Ai Jing’s exhibition All The World Is Green opened on Tuesday, at the Helen J Gallery in Los Angeles. This
The exhibition showcased
At the heart of the exhibition, Girl on a Swing
In her younger years, Ai longed to leave home,
During the early stages of her career, she sang: “At 17, I left my hometown of Shenyang / For it seemed my dreams lay elsewhere.” It wasn’t until she gained international
Running until April 16, the exhibition offered enough time for audiences
Jameson Lobb, a 24-year-old investment banker from Toronto, was just one week into his new job on Wall Street. Over the past month, he’d been settling in to the New York City apartment he was sharing with his friend, an artificial intelligence engineer named Raphael Jafri.
Now, on Oct.4, the two were taking a quick lunchtime workout on Pier (码头) 15, overlooking the East River, when Lobb froze. “Somebody’s in the water,” he said. Before Jafri could respond, Lobb climbed over the rail at the edge of the pier and jumped into the cold, polluted water without taking the time to remove his shoes. What Lobb had heard was an alarming shout from Pier 16, nearly 50 yards away, “Help! He’s in the water!” And what he’d seen was a person floating (漂浮), motionless.
Approaching the victim, Lobb saw that it was a middle-aged man. He was big, around 200 pounds, respectably dressed and sinking fast. He was 3 feet below the surface by the time Lobb reached him. The rescuer dived, felt around, grasped the man and kicked upward until they both resurfaced.
Jafri was in water now. The two friends used all their strength to float the man on his back, even as the water threatened to overtake them. As Jafri put his arms around the man’s shoulders and Lobb supported him, the pair struggled back to Pier 15. Their lungs cried out for air and their muscles burned as they pushed and pulled the immobile figure through the freezing and fast-moving water.
The man was breathing shallowly, his face pale. When at last they reached Pier 15, they faced a new uncertainty. How to get out? The pier’s decking (甲板) stood an unreachable 10 feet above their heads. It is unlikely for them to climb onto the pier.
Suddenly the man made a slight move, struggling confusedly.
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
On the pier, a crowd had gathered.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As Lobb and Jafri climbed onto the pier, they were met with cheers and applause.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . Have more fun. Learn new things. These aren’t bad New Year’s resolutions. But where do you start?
Ask yourself how you want to feel
Hobbies present an escape — they can help you get out of your head and calm down, says Matthew J. Zawadzke, an associate professor of health psychology at the University of California.
Start small
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? The answer could point you toward an appealing hobby, Weiler says. “If you wanted to be a major league player, what can you do now that fulfills that urge for you?” she asks. Joining a softball team or coaching some neighborhood kids could awaken a passion.
Go back to school
Consider signing up for a lesson to learn more about a potential hobby, Weiler advises. Always dreamed of producing a novel?
| A．Take a trip back in time. |
| B．Join a fiction writers group. |
| C．There’s no such thing as one perfect enthusiasm. |
| D．Don’t invest a ton of time and money in a new hobby immediately. |
| E．He suggests asking yourself how you want an activity to make you feel. |
| F．His research indicates that people feel guilty about spending time on leisure. |
| G．Experts can help you to discover the hobbies you don’t yet know you’ll love. |
4 . Delivery driver Alan Moncayo had his 5-year-old daughter Sabrina along with him when he took lunch to an animal shelter in Lorton, Va., on a recent Saturday.
As Moncayo approached the shelter, he
Shelter staff introduced Moncayo and Sabrina to Jihoo, a 6-year-old 65-pound pit bull mix (比特犬混种). “Since big dogs were
After
So far, Jihoo has been adjusting well to his new home and family. “He brought joy and
| A．cured | B．spotted | C．bathed | D．bought |
| A．warned | B．informed | C．reminded | D．convinced |
| A．messy | B．striking | C．threatening | D．identical |
| A．begging | B．ordering | C．helping | D．instructing |
| A．memory | B．budget | C．duty | D．pocket |
| A．randomly | B．immediately | C．luckily | D．generally |
| A．firm | B．station | C．shelter | D．habitat |
| A．daughter | B．manager | C．staff | D．driver |
| A．rescued | B．delivered | C．introduced | D．meant |
| A．optional | B．empty | C．abnormal | D．artificial |
| A．dug out | B．filled with | C．checked out | D．covered with |
| A．going through | B．turning down | C．sorting out | D．giving away |
| A．stole | B．protected | C．adopted | D．ignored |
| A．laughter | B．liberation | C．moral | D．wisdom |
| A．immediate | B．complex | C．complete | D．temporary |
5 . I started to imagine how I’d lead my own tour. Working as a guard at the Guggenheim, I first liked reading the wall text—the paragraph-long explanation on the wall beside many of the artworks. Occasionally it’s helpful, and for years I thought it was downright rude when museums and galleries didn’t label each work. But now, more often than not, I wanted to tear all the labels down. The wall text stays just to the side of art, like the answer key at the bottom of a word search, its definitive tone sending the message that there’s only one right answer to the art.
I realized that art historians could be unreliable narrators (叙述者). The Richard Serra sculpture “Tearing Lead,” consisting of wrinkled lead (铅), took on a different look every time it was exhibited. Guards were given a board with the original photo of the sculpture and instructions “Please indicate where the piece was touched,” so an assistant could reposition the sculpture to match the picture. But an assistant I talked with told me that the sculpture was meant to have the metal pieces arranged haphazardly (杂乱地). The work looks different every time it’s shown —not that you’d know it from the wall text.
Therefore, I insist that you don’t look at the little label beside each artwork. When I guarded a Brancusi sculpture, I tried to stand in front of the wall label so people couldn’t see it, and I heard their interpretations go wild. They saw a finger, a woman giving birth, a graph, a Kurosawa character, a dolphin, a nose, a fish.
If I learned one thing as a guard, it’s that sometimes being forced to look at an artwork, even when you don’t want to, is life-changing. Fight the urge to see what you expect to be there; focus instead on what is there. I’m not concerned with whether you think it’s good. Just watch the thing in front of you.
1. What can we learn about the author from paragraph l?| A．He is forming his own judgement. | B．He likes traveling with his friends. |
| C．He wants to make his voice heard. | D．He writes explanations for artworks. |
| A．To introduce a special assistant. | B．To prove that wall texts can be wrong. |
| C．To call for protection of artworks on show. | D．To show how art historians describe works. |
| A．To prevent the visitors getting closer to the sculpture. |
| B．To make visitors have a better view of the sculpture. |
| C．To push the visitors to appreciate on their own. |
| D．To interact with the visitors in a fun way. |
| A．How I Rose from a Museum Guard to an Art Expert |
| B．What Categories of Artworks Museums Like Showing |
| C．How Working in a Museum Makes Me Have a Life Purpose |
| D．What Being a Museum Guard Taught Me about Looking at Art |
6 . We have all experienced that feeling of mental exhaustion (疲惫) after focusing on a tricky problem. Detailed thinking certainly feels like hard work, but is it? The answer is a touch less obvious than you might suspect.
The brain is certainly a hungry organ. “It is the most energy-consuming part of the body,” says Nilli Lavie at University College London. Although it accounts for around 2 percent of our body weight, it uses some 20 percent of the energy we burn at rest.
Interestingly, when it comes to energy use, the brain doesn’t distinguish between tasks that we traditionally regard as “hard” and those that come more naturally. This was first demonstrated in the 1950s in a study showing that the brain’s level of metabolic (代谢的) activity is remarkably constant, regardless of whether we are concentrating or letting our mind wander.
Your brain distributes resources to its different parts depending on the mental activity being carried out. But there is a trade-off. For instance, in a study published in November, Lavie and her teammates measured energy use in the brain region responsible for daydreaming and found that it decreased when volunteers carried out a problem-solving task that required focused attention.
So thinking hard does burn more energy in the brain region involved, but this is offset by energy savings in other parts of the brain. The amounts of energy involved are very small. Actually, a self-control task, such as keeping your hand in icy water for as long as you can, “burns up 1 calorie of glucose”, says Ewan McNay, at the University at Albany in New York. However, although this is a tiny amount of fuel, your brain doesn’t see it that way. “It worries about an imbalance of supply over demand,” he says. If the brain detects local drainage (排泄) of glucose—the sugar that fuels the brain—it perceives it as something bad, says McNay. This is what gives rise to the feeling of being exhausted after prolonged (长时间的) focus.
1. How does the author look at detailed thinking?| A．It can develop the less-used brain areas. | B．It can make the brain become tired quickly. |
| C．It is beyond the assumption of most people. | D．It is both mentally and physically demanding. |
| A．It is always in a hungry state. | B．It treats mental tasks equally. |
| C．It burns less calories when at rest. | D．It has a natural tendency to wander. |
| A．connects with other regions | B．solves a difficult task |
| C．receives more resources | D．becomes less active |
| A．Our brain has anxiety over the proper distribution of energy. |
| B．Our brain burns much more energy than it is supplied. |
| C．Our brain distributes energy to the wrong brain areas. |
| D．Our brain sometimes miscalculates the energy used. |
7 . This year’s hiking events have kicked off and we are introducing some walking festivals in the following.
Crickhowell Walking Festival (9-17 March)
One of the earliest of the year’s festivals, the walking festival offers 81 different walks this year, ranging from 2 to 17 miles. All are graded in terms of effort and difficulty, from an easy walk along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, to a—new for 2024—hike through the western Fans.
Isle of Wight Walking Festival (11-19 May and 5-13 October)
The Isle of Wight Walking Festival laces (系) up its boots in spring and autumn, on the 500 miles of footpaths on the island. There are walks focusing on every aspect of the island’s history. Walks are graded according to pace and difficulty.
Moray Walking and Outdoor Festival (14-24 June)
A great choice for those looking for other activities to enjoy besides walking, this 10-day celebration includes everything from boating to bird-watching. The walks range from gentle seaside wanders to endurance(耐力) hikes through the Cairngorms, with five different grades of difficulty.
Saltmarsh Coast Walking Festival (27 September-6 October)
Choose from self-guided or expert-led walks along a 75-mile stretch of the Saltmarsh coast, picking up the region’s maritime (海洋的) history, or learning about the rich variety of bird species. The festival features guided walks taking in vineyards (葡萄园), nature reserves and vast skies along the shoreline.
1. Which walking festival is held in two seasons this year?| A．Crickhowell Walking Festival. | B．Isle of Wight Walking Festival. |
| C．Moray Walking and Outdoor Festival. | D．Saltmarsh Coast Walking Festival. |
| A．Make samples of rare species. | B．Volunteer in nature reserves. |
| C．Observe birds and go boating. | D．Attend a class on marine science. |
| A．It has the longest path. | B．It provides graded walks. |
| C．It offers guide choices. | D．It serves as history tour. |
8 . About one in four Americans are physically inactive, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But for many of us, physical inactivity is not an intentional choice. It stems from sitting all day at a desk job, driving to work because there are no suitable walking or cycling routes. But what if the infrastructure (基础设施) around you gave you the opportunity to move your body without taking extra time out of your day?
“An active city would offer you loads of ways to get from A to B,” said Anna Boldina, an architectural researcher and designer who studies active cities at the University of Cambridge in the U. K. “Not only would these active cities be full of variety, but the various elements of an active city also have their own specific benefits: for example, stepping stones improve balanced co-activation of a variety of upper and lower body muscles as well as mindfulness and concentration on’ here and now,’ known as a stress relief.”
This all sounds great for future city design and planning, but how can we integrate these feature s into existing city infrastructure? “The best way to transform a place into an active city is through small interventions here and there: an extra stepping stone shortcut across the grass or extra log across the rain garden,” Boldina said. “Sometimes it is not about adding; it is about removing. It is also important that these routes are accessible to people of all ages and abilities.”
Of course, if there are always less challenging alternatives available, how can we encourage those who are able to take the more physically active routes? “One of our studies was aimed specifically at encouragement,” Boldina said. The study found that the most effective means of encouragement was providing a shortcut. “Other factors included playfulness, crossing water, using natural materials and adding handrails for confidence,” added Boldina, whose group is currently working with architects in Cambridge to create such active landscapes.
1. Which of the following best explains “stems from” underlined in paragraph 1?| A．Relies on. | B．Is caused by. | C．Mixes with. | D．Is changed into. |
| A．They contribute to better health. | B．They offer personalized activities. |
| C．They rely on governmental support. | D．They generally look like each other. |
| A．Protecting the local environment. | B．Adding a variety of safety equipment. |
| C．Making it easy for people to use. | D．Designing as many routes as possible. |
| A．How to motivate citizens to use active routes. |
| B．How to make active routes functional and fun. |
| C．Why citizens have little interest in active routes. |
| D．Why Cambridge can succeed, in adopting active routcs. |
One morning Jack woke up with an aching arm. He touched it carefully with one finger. Ow! That really hurt! He climbed out of bed and put on his dressing gown(睡袍), very, very carefully. Then he went downstairs.
Mum was in the kitchen, searching for cornflakes(玉米片)in the cupboard.
“We’re out of cornflakes again,” she said, not looking round.
“Mum,” Jack began, “I think there’s something wrong with my…”
But at that moment, Lucy, Jack’s twin sister, came into the kitchen.
“Mum,” she cried, “I’m very, very ill! Very ill indeed! My stomach hurts really, really bad! I am far too sick to go to school!”
Mum was worried. She felt Lucy’s forehead. “You do feel hot. But you were fine yesterday.”
“I’m not fine now,” said Lucy. “Please, Mum. Can I go back to bed?”
Lucy didn’t even want breakfast. Jack tried to tell Mum about his arm. But Mum was too worried about Lucy.
“Please just get dressed, Jack, or you will be late for school!”
Mum stayed home to look after Lucy. Dad gave Jack a lift to school, and Jack tried to explain about his arm. “I was playing football yesterday and I hit my arm and it still hurts,” he said.
“Probably just a bruise(瘀伤),” said Dad. “I hope Lucy is better soon. She looked a bit feverish to me.”
It’s always about Lucy, thought Jack crossly.
At school, Jack had to be very careful of his arm. He had to keep it really still. Luckily he could still write with his other hand. At home, Mum was looking after Lucy. She put her back to bed and brought her a glass of warm water. She read her a story.
“How do you feel now?” she asked. “Would you like to try a little breakfast?”
“I can’t eat a thing,” said Lucy.
Mum was worried. It wasn’t like Lucy not to eat anything. She bent down to pick Lucy’s teddy bear off the floor. As she did so, she caught sight of something under the bed.
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。
A huge pile of candy wrappers(包装纸)! And an empty box!
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Mrs Smailes, the headteacher, came running to meet them. ”I think you need to go straight to hospital. Jack is there!"
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About one year ago, 24-year-old Alex Wong found himself struggling with his mental health. With
“I would hole up in my room during the day and stay awake all night because I didn’t want to interact
It was during this time that Wong
Wong took part in the group’s “kindness walks,”
“Doing this work makes me feel grateful for everything I have. My homeless friends may be down on
Wong says that he’s in
