An exhibition of zodiac (生肖) sculptures,
The 12 zodiac signs are
Each sculpture
The expressions of these zodiac sculptures are vivid but calm. Some of them seem to be resting, content in their mediation. Only the snake has
2 . Working at a hotel, I had the pleasure of welcoming a family of five one Friday. As they entered, the youngest child greeted me with a cheerful “hi”. I always
During the check-in process with the parents, the youngest child
The mother
I delivered the
After my shift ended, I didn’t work until Monday. Upon my return, I found a(n)
A.observe | B.imagine | C.appreciate | D.meet |
A.Going along | B.Growing up | C.Dropping in | D.Getting out |
A.behaviors | B.struggles | C.ambitions | D.dreams |
A.requires | B.permits | C.forces | D.encourages |
A.gradually | B.proudly | C.uncertainly | D.confusedly |
A.replied | B.appeared | C.left | D.remarked |
A.worried | B.insisted | C.argued | D.explained |
A.arrange | B.host | C.revise | D.discover |
A.song | B.note | C.wish | D.design |
A.toys | B.orders | C.gifts | D.machines |
A.thrilled | B.puzzled | C.shocked | D.frightened |
A.ceased | B.beat | C.broke | D.melted |
A.touching | B.interesting | C.bothering | D.convincing |
A.relief | B.anger | C.sorrow | D.joy |
A.willing | B.diverse | C.simple | D.flexible |
Brad Howard, a Texas father, had enough of his son’s disruptive (扰乱性的) behavior in physics class. Despite multiple warnings and complaints from the teacher about his son’s excessive (过多的) talking, the situation didn’t improve.
So, Brad decided to take matters into his own hands and gave his son, Bradley, a final warning. Brad made a bold promise to his son, saying, “Hey, if we get another call, I’m going to show up in school and sit beside you in class. ”
The 17-year-old Bradley probably thought his dad was just bluffing (唬人) and continued his chatty (爱闲聊的) ways. But when Brad received another email from the teacher, he knew he had to follow through with his threat.
On the morning of the important day, Brad’s wife woke him up and said, “Brad, it’s time for you to go to school. ” It struck him what he had said. He just couldn’t but a bit regret, “Oh, no, what have I done? ”
Despite his unwillingness, Brad was determined to keep his word and headed to his son’s high school.
The sight of Brad sitting next to Bradley in class was a source of amusement for Bradley’s friends, who found the situation ridiculous. Bradley, on the other hand, was less than thrilled.
He couldn’t believe that his dad had actually gone through with his threat, The embarrassment of having his own father sitting beside him in class was enough to make him regret his behavior. As the class started, Bradley could feel all eyes on him and his dad. He could sense the judgment and the whispers from his classmates.
“Hey, Bradley, it looks like your dad is really serious about this, ” one of his friends whispered across the hallway, trying to hold back a laugh.
“Yeah, this is so embarrassing, ” Bradley whispered, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red.
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。
But as the class progressed, something unexpected happened.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After school, Bradley hesitantly approached his dad with newfound appreciation.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Fill your free time with these options on offer in New York City this month.
Pop & Rock
Dec. 1 at Webster Hall, Manhattan
On tour in support of her new release of Softscars, the singer and producer Nat Cmiel will play at Webster Hall on Sunday. A frequent subject of her songs is the solution to the tensions between digital and physical existence. Tickets are $25.
Family Concert
Dec. 10 at the Scheuer Auditorium, Manhattan
Joanie Leeds is adding her voice to those calling for children’s books in libraries and children’s classrooms. With a guitar and other musicians, she’ll celebrate the release of her new work, starting at 10: 30 a. m., in an hour-long concert intended to make young listeners first grow up and later sit down and read. Tickets to the concert are required to be reserved online, starting at $14. Children are admitted free.
Jazz
Dec. 20 at the Village Vanguard, Manhattan
Bold and carefree, Johnathan Blake has come to represent certain of present jazz. This week’s Vanguard stand features his My Life Matters, calling for people to let one another live and grow. Watching the performance of the band will have a lasting impression on you. Tickets are $40.
Sketch Comedy
Dec.22 at the Peoples Improv Theater, Manhattan
The Peoples Improv Theater is welcoming comedy troupes (剧团) across the country for a celebration and discussion of sketch comedy, with Birch & Caven as the opening show. Tickets start at $ 15 per show. Four-day passes are $79, and one-day passes are $30. Tickets are to be bought at the ticket office in person.
1. Whose song discusses digital and real-life interaction?A.Nat Cmiel. | B.Joanie Leeds. | C.Birch & Caven. | D.Johnathan Blake. |
A.At Webster Hall. | B.At the Scheuer Auditorium. |
C.At the Village Vanguard. | D.At the Peoples Improv Theater. |
A.Online tickets. | B.One-day passes. | C.Four-day passes. | D.Separate tickets. |
Another school year was beginning. I had thirteen excited first graders eager to learn and ready to fill my classroom with laughs, tears, and everything. I realized that I had a small class size and got excited about the special projects we could do. One project that I had been particularly interested in was finding a doctor in Doctors Without Borders as a pen pal for my students, which could definitely broaden my students’ horizons.
I began by sending out an e-mail to our school district employees asking for names and contact information of any doctor in Doctors Without Borders which they knew of. I sent an e-mail to each one asking if we could communicate with them, but only one reply came: Dr. Denisar, who was in Africa for humanitarian medical work. Since six-year-olds’attention spans were short and many of the students were just learning how to read and write, I thought it would be the best to correspond through e-mail. Dr. Denisar quickly became a reward system. If students practiced and could read a book fluently, I would record it and e-mail it. If they finished a writing assignment, I would scan it and e-mail it. If students were misbehaving, I caught myself saying, “What would Dr. Denisar think about that?”
We also used the information Dr. Denisar included in his e-mails as learning opportunities. As we communicated with him, we learned more about him, as well as his missions from disease outbreaks to malnutrition of the locals. We started to lighten things up by recording songs and jokes, and sending art projects and care packages. He appreciated the communication. After Dr. Denisar returned, we continued to communicate with him, as my students had got quite attached. He promised that he would make a trip to our small town in Illinois to meet my class when he could.
The school year was beginning to wrap up when he contacted me in April about coming up to visit in May. For the first time, we began talking on the phone about his visit.
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。
As the day of his visit approached, the kids began to get nervous.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A whole morning had passed before we knew it.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dating back thousands of years, Chinese art focuses on many different areas including landscapes, animals, and other
As a style of painting that is unlike any other in the world, Chinese art
Wu Guanzhong, a Chinese painter, is honored as one of the most famous artists of the modern era in the history of the nation.
His most famous work titled Water Village in Jiangnan was done in 1980s. It is a very simple painting that consists
Guanzhong’s simple yet straightforward style of painting captured the attention of both Eastern and Western art critics and enthusiasts in
He painted many additional works
7 . “I’m sorry, but visiting hours are over,” The nurse said
The nurse handed me a piece of paper. “That’s my cell number. You can
I
When I had checked into the hotel, the clerk said, “We have a cabinet full of books and games in the corner. We’ll feel
I made it to the hall to
The next morning, when
A.angrily | B.eagerly | C.apologetically | D.worriedly |
A.guidance | B.negotiation | C.comment | D.emotion |
A.believe | B.remind | C.assess | D.reach |
A.promise | B.update | C.exchange | D.prediction |
A.physically | B.spiritually | C.practically | D.typically |
A.lightened | B.melted | C.broke | D.touched |
A.invited | B.visited | C.emailed | D.texted |
A.worry | B.duty | C.sympathy | D.anger |
A.matter | B.work | C.count | D.show |
A.air | B.nutrition | C.rest | D.advice |
A.awkward | B.natural | C.annoyed | D.honored |
A.find | B.purchase | C.donate | D.publish |
A.introduced | B.enjoyed | C.behaved | D.regarded |
A.carefree | B.guilty | C.positive | D.careful |
A.giving up | B.waking up | C.pulling through | D.checking out |
8 . With about 100,000 new cases diagnosed (诊断) annually, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the US.
“I have always been interested in biology and technology, and this challenge gave me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas,” Bekele said.
Shripriya, a ninth grader from California, won the second prize for her invention “EasyBZ”. This sticker-like patch can be used to administer medicine without pills or needles.
A.Besides, it’s also expensive to treat. |
B.The third place was Sarah Wang from Massachusetts. |
C.After all, soap can be easily made and used worldwide. |
D.It promotes the youth to learn science with interest. |
E.People might not have the equipment to treat this disease. |
F.The kid suffered great hunger and lack of proper education. |
G.This is the 16th year of the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge. |
9 . Long-term exposure to low-frequency noise can cause many health problems, but the solution may be found in an unexpected object, a ping-pong ball. Conventionally thought of as the plastic balls that speed through the air during a fast-speed game of table tennis, with a few changes, ping-pong balls can help absorb the city noise.
Low-frequency noise is everywhere in cities, near roads, and by airports. Though potentially heard as background in the acoustic (声学的) landscape, it can lead to earaches, breathing problems and other long-term harmful effects. Because it is produced by a range of sources and is less affected by structures than higher-frequency sound, low-frequency noise can be challenging to avoid.
In Journal of Applied Physics, researchers from the University of Lille and the National Technical University of Athens describe an acoustic metasurface (超表面) that uses ping-pong balls to prevent sound passing through.
“Ping-pong balls are well-known, everyday objects, present in large numbers all over the world,” said author Robine Sabat. “Our motivation was to use these easily accessible objects to create a low-frequency soundproof panel structure. Ping-pong balls therefore present a suitable alternative to sound insulators.”
Acoustic metasurfaces are materials specially engineered to handle sound waves. This metasurface uses ping-pong balls with small holes, acting as Helmholtz resonators (共振器). More resonant frequencies meant the device was able to absorb more sound. At the success of two coupled resonators, the researchers added more, until their device looked like a square sheet of ping-pong balls covered with holes, multiplying the number of resonant frequencies that could be absorbed.
By adjusting the number of balls, number of holes, and hole sizes, the researchers could change the metasurface’s acoustic properties, proving it is possible to design a sound absorption panel without expensive materials.
“The potential of this metasurface extends beyond sound absorption,” said Sabat. “It can be broadened to achieve various functions similar to other metasurfaces. These functionalities include sound focusing, unconventional sound reflection and more.”
1. What makes low-frequency noise hard to avoid?A.Its dull background. | B.Its covering range. |
C.Its various sources. | D.Its surrounding structures. |
A.Sources. | B.Levels. | C.Effects. | D.Barriers. |
A.It costs little to make. | B.It has light weight. |
C.It is convenient to use. | D.It is environmentally friendly. |
A.Low-frequency Noise Can Cause Diseases |
B.Ping-pong Balls Function Well as Sound Absorbers |
C.Acoustic Metasurface Can Address Noise Problem |
D.Ping-pong Balls Show Potential in Many Research Fields |
10 . People in Detroit, Michigan take their sport seriously. Comerica Park, the home of the Tigers, a baseball team, and the Little Caesars Arena, which is home to the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, draw enormous crowds. Far older than both is the Cadieux Café, on the eastern edge of the city. Locals there take part in a game called “feather bowling” most nights.
In the game, developed from Flanders, players roll a wooden wheel along a rough earth lane (路) towards a pigeon feather planted at the other end. The idea is to get your wheel as close as possible—while blocking those of the opposing team or knocking them out of the way.
Everyone in Grosse Pointe in Detroit plays feather bowling. Photos of champions line the wall of the Cadieux Café, which is founded in the 1930s by Belgian immigrants, says John Rutherford, a musician who has co-owned the place since 2019.
Having been preserved for the best part of a century, feather bowling is now spreading. A few other bars in Michigan have set up their own lanes. Having seen a video of people playing feather bowling at the Cadieux Café, Dave Plate decided it was exactly the game to bring to a large space he had rented, and flew to Michigan to learn it. Last year, he opened a bar with the game in a neighborhood in New York City. The lanes are now booked up for weekends in advance. Most of the players are young, and a growing number of parents are bringing their children, too.
Mr. Rutherford welcomes the copycats. The Cadieux Café, he says, could become to feather bowling what St. Andrews in Scotland is to golf: somewhere true fans will always want to play. But he’s critical of what competitors are offering—something like golf court. “For it to be truly feather bowling, you need a real dirt course like ours,” he says. Even worldwide, Detroit may now be a good place to play the game.
1. Where does the Detroit Pistons basketball team usually play?A.At Comerica Park. | B.At Grosse Pointe. |
C.At the Little Caesars Arena. | D.At the Cadieux Café. |
A.It was held mainly in broad daylight. | B.Its players have to roll a wooden wheel. |
C.Its competition rules are friendly and fun. | D.It was invented by the Belgians in the 1930s. |
A.To praise his contributions to feather bowling. |
B.To prove the limit of feather bowling in big cities. |
C.To show the growing popularity of feather bowling. |
D.To illustrate the importance of bowling for children. |
A.A wooden court. | B.A grass court. | C.A concrete court. | D.A dirt court. |