1 . HARDCORE TANO*C is an independent Japanese music label that is known for releasing music compilations and albums focused on various forms of hardcore techno such as UK hardcore, happy hardcore, and gabber. The label was founded in 2003 by Yoshikazu Nagai (who at the time used the Akai Hito alias), originally under the name of Hardcore Tanoshii, but changed to its current name of HARDCORE TANO*C in 2007 after the release of the album HARDCORE SYNDROME. The label features a store which sells the most notable doujin (同人)music releases, and is well known for their frequent live events that are regularly organized throughout the years, including the annual TANO*C TOUR series of events and the S2TBTANO*C events done in collaboration with kors k’s S2TB Recording label.
From 2011 to 2018, HARDCORE TANO*C were very closely linked with BEMANI, most notably in beat mania IIDX and SOUND VOLTEX. Many of HARDCORE TANO*C’s members were frequent contributors to BEMANI,and KONAMI even collaborated with the label for a few of their own album releases. Their presence also expanded to various other music game titles.
Many guest artists have appeared in HARDCORE TANO*C compilations, including Ryu☆, kors k, DJ Shimamura, m1dy, M-Project, JAKAZiD (as Joshka), Hommarju, Camellia, lapix, C-Show, Maozon, Nhato, Dustvoxx, and Akira Complex.
By the end of 2017, HARDCORE TANO*C has started to produce major artist album releases, containing licensed works done for music games by the circle’s artists. From September 2018, a sub-label directed by DJ Myosuke named HARDCORE TANO*C HARD has been established, which focuses on harsher music. HARDCORE TANO*C is also heavily involved in the 2019 rhythm game WACCA, which is published by MARVELOUS!, with nearly its entire staff contributing to the game.
A song composed by various members of HARDCORE TANO*C, BATTLE NO.1, was planned to be in SOUND VOLTEX IV HEAVENLY HAVEN for the The 8th KONAMI Arcade Championship, under the artist name of TANO*C SOUND TEAM. KONAMI rejected the song (likely due to their poking fun (打趣) of the BEMANI Sound Team moniker, which was at its most extreme in the time of that event), and it later appeared instead in the HARDCORE TANO*C-produced game WACCA on August 1st, 2019. It also appeared in lowiro’s Arcaea as part of the Arcaea× HARDCORE TANO*C Collaboration (联动) and SEGA’s maimai でらっくす Splash. It was added to Muse Dash on February 5, 2021.
1. What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?| A．Some basic information about HARDCORE TANO*C. |
| B．The founder and members of HARDCORE TANO* |
| C．C. The relationship between Yoshikazu Nagai and HARDCORE TANO*C. |
| D．The relationship between BEMANI and HARDCORE TANO*C. |
| A．Camellia. | B．Laur. | C．Maozon. | D．Akira Complex. |
| A．It was produced by HARDCORE TANO*C last year. |
| B．None of MARVELOUS!’s employees is working for it. |
| C．The song BATTLE NO.1 was included in this game. |
| D．It had a collaboration with Muse Dash in Feb, 2021. |
| A．Try playing WACCA if possible. |
| B．Spread bad comments about HARDCORE TANO* |
| C．Only cheer for the game or the artist you like. |
| D．Ask the official staff about the song selection petulantly. |
2 . How to Overcome Your Fears
Here are five practical strategies that will help you overcome your fears and face a brighter future.
Identify your fears
Take a moment to explore inward and identify the specific sources of your fears. Recognize what it is that is holding you back. Ask yourself, “What are you genuinely afraid of?” Spend a few quiet moments observing your thoughts and emotions.
Understand the root cause
Spend some time exploring the nature of your fears. Begin reflective thinking by asking yourself, “Why am I experiencing fear?” and “What is causing me to feel anxious?”
Practice acceptance
The journey of overcoming fear requires acceptance.
To overcome your fears effectively, you need to set clear and achievable goals. That’s because you can use a sense of purpose to drive you forward on your journey. In addition, breaking down your broader goals into smaller ones is important.
Take action
| A．Establish clear goals |
| B．Remember all your goals |
| C．If you take action at once |
| D．When you answer these questions |
| E．Then write down in detail what comes up for you |
| F．Accepting fear is not a barrier to self-improvement |
| G．At this point on your journey to overcome fear, it’s time to take action |
3 . Iceberg Water, which is harvested from icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland Canada, is achieving new heights of popularity in North America.
Arthur, Von Wiesenberger who carries the title “Water Master”, is one of the few water critics in North America. As a boy, he spent time in the larger cities of Italy, France and Switzerland, where bottled water is consumed daily. Even then, he kept a water journal, noting the brands he liked best. “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water.” He says.
But is plain tap water all that bad? Not at all. In fact. New York’s tap water for more than a century was called the champagne of tap water and until recently considered among the best in the world in terms of both taste and purity. Similarly, a magazine in England found that tap water from the Thames River tasted better than several leading brands of bottled water that were 400 times more expensive.
Nevertheless, soft-drink companies view bottled water as the next battle-ground for market share — despite the fact that over 25 percent of bottled water comes from tap water: Pepsi Co’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani are both purified tap water rather than spring water.
As diners thirst for leading brands, bottlers and restaurateurs are desperate for the profits. A restaurant’s typical mark-up (加价) on wine is 100 to 150 percent, whereas on bottled water it’s often 300 to 500 percent. But since water is much cheaper than wine, and many of the fancier brands aren’t available in stores, most diners don’t notice or care.
As a result, some restaurants are turning up the pressure to sell bottled water. According to an article in The Street Journal, some of the more shameless methods include placing attractive bottles on the table for a visual sell, listing brands on the menu without prices, and pouring bottled water without even asking the diners if they want it.
Regardless of how it’s sold, the popularity of bottled water taps into our desire for better health. our wish to appear cultivated, and even a longing for lost purity.
1. What is Arthur’s purpose in mentioning his dog in paragraph 2?| A．To indicate his own preference for bottled water. |
| B．To show the importance of bottled water to dogs. |
| C．To clarify the difference between bottled water and tap water. |
| D．To exhibit the large consumption of bottled water in big cities. |
| A．tap water from the Thames River |
| B．famous wines not sold in ordinary stores |
| C．PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani |
| D．pricey bottled water with very impressive names |
| A．Most diners find bottled water affordable. |
| B．Competition from the wine industry is fierce. |
| C．Bottled water can bring in huge profits. |
| D．Bottled water satisfies diners’ desire to be fashionable. |
| A．Tap water: why tastes better? | B．Bottled water: why so popular? |
| C．A new favorite of. restaurants; bottled water | D．A rising star: tap water |
4 . When Lucy was ten, she went to the theatre to see a play The House at Pooh Corner with her parents. Immediately, Lucy fell in love. But although she took part in school and college plays, she never thought it could lead to a career. Instead, she studied business at university, working for the Land Register of Scotland until she retired in 2012. Her newly free time reignited (重新，点燃) a decades-old spark. “I still wanted to do something with my brain so I went back to university to study theatre and performance,” says Lucy.
That year, she took part in a folk drama workshop and discovered mumming, an ancient masked form, in which male actors travel through villages, performing simple plays, often in exchange for food or shelter. “It’s a simpler story than conventional plays. It has one central conflict rather than slow character development. It’s rooted in history and involves more improvisation (即席创作) because the play is always tailored to a local audience,” says Lucy.
Interest grew and Lucy set up her group — the Meadows Mummers — as a charity, to attract wider support and donations. Its first performance was in 2015, at the Meadows festival in Edinburgh. Things snowballed from there. As well as touring central Scotland, the group went to the International Mumming Symposium and Unconvention in Gloucestershire in 2016, and learned more about the history of folk drama.
More recently, life circumstances have made performing difficult. “I’ve had health problems.” She says that, at times, she has considered giving up, but gets too much joy from doing it to stop. “We’ve just done one performance this year but I’m really excited that we’re getting ready for more festivals next year.”
The drive to keep going is inspired by an experience more than 30 years ago. “I was in a national park in Yugoslavia when I saw a woman staring attentively at this green river,” she says. “She told me she was going blind and wanted the river to be the last beautiful thing she ever saw.” Whenever doubt creeps in (不知不觉产生), Lucy recalls that encounter and feels forced to continue grasping life with both hands. “Just because you’ve reached 60, it doesn’t mean the drawbridge has been pulled up,” says Lucy.
1. Why did Lucy study theatre and performance after retirement?| A．To further her study. | B．To please her parents. |
| C．To recollect her interest. | D．To find a better job. |
| A．Its history. | B．Its characteristics. | C．Its importance. | D．Its prospect. |
| A．Stuck. | B．Collapsed. | C．Developed. | D．Froze. |
| A．We should try to live in the moment. | B．Roman was not built in a day. |
| C．Where there’s a will, there is a way. | D．Art is long, life is short. |
5 . Officials in San Francisco are asking the public to help choose a waste container among several models proposed for mass deployment (部署) in the California city. It is proving to be a costly project. One of the trash cans under consideration cost more than $20,000 and took four years to make.
San Francisco began its search for the perfect public trash can in 2018. Officials decided it was time to replace the more than 3,000 cans that have served the city’s streets for almost 20 years. The current trash cans open too widely, they say, permitting people to reach in. The cans also break a lot, requiring repairs. Sometimes people push them over or mark them with words and pictures. Sometimes, the cans are set on fire.
Last month, the city deployed 15 made-to-order trash cans and 11 off-the-shelf trash cans. Attached to each was a QR code from which people could answer questions about the individual can. The city government project also created interactive maps so people can find the different models to consider. The so-called Soft Square model trash can was priced at $20,900, making it the most expensive model on the streets. It is made of light steel. A press of a pedal opens the can for hands-free operation. It has dividers so waste can be separated from materials for recycling, like aluminum and glass.
City officials say, however, that the government will not pay more than three-thousand per can once a model is chosen for mass production. Beth Rubenstein is a spokeswoman for San Francisco’s Department of Publie Works. “We live in a beautiful city, and we want(the trash can)to be functional and cost-effective, but it needs to be beautiful,” she said.
But the good looks of the shiny new trash cans have not protected them from vandalism and other disrespect. Three weeks after being deployed, several are overflowing, or covered in orange and white graffiti or dirty from coffee spills. Diane Torkelson volunteers on a team that removes trash from the streets near her home. She recently visited three of the proposed trash cans. Two were already full when the group arrived to inspect them, she said. “If the trash can is full, it’s of no use, no matter how well it was designed,” she said.
1. Why did San Francisco decide to replace the existing trash cans?| A．They are damaged beyond repair. | B．They are too small to hold the city's waste. |
| C．They have outlived their useful life. | D．They are difficult to clean and maintain. |
| A．The urban can replacement project. | B．The trash can QR code campaign. |
| C．The city-wide mapping initiative. | D．The pedal-operated container program. |
| A．Destruction of property. | B．Theft. |
| C．Illegal invasion. | D．Tagging. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Neutral. | D．Indifferent. |
6 . Are you ready to get down to a thrilling journey through the pages of captivating stories and profound knowledge? Join us for an unforgettable reading event that promises to ignite your passion for literature and broaden your horizons!
Celebrating the Richness of American Literature
Immerse yourself in a treasure of literary masterpieces that showcase the cultural richness and diversity of American voices. From timeless classics to contemporary gems, there’s something for everyone to discover and enjoy.
Book Highlights:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Delve into the timeless tale of justice, morality, and compassion set against the backdrop of the American South.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Experience the glitz, glamour, and disillusionment of the Jazz Age through the eyes of the enigmatic Jay Gatsby.
Beloved by Toni Morrison: Journey into the haunting world of slavery’s legacy and the enduring power of love and memory.
Meet the Authors: Signed Copies and Book Giveaways!
Don’t miss the opportunity to meet renowned authors and get your books personally signed! Plus, stand a chance to win exclusive giveaways and limited edition merchandise.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, March 23rd
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Location: Central Public Library, 123 Main Street, Anytown, USA
Who Should Attend?
This event is perfect for crazy readers, literature enthusiasts, and anyone eager to explore the diverse landscape of American literature. Whether you’re a high school student preparing for college or a seasoned bookworm, there’s something here for you!
Registration and More Information:
Visit our website at www.booklovers.com to register for this exciting event and learn more about the featured authors and book selections.
Why It Matters:
By celebrating the rich tapestry of American literature, we not only honor the voices of the past but also inspire future generations to embrace diversity, empathy, and the power of storytelling.
1. Which book is NOT mentioned as an emphasis of the event?| A．To Kill a Mockingbird. | B．The Great Gatsby. |
| C．Moby-Dick. | D．Beloved. |
| A．Sign their own names on books. | B．See and greet famous authors. |
| C．Participate in a reading competition. | D．Watch a movie screening. |
| A．A food magazine. | B．An astronaut’s journal. |
| C．A sci-fi handbook. | D．A reading website. |
7 . I guess most of you have had an experience like it: it’s the weekend, but instead of having a good rest, you have to bury yourself in the endless homework you have left over from the week. This was my routine too. But it came to an end during my school’s “No Homework Weekend”.
The activity was announced two weeks in advance so we could get prepared. Students in my class did not have any homework on the special weekend, but students in other classes were not so lucky. There were also some teachers who told their students: “You don’t have homework this weekend, but you do have a test next Monday.” This meant: “You don’t have to prepare for the test during the weekend, but good luck if you don’t!” Well, teachers will be teachers, I suppose.
I really made the most of those two days without homework. On Friday night, I stayed up chatting with my friends online because we didn’t need to worry about homework. On Saturday, I watched a band concert, and on Sunday I had a god sleep and organized my notes. Normally I have so much regular homework that I do not have time to review and organize class notes. But on that weekend, I finally had time to do it.
No Homework Weekend was really a great time to release stress and take a look at what we had learned so far. I loved it and I hope my school holds more weekends like it in the future!
1. The writer often _________on weekends.| A．has a good rest | B．watches movies | C．prepares for tests | D．does lots of homework |
| A．will not have any homework | B．will have a special test |
| C．will have to prepare for the exam | D．will have lots of books to read |
A．watch a film | B．sleep very well | C．organize the notes | D．review the lessons |
| A．is worried | B．seems happy | C．doesn’t care | D．is surprised |
8 . Tai Chi, a gentle martial art originating from China and involving slow movements with a focus on breathing and on what your body is doing in that moment, provides numerous benefits for both physical and mental well-being. Here are five convincing reasons to bring Tai Chi into your routine.
●It’s easy on the body.
Tai Chi offers gentle exercise suitable for individuals of all ages and fitness levels.
●It could prevent falls.
A review of studies conducted in 2019 indicated that Tai Chi could lower the risk of falls among older people. Certainly, the emphasis is on balance, with sideways and backwards movements aiding in the strengthening of the muscles necessary for stability.
●It may boost brain power.
●
A reduction in stress and anxiety, along with an increase in confidence, is another mental health benefit of Tai Chi, as indicated by research findings, though further research is needed to comprehensively understand and confirm these effects.
●You can do it at home.
Attending classes can be beneficial for receiving structured instruction and connecting with like-minded individuals.
| A．It has the feel-good factor |
| B．It can improve heart health |
| C．The benefits aren’t just physical |
| D．But there are videos available online too |
| E．They also improve flexibility and spatial awareness |
| F．Its low-impact nature minimizes the risk of joint injury |
| G．You can share experiences with these people face-to-face |
9 . German physicist Albert Einstein is one of the most famous scientists of all time, the personification of genius and the subject of a whole industry of scholarship. In The Einsteinian Revolution, two experts on Einstein’s life and his theory of relativity — Israeli physicist Hanoch Gutfreund and German historian of science Jürgen Renn — offer an original and penetrating (犀利的) analysis of Einstein’s revolutionary contributions to physics and our view of the physical world.
By setting Einstein’s work in the long course of the evolution of scientific knowledge, Gutfreund and Renn discover the popular myth (谬论) of Einstein as an unconventional scientific genius who single-handedly created modern physics-and by pure thought alone.
As a large part of the book explains, Einstein typically argued that science progresses through steady evolution, not through revolutionary breaks with the past. He saw his theory of relativity not as something from scratch, but a natural extension of the classical physics developed by pioneers such as Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei and English physicist Isaac Newton in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as well as nineteenth-century physicists.
The authors highlight how classical physics cannot be separated cleanly from modern Einsteinian physics. The book also includes substantial sections on Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo whose methods inspired Einstein. When Einstein considered himself as standing on their shoulders, he meant that, without their contributions, he would not have formulated (阐述) the theory of relativity.
The Einsteinian Revolution is an important and thought-provoking (引人深思的) contribution to the scholarly literature on Einstein and his surprising scientific creativity between 1905 and 1925. Gutfreund and Renn might not have given the final answer as to why Einstein, of all people, revolutionized physics in the way that he did. But they argue in fascinating detail that, to understand his genius, one must take into account not just the earlier history of physics but also the history of knowledge more broadly. Although not always an easy read, the book will interest physicists and historians alike.
1. According to the popular view, how did Einstein create his theory?| A．By generating ideas on his own. | B．By standing on giants’ shoulders. |
| C．By carrying out experiments. | D．By cooperating with other physicists. |
| A．With previous knowledge. | B．From the very beginning. |
| C．From learning from others. | D．Up to a certain standard. |
| A．Their ideas were rejected by Einstein. |
| B．Their devotion to physics impressed Einstein. |
| C．Their research contributed to Einstein’s success. |
| D．Their hard work deserved the worldwide respect. |
| A．It opens a door to physics for beginners. |
| B．It gives a brief glimpse of Einstein’s legendary life. |
| C．It bridges the gap between readers and the greatest minds. |
| D．It offers a wider perspective to understand Einstein’s genius. |
10 . Nanako Hama gets a lot of mail, mostly from strangers who live in her home city of Tokyo. In light envelopes, they send locks of their hair, hoping to recycle it.
People generate a huge amount of hair waste. Nearly all of that waste ends up in landfill, where it can release harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
But hair possesses useful qualities and it’s a shame to simply throw it away. That’s why people all around the world, like Hama, have been collecting hair and finding innovative ways to recycle it, including making mats (垫子) out of it for removing oil leaks,
Hama is part of the nonprofit Matter of Trust (MoT) members working at more than 60 centers dotted across 17 countries, using machines to make hair donated from local salons and individuals into square mats, which are then used to clean up the floating oil.
“Hair is particularly well-suited for this,” says MoT co-founder Lisa Gautier, “That’s because its rough sort of outer layer lets oil stick to it.” MoT’s mats have been used in major oil leaks, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon and 2007 Cosco Busan incidents.
In a 2018 study, Murray, an environmental scientist at the University of Technology Sydney, in Australia found that mats made of recycled human hair could absorb 0.84 grams of oil onto its surface for every gram of hair — significantly more than polypropylene (聚丙烯), a type of plastic that’s typically used to clean up floating oil.
Besides, hair is also useful as fertilizer (化肥). Hair contains a relatively high nitrogen (氪), a chemical element crucial for plant growth, and each lock of hair is made of roughly 16 percent of this essential nutrient. Last year, more than 560 gallons of liquid fertilizer made from human hair was sold to farmers in northern Tanzania and the feedback from the farmers has been very encouraging.
“It’s just a great way to use hair in a productive way. Hair is an answer literally hanging in front of our eyes-for oil and soil, ” Hama says.
1. What can the mat made of human hair do?| A．Clear the sea of oil. | B．Improve soil. |
| C．Take in harmful gas. | D．Prevent oil leaks. |
| A．Its color and strength. | B．Its length and amount |
| C．Its structure and component. | D．Its weight and flexibility. |
| A．To state a fact. | B．To support a point. |
| C．To make a comparison. | D．To clarify a concept. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Optimistic. | C．Doubtful. | D．Negative. |
