1 . Adding to the achievements of a remarkable year, Taylor Swift has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023.

Already a superstar before 2023, Swift’s career has reached new heights thanks to the beginning of her Eras Tour that brought her 3.5-hour performance to 66 shows in 23 cities across North America, Argentina and Brazil. Promoted by her tour, Swift has been named the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify and Apple Music. According to Billboard, the tour made about $900 million (about 6.4 billion yuan) in 2023. In addition, the tour’s movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour became the biggest concert movie of all time, taking more than $250

million globally.

As she was declare a billionaire by Bloomberg in November, a hidden “Taylor Swift economy” also promoted sales for business owners across the US. From soaps to a cruise inspired by her different “eras”, interest in Swift-related products went way up.

Apart from her financial contributions, Swift made a significant cultural impact by taking back control of her music. In 2019, her old record label, Big Machine, sold the master tapes of her first six albums (专辑) to Scoot er Braun. The sale meant that she didn’t have the rights to the albums. In response to this, Swift began re-recording her first six albums, tagging (加标签于) them “Taylor’s Version”. This move stressed her belief that artists deserve to own their work. “It’s all in how you deal with loss,” she told Time. “I respond to extreme pain by resisting.”

Heading into 2024, Swift will start the Eras Tour again in Japan and Australia. As USA Today noted, “Her current top has been a long time coming, but it may also be just beginning.”

1. What do we know about Taylor Swift?

A．She broke a new record on her tour.	B．She toured South America before 2023.
C．Her achievements received great recognition.	D．Her performance began with the Apple Music.

2. What other contribution did Taylor make except economy?

A．She proved herself to be an artist.	B．She learned to make some products.
C．She had influence on music culture.	D．She sold her master tapes to a company.

3. What can we learn about Taylor Swift from the last paragraph?

A．She will end her music career.	B．She will continue her Eras Tour.
C．She will reach her top in Japan.	D．She will make a record in Australia.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards Taylor Swift?

A．Admirable.

B．Uncaring.

C．Doubtful.

D．Critical.

2 . It was 1:20 a.m. I had just gone to bed, a bit _________ after celebrating my 31st birthday. Before dinner, I’d placed _________ outside my garden door and prepared the cell phone just _________. After all, it had been _________ that week, resulting in flood warnings.

I was awakened by the _________ of rushing water. When I swung my legs off the bed, I was shocked to feel cold water already up to my knees and _________ fast.

Shaking in darkness, I _________ my phone and turned on its flashlight. Then by the light I could _________ water was from the garden door. It must have breached (在……上打开缺口) the sandbags. The river, usually such a quiet, slow moving river in my region, had _________ burst its banks. And now I had to __________!

I took __________ action. Any effects of the alcohol before sleep were gone; __________ sobers (使清醒) me up. After I went outside, I learned the river had flooded the neighbourhood. Therefore, if I had woken up just a few minutes later, I would have drowned.

In the end, I think the experience made me __________ and determined to live each day to its fullest. I came very close to drowning that day. But rather than dwell on (沉湎于) what happened, I prefer to __________ what my mother told me afterwards, “Don’t remember the day when you lost everything. Remember the day you __________. That day marked the beginning of a new chapter in your life.”

1.

A．relieved

B．excited

C．drunk

D．content

2.

A．stones

B．sandbags

C．wood

D．boxes

3.

A．in case

B．in advance

C．in turn

D．in doubt

4.

A．thundering

B．snowing

C．pouring

D．blowing

5.

A．roar

B．taste

C．rhythm

D．smell

6.

A．appearing

B．spreading

C．freezing

D．rising

7.

A．charged

B．grabbed

C．dropped

D．studied

8.

A．see

B．guess

C．realize

D．check

9.

A．extremely

B．narrowly

C．violently

D．deadly

10.

A．give out

B．check out

C．slow down

D．get out

11.

A．brave

B．immediate

C．determined

D．calculated

12.

A．fear

B．shock

C．stress

D．morality

13.

A．active

B．grateful

C．proud

D．modest

14.

A．ask

B．assess

C．follow

D．analyze

15.

A．loved

B．gained

C．graduated

D．survived

4 . When Param Jaggi was five years old, he had a passion to take things apart to see what was inside. He started with toys and even broke a computer, which made his parents not too pleased. As he got older, he shifted from breaking things to building things, which greatly comforted his parents. In middle school, he started working on projects in his kitchen laboratory, and his first project was making biofuels.

Although Jaggi’s parents initially thought his experiments were just a boyhood fancy, he remained determined to make a difference to the environment. Eventually, his parents came around and started supporting his dreams. Jaggi’s interest continued as he grew up, but he focused more on solving real problems, especially those related to the environment.

At 17, Jaggi went beyond his school projects and co-founded Ecoviate, a company that uses technology to solve everyday energy and environmental problems. He planned to transform people’s idea that going green is expensive, by making available a series of affordable products that are easy to use. Through Ecoviate, he designed products that could contribute to a greener future. One of his notable inventions was the “CO₂ube”, a device that could reduce carbon emissions, and it’s available to many people at low prices.

Young Jaggi, now a third-grade college student studying engineering and economics, has become a famous eco-innovator and his company is developing promisingly. However, Jaggi’s vision to save the environment goes beyond creating products. He plans to launch an online platform through Ecoviate, which will encourage young students interested in science and technology to get actively involved in innovation and invention. Students can submit a science project online, and talk about the help that they need to make the project a reality.

1. What can we learn about Jaggi?

A．He dreamed to be an engineer.	B．He was curious by nature.
C．He always annoyed his parents.	D．He was addicted to playing toys.

2. What do you infer about Jaggi’s parents in Paragraph 2?

A．They were fed up with Jaggi.

B．They were satisfied with Jaggi’s experiments at the beginning.

C．They change their mind and were in favor of Jaggi’s experiments at last.

D．They thought Jaggi’s experiments were fantastic .

3. What drove Jaggi to develop affordable and user-friendly products?

A．His love for greener devices.	B．His pursuit of academic career.
C．His hope to boost green industry.	D．His desire to make a difference in ecosystem.

4. Why does Jaggie plan to launch an online platform?

A．To empower young inventors.	B．To promote smart products.
C．To provide eco-themed courses.	D．To offer environmentalists funds.

5 . Nanjing Yunjin brocade is traditional Chinese silk art with a history of about 1,600 years. Its complex weaving (编织)techniques, various colors and patterns, and its particular choices of materials make it valuable and ancient people said, “An inch of brocade, an inch of gold.” Today, the traditional characteristics and unique skills of yunjin remain to be an award-winning art treasure. Its techniques are passed down from generation to generation by artisans.

Zhou Shuangxi, a national-level inheritor (继承人) of yunjin weaving techniques, is one of them. Back in 1973, he graduated from a mining school and was selected to become a student at the NanjingYunjin Research Institute along with five other students, just because he was “in good shape”. There were only several masters in their 70s and not even a loom (织布机) to use. “The old masters finally remembered a loom was stored somewhere. When I opened the door, I saw what seemed like a pile of wood,” Zhou recalled.

“Weaving was difficult, but different from mining. Mining requires heavy physical labor, but working with the soft and thin silk requires studying and practicing in front of a loom for decades until you master the technique. My hands became quite awkward due to mining, so I used to put my hands in warm water whenever I could. In this way, they could become softer and weave the silk more easily,” he said.

Out of the six or so students, Zhou is the only one who has insisted on the trade to this day. Having devoted the past five decades to yunjin production despite all the sweat and struggles, he has developed his techniques to the point where he can weave the antique dragon robes in all their small details. He also made various artworks that not only show China's intangible cultural heritage but also serve as Zhou Shuangxi's artistic creations.

“I am lucky to be in such a good era and I have the honor of being a representative inheritor,” Zhou said.

1. What was Zhou’s original impression of yunjin weaving techniques as a student?

A．They faced an uncertain future.	B．They were popular among the public.
C．They required much physical strength.	D．They were closely related to his schooling.

2. Why did Zhou put his hands in warm water?

A．To relieve the pain of mining.	B．To make them much more suitable for weaving.
C．To gain an attractive appearance.	D．To rest his hands and draw inspiration.

3. What kind of person is Zhou probably according to the text?

A．Determined and creative.	B．Awkward and hesitant.
C．Encouraging and honest.	D．Adventurous and sociable.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The ups and downs of yunjin.

B．People’s appreciation of a traditional art treasure.

C．Artisans’ struggle to pass down traditional techniques.

D．A national-level inheritor of yunjin weaving techniques.

6 . 语法填空

This summer, have you been surprised by women wearing hanfu, or Han-style clothing, at subway stations, shopping malls or     1    (scene) areas?

In 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China set the     2     (three) day of March in the Chinese lunar calendar,     3     (traditional) the birthday of the Yellow Emperor as the annual Traditional Chinese Garment Day. Since then,     4     beauty of hanfu has gained more and more recognition and acceptance by common people.

Generally, Hanfu refers     5     traditional Chinese clothing worn by the Han ethnic group before the Qing Dynasty (1644—1911). Historically, Han Chinese clothing has also influenced some of its neighboring cultural clothing,     6     (include) the Japanese kimono, Korean hanbok, and clothing of Mongolia, Vietnam and Bhutan.

Hanfu appears elegant and beautiful,     7     is not only due to the thousands of years of culture behind its beautiful design, but also because of its extraordinary craftsmanship and aesthetics (美学). Hanfu includes more than 30      8    (example) of China's intangible cultural heritage as well as Chinese arts and crafts under preservation.

Hanfu     9     (represent) an aesthetic for living and a continuation of traditional Chinese culture. Nowadays, more and more fashion designs look to hanfu for inspiration     10    (create) their own brand.

9 . A recent global study, which surveyed 10,000 young people from 10 countries, showed that nearly 60 percent of them were extremely worried about the future state of the planet. The report also showed that nearly half of the respondents (受访者) said that such distress affected them daily, and three-quarters agreed with the statement that “the future is frightening.” This, and many other studies, show clearly that climate change is not just a threat to the environment. It also poses a very real threat to our mental health.

Psychologists have classified these feelings of sadness, distress, and worry about the current climate emergency as eco-anxiety. According to the Climate Psychology Alliance, eco-anxiety is defined as the “intense physical and mental discomfort in response to dangerous changes in the climate system.”

Eco-anxiety doesn’t just affect young people. It also affects researchers who work in climate and ecological science, burdened by the reality discovered in their findings, and it affects the poor people across the globe, who hopelessly bear the harmful impacts of climate breakdown.

In recent years, we’ve seen wildfires tear through Canada and Greece, and summer floods destroy regions in Pakistan that are home to nearly 33 million people. Studies have shown that those impacted by air pollution and rising temperatures are more likely to experience mental distress.

The cause of this mental distress is absolutely external. According to Caroline Hickman, a researcher on eco-anxiety from the University of Bath, anyone experiencing these emotions is displaying entirely natural and rational reactions to the climate crisis. Her suggestion? Take eco-anxiety as a tool for good-as an emotion that can urge people to act in protection of our planet.

This is why, in 2024, we will also see more people around the world join the fight for climate justice and apply for jobs that seek sustainable development. Eco-anxiety is not something we will defeat with therapy—we will solve it by taking action.

1. What does the underlined word “distress” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Shock.

B．Anxiety.

C．Happiness.

D．Anger.

2. What is eco-anxiety according to the Climate Psychology Alliance?

A．It is a strong reaction to the natural disasters.

B．It is a kind of mental disease for the young people.

C．It is a physical and mental discomfort when we meet difficulties.

D．It is a strong physical and mental discomfort for the dangerous climate changes.

3. What is mainly talked about in paragraph 3?

A．The process of eco-anxiety.	B．The impact of eco-anxiety.
C．The causes of eco-anxiety.	D．The benefits of eco-anxiety.

4. What’s the approach to solving eco-anxiety according to Caroline Hickman?

A．Defeat it with a therapy.	B．Just wait for a good solution.
C．Join the fight for climate justice.	D．Use it to urge people to protect our earth.

10 . The ancient city is in Pingyao county, Shanxi Province. The city wall was first built during the Zhou Dynasty and rebuilt in 1370. Since 1997, it has been listed as a World Heritage Site. Now Pingyao city is the only one in China completely protected as it was hundreds of years ago.

The perimeter (周长) of this square city is 6.4k m long and the city wall is the earliest and largest city wall in China. It is 12m high with width of 5m . The wall was built with earth and covered with bricks. Outside the city wall there is a river, 4m wide and 4m deep.

There are several gates of the city, two each on the east and west and one each on the south and north side. All the gates have two doors each. This has given the city the name “Turtle City” with the two gates on the south and north standing for the head and tail of the turtle and four gates on the east and west as the four legs. The doors on the south and north st and opposite each other. like the head of the turtle extending out and two wells just beyond southern gate are like a turtle’s two eyes.

Located on the trade route between Beijing and Xi’an, Pingyao developed into a merchant center where the local people set up the nation’s earliest banks. These banks were the first in China to use checks (支票).

Several old courtyards have been turned into museums, most of which were homes and offices of Pingyao’s old banks. One of the most unusual aspects of a visit here is realizing that this place was very important to China’s financial history.

1. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The ancient city — Pingyao.	B．China’s ancient financial center — Pingyao.
C．The city wall of Pingyao.	D．The museums in Pingyao.

2. We know from the passage that _________.

A．the city wall of Pingyao was first built in 1370	B．Pingyao city hasn’t been a World Heritage Site
C．Pingyao’s streets are wide and made of earth	D．Pingyao city is well protected

3. How many gates are there in Pingyao city?

A．Four.

B．Five.

C．Six.

D．Seven.

4. It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that _________.

A．Pingyao city played an important role in ancient China’s finance.

B．museums in Pingyao city are now used for bank offices.

C．Pingyao city was one of the largest cities in ancient China.

D．old banks in ancient Pingyao city used checks only.