Lust for Life (《渴望生活:梵高传》) is a biographical (传记的) novel about the life of the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh.
The novel traces Van Gogh’s life from his early years in the UK to his final days in France. Stone weaves together historical facts, and
Another strength of Lust for Life lies
In conclusion, this book is a well-deserved
2 . Cultural traditions shape who you are. Lear n more about your traditions and how you can preserve them by means of the followings.
Share your culture art.
Each culture is carried by different forms of art. Museums often house items like clothing, music instruments, and visual artworks. However, beyond these exhibits, there exist tools crafted by ancestors, which present the traditions through generations’ wisdom.
Attend or organize major events.
Your country, religious organizations, or immigrant ethnic groups almost certainly celebrate major holidays or cultural festivals.
Cook family recipes.
Find some recipes from your grandmother’s cookbook.
Promote your dialects (方言).
Language shapes culture to some degree. Therefore, promoting a dialect contributes to the protection of a certain culture.
Spend time with other members of the community.
The best way to preserve your culture is to keep it alive.
A.Participate to get a broader view of your culture. |
B.Culture helps people adapt to the world around them. |
C.Smell and taste have powerful connections to memory. |
D.Record your family tree with the help of family members. |
E.Unfortunately, thousands of dialects are at risk of extinction. |
F.Gather as a group not just for holidays, but for ordinary meals or just conversation. |
G.The skills involved in shaping a stone tool represent one of the earliest cultural practices. |
3 . In a lab in London, newborn chicks took the first steps of their life and might become part of solving one of the brain’s big puzzles. Elisabetta Versace, the lead author of the new study and head of the Prepared Minds Lab at Queen Mary, and her co-workers published their findings on Tuesday in Biology Letters.
In a simple test, researchers placed the downy animals, hatched after less than a day in complete darkness, one at a time into a special box. Two screens on the opposite sides of the box played videos of moving orange balls, one moving upward and the other downward. Over the course of 20 minutes, most of the chicks hesitantly walked over to the end of the box with the upward-moving ball.
Biologists call the mechanisms (生物机制) that assist animals in their earliest moments “evolutionary predispositions (进化倾向)” or “priors”. “Studying how predisposition s work in humans is difficult,” says Elisa Raffalla Ferre, co-author of the new study, as babies take time to develop complex skills. By the time human babies can easily move, they have already spent significant time learning. Chicks, however, can perform relatively complex actions very soon after hatching, which makes them ideal candidates for exploring how predispositions function.
Why this preference for objects that move against gravity exists at all remains unclear. “Going against gravity in a consistent way is associated with animate objects in the ecological world,” Versace says, “because usually you see that water flows down or a rock falls down.” Lifeless objects, on the other hand, are unlikely to move consistently against gravity.
The newly released article is consistent with previous research, according to Orsola Rosa Salva, a comparative psychologist at the University of Trento. What Salva wants to see next in this field are experiments that begin to identify what areas of the brain are active when predispositions are launched, so scientists can better understand how the mechanisms work. Versace hopes that future research can offer insights into the way the brain is organized to make sense of the world.
1. What did the test find out about newborn chicks?A.They liked bright colors. | B.They had a poor sense of direction. |
C.They preferred rising objects. | D.They picked up first steps with difficulty. |
A.Their mechanisms are more complex. |
B.They were already studied more in the past. |
C.Their evolutionary predispositions work more effectively. |
D.They can exhibit complex behaviors soon after birth. |
A.It is common among species in nature. | B.It is a natural behavior of living animals. |
C.It contributes to the survival of animals. | D.It helps newborn animals to learn quickly. |
A.They’ll be carried out in the wild. | B.They’ll offer detailed workings of the brain. |
C.They’ll compare the brains of different species. | D.They’ll apply to scientific research in related fields. |
4 . As I look up at the hundreds of fireworks in the sky, I hear the bells ringing in a small temple welcoming the coming of the Chinese New Year. Though I may not believe in or understand many of the New Year traditions here, the similarities between the coming of this New Year and the beginning of my new life in China are not lost on a big boy like me.
My first few days in China were a cultural shock to say the least. Having arrived late in the semester, I immediately had to begin my beginners’ Chinese classes, along with the newest class of overseas students. Being surrounded by a language that isn’t your own is unbelievably annoying. Due to the picture-based fashion of Chinese writing, it’s not like you can have a guess, or work it out through whatever knowledge you have from other Latin-originated languages. If you don’t know what it says, then that’s it. However, with time passing, I have found myself progressing, though painfully slowly. The first time I called a taxi by myself, the driver actually understood where I wanted to go, which is hugely rewarding. Still it is never long before my lack of language skill is exposed (暴露的) and I come crashing back to earth, usually immediately upon leaving the taxi.
Gaining a language is a huge valuable skill. However, it is not the only thing I will gain in China. After this year of learning Chinese, I aim to gain my master’s degree here at University of Jinan. Opportunities do come around rather often: from being offered jobs teaching English, to being asked to appear on game-shows for Shandong TV. So, for now, I am just looking forward to expanding my cultural horizons (眼界) and enjoying my time here. I take some time to get used to everything, but that’s part of the adventure and, most of all, employment. So, much like the Chinese New Year that I am lucky enough to be part of, I am just looking forward to a fresh start and a new journey in China.
1. What can we know about the author from the first two paragraphs?A.He has no interest in Chinese traditions. |
B.He knows nothing about the Latin language. |
C.His late arrival made him miss beginners’ Chinese classes. |
D.The unique way of Chinese writing made him hard to understand Chinese. |
A.He is poor at using public transport. | B.He finds it easy to call a taxi in China. |
C.He feels pleased to have made progress in Chinese. | D.He is good at chatting with the taxi driver. |
A.To settle down in China. | B.To become a famous host on TV. |
C.To broaden his cultural horizons. | D.To be an excellent teaching assistant. |
A.Exploring Chinese: valuable skills mastered | B.Learning Chinese; adventurous but enjoyable |
C.Coming to China: more opportunities promised | D.Studying in China: challenging but rewarding |
Tom was a skilled teenage surfer. He had always been attracted by the ocean and the challenge of riding its waves. He had trained tirelessly for years, sharpening his skills and perfecting his technique. He had participated in many competitions and won several titles. But one day, his world was turned upside down.
It was a routine training day. While Tom was concentrating on his training in the sea, a shark came in through the broken shark-proof net and approached him. The animal knocked over Tom’s surfboard and bit his right leg, tearing through his flesh (肉体) and causing massive damage. Despite the seriousness of his injuries, Tom was lucky to survive the attack. He was rushed to the hospital, where he received an emergency operation. With the efforts of doctors, his leg was saved.
Tom’s recovery was long and painful, but he refused to give up on his dream of surfing. At first, his progress was slow. He had to learn to walk again, and then to run, and then to jump. Every movement was a struggle. But with the help of his family and friends, as well as his own fierce determination, Tom gradually began to make progress. He spent hours every day in the gym, doing strength and balance exercises to rebuild his body.
Finally, after months of hard work, Tom was ready to get back into the water. His first training was incredibly difficult, as he struggled to overcome his fear of the ocean and the memory of the shark attack. But gradually, he began to regain his confidence and his love for surfing. As his strength and skills returned, Tom set his sights on competing once again. He trained tirelessly, working with a coach to perfect his technique and improve his performance. And finally, the day of the competition arrived.
注意:1.所续写的短文词数应为150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Standing in front of the starting line again, Tom felt nervous.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Tom fell into the sea.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.课程内容;
2.个人感受。
注意:1.词数80个左右;2.增加细节以使行文连贯。
Dear Peter,
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Yours,
Li Hua
7 . In the summer of 2015, Brian Peterson and his wife, Vanessa, had just moved to Santa Ana, California. One day, Peterson was reading the book Love Does, when his quiet was
“It was the
Peterson painted Merda’s portraits,
Peterson’s
A.overthrown | B.disturbed | C.attracted | D.tricked |
A.learnt | B.thought | C.proved | D.achieved |
A.exchange | B.receive | C.pursue | D.grab |
A.strangest | B.best | C.saddest | D.brightest |
A.ugliness | B.guilty | C.pride | D.beauty |
A.spoken | B.smiled | C.shaved | D.slept |
A.defeated | B.discouraged | C.shocked | D.inspired |
A.picked out | B.picked up | C.held up | D.held out |
A.found | B.saw | C.stopped | D.required |
A.rather than | B.according to | C.apart from | D.along with |
A.Hurriedly | B.Practically | C.Hopelessly | D.Fortunately |
A.order | B.record | C.play | D.write |
A.struggle | B.argument | C.connection | D.appointment |
A.unhoused | B.uncovered | C.uneducated | D.unsettled |
A.valued | B.overlooked | C.recognized | D.respected |
8 . Four Best Natural Parks in America
Everglades National Park, Florida
Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical (亚热带) wilderness reserve in America. This amazing destination is a 1.5-million-acre ocean of grass which flows gradually from central Florida all the way south to the sea. This makes it -an important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species like manatee, American crocodile, and Florida jaguar.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Grand Canyon National Park is home to one of the largest canyons in the world. If you visit between mid-May and mid-October, you can see the Canyon from the North Rim. About 90% of all visitors see it from the “South Rim”, because it is open all year and has easy-to-get-to overlooks.
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
The caves house 200 animals, most of them being invertebrate (无脊椎) species. 42 of these species live in total darkness. These caves are incredible enough to be featured in Planet Earth——a must-see BBC documentary series.
Olympic National Park, Washington
Olympic National Park has a little bit of everything rugged Pacific coastline, high mountain peaks, broad sandy beaches, clear lakes, rain forests. With such a wide variety of ecosystems, Olympic is one of the most diverse wilderness areas in the United States. The park is an important habitat for species like wild salmon (鲑鱼), northern spotted owls.
Olympic National Park is very large and there are no roads that cross the park. If you visit in April or May, you may see gray whales pass by on their way to Alaska.
1. What animals live in the Everglades National Park?A.Northern spotted owls. | B.Invertebrate animals. |
C.Gray whales. | D.American crocodiles. |
A.Grand Canyon National Park. | B.Mammoth Cave National Park. |
C.Everglades National Park. | D.Olympic National Park. |
A.It is open all year. |
B.It has a rich biodiversity. |
C.It is located in the state of Kentucky. |
D.It has easy roads for visitors to drive across the park. |
9 . My 7-year-old daughter Leeny always has her nose in a book. She even took to reading in the car on the long drive to summer camp, which was where she lost the book. This is the first lost library book in my life. My family has always been over-educated, but we were poor. I didn’t own books. I borrowed books. However, my daughters have more books now than I owned my whole childhood, and I knowingly contribute to it by adding to the stacks (堆). So it’s probably my fault that when Leeny realized she had lost the book, she shrugged. “Sorry. I can’t find it,” she said. “It’s only $20, right? What’s the big deal?”
I felt the need to make her feel responsible for the book. She agreed to help me clean the chicken coop (笼子) in trade for my paying the library fine. I thought this idea was very clever because cleaning the coop is some work I had been avoiding for months. It was summertime and dust floated in the air. But my girl, my animal-loving mini-me, thought shoveling chicken poop (铲鸡粪) was the most fun she’d had on a Saturday morning in a long time. She didn’t feel any of the emotions that punishment is supposed to introduce. In fact, she looked as if she might lose another on purpose in order to clean the coop again. I stood, somewhat dumbfounded (目瞪口呆的), watching her.
It took me a while to realize what had happened, why my punishment had failed so completely and why I didn’t care. The fact is that I had Leeny help me clean the chicken coop. I was there, too, shoveling chicken poop, fetching the clean straw and feed. Leen’s little sister, Vicki, was inside watching a cartoon while my husband paid bills. Only Leeny and I were outside. She had me all to herself for the first time since Vicki was born, and she was enjoying all the attention for once. I don’t know what she learned about responsibility, but I found that I didn’t care about the book any more. We bonded over that unpleasant job and spent quality time together: mother, daughter, and chicken poop.
1. How did Leeny find reading?A.It was very challenging. | B.It was of great value. |
C.It was full of enjoyment. | D.It cost a large fortune. |
A.The author didn’t own many books. |
B.Leeny feel irresponsible for the lost book. |
C.The author’s daughters own too many books. |
D.The author could never have enough books to read. |
A.Ashamed. | B.Astonished. | C.Embarrassed. | D.Upset. |
A.What I owe to Leeny is more attention. |
B.My punishment failed, but I didn’t care. |
C.My daughter drove me crazy, but I felt grateful. |
D.What my daughter loves is cleaning chicken coops. |
Past and Future Friends
It was the first day of school. When Mike spotted his friend Jack down the hall, he smiled slightly and increased his pace. Before he could catch up, however, one boy sprinted (快速奔跑) down the hall and fell into step with Jack. Lou, the most popular guy in school, was Jack’s new football teammate. Mike stopped walking and watched Jack and Lou laughing heartily as they walked down the hall.
Later that day, Mike saw that Jack was in his P. E. class. Relieved, he approached Jack and was greeted with a “Hey!” Before Mike could answer, though, Lou walked into the gym and Jack hurried to join him on the court. The scene in front of him faded away as Mike remembered another day of school almost two years earlier.
“Got anything good?”
The dark-haired boy looked up from the cafeteria table where he was sitting alone. He waved his hand at the remains of his paper bag lunch. “Not really.”
“I’m Mike Adams,” Mike said. “You’re Jack, right? How do you like Markham Elementary School so far?”
Jack gave a small smile. “Can’t say I like being the new kid. People aren’t very friendly.” “You just have to give them a chance,” Mike said. “Come over to my table. I’ll introduce you.”
The two boys had quickly become best friends. They had done everything together: practicing their skateboarding moves, riding their bikes to get ice cream, and fishing at Miller’s Pond.
Still, Mike had not seen much of Jack over the last summer. Jack’s family had gone on vacation for several weeks, and then Jack had started football practice, which was clearly how he had become such a good friend with Lou.
Mike felt a knot (郁结) in his stomach. Was he going to lose his best friend because he had not tried out for football? As he looked at Jack’s stylish new clothes and haircut, the knot in his stomach grew. After class, he left without trying to talk to Jack, and for the next few days, Mike avoided him altogether.
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。
Mike was walking home from school on Thursday when he heard footsteps behind him.
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Mike was a frozen statue as he watched Jack go away, thinking about the invitation from Jack.
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