1 . National Public Radio (NPR) Music’s Tiny Desk Contest is back. Artists can submit an entry from this morning. This isn’t just another regular year of the Contest — it’s the 10th anniversary.

The panel (小组) of judges has doubled in size compared to previous years. The panel has a group of industry experts who are eager to see what this year’s participants can share. And there’s a great team of NPR’s Music station hosts on the panel: Amelia Mason, Novena Carmel and Stas THEE Boss.

Also new this year: Not only will the 2024 winner play a Tiny Desk concert, be interviewed on All Things Considered and go on tour with NPR Music — they’ll also be paired with a tutor in the industry who will help them navigate their music journey. Our judges are determined to give this year’s winner the support they’ll need to take their music to the next level. The winner will also be featured at two festivals this summer: Celebrate Brooklyn and the Millennium Park Summer Music series in Chicago.

And for the first time this year, the Contest is introducing a fan favorite vote. Later this spring, Contest judges will share their favorite entries as part of the annual Tiny Desk-Contest Top Shelf series on YouTube — and then artists and fans will be able to vote for their favorite among those selections.

Here’s how to enter: Record a video of you playing one original song — behind a desk, upload your video to YouTube, and submit the video on our Tiny Desk Contest website by Feb. 21 at 11: 59 p. m.   

A final reminder: Entry videos don’t need to be fancy. The Tiny Desk is where artists go to simplify their big productions. Contest judges are looking for artists to submit something that’s true to them and brand new to the Tiny Desk.

1. Who are most likely among the judges?

A．News station hosts.	B．Expert musicians.
C．Contest participants.	D．Famous industrialists.

2. What will the winner get as an award?

A．Sightseeing tours.	B．Festival souvenirs.
C．Unlimited support.	D．Professional guidance.

3. What is required of the contest entry?

A．It has to be a masterpiece.	B．It must convey positive feelings.
C．It must be recorded behind a desk.	D．It has to be submitted before Feb. 21.

2 . Children will become more and more independent and will do what they would like to do. However, as parents, you ought to take care of your own children and have a better understanding of them in the following cases.

School work becomes increasingly difficult as children grow up. So this is a time when some kids begin to do better in their school work while others struggle to understand more advanced and more difficult lessons. When they get home, talk with them about their school lessons and find out what they don’t understand. It’s a chance for you to stay close with your children as before and get them to relax.

For many families, homework can be a serious struggle. Many school-age kids are reluctant to sit down and study for a spelling test or complete their math homework. It’s natural for them to be bored with their homework, but you have to think of ways to help them form the right habit to finish their homework when they get home.

Many kids are busy with sports, music, and after-school activities. Others, however, may prefer to spend too many hours on the screen. It’s important to keep kids active at this age.

Friends become a bigger deal for children during this time too. Attending birthday parties or playing with kids on the playground can be good for their development.

Bullying (恃强凌弱的行为) can become a problem around this age. It’s important to talk to your child about kindness and respect so he doesn’t become a bully and it’s also quite necessary for you to talk about what he can do if he becomes a target.

1. What would happen with school lessons getting more difficult?

A．Children are divided in their school lessons.

B．Children have more homework to do at home.

C．Parents have more chances to show themselves.

D．Parents find it more difficult to teach their children.

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

A．Excited.

B．Worried.

C．Unwilling.

D．Interested.

3. What does the author advise school children to do?

A．Spend more hours on the screen.

B．Be active both mentally and physically.

C．Organize parties at home and school.

D．Bully other students at school.

4. Who are the intended readers of this text?

A．Students.

B．Teachers.

C．Parents.

D．Office workers.

3 . The secretary walked into the meeting room, ________ by a security guard, ________ face told everyone present something was wrong.

A．following; the expression on his	B．following; the expression on whose
C．followed; the expression on his	D．followed; the expression on whose

4 . New research suggests that one night of sleep with just a small amount of light may have negative effects on health.

The small, 20-person study conducted by Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian (生理节奏的) and Sleep Medicine, was designed to measure the physiological effects of 100 lux (照度) of artificial light on healthy adults while they were sleeping. For the study, all the participants spent their first night sleeping in a mostly dark room. The next night, half of them slept in a better lit room. Meanwhile, the researchers ran tests on the sleepers: brainwaves, heart rates and blood. In the morning, they’d give both groups a large amount of sugar to see how well their systems responded to it.

The group exposed to the light had raised heart rates throughout the night, and also had trouble getting their blood sugar into a normal range.

These changes suggest the small amount of light was enough to shift the nervous system to a more excited and alert state. “It’s almost like the brain and the heart knew that the lights were on, although the individual was sleeping,” says Zee.

While the findings of this study alone can’t predict what would happen in the long term, Dr. Colwell suspects the harmful effects would be cumulative: “This was only one night, so imagine if you’ re living that way constantly?”

“That’s going to increase the risk of long-term diseases,” says Dr. Charles Czeisler whose research has looked at the consequences of circadian rhythm sleep disorder for longer than just one night. He concluded that the unpleasant effects were primarily because of the “internal clock” being disturbed — not necessarily because of the lack of sleep.

This is not to say that the lack of sleep doesn’t also have negative effects on health — it does — but he says it simply stresses the lasting consequences of being exposed to light at nighttime.

“People think that as long as they fall asleep and are unconscious, it’s not having physiological effects, but that’s simply not true,” Czeisler says.

1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．How the study is carried out.	B．What type of light affects sleep.
C．Who is in charge of the research.	D．Why light and sleep are connected.

2. What do we know about the new research?

A．Light plays a critical role in regulating circadian rhythm.

B．A small amount of light at night is linked with sleep depth.

C．Leaving the bedroom lights on leads to mental disorder.

D．Sleeping with a little bit of light isn’t good for your health.

3. What does the underlined word “cumulative” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Common.

B．Slight.

C．Increasing.

D．Accidental.

4. Which of the following might Czeisler agree with?

A．The more you sleep, the healthier you will be.

B．Physiological effects disappear with a sound sleep.

C．Sleep quality lies in how you feel about the sleep.

D．It is the circadian rhythm sleep disorder that matters.

5 . 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。

Decorative stove artwork attracts a growing number of     1     (admire), who enjoy the memories it evokes, Yang Feiyue reports. The distinctive art form in Jiaxing     2     (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.

An old wooden stove,     3     (bear) rich vivid images, took center stage at a village Spring Festival gala in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, in early February. The images feature historical and legendary figures, fairy tales, animals and flowers, all of     4     are depicted in bright colors and have a way of claiming attention from viewers.

It was once common for farmhouses, especially those along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River,     5     (have) a zaotou that was painted with floral figures. Locals burned firewood and straw in it to cook     6     gas burners or microwave ovens were available. “Historical evidence shows the art has     7     history of at least 300 years,” says Zhao from Haiyan’s Tongyuan town.

Most of those engaged     8     zaotou painting were bricklayers in rural areas where they were often hired by villagers to build a mud stove in     9     (they) new home. Tools used to produce such art included a selection of brushes, rulers, and paint. As people’s aesthetic appreciation grew, watercolors were applied, mostly red, yellow and blue. “But no matter what material is used, the stove painting is always     10     (symbol) and harbors good wishes for the owners,” Zhao says.

6 . 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。

Driven by a great passion for guqin,     1     is an ancient Chinese instrument, Li Xiangting, a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing     2     (devote) nearly 70 years to mastering and promoting it since his first encounter with it.

In 1958, Li became the only gugin major in the Traditional Chinese Instruments Department. Given that guqin was     3     (relative) unknown, Li was often ignored. Everyone considered it out of date,     4     he thought it deserved an important position and was determined to make it     5     (appreciate) by everyone.

In order to introduce it     6     a global audience, Li innovated while honoring the instrument’s rich traditions. Later, he also produced teaching videos,     7     (publish) books, and released albums, significantly boosting the instrument’s     8     (popular).

In the following years, more enthusiasts and musicians like Li worked on the art. With     9     (they) efforts, the UNESCO recognized the art as an intangible (非物质的) heritage of humanity in 2003. Moreover, his daughter, Li Pengpeng, has followed in her father’s footsteps,     10     (serve) as an ambassador in promoting traditional Chinese culture.

7 . The title of “Aaron’s younger brother” was earned when I had won the second place in my first tennis tournament at the age of six. Whenever I ________ onto a tennis court, it was as though a gluey name label, which had been ________ stuck onto me.

I wanted to ________ Aaron, my older brother, whose fame had reduced me to a ________ tennis player. Then came a big tennis match against Aaron. As I shook Aaron’s hand at the start of the match, I stared at him and focused on how this match was going to ________ everything.

The tennis court seemed to stretch out further than usual, but I could still ________ the confident look on Aaron’s face. He knew that my honor ________ in comparison to his. Finally, we were down to the last set, neck and neck in points. That was when the setting sun cast his figure over me, ________ me that I would always be walking in his ________ if I did not prove myself.

I prepared myself for the finishing blow, ________ of Aaron’s past matches flooding through my mind as I ________ the weakness of his smash (扣球) the ball would always fly towards the left of the court. I extended my arm to the left in anticipation of where the ball was going to land. The ball made ________ with my racket and was lobbed over Aaron’s head successfully. He could do nothing but ________ his undefeated status as champion being removed by his younger brother.

While I was still enjoying the unfamiliar feeling of ________ minutes after the match was over, a man, whom I vaguely recognized from a ________ tennis club, approached me. “What is your name, son?” he asked. A smile spread across my face.

1.

A．marched

B．stepped

C．jumped

D．rushed

2.

A．frequently

B．originally

C．permanently

D．occasionally

3.

A．recommend

B．praise

C．evaluate

D．defeat

4.

A．nameless

B．hopeless

C．worthless

D．fearless

5.

A．appreciate

B．change

C．explore

D．settle

6.

A．put down

B．pull out

C．take up

D．make out

7.

A．disappeared

B．wrinkled

C．paled

D．doubled

8.

A．reminding

B．ordering

C．instructing

D．expecting

9.

A．trust

B．shelter

C．credit

D．shadow

10.

A．scores

B．images

C．records

D．highlights

11.

A．hid

B．admitted

C．recalled

D．overcame

12.

A．contact

B．progress

C．movement

D．adjustment

13.

A．maintain

B．improve

C．confirm

D．witness

14.

A．harmony

B．success

C．competition

D．relief

15.

A．previous

B．special

C．famous

D．tiny

8 . We often idealize the act of cooking. In my mind’s eye, I can see myself swanning through the kitchen with smooth hair as I stir a pot of spaghetti in slow motion.     1    As the appointed chef of my household, making dinners after a long day’s work is an annoying chore (杂务).

So, when we knew about a weekly meal delivery service, I jumped at the chance.     2     .Each meal’s ingredients came wrapped up in a separate paper bag, each labelled with a recipe card.

The actual cooking was easier, too. I was delighted by pre-processed vegetables and properly-portioned dressings. Think about the hunt for recipes, the cuts and burns, and the spilled bottle of olive oil.     3     .

A few weeks into our subscription, however, I realised that gone with the frustration of cooking was its joy.     4     You choose ingredients from the supermarket shelves. You wash them, peel them, chop them, season them or combine them. You see them transform from one thing into another over the process. Remove that process and what are you left with?

    5     For busy families who couldn’t afford the connection with food, these boxes offer fresh, healthy, waste-free meals that require minimal effort and time. But if I have the time and energy to indulge in that luxury, I think it’s worth doing.

A．These were all things of the past.

B．In fact, cooking can connect you with your food.

C．In practice, there is rarely anything ideal about cooking.

D．Cooking is messy, tiring, and most of the time, annoying.

E．Soon came our box of ingredients that made everything easier.

F．So clean and ready, the ingredients no longer look or feel like food.

G．Of course, I do realise the practical advantages of meal subscription boxes.

9 . The power of Charlie Chaplin’s works is not only in his acting, but also in the stories and characters he________.

A．had created

B．has created

C．created

D．creates

10 . My mission is to remind you of the ________ power within your own being and to encourage you to recognize and use it.

A．ultimate

B．energetic

C．incredible

D．dramatic