1 . The following are some of the most recognizable names in art history.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci, born in 1452 in Tuscany, Italy, was a genius. His one-of-a-kind gift was expressing human emotions, which earned him a name from an early age. He kept painting until his death in France in 1519. His Mona Lisa is a painting that was originally left incomplete but has become the world’s most famous picture.

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh, born in the Netherlands in 1853, is widely regarded as one of the finest post - impressionist painters of all time. He did not become an artist until he was in his late twenties. In 1886, he traveled to Paris, where he met Paul Gauguin, who encouraged Van Gogh to develop his own style. He died in 1890 after suffering from mental health problems. Van Gogh became famous after his death.

Claude Monet

Claude Monet, born in Paris in 1840, was a talented French artist who is widely considered as one of the most important painters. He was recognized for his talents when he was young and he was the first to employ oil and outdoor methods. The word “impressionism” was created after his picture Impression, Sunrise. Monet died at age 86.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain, in late 1881. He began drawing at a young age and had gotten his first lessons in the use of oil paints from his father by the time he was seven. In 1900, he moved to Paris and sold his first painting there. He made significant contributions to the progress of modern art. He passed away in 1973.

1. Which of the following painters lives the longest?

A．Leonardo da Vinci.

B．Vincent van Gogh.

C．Claude Monet.

D．Pablo Picasso.

2. What do we know about Monet?

A．He inspired Van Gogh.

B．He was taught by his father.

C．He suffered mental health problems.

D．He led to the birth of impressionism.

3. What do the four painters have in common?

A．They are all impressionists.

B．They liked painting outdoors.

C．They all had experiences in France.

D．They were recognized in their life time.

2 . One of the world’s most productive wildlife sound recordists (录音师) has released a large collection of his most treasured recordings of wild places to listen to for free on Soundcloud.

“Martyn Stewart has recorded nearly 100,000 pieces, consisting of 30,00o hours of materials. They have been spread across 40 countries and used in 150 films,” Krause, a friend of Martyn said. “Some of these include sounds that can’t be heard anymore, as they belong to extinct animals or disturbed habitats.”

Martyn is one of the key recordists who helped set the standards that gave the work standing in the world of sound. Few can match the quality of his life-long efforts. Throughout his life, since he recorded his first bird at the age of 11, it was easy to record the sounds of faraway places. But times are changing, and the growing presence of noise pollution has made his job a lot harder.

Among his “treasured” recordings include Hurricane Dorian on a remote beach, thunderstorms in Australia, Denali National Park and Arctic Wildlife Home in Alaska, dawn in Zimbabwe, and so much more. He’s also recorded sounds and calls of certain animals, some of which are extinct like the white rhino and the golden frog.

“I hope the free project, called Martyn Stewart’s Listening Planet, is meant to inspire people to try and protect a more delicate part of the world——the auditory (听觉的) part. They have the connection between sound and the animal making the sound,” said Martyn. “I think we have to become the voice of the voiceless. If we can get these beautiful sound recordings out and let people in the world listen to them, maybe we can start protecting what we’ve got left.”

1. What can be learned from Krause’s words?

A．Martyn’s work deserves praising.

B．Recording is a time - consuming job.

C．Martyn loves to record rare animals.

D．The recordings are intended for films.

2. What made Martyn’s job more difficult?

A．The standard of recordings.

B．The loss of natural habitats.

C．The increase of noise pollution.

D．The extinction of certain animals.

3. Why did Martyn decide to share his recordings for free?

A．To meet fans’ requests.

B．To make himself more famous.

C．To stress difficulty of his recordings.

D．To raise concern for sounds in nature.

4. Which of the following best describes Martyn?

A．Determined and humorous.

B．Generous and devoted.

C．Curious and friendly.

D．Creative and honest.

3 . Nowadays, we know how to work with al old items. Many of them can be reused after being properly processed. Instead of sending them to the trashcan, we have new choices.     1    

Participate in the Give the Gift of Sight Program. Run by Lions Club International, the program makes it easy for you to donate your old eyeglasses and sunglasses to needy people in developing countries. After you drop glasses off, they are cleaned, repaired, and grouped, then distributed.

Donate your used computer to computers for Kids, a non-profit organization.     2     Its donation program collects and cleans computer equipment, and gives away the equipment to schools and children’s organizations in need.

    3     Contribute to offering help to the troubled kids by sending either entire greeting cards or just the fronts of cards, to St. Jude’s Card Recycling, 100 St. Jude’s Street, Boulder City, NV89005. The youth redecorate the cards by adding new backs, and sell them to support the program. For more information, call 1-877-977-8888.

Recycle sneakers (运动鞋) and athletic shoes. Since 1990, NIKE has sponsored the Reuse-A-Shoe program.     4     Then they are made into athletic equipment, such as playground padding, gymnastic mats, and running tracks. Call 1-800-344-6453 for drop-off locations or get the mailing address at Reuse-A-Shoe.

Never throw away books or magazines. Books and magazines are a great aid to help those who’ve been sent to prison. Some of them quit school at an early age.     5    

A．Recycle holiday and greeting cards.

B．Find one near you by searching online.

C．So don’t forget the “early reader” books.

D．Here are some ways to recycle worn - out items.

E．It aims to improve the computer skills of youth.

F．It takes in used sneakers and breaks them into pieces.

G．Over 1.5 million pairs of shoes are recycled and repaired.

4 . A young Irishman, Fionn, has come up with a method to solve the microplastic pollution problem, winning Google’s international science fair. He created a kind of liquid magnet (磁铁) by mixing magnetized iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) and vegetable oil. It can collect microplastics and remove them, leaving only water behind.

Since the age of 12, he has been looking to find a solution for the hard-to-clean microplastics. During childhood, he frequently went beaches where he saw a growing number of plastic garbage. Once, he saw a rock with oil remaining, and stuck to it were small plastic pieces. He then found out that the plastic pieces are what we call non-polar, and oil is non-polar too. In chemistry likes attract likes, which means non-polar things attract non-polar things. He heard of something that was a kind of magnetic water by combining vegetable oil with magnetized iron oxide (Fe₂O₃). He noticed oil could attract the microplastics and magnet finally cleaned the microplastics. Inspired by it, he made the liquid magnet.

Indeed after 5,000 experiments it was shown that his method could clean 87％ — 93% of microplastics from the water, despite the fact that the microplastics came from a variety of sources like car tires, plastic bottles, and washing water.

Larissa Kelly, Fionn’s science teacher commented,” The invention, based on very Simple components, makes a breakthrough. It has powerful potential to provide solutions that will contribute to the worldwide effort to remove microplastics from the environment,” Fionn showed his method at the 2019 Google Science Fair and won a $50,000 scholarship. After the Google Science Fair, scientists gave him credit for what he had done. Fionn is now trying to fit his method into a device that can be used in home waterpipes, or the pipes at a wastewater plant, allowing the liquid magnet to continuously clean water that moves through it. He also plans to make it used on boats.

1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Magnet.

B．Rubbish.

C．Plastic.

D．Oil.

2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The effectiveness of the method.

B．The creation of the experiment.

C．The influences of microplastics.

D．The sources of plastic pollution.

3. What does Kelly think of the invention?

A．Easy and creative.

B．Old and effective.

C．Costly and imaginative.

D．Reliable and traditional.

4. What can be inferred about the liquid magnet?

A．It will be widely used soon.

B．It is still at the experimental stage.

C．It mainly deals with the sea pollution.

D．It has successfully been used in household.

5 . Human beings need interpersonal connection. But, in fact, learning how to let go of that pressure to be accompanied has unique upsides. Time alone allows you to reconnect with your own intentions.     1    

Start small. Figure out what you’d be most comfortable doing, whether it’s sitting at a local restaurant for dinner, or hitting up the bar, and do that.     2    

Bring a book or a journal.     3     When feeling you’re so alone and stressed in a cafe, you have an activity to engage in. Plus, the act of reading or journaling can direct your attention and help you tackle and calm such feelings.

Set your phone aside. Looking through social media or texting instantly takes your mind out of the present moment. Even if you’re not directly interacting with people while on your phone, you’re probably interacting with their thoughts or inputs.     4     This way you can let your body down-regulate and reset.

Do an activity you love. You can sign. up for an art class or workout program or volunteer group without anyone else you know.     5     And part of the full-circle joy of doing things completely for yourself is that it also brings you opportunities to meet new people, and form new, beautiful connections.

A．They’re helpful tools for beginners.

B．Here are tips for your self-acceptance.

C．It’s vital to tear yourself away from that.

D．Independence needn’t always equal privacy.

E．Ways of enjoying your own company are as follows.

F．Even so, it may feel awkward and strange to hang out alone.

G．Focus on that one outing as your single goal, and then another.

6 .    More than 4.85 billion people have access to the Internet. Online, they can find all the information available to humankind and form their own opinion about anything. This has completely changed society. But what disturbs most is the new technological ability of the large number of people to express themselves. It is not free access to information but access to self-expression that changes the world. We are living through an unexpected explosion of authorship.

   Thе book Human as Media gives us a vivid picture of this explosion of authorship. Humankind had 300 million authors in 5,000 years of written civilization and, all of a sudden, this number has risen to 4.85 billion in the space of 40 years. Such authorship has given us opportunities to express ourselves freely, but it has also led to thoughtless self - expression.

   Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are commonly blamed for creating cultural mess. People can express this or that opinion as they like. But what really matters is that social media provide chances for billions who can reach out to others beyond their physical and social limits. This itself has become an important factor to shape society, regardless of the content. In reality, social media are specifically taking advantage of our desire to “struggle for recognition”. We humans need to feel a sense of being together. So is our thirst for response. Social media provide, or at least offer, responses to even the smallest activities of a user such as likes, posts, and comments. I click, therefore I am.

   But with this great service comes great risks. Those self-expressions are exposed to some extent unseen before. Unprepared and unhesitating judgments regarding someone’s personal matters or public affairs increase incredibly. Personal becomes public and public becomes personal.

1. Why does the author mention the book Human as Media in Paragraph 2?

A．To explain a rule.

B．To provide a proof.

C．To clarify a concept.

D．To make a prediction.

2. What can we infer about social media?

A．They blame humans’ desire for fame.

B．They offer a platform for self-expression.

C．They provide users with different activities.

D．They benefit users by judging them carefully.

3. What is the author’s attitude to self-expressions?

A．Unclear.

B．Favorable.

C．Negative.

D．Hopeful.

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A．The Internet encourages self-expression

B．Social media realize online users’ dreams

C．Network mixes personal with public affairs

D．Technologies promote network development

7 . American Museum of Natural History was made for explorers and adventurers — it was made for people like you, with a passion for science and a love for discovery. Here is the general information about it:

Open daily: 10:00 a. m. — 5:30 p. m.

Closed: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Ticketing

All tickets must be reserved online in advance of your visit.

Pay-What-You-Wish Admission

Facial coverings are strongly recommended for all visitors ages 2 and up.

Please note that same-day reservations and certain time openings may be unavailable due to limited capacity.

Museum Members: Sign in to your profile before reserving tickets to access member pricing.

Address

200 Central Park West

New York, NY 10024-5102

Entrances and Exits

●Visitors can enter and exit at the accessible entrances on Rose Center for Earth and Space or Columbus Avenue at Gilder Center.

●For priority access, member s and their guests can use the member entrance at Central Park West and 79th Street.

●School groups arriving by subway can enter from the 81st Street B/C station.

Accessibility

The museum is committed to ensuring that its facilities, exhibitions, and services are accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Caregivers accompanying visitors with disabilities receive free museum admission.

Ticketed Exhibitions

To buy admission tickets, select the number of tickets, plus a date and time of entry. You will have the option to add Ticketed Exhibitions during the checkout process.

All Ticketed Exhibitions are free for members.

1. What must you do if you want to visit the museum?

A．Sign in to your profile.	B．Make advance payments.
C．Book tickets online beforehand.	D．Wear self-protection equipment.

2. Which entrance is convenient for a school group arriving by subway?

A．Central Park West at 79th Street.	B．The 81st Street B/C station.
C．Columbus Avenue at Gilder Center.	D．Rose Center for Earth and Space.

3. What can we learn about the museum from the text?

A．No entry is for kids under age two.

B．Members have access to it on Christmas.

C．Caregivers of disabled visitors are admitted free.

D．Visitors have to include Ticketed Exhibitions in their visits.

8 . A new study finds the body undergoes significant, systematic changes across multiple organs during prolonged periods of fasting, demonstrating evidence of health benefits beyond weight loss. It also shows any potential health-transforming changes appear to occur only after three days without food.

Over centuries, humans have developed the ability to survive without food for long. Fasting is practiced by people worldwide for different medical and cultural purposes. During fasting, the body changes its source and type of energy, switching from consumed calories to using its own fat stores. However, beyond this change in fuel sources, little is known about how the body responds to prolonged periods without food. Novel techniques allowing researchers to measure thousands of proteins (蛋白质) in our blood provide the opportunity to systematically study molecular(分子) adaptions to fasting in great detail.

Researchers followed 12 healthy volunteers participating in a seven-day water-only fast. The volunteers were monitored closely on a daily basis to record changes in the levels of around 3, 000 proteins in their blood before, during, and after the fast. By identifying which proteins are involved in the body’s response, the researchers could then predict potential health outcomes of prolonged fasting by analyzing information from numerous studies.

As expected, the researchers observed the body switching energy sources within the first three days of fasting. The volunteers lost an average of 5.7 kg of both fat mass and lean (瘦肉)mass. After three days of eating after fasting, the weight stayed off—the loss of lean was almost completely recovered, but the fat mass stayed off.

For the first time, the researchers observed the body undergoing distinct changes in protein levels after three days of fasting—indicating a whole-body response to complete calorie restriction. Overall, one in three of the proteins measured changed significantly during fasting across all major organs. These changes were consistent across the volunteers.

Head of the research Claudia Langenberg said, “Our results provide solid evidence for the health benefits of fasting beyond weight loss, but these were only visible after three days of total caloric restriction—later than we previously thought.”

1. What does the study focus on?

A．Health benefits of nutrient intake.	B．Links between dieting and culture.
C．Maximum duration of human fasting.	D．Effects of skipping food on health.

2. What enables researchers to identify multi-organ response to fasting on. a molecular level?

A．Enthusiastic participants.	B．Emerging testing means.
C．Deep-rooted belief in fasting.	D．Historical records of fasting.

3. What happens to the body after three food-free days?

A．Certain proteins are shifted.	B．The weight remains unchanged.
C．Lean mass returned to normal.	D．Fat mass substantially increases.

4. How may Claudia feel about their study outcomes?

A．Satisfied.

B．Confused.

C．Regretful.

D．Embarrassed.

9 . Jumbo Supermarket is tackling shoplifting by laying hands on new technology: Artificial .Intelligence (AI). Smart cameras, equipped with software from French company Veesion, detect questionable behaviour and help report thieving from shops. With 100 million euros lost to shoplifters last year, Jumbo is starting a trial in its own shops this week.

The smart AI technology uses complicated software connected to the existing cameras and security network through the Internet, It then automatically monitors all the cameras at the same time for potential shopping activity. The technology is not faultless, but it significantly increases the chances of being caught. When a customer puts a product in his pocket or bag, the smart camera notices and reports it. This ensures that shoplifters can be caught in the act.

At Jumbo’s supermarket in Hengelo, Netherlands, 47 cameras have been fitted. AI is also being applied at other Jumbo locations. The cameras are strategically placed to identify questionable behaviour as effectively as possible. The system doesn’t actually label people as thieves; rather, it reminds the staff to check on those people as they might steal things. Sometimes the system raises an unjustified alarm. Nevertheless, it has proved a valuable tool for staff.

More than 110 supermarkets in the Netherlands have already used Veesion’s technology. According to the Personal Data Authority, supermarkets are allowed to use such technologies, provided they can properly justify why it is necessary.

The use of AI in stores is not just limited to stealing prevention. Globally, various AI. technologies are being used to improve the shopping experience and take full advantage of business processes. Also, shops use them for customized marketing. Michaels Stores, for example, a shop selling handmade goods, uses AI to tailor its advertising to each customer, which makes them feel more engaged and more likely to receive special offers that suit them. The company has created a system that helps create advertising copy and understand s which messages work best for different types of customers.

1. On getting an alarm from the system, what should shop staff do?

A．Arrest the suspect.	B．Find out the truth.
C．Make an emergency call.	D．Preserve photographic evidence.

2. On what condition is Veesion’s technology permitted in supermarkets?

A．They can prove it reasonable to use.	B．They stop reporting thieving to the police.
C．They can indicate it isn’t meant for thieves.	D．They’ve suffered massive shopping losses.

3. What does the underlined word “tailor” mean in paragraph 5?

A．Equalize.

B．Promise.

C．Personalize.

D．Teach.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．AI: End of Stealing	B．Benefits and Drawbacks of AI
C．Can AI Dominate Us?	D．Jumbo Uses AI to Fight Shoplifting

10 . In January, 2021, the life of the 17-year-old high school student Mason Branstator took an unexpected turn. Skiing down a hill he had been on countless times, he hit a jump too fast. When waking up in the intensive care unit, he learned from the doctor he was left with a severely broken back, which would significantly impact his lower body functions.

Despite being told that he might never walk again, Mason’s unbending optimism and determination have fueled his extraordinary journey of recovery and self-discovery. Following his accident, Mason entered a health recovery center at Craig Hospital, Colorado. There he was surrounded by others on similar paths, which, coupled with his positive outlook, played a crucial role in his recovery. Mason’s journey was not just about regaining physical strength but also about overcoming mental barriers. Through willpower, he began to walk again, proving that the impossible could be made possible.

Mason’s newfound viewpoint on life led him to try activities that he once thought were beyond his reach. From surfing and rock climbing to competing in triathlons, he rediscovered parts of himself. He documented his adventures online, which ended up as a source of inspiration for millions worldwide.

“It all started with me just wanting to find more people like me I could connect with and talk through all the hard things I was going through,” said Mason. “And it turned into what inspired millions of people around the world, an incredible thing—I didn’t even intend for it to.”

Mason’s story strikes the heartstrings of people, not merely for the physical goals he has achieved but for the message of hope and determination he represents. He challenges what it means to live with a disability and redefines the boundaries of what is possible, inspiring millions to do the same. Alongside the communities he has built online, and the one he already has—his supportive family, he has no intention of slowing down.

1. What was the turning point in Mason’s life?

A．His sightseeing tour.	B．His first attempt at skiing.
C．A sports-related accident.	D．A chance encounter with a doctor.

2. What matters most for Mason’s recovery apart from his positive outlook?

A．The comfort from his family.	B．The company of those like him.
C．Donations from kind-hearted people.	D．Advanced medical instruments.

3. What was Mason’s initial intention of sharing his story online?

A．To appeal for more attention.	B．To showcase his survival skills.
C．To motivate like-minded souls.	D．To seek connection and understanding.

4. What can we learn from Mason’s story?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Better late than never.
C．Action speaks louder than words.	D．Where there’s a will, there is a way.