1 . Four Best Christmas Markets in Italy

Bolzano

Bolzano market is one of the largest in Italy and one of the first markets in the country. It is the ideal place to join the festive activities. You’ll find a large Christmas tree decorated with lights. Besides, there are little wooden houses filled with traditional gifts, candles, crafts and so much more which can give a medieval (中世纪的) feeling.

Turin

The market in Turin is a traditional Italian Christmas market and one of the first markets in the country. It is decorated with Christmas lights and decorations. Here you’ll find hand-made goods in a typical Piedmontese style as well as famous chocolates from Turin.

Venice

Piazza San Marco is home to Venice’s Christmas market. During this time the city turns into a small Christmas village with unique decoration, lights and lots of cheers. There are dozens of Christmas trees as well as little wooden shops and visitors from all around the world. Shops offer the best treats you’ll ever taste, traditional street food and hand-made goods.

Milan

One of the longest running Christmas markets in Milan, is a sight worth seeing. The market dates back to the 1500s when it was once an event to allow locals to pay their respects to Sant’ Ambrogio. Today, there are over 300 stalls (货摊) decorated with lights and selling hand-made goods.

There are so many Christmas markets to enjoy. Start planning your Italy escape today. Are you ready to get into the festive spirit?

1. What do Bolzano and Turin have in common?

A．Both are the earliest created markets in Italy.

B．Both make visitors feel in the Middle Ages.

C．Both provide hand-made chocolates.

D．Both sell gifts in wooden houses.

2. What is special about Venice?

A．Its history.	B．Its decoration.
C．Its traditional sea food.	D．Its local people.

3. Which place suits visitors who want to enjoy it for a few more days?

A．Bolzano.

B．Turin.

C．Venice.

D．Milan.

2 . 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。

This weekend a marathon took place in Salzburg, the city in     1     I’m currently living. I’ve never run for more than half an hour so I’m     2     (amaze) that some people manage to keep going for over four hours!

Running is     3     (difficulty) because you have to motivate yourself to keep going—it’s more solitary than a team sport. I used to get really out of     4     (breathe) while running and it didn’t feel good at all! Now I     5     (actual) enjoy going for a jog along the river in Salzburg,     6     (feel) my muscles working and breathing in the fresh air.

    7     (challenge) exercise is always rewarding. Hiking is fun because all     8     hard work, walking uphill, comes at the beginning of the day. Then at the top of the mountain you can enjoy the view and some well-earned chocolate! At the end of the day, you feel like you     9     (achieve) something.

This just shows that perseverance pays off —     10     you work hard, you can succeed.

3 . When Arsh was a young boy, his parents, Divya Pal and Sanjeev, signed him up for extracurricular activities such as piano, karate (空手道) and gymnastics, but he preferred art. When Arsh turned 8, he received a watercolor paint set as a birthday gift. He spent all his spare time painting. That’s how he started painting.

Around the same time, Arsh often visited a local nursing home, where his mother works. Spending time there inspired him to start selling his art for a good cause. “I want to help people in need through my paintings,” he said.

And so began his fundraising (筹款) program, which he called “Art by Arsh”. He sold his paintings at local art shows, restaurants and libraries, as well as on his Instagram account and Facebook page. He donated his first $1,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2018, and has since reached various other charities.

Arsh, now 12, mostly makes commissioned (委托创作的) pieces, and several of his customers have come back wanting more. That includes his neighbor, Jolene Schaver, who has five of Arsh’s creations hanging in her home and has bought many more for friends and family. “I was amazed at how talented he was at such a young age, without any formal training,” said Schaver.

Along with selling his paintings to benefit nonprofit organizations, Arsh now also teaches art lessons at the local nursing home. And he thought about accessibility, and realized not all people have the resources (资源) to make art—which has the capacity to comfort and heal (治愈). “One of my future goals is to make art accessible for kids who want to express themselves,” Arsh said. He has already started offering free art lessons to local children, and he hopes to expand (扩展) his classes further in the future.

1. What do we know about the young Arsh according to the first paragraph?

A．He received a painting as a birthday gift.	B．He made a living through painting.
C．He showed a lively interest in art.	D．He got a place at an art school.

2. Why did Arsh start “Art by Arsh”?

A．To raise money by selling his paintings.	B．To introduce his paintings to more people.
C．To donate some of his paintings to charities.	D．To decorate local libraries with his paintings.

3. Which of the following best describes Arsh?

A．Warm-hearted and humorous.	B．Hard-working and honest.
C．Gifted and generous.	D．Kind and brave.

4. What does Arsh expect to do in the future?

A．Form more nonprofit organizations.	B．Learn more about the healing power of art.
C．Do more voluntary work at the nursing home.	D．Create more opportunities for kids to make art.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the weather like in the northern state of Alaska in summer?

A．Cold.

B．Mild.

C．Hot.

2. What do we know about the summer in China this year?

A．It is the hottest year.

B．The average temperature there is 35.5℃.

C．The temperature in some cities reached over 39℃.

3. What was the highest temperature recorded in Moomba?

A．17. 8 ℃.

B．35.5℃.

C．49. 6℃.

5 . How to Express Thanks to Loved Ones

You may feel grateful to your family and friends, but it may not always be easy for you to know how to express that. To truly express your gratitude (感激), you have to be kind and open.     1    .

Tell them how much you thank them. You may be taking your family members for granted (想当然) without even realizing it.     2    , remember to tell them that you love them every single day, and to show that you thank them for all of the love, food, help and any other offerings they have given you.

Write “thank-you” cards.     3    . You can give “thank-you” cards to whoever has influenced your life in a positive way. You can write these cards to your best friend, and you don’t need to wait for a special occasion to send one along, either.

    4    . It is good to than k a person in front of other people. Don’t do this in a way that makes the person embarrassed (尴尬的), but make it clear how much the person means to you. Just a few sentences at work or at a small gathering of friends can make a person feel even more special about his or her role in your life.

Do favors for them. Don’t do favors for your friends just because they’ve helped you out recently or because you want something in return.     5    . This can mean picking up coffee or lunch when they’re busy or finding another small way to make a big difference in your friends’ life.

A．Give meaningful gifts

B．Thank the person publicly

C．When they face troubles and need some help

D．It’s one of the easiest ways to show your gratitude

E．Remember that a more grateful life is a happier life

F．To show how much your family members mean to you

G．Instead, help them out just because you care about them

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What do most English pubs offer?

A．Drinks and meals.

B．Only drinks.

C．Drinks and fruits.

2. When are most pubs closed at night?

A．At 12： 00 pm.

B．At 11： 00 pm.

C．At 1： 00 am.

3. What do many pubs provide for children?

A．A special drink.

B．A special room.

C．A special meal.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where is Alice?

A．In England.

B．In the US.

C．In Italy.

2. What is Alice’s hobby?

A．Walking.

B．Writing.

C．Listening to music.

3. When will the woman write to Alice?

A．When Alice writes to her.

B．When she has time.

C．When she studies math.

8 . 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。

Wearing Hanfu and sitting in front of a Chinese zither (筝), Peng Jingxuan, a young Chinese student, moves her fingers gently along the strings on a street in Paris, France.

Peng has shared more than 200     1     (origin) videos online, with the most popular one featuring the theme song of the movie A Chinese Ghost Story viewed over 16.61 million times. “I love how she’s representing her culture in a     2     (set) where people are not familiar with it. You can tell she’s proud of her background and her music,” one of her fans commented.

Chinese zither (筝), or guzheng, is an ancient musical instrument with 21-26 strings and a length of 1.63 meters. Peng     3     (fall) in love with it when young and has been practicing it for years. Hardly finding Chinese instruments     4     (play) on the streets in Paris, she took along her guzheng     5     began her street performances to sharpen her skills. The more she performed, the more she felt a greater sense of responsibility     6     (spread) Chinese music and culture.

Considering her audience’s     7     (unfamiliar) with Chinese songs, Peng made adaptations, for     8     she received positive responses. She also performed Western pop songs that local people could relate     9    , entertaining them with beautiful melodies in a     10     (refresh) style.

9 . I vividly remember the day when my husband and I set off on a new journey to Tanzania. He had been ______ a position there as a Civil Engineer. Accompanying him, my aim was to find a job shortly after. As you can imagine, I was very excited, even rather ______, as I’d never been abroad before. So, my first ______ was to get settled in this small town called Dodoma in the middle of Tanzania.

As we got off the train, however, at six in the morning, a lady came rushing along the ______ towards us. Completely out of breath, she said, “We’ve heard you’re from England and our school ______ needs an English teacher — please say you’ll help us.” I felt tired and ______ a shower after the journey. Though shocked by her ______, for some reason or other, I agreed to ______ it!

I washed, changed, had a quick bite to eat and was ______ to the two local teachers and my ______ at 8 o’clock. It felt like being thrown into the deep end, as my teaching timetable began ______ at 8:30! Although I’d hardly had time to get my breath, I never ______ my sudden decision.

Though my entry into this ______ was unexpected, I found joy in teaching those youngsters and gradually became part of the local community in the following years. I’ve been fortunate to ______ lifelong friendships, which has left a lasting ______ on both my students and myself.

1.

A．awarded

B．offered

C．allowed

D．presented

2.

A．disappointed

B．dissatisfied

C．unconcerned

D．uneasy

3.

A．priority

B．worry

C．action

D．response

4.

A．river

B．platform

C．sidewalk

D．channel

5.

A．probably

B．suddenly

C．desperately

D．occasionally

6.

A．longed for

B．waited for

C．heard about

D．worried about

7.

A．remark

B．interruption

C．suggestion

D．request

8.

A．keep

B．take

C．forget

D．quit

9.

A．introduced

B．recommended

C．assigned

D．compared

10.

A．colleagues

B．assistants

C．students

D．interviewers

11.

A．exactly

B．finally

C．immediately

D．smoothly

12.

A．expected

B．regretted

C．delayed

D．dropped

13.

A．career

B．country

C．agreement

D．relationship

14.

A．value

B．strengthen

C．renew

D．harvest

15.

A．comment

B．record

C．impact

D．impression

10 . Human history is full of horse stories like guiding cowboys home on foggy nights and taking wounded soldiers through battle zones. Such sensible and highly trained horses made Elina Jatel, a computer scientist and roboticist, think of robots. “A horse that can take a rider home on its own would be the highest level of autonomy,” Jatel says. “You trust them with your life.” She was drawn to learning how such relationships form and if it could help improve human-robot interactions.

For a year, Jatel engaged herself in the horse world. She watched classes in horse training, and she also talked with students, instructors, trainers and horse owners. Along the way, Jatel even learned to ride.

Horses learn signals from their trainers on how to comfortably interact with people. People, too, must learn their part. Riders must learn what a horse wants or feels based on its behavior, and what signals to use to direct horses to perform in desired ways. Jatel found some similarities, here, to working with robots. People must learn how to direct robots to do specific tasks. They also must learn what to do when robots don’t perform as planned. The goal is to program robots that will respond predictably to inputs from people. But like horses, autonomous robots also should be able to respond on their own as conditions change. For example, a self-driving car must stop to avoid hitting something, even if some human mistakenly tells it to keep going.

Trainers and riders work with horses to build respect. Horses show that respect by matching their pace to a human or giving someone who is leading them a safe degree of personal space. Trainers begin their work with a horse by getting them to show signs of respect in basic interactions, Jatel says. Later, trainers will develop more complex interactions. Gradually, a horse’s respect can grow into trust.

But that trust is not given. And there may be a similar limitation with robots. What would it mean for robots and people to respect and trust each other? For now, she adds, this is largely uncharted territory. But she’s looking to build a path.

1. What drew Elina Jatel’s attention to horses?

A．Horses’ amazing performance.	B．Long history of horse training.
C．Horse-human interdependence.	D．Her horse-riding experience.

2. What are the robots of the highest autonomy designed to do?

A．To act like real horses.	B．To show respect to humans.
C．To follow instructions from humans.	D．To make independent and sensible decisions.

3. What will Jatel’s future research most probably focus on?

A．The limitations of robots.	B．Trust between robots and humans.
C．Path toward higher robot efficiency.	D．Similarities between horses and robots.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．History of Human-Horse Relationship	B．Secrets of Human-Animal Interactions
C．The Role of Trust in Human-Robot Partnerships	D．Horses as the Inspiration for Autonomous Robots