1 . Since the old times, art has always been with us. Art has always been very important to people. It shows our feelings, ideas, and what we see around us. From the first simple cave drawings to the latest computer art, the way art has changed is a very interesting part of human history.

    1     This was a time when art was really amazing. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo made art that went beyond what was done before. They made beautiful things that also showed a new way of looking at the human body, how things look from different angles, and how light works.

But art is more than just pretty. Art isn’t just about looking nice.     2     In history, artists have used their art to ask questions about how society works, and to show they don’t agree with things. For instance, in times of significant social movements, art on walls and posters became a way for people to show they wanted changes.

Art can make us think and inspire us to do different things. In the 1900s, artists started making abstract art.     3     Artists like Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky used shapes and colors in new ways to make us feel emotions and think about ideas without showing real things.

How art grows also shows how technology gets better over time.     4     Digital art can be anything made with a computer or shown online. It has changed what we think art is. It also lets more people see and make art because you just need a computer to do it.

Art serves as a universal medium for the exchange of ideas, transcending (超越) language and cultural barriers. It allows for a form of communication that is accessible to all. It is away of sharing ideas with everyone.     5    

A．Take the oldest art as an example.

B．Take the Renaissance as an example.

C．People can understand it, no matter where they are from.

D．It means they tried to paint a lot of pictures to make a living.

E．This means they didn’t try to paint pictures of things we know.

F．Nowadays, with computers and the Internet, art is changing again.

G．It can also say important things about society and can help change things.

2 . Chinese food is well-known for its rich sorts and distinct flavors from different areas. This article highlights four classic dishes that represent the wide range of Chinese cooking.

Dongpo pork

Dongpo pork is a delicious dish from Zhejiang Province, China. It’s made by cooking streaky pork (五花肉) slowly with ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, and sugar. This makes the meat very soft and full of flavor. The tasty sauce is great for mixing with rice. The dish is named after a famous poet, Su Dongpo.

Hot candied milk tofu

Hot candied milk tofu is a sweet specialty from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is crisp (酥脆的) on the outside and soft on the inside. It tastes sweet and is suitable for people of all ages to eat. It’s also great for getting more calcium.

Steamed Chinese cabbage in supreme soup

Steamed Chinese cabbage in supreme soup is a famous Sichuan cuisine. It is made with the hearts of Chinese cabbage from the north. It’s cooked with chicken, duck, and pork bones to make a clear flavourful soup, which is seasoned with minced chicken or pork. Some chicken oil is drizzled on top. The Chinese cabbage, cooked in the soup, keeps its crisp freshness and soaks up (吸收) the soup, offering a tasty experience.

Steamed fish head with chopped hot chilli peppers

In Hunan Province, the love for spicy food is obvious in a famous traditional dish, steamed fish head with chopped hot chilli peppers. The fish head is marinated (腌) with a generous amount of red chilli peppers and then steamed to perfection. The combination of the fish’s natural freshness and the chilli peppers’ heat creates an unforgettable taste experience.

1. What is the first dish named after?

A．A famous chef.	B．A historical figure.
C．A traditional festival.	D．A specific cooking technique.

2. Which dish uses several kinds of meat as ingredients?

A．Dongpo pork.

B．Hot candied milk tofu.

C．Steamed Chinese cabbage in supreme soup.

D．Steamed fish head with chopped hot chilli peppers.

3. What are the key tastes of steamed fish head with chopped hot chilli peppers?

A．Sweet and sour.	B．Sweet and fresh.
C．Salty and sweet.	D．Spicy and fresh.

3 . To produce the classic clothing, blue jeans, producers rely on indigo dye (靛蓝染料), the only molecule known to provide jeans’ unique, beloved color. While indigo itself naturally comes from a plant, growing demand for blue jeans throughout the 20th century gave rise to synthetic (合成的) indigo, which is now more commonly used.

Indigo is the dye that makes jeans blue, but it doesn’t mix with water. To dye clothes, usually, chemicals are needed to make the color stick to the cloth. But in Denmark, scientists have created a new way to dye clothes using an enzyme (酶), which is a kind of protein that can cause chemical reactions, instead of harmful chemicals. This new method is better for the environment and doesn’t use poisonous stuff.

The chemical process for dyeing blue jeans has persisted for the last century. Workers are exposed to the poisonous chemicals, which also pollute the environment near factories. Waste water from those factories often ends up in waterways, decimating local ecosystems and even dyeing rivers blue.

Ditte Hededam Welner, the study’s lead researcher, says their new enzyme works really well and is strong enough for making lots of jeans without breaking down. This enzyme makes dyeing with indican, which is like indigo, much less harmful to the planet — about 92% better than the old way.

However, the new method doesn’t fix all the environmental problems of making jeans. Making a single pair of jeans uses a lot of water — enough to fill many bathtubs — from growing the cotton to putting the final touches on the jeans.

Even though the new dyeing process is better for the environment, it’s not always easy or cheap to change to it. Welner’s team isn’t sure if jeans companies will find it easy or affordable to switch to this method. It costs a little bit more — just seven cents extra per pair of jeans — to use the enzyme for dyeing. But Welner believes it’s worth it because it’s much better for the environment.

1. Why was synthetic indigo created in the 20th century?

A．It made jeans’ color unique.	B．It was easy to dye cloth with it.
C．People liked jeans made from it.	D．People were in greater need of jeans.

2. What does the underlined word “decimating” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Troubling.

B．Entering.

C．Destroying.

D．Defeating.

3. Which is an advantage of the new method?

A．The colour is more beautiful than the synthetic indigo.

B．The market can keep stable goods supplies.

C．Enzyme facilitates the advance of science.

D．The dye is more environmentally friendly.

4. What makes Welner worried about the new method?

A．Production costs.	B．Environmental benefits.
C．Water consumption.	D．Laborer shortage.

4 . A study following nearly 30,000 older adults for more than 10 years has found six key healthy lifestyle factors can significantly reduce memory loss and those adults engaging in between four and six of the healthy lifestyle behaviors could dramatically reduce their risks of developing dementia (痴呆), even when carrying genes that increase their risks of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Six healthy lifestyle aspects were assessed: a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, active social contact, active cognitive (认知的) activity, never smoking, and never drinking alcohol,” the researchers explained in the new study. Participants were classified (分类) into the favorable group if they had four to six healthy lifestyle factors, into the average group for two to three factors, and into the unfavorable group for zero to one factor.

The study found that people with four to six healthy habits had a much slower loss of memory than those with fewer healthy habits. People with these good habits were also much less likely to get dementia than those with one or no healthy habits. Those who had two or three good habits were 30% less likely to get dementia.

The study didn’t figure out which of the six healthy habits is the best for stopping dementia or which combination is the best. However, the information did show that eating healthy seemed to help prevent memory loss the most, with brain exercise and regular physical exercise also very helpful.

About 20% of the people in the study had a gene that makes Alzheimer’s disease more likely. Even so, having several good health habits helped slow down memory loss. This shows that changing how we live can really help.

Even though each health habit helped in a different way, overall, the study found that people with more good health habits had much less memory loss than those with fewer good habits. This suggests that the choices we make in how we live can help protect our memory. The study adds to the evidence that we might be able to change our risk of memory loss.

1. What were the groups categorized based on?

A．The participants’ age.	B．What hobbies the participants got rid of.
C．The healthy lifestyles the participants had.	D．What the participants’ attitudes to factors were.

2. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．The favorable group was happier than the other two.

B．More healthy lifestyles were of more benefit to health.

C．Healthy habits had little impact on memory or dementia.

D．People with a healthy diet wouldn’t suffer a loss of memory.

3. Which plays the second greatest role in reducing memory loss?

A．A healthy diet.	B．Active social contact.
C．Active cognitive activities.	D．Never drinking alcohol.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Healthy Lifestyles Slowing Memory Loss	B．A Study Making A Great Breakthrough
C．A Healthy Diet Being The Best Lifestyle	D．Old Adults Suffering From Health Problems

5 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

1. Why did people visit Thomas?

A．For advice.	B．For a meeting.
C．For a competition.	D．For introductions.

2. How did Thomas handle the crowd?

A．He ignored them.	B．He listened to each one individually.
C．He prioritized the problems himself.	D．He asked them to write down their problems.

3. What did reading others’ problems show to the people?

A．The complexity of their difficulties.	B．The similarity of their situations.
C．Their need for more advice.	D．Their living conditions.

4. What lesson did Thomas teach?

A．Competition.

B．Sympathy.

C．Prioritization.

D．Self-confidence.

6 . Animals, including humans, feel sound as well as hear it, and some of the most meaningful communication happens at frequencies (频率) that people can’t hear. Elephants, for example, use these low-frequency sounds to, among other things, find family or a mate across long distances. Whales do it, too.

But you don’t have to weigh a ton to make a sound. In fact, you don’t have to be bigger than a pea. Consider, for example, the tree-hopper, a curious little animal that lives on the stems (茎) of the leaves. University of Missouri biologist Rex Cocroft has spent much of his time listening closely to tree-hoppers with his team.

The team discovers that all the sounds being heard from tree-hoppers are produced by males. They do it by vibrating (振动) their abdomens (腹部) to make a wide variety of strange sounds. There is almost no airborne sound produced with these vibrational sounds. Cocroft explained, “If a tree-hopper were to stand on your finger and produce a sound, you would feel the vibration but hear no sound.”

They showed that some sounds, not surprisingly, seem to be aimed at attracting females. And some are aimed at other males.

Cocroft explained, “When two males meet each other, or when they are mate-searching on a branch, we’re hearing ‘purring, bdddddrrrr…’ sounds that males give.” Normally, a person couldn’t hear any of this, because the sound travels along the stem, inside it. And that’s how other tree-hoppers detect it.

Cocroft said tree-hoppers have very sensitive legs. And they stand around on stems, which are good at spreading vibrations. So they just use what nature gives them to communicate with each other.

“They have so many different forms of social behavior and grouping,” Cocroft explained. “And once there are animals living in groups, then there will be all sorts of interesting possibilities for communication.”

1. What does Cocroft’s research focus on about tree-hoppers?

A．Their variety.	B．Their communication.
C．Their living areas.	D．Their numbers.

2. What can we know about tree-hoppers?

A．They sense sounds by legs.

B．They knock the stems to make sounds.

C．Their sounds can be easily heard by humans.

D．Females make sounds to meet each other

3. What does Cocroft say about animals’ living in groups?

A．It is key to their survival.

B．It drives an increase in their numbers.

C．It often leads to communication.

D．It contributes much to the division of animal types.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A Magic Moment in Nature	B．A Journey to the Wildlife
C．Learning From Nature	D．Communication Sounds Among Animals

7 . Every year the start of the Atlantic hurricane season is another reminder for Margarite August that she still doesn’t have a roof.

The 70-year-old retired teacher’s home on the small Caribbean island nation of Dominica was mostly wiped out by hurricane Maria six years ago.

Six years after hurricane Maria, Dominicans like Margarite August still haven’t been able to rehabilitate their homes.

August is not alone. Since Maria, the government of Dominica has built 7,000 new homes—about a quarter of its housing stock-with materials to fight another Category 5 hurricane. They’ve also relocated two communities. But an untold number of the island’s 70,000 or so residents are like August, rebuilding their homes in any way they can afford.

Hurricane Maria is often referred to as a once-in-a-lifetime disaster. Scientists put much of the blame on warming ocean temperatures that could make frequent (频繁的) storms like it.

Maria damaged a terrible 95% of Dominica’s housing stock and 226% of the nation’s GDP. Before the storm, the country’s economy had long struggled since its independence from Great Britain in 1978. Unlike its more famous touristy neighbors along the chain of eastern Caribbean islands it lies on, Dominica is more known for its rugged mountains and jungles (丛林) than white sandy beaches.

The jungle mountains that crash down to the coast are beautiful but disasters visit easily. “I don’t think anybody ever got over Maria,” says Christine John of the Dominica Red Cross. “There are a lot of persons today—if it just starts to rain outside, they get anxious.”

1. What does the underlined word “rehabilitate” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Rebuild.

B．Leave.

C．Decorate.

D．Buy.

2. What is the main cause of frequent extreme storms according to scientists?

A．Over-farming.	B．Loss of the land.
C．The disappearance of the forests.	D．Climate change.

3. What is Dominica known for according to the text?

A．Its good economy.	B．Its architecture.
C．Its mountains and jungles.	D．Its sandy beaches.

4. Why are Dominicans nervous when it rains?

A．They have to stay bored at home.	B．Their houses are easy to take in water.
C．They don’t know how to make umbrellas.	D．They are afraid of another disaster like Maria.

8 . By the time Joy Ryan, a US grandma, turned 85, she had never seen the ocean or mountains. For Joy, trips to the local fishing area with her husband were about the farthest place she had ever gone, even if she loved watching the Travel Channel.

But one day Joy’s grandson, Brad Ryan, discovered that he and his grandma had a common interest in their love for traveling, when they began to visit the American great outdoors together.

Brad said, “When I learned my grandma had never seen the great wildernesses of America—deserts, mountains and oceans, I thought there was something I needed to do.” It was after taking his grandma out of Ohio on a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that he came up with the idea of visiting all the 63 US national parks with her to create inspiring memories.

Going to all the 63 US National Parks is a huge achievement even for a much younger adventurer (冒险家). Brad said his grandmother’s physical strength (体力) grew with their trips. For example, his grandma went water rafting (漂流) at 91, with class three rapids and when walking at the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, she broke the record by almost a decade!

It wasn’t always like this, however. Joy was so wobbly (不稳的) on her first trip, challenged by her balance. A group of college students clapped their hands when she reached the top of a path they were following.

Joy broke her age limitation (限制) and at the age of 93, she made history as the oldest living person to visit every US National Park. Joy believes it’s the mix of hopefulness, willpower, and the good health that gives her strength.

1. With whom did Joy Ryan visit all the 63 US national parks?

A．Her grandson.	B．Her husband.
C．Her daughter.	D．Her student.

2. What does Brad want to show by mentioning Joy Ryan’s water rafting at 91?

A．She had a love for traveling.

B．Water rafting is dangerous for the old.

C．There is no age limitation for water rafting.

D．She had developed a strong body from traveling.

3. What is Joy Ryan’s challenge on her first trip?

A．Her memory.	B．Her balance.
C．Her physical strength.	D．Her sense of direction.

4. Which of the following can best describe Joy Ryan?

A．Brave and hopeful.	B．Humorous and outgoing.
C．Hard-working and helpful.	D．Thoughtful and self-confident.

9 . National Parks in Utah

Zion National Park

It’s perfect for scenic drives and outdoor adventures. One of the park highlights is the Zion Canyons, which offers different hiking (远足) opportunities. Late spring or early fall is the best time to visit Zion National Park, since most facilities are open during this time. However, if you don’t mind cold weather, visit during the late fall and winter.

Bryce Canyon National Park

It’s home to the greatest number of hoodoos (石林) on earth, which are one of the natural wonders of the world. You can see most of Bryce Canyon’s highlights in one day by taking the scenic drive and making stops at various views. Most people visit the park between May and September since the weather is warmer.

Canyonlands National Park

Although it’s the 23rd largest National Park in the US, Canyonlands is the largest out of the four national parks in Utah. The best time of the year to visit is when the weather is pleasant in the spring and fall. The park has four main parts: The Maze, Island in the Sky, The Needles, and Horseshoe Canyon. If you plan to visit every part, you can go on a boat tour to explore it.

Arches National Park

Known as a red-rock wonderland, Arches National Park is popular for its stone arches (石拱).The park has over 2,000 stone arches, with Landscape Arch the largest. The park is busiest from March through October. However, the spring and fall temperatures are the most comfortable. So, the best time to visit is April, May, September and October.

1. When is the best time to visit Zion National Park?

A．Late spring.

B．Early summer.

C．Late fall.

D．Early winter.

2. What is special about Canyonlands National Park?

A．It features hike programs.	B．It is known for stone arches.
C．It is the largest one in Utah.	D．It requires advance bookings.

3. What can you do in Arches National Park?

A．Take a journey down a river.	B．Explore the Zion Canyons.
C．Tour Island in the Sky.	D．Admire the red rock.

10 . If you are struggling with social anxiety, and don’t know how to find good friends, you can use the following important ways to meet new people.

    1    

A bookstore is a great place to get to know people with a true sense of curiosity. Meeting new people in the bookstore is lovely because your conversations have depth. You can talk about the different stories you’ve read.     2    .

Go traveling

Traveling is one of the most adventurous ways to meet other people. People will be in a good mood, particularly when traveling for a vacation, which opens up chances to meet new people in a happy way.     3    , you explore different places, and create positive memories while meeting new people from different cultures. You’ll make new friends during this happy moment in your life.

Attend a music festival

If you love songs, attending a music festival is the perfect choice for you. In this way, you really can’t escape meeting new people since you’re surrounded by hundreds or even thousands of people in one place, enjoying the live music.     4    . There’s a big chance that the people you meet in this event are connections you’ll remember even after it ends. If the event is several days long, you might notice that you go out with those strangers for a couple of days. After the event, you might choose to stay in touch.

Take a course

There’s no better way of making new friends and meeting people than taking a course. You can take a course such as learning a skill.     5    , you gain knowledge and a skill, and you get to socialize with a new set of people.

A．Visit a museum

B．When you travel

C．Go to the bookstore

D．By taking a course you’re interested in

E．If you are fond of exploring the world

F．And you can share your ideas about reading and books, too

G．The excitement of music festivals can create lasting friendships