He started watching Journey to the West. | D.He could hardly adapt to the local climate. |
A.He saved a pregnant woman. | B.He donated blood regularly. |
C.He contacted patients directly. | D.He went to work in blood banks. |
A.Considerate and humorous. | B.Curious and diligent. |
C.Warm-hearted and selfless. | D.Strong-willed and ambitious. |
A.The Road to a Big Fame | B.Ruslan’s Learning Journey |
C.Life in a Friendly Country | D.Mr. Blue Sky’s Panda Blood |