1 . Despite the fact that the Mona Lisa is one of the most well-known paintings in the world, did you know that it’s actually just 30 inches by 21 inches? The famous Leonardo da Vinci painting is housed at the Louvre and is under reliable security, but in May 2022, an angry protester was still able to lob some cake over at it.

The man disguised himself as a senior in a wheelchair, when all of a sudden, he jumped up out of the wheelchair. He tried to break through the painting’s protective glass case, and when he failed to do so, he broke some cake directly onto the glass and threw roses on the ground. He was then taken out of the building by security guards.

As he was taken out, the man was said to have shouted, “There are people who are destroying the Earth... Artists should think about the Earth! All artists should think about the Earth. That’s why I did it.”

Experts believe he was able to get so close to the painting thanks to the use of the wheelchair disguise. A museum spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that the museum had been following museum “usual procedures” for visitors with disabilities.

The painting was not damaged, but this was actually not the first time that it had faced the threat of damage. It first became well known when Vincenzo Peruggia stole the painting in 1911. It took 24 hours for people to notice that the painting was stolen at all, but then it was reported all over the front page of international newspapers. Peruggia was caught two years later and the painting became internationally known after being recovered for the intensive coverage.

In 1956, the painting was sprayed with acid, with the lower part of the painting being affected. Then Ugo Ungaza Villegas threw a rock at the painting, hitting the lower elbow of the woman in the painting. Following these events, the painting has been encased in bulletproof (防弹的) glass.

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

A．Take.

B．Paint.

C．Hang.

D．Throw.

2. Why did the protester pretend to be a disabled person?

A．To gain more sympathy.	B．To destroy the painting.
C．To visit the museum for free.	D．To watch the painting closely.

3. What do we know about the protester?

A．He tried to force the museum to close.	B．He wanted to draw others’ attention.
C．He was dissatisfied with artists.	D．He fought for the rights of the disabled.

4. What effect did the news reports about Peruggia’s act have on the painting?

A．It became world famous.	B．It led to no more attacks.
C．It was further damaged.	D．It was easier to protect.

3 . We all lose motivation from time to time. We’re human beings, not machines, and we don’t always possess the steam we need to keep going.     1     From getting rid of distractions, reminding yourself of your goals, to taking a well-deserved break to recharge your batteries, this article will explore tips to help you restore your drive.

    2     Before devoting time to any specific endeavor (努力), make sure you know exactly what you’re setting out to do — and when you hope to accomplish it. Apart from setting achievable targets, you should also establish regular checkpoints to track your progress. If you are falling behind with your goals, it may be the kick start you need to help get you back on track.

Give yourself breaks. Sometimes, even the most determined people get overwhelmed. You may be burning yourself out, and a much-needed break might be just what you need to help you achieve your goal. If it’s at school, for example, don’t try to do all your work in one sitting, but stretch it out over the course of the day.     3    

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone falls short sometimes. If you fail to meet your goals for the week, take it as a lesson. Try to complete your next target before time, so that you can use the saved time to complete the delayed work.     4     Don’t dwell on failure; just accept it, and continue working towards your goals.

Surround yourself with positive people. Developing a network of supportive and inspiring friends and mentors can make it a lot easier to stay motivated and achieve your goals. Reach out to classmates in your field or your favorite professors or bosses for advice and professional support — and make a point to stay in touch.     5    

A．Develop a schedule of “checkpoint” goals.

B．Set manageable goals with realistic deadlines.

C．Thankfully, there are ways to help you feel motivated again.

D．If you’re excelling in your progress, you’ll feel more motivated.

E．This way, you’ll stay right on schedule even if you have taken a hit.

F．They’ll be able to offer wisdom, encouragement, and even opportunities.

G．If it’s a fitness goal, take a four-day rest instead of a normal two-day one.

4 . For a long time, I kept a selection of books on a shelf next to my bed that I called my “heart books”. To qualify for a place on the shelf, a book had to be not only one I loved, but one that mattered. There was one book that never made it onto that shelf, though I read it in high school: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.

I can still remember the day I bought it. It was summer and I must have been 14 or 15. Desperate to get out of my house, I rode my bike into town and walked into the bookstore. I was going through the shelf of books on writing and it caught my eye. I picked it up, read a few pages, and bought it. Then I took it with me to a park, read the first few chapters, and opened my notebook to write.

It’s a fairly straightforward writing book. Goldberg’s method is simple: you choose a topic, set a timer, and write for 10, 15, or 20 minutes without picking up your pen. Free writing, timed writing, writing topics: anyone who has taken a creative writing class may have encountered these things. It’s not earth-shattering. There was nothing particularly new or unusual about the book so I can’t say why it attracted me so much. But it changed everything. I went from being someone who enjoyed writing to being a writer.

During my teen years and early twenties, following Goldberg’s method was at the core of my identity. No matter where I was or what I was doing, I filled notebooks. When I eventually started writing fiction, I did the same thing. The “I” in my notebooks became someone else, but I held to the same practice.

This writing practice led me to a writing group in Boston. It led me to my current career. It led me, in so many ways, to myself. Becoming a writer allowed me to become so many other things: an activist, a business owner, a farmer, a baker. . . Writing is where I found my confidence. It was where I became curious about the world. From that, everything else has followed.

1. How did the author encounter Writing Down the Bones?

A．By following a selection of “heart books”.

B．By referring to a book list about writing.

C．By recommendation of Natalie Goldberg.

D．By seeking writing books on a bookshelf.

2. What does the word “earth-shattering” underlined in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Remarkable.

B．Useful.

C．Controversial.

D．Amusing.

3. What can we infer about Writing Down the Bones?

A．It inspired the author to be a writer.

B．It was the first novel the author read.

C．It made the author start to love writing.

D．It is one of the books the author reads most.

4. Which of the following is answered by the last paragraph?

A．What is the author’s life like right now?

B．What did the author do in the writing group?

C．How has the writing practice shaped the author?

D．Why did the author give up the writing practice?

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

The very ancient poetry that     1     (write) a thousand or more years ago was simpler and about common things like love, romance and nature that people appreciate. Though much poetry was created in the eras following the Song dynasty, it is thought that the poets became increasingly     2     (academy) and hard to understand so that modern Chinese can’t appreciate the style and meaning.

For foreigners, ancient Chinese poetry     3     (be) more difficult     4     (comprehend). One of the reasons is the nature of Chinese characters     5     (they).Often one character has many meanings,     6     makes the translation of Chinese into English a key part of reading and understanding Chinese poetry. Put simply, good translation is essential to     7     (full) understand Chinese poems.

Another point worth     8     (notice) about ancient Chinese poetry is that itis influenced by Confucian and Taoist thinking. Ancient Chinese poetry has a focus of friendship besides love or being     9     lover. Friendships, to the village, the community, the country or your drinking friends are dominant themes. The poets’ main task seems to be just writing poetry, because a life as a poet is an important thing. In this respect, Chinese poetry is all     10     the poet, the “meaning” for the poet and not what is happening around the poet.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

In 1940, I worked in the checkroom of the railway station. I saw everybody that came up the stairs.

Harry was a young man who came to the station and waited at the head of the stairs for the passengers from the 9:05 train.

I remembered seeing Harry that first evening. He wasn’t much more than a thin, anxious kid then. He was all dressed up and I knew he was meeting his sister, who he hadn’t seen for many years.

Well, the passengers came up and I had to get busy. I didn’t look toward the stairs again until nearly time for the 9:18 and I was very surprised to see that the Harry was still there. His sister didn’t come on the 9:18 either, nor on the 9:40, and when the passengers from the 10:02 had all arrived and left, Harry was looking pretty upset. Pretty soon he came close to my window so I called out and asked him what his sister looked like.

“She’s small and dark. She is nineteen years old and very neat in the way she walk,” he said. “She has a face that has lots of spirit. I mean she can get mad but she never stays mad for long, and her eyebrows come to a little point in the middle. She’s got a brown fur, but maybe she isn’t wearing it.”

“I couldn’t remember seeing anybody like that,” I told him.

He showed me the telegram he’d received: ARRIVE THURSDAY. MEET ME AT THE STATION. MAY. It was from Omaha, Nebraska. “Well,” I finally said, “why don’t you phone to your home? She’s probably called there if she got in ahead of you.”

He gave me a sick look. “I’ve only been in the town for two days. We were going to meet and then drive down to the south of the city where I’ve got a job. She doesn’t have my address.”

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。

When I came on duty the next day, Harry was still there and I asked more about his sister.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One day, after about two weeks, I thought I could say something encouraging to him.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Post Office Locations & Hours

United States Postal Service (USPS) offers mailing and shipping services. Search for a USPS location near you to see the available services and holiday closing hours. You can also find smaller postal units, retailers that sell stamps, blue collection mailboxes, and 24-hour USPS kiosks (小亭).

USPS Holiday Service Schedule

All post office locations will be closed on Christmas Day (Dec.25) and New Year’s Day (Jan.1). Regular post office hours and mail delivery will resume (恢复) after each holiday. Business Customers: Check your Bulk Mail (大宗邮件) Entry Unit for hours of operation.

December 24 (Christmas Eve); December 25 (Christmas Day); December 31 (New Year’s Eve); January 1 (New Year’s Day).

●Local post office locations will be closed. ●Blue Collection Boxes: Mail will not be picked up. ●Regular mail will not be delivered. ●Priority Mail Express mail will be delivered.

Note:

●Deliveries on Christmas Eve (Dec.24) and Christmas Day (Dec.25) are made only in limited locations. An extra fee for those deliveries will be assessed.

●Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. For Priority Mail Express shipments mailed from December 22 to December 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two business days.

●Deliveries on New Year’s Eve (Dec.31) and New Year’s Day (Jan.1) are made only in limited locations. An extra fee for those deliveries will be assessed.

1. On which day can you mail things as usual at a local post office?

A．Dec.24.

B．Dec.25.

C．Dec.30.

D．Dec.31.

2. What should you do to get your mail delivered on New Year’s Day?

A．Pay extra fees.	B．Reserve in advance.
C．Call the local post office.	D．Wait outside the post office.

3. Where is the text most likely taken from?

A．A test report.	B．A travel brochure.
C．An official website.	D．An entertainment magazine.

10 . In the past generations, our ancestors (祖先) lived with the simplest way. When science and technology materialize, there are various developments in the world that change and improve the way of living of people. As years go by, more and more innovations (创新) were created by applying the ideas of science and technologies. Most of these have positive effects on the society but some of these are harmful in certain ways. However, the importance of science and technology can’t be denied.

Science and innovation have mainly affected society, and their effect is developing. It makes life simpler and makes people more gainful. This change has positive and negative effects. The benefit is making life simpler while the other side is that it makes individuals needy and lazier. By making life simpler, science has allowed man to seek for cultural concerns to improve human conditions.

Science and technology can shape the general public we live in very well and can make us feel simpler, safer and increasingly gainful. However, it also can be used wrongly, which can harm many blameless lives. We must think for our own progress as well as for the improvement of each person of this planet that we call our own home.

In short, science and innovation have made a great contribution to our lives. They may also be related to us greatly. In this way, their effects will depend on how we follow up on them. In addition, if we see the more brilliant side of innovation, it is the foundation of national construction.

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

A．Return.

B．Appear.

C．Stay.

D．go.

2. What is the author’s attitude towards science and technologies?

A．Unclear.

B．Negative.

C．Doubtful.

D．Objective.

3. Which of the following is the effect of science?

A．A better living condition.	B．People becoming less adaptive.
C．People becoming determined.	D．A colorful history.

4. What should we do when using science and technology?

A．Improve studying standard.	B．Help the disabled.
C．Think for other people.	D．Treat wildlife equally.