1 . The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Grain Buds (小满), the 8th solar term of a year, begins on May 21 this year, and ends on June 5. It means that the seeds from the grain are becoming full but are not ripe. Let’s see what we can do during the “Grain Buds” period.

Eating herb of common sow thistle

Grain Buds is a season for eating the herb of the common sow thistle, which is one of the earliest edible potherbs in China. It tastes a little bitter, but also sweet. People in Ningxia Hui autonomous region like to eat it mixed with salt, vinegar, peppers or garlic. It tastes delicious and helps people feel refreshed. Some people boil the herb with water and then squeeze out the juice, which can be used to make soup.

Key period for flower management

This time is a good period of the quick growth of flowers. It is also a season when plant diseases and pests are at an all-time high, which makes caring for your garden even more critical. Flowers need a lot of water and extra care to stay healthy. Weeding should be done as they grow quickly and have to be extirpated in order to keep the soil loose and from competing with the flowers for nutrients.

Celebrating silkworm deity birthday

Silkworm rearing is a traditional byproduct for people in regions south of the Yangtze River. People in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces regard this season as the birthday of the silkworm deity. Those who engage in the silk industry thank the deity by offering sacrifices and staging performances. They pray to the deity for blessings and a boom season for the silk business.

1. Which of the following is true about Grain Buds?

A．It is seen as the birthday of the flower deity.

B．It is an essential period to tend to the garden.

C．It means that the seeds from the grain are mature.

D．It begins on May 21 this year, and ends on July 5.

2. People in the silk industry tend to ______ during the Grain Buds.

A．offer sacrifices to ancestors	B．pray for a close season
C．learn to count their blessings	D．give shows to thank the deity

3. In which column of a newspaper can we read the article?

A．Entertainment.

B．Economics.

C．Politics.

D．Culture.

2 . Engaging with the past

Imagine you’re at home, you start a role-playing game where you can enjoy views of the Nanjing Qinhuai Lantern Festival, completing set tasks along the Qinhuai River. This is one way for video games to enjoy the traditional Chinese culture without having to travel there.

    1     Perfect World Games, an online gaming company, recently invited a group of heritage experts including Chen Haitao, a designer from the Dunhuang Academy; and Zhou Xianguang, an inheritor of Longquan sword intangible (非物质的) cultural heritage — to Beijing to discuss new ways to promote traditional Chinese culture.

This year, Zhou was invited to submit designs for swords in its online mobile game Jade Dynasty. They kept the features of swords that were used during the Tang Dynasty but absorbed fairy and knight-themed elements from the game.     2     That enabled players to know another aspect of Chinese heritage. Zhou says, “Since games are welcomed by young people, we can make them familiar with traditional culture as they play.     3     ”

The trend toward combining games with cultural heritage started decades ago.     4     Traditional culture once served merely as a background to the gameplay, and failed to offer a detailed experience. Now the company digs out details and divides them into small sections, and focuses on their unique cultural points, so players can gain a deeper experience.

    5     Some overseas players also have a strong interest in Chinese culture, but may find it too difficult to understand. So the company tries to convey the culture in ways they are familiar with to help them better understand.

A．And that’s not all.

B．These games are also available to players overseas.

C．However, these early attempts were described as “vague” (含糊的).

D．Games featuring traditional culture attract more young players.

E．Several decades ago, the practice of sword-making nearly died out.

F．Besides, some figures seen in Dunhuang’s wall paintings were also added to the mobile game.

G．It increases the number of channels available to spread knowledge about our cultural heritage.

4 . I had a great time with the film Turning Red, which follows Meilin, a thirteen-year-old girl who suddenly begins turning into a giant red panda.

The film was set in 2002 when I would’ve been around Meilin’s age. It was a joy for me to watch a film that I could relate to. The film illustrates the push-pull that many immigrant families face: how much of their culture to keep and how much to assimilate(融入). There are beautiful traces of Chinese culture throughout this film, including gorgeous food, time around the table, relationships with extended family, and more.

In the film, women in Meilin’s family suffer a curse(诅咒). As soon as they begin to blossom into womanhood, they transform into a giant red panda whenever they express any strong emotion. Thus, they have learned that emotional repression is the way to go. It was beautiful to watch this young girl choose the different path of emotional wellness instead of holding back her feelings.

It’s not a surprise that the director Domee Shi, who is around my age, chose this plotline. Many people my age are on that similar path Meilin finds herself on. We honor our parents and what they have done for us, but we’re also choosing to be more emotionally healthy and trying to live differently than we were taught.

The part of Turning Red I particularly loved is the ending. Though Meilin’s mom, grandma, and aunts see that it’s possible to integrate their red pandas into their lives, they don’t choose that path. Instead, they choose to bottle their pandas up once again. However, they do get a new perspective on this young, groundbreaking girl. It’s such a sweet reminder that not everyone can go on the same journey toward emotional health, and that’s okay.

If all of them had embraced their pandas, I think the ending would’ve felt incredibly cheese and taken away some of the power of the story. So we get a conclusion that is satisfying and heart-warming without being too much of a fairy tale.

1. Why did the author enjoy watching Turning Red?

A．She found a connection with the story.

B．She followed a life path similar to its director.

C．She adored the appealing design of the red panda.

D．She valued its emphasis on the beautiful Chinese culture.

2. What does the underlined word “repression” in the third paragraph mean?

A．Disturbance.

B．Control.

C．Wellness.

D．Expression.

3. What does the author think of the ending of the film?

A．Bittersweet.

B．Idealized.

C．Realistic.

D．Cheesy.

4. What is the central dilemma faced by Meilin in Turning Red?

A．“Can I embrace my true self?”

B．“Should I prioritize my family?”

C．“Can I uncover the curse’s secret?”

D．“Should I explore diverse cultures?”

5 . Being bored is no fun, especially at work. But new research out of the Research School of Management at Australian National University argues that while boredom is certainly boring, it isn’t all bad. The disliked mental state can actually spark precious creativity.

The study asked 52 subjects to do a pretty boring job: sort apart a bowl of red and green beans with just one hand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, 49 other subjects — the control group — were instructed to create art projects with paper, beans and glue. Once the 30 minutes was over, each group was instructed to spend five minutes on a creative task: they had to come up with reasons why a hypothetical (假定的) person was two hours late for a meeting.

The bored group came up with not just more ideas than the control group, but more creative ideas than the control group, too. The quality and quantity of production was higher for people who were bored than those who were not. Creativity itself was measured under a standard that balanced novelty and practicality. Ideas had to fit both criteria to be considered creative.

Guiyun Park, the study’s lead author, readily admits that not every type of job permits the fun of boredom, and it can really be harmful to some important work. But for designers and anyone in a creative field, boredom is not something to fear, but to embrace. Sometimes, the best way to be productive is to expect nothing of yourself at all.

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The process of the research.	B．The benefits of the research.
C．The reasons for the research.	D．The disadvantage of the research.

2. Which of the following may Guiyun Park disagree with?

A．Boredom can do harm to some work.

B．All types of jobs can embrace boredom.

C．Boredom is not always something to fear.

D．Boredom can be favourable to art designers.

3. What is the author’s attitude to boredom?

A．Concerned.

B．Negative.

C．Positive.

D．Indifferent.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A．The Role of Boredom in Increasing Productivity

B．The Negative Impact of Boredom on the Workplace

C．Why Boredom Should Be Avoided in Creative Fields

D．Unlocking Creativity: The Unexpected Benefit of Boredom

6 . In Oak Ridge, Texas, there lived a man named Samuel who was known for his _________ to embrace change. However, one day a serious of events happened that _________ him to face his fears and embark on a journey to turn over a new leaf.

Samuel worked in the town’s bookstore. His life had been _________ and dull. But one sunny morning, the bookstore owner _________ that the shop would be closing for good. Samuel’s heart sank, and he found himself _________ an uncertain future. Yet a glimmer of hope emerged—an opportunity to start anew.

With a newfound determination, Samuel decided to _________ his dream of becoming a novelist. With pen _________ and a blank page before him, Samuel poured his soul out onto the paper. He _________ tales of adventure, love and self-discovery. As he wrote, he gave life to the _________ that danced across the page.

__________, an unexpected opportunity presented itself. A local publishing house, __________ by Samuel’s stories, offered him a chance to share his work. He __________ took a leap of faith and said yes! The once-shy clerk __________ into a confident author. His books found their way into the hands of readers near and far, touching hearts and igniting passions.

And so, in the little town of Oak Ridge, Samuel became a beacon of light, whose life was __________ the lives of others by proving that starting anew was not just surrendering to the unknown, it was an invitation to create a life filled with __________ and fulfillment.

1.

A．unwillingness

B．uneasiness

C．discomfort

D．disagreement

2.

A．led

B．forced

C．encouraged

D．persuaded

3.

A．admirable

B．challenging

C．tiring

D．predictable

4.

A．announced

B．clarified

C．explained

D．demanded

5.

A．welcoming

B．anticipating

C．facing

D．awaiting

6.

A．take after

B．climb after

C．look after

D．go after

7.

A．on hand

B．by hand

C．in hand

D．at hand

8.

A．collected

B．penned

C．drew

D．reviewed

9.

A．characters

B．actors

C．directors

D．dancers

10.

A．Subsequently

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Eventually

11.

A．refreshed

B．astonished

C．charmed

D．entertained

12.

A．actually

B．immediately

C．practically

D．literally

13.

A．transported

B．translated

C．transformed

D．transmitted

14.

A．different from

B．similar to

C．composed of

D．contrary to

15.

A．happiness

B．purpose

C．recognition

D．welfare

7 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

Sizzle, sizzle (咝咝声)! The egg bubbled (冒泡)on the frying pan. I watched as its edges turned slightly brown then a bit black. Unfortunately, my head was stuck in the clouds, wondering if my parents would like my first attempt at cooking. I tried something simple, as I was still learning this new skill. When will the pots and pans respond to my call? How can I master steaming, boiling, frying, and the types of ingredients?

“Ah! No! My egg!” I shouted.

I quickly turned off the stove and slid (滑到)the blackened egg onto a plate. The color contrasted with the beautiful egg I had seen on YouTube previously. Mine looked nothing like the one online. Again, I wondered if my parents would appreciate the egg.

I split the egg right down the middle, hoping to see the yolk (蛋黄) flow out. To my disappointment, I discovered a firm yolk inside. I let out a frustrated sigh, turned and walked out of the kitchen with the plate in my hands.

At first, my parents were relatively pleased that the egg looked more or less like what they had imagined. But when they put it into their mouths, they tried to hide their discomfort. My Mom forced out a smile as she swallowed the egg.

“Good attempt Daniel!” she exclaimed cheerfully.

“It tastes delicious!” my Dad added in.

I could visibly see that their faces were twisted (扭曲)in disgust. It was painfully obvious that my egg tasted horrible.

“It’s fine,” I sighed. “I know the egg tastes bad.”

Disappointed, I trudged (费力地走) back into my room, unable to contain the feelings of failure bursting inside of me.

Don’t give up! I told myself. This is only your first attempt and if you persevere, you will surely improve!

With determination burning in me again, I turned on my laptop and searched for any cooking techniques I needed to master in order to cook. YouTube videos gave me a bit of reference, but I needed to seek advice.

注意： 1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: My sister Anne is an expert at cooking! I thought.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: After studying with Anne for a few months, I attempted once again to impress my parents.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many children does Mary have?

A．Five.

B．Three.

C．Two.

2. What was Mary’s dream career when she was little?

A．A pilot.

B．A nurse.

C．A teacher.

3. What did teachers say about Mary at school?

A．She was funny.

B．She was hard-working.

C．She was caring.

4. What is the name of Mary’s youngest son?

A．John.

B．George.

C．Michael.