1 . Leading museums in the United States are covering up or closing displays featuring Native American cultural objects owing to new federal rules. The new regulations require museums to obtain “free, prior and informed permission” from tribal leaders before displaying ancestral heritage items.
The American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the largest natural history museum in the world, announced on Jan 26 that it would close two halls spanning 10,000 square feet with Native American exhibits, as the exhibits are “severely outdated”. “The halls we are closing contain artifacts (历史文物) of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives and indeed shared humanity of Native Americans,” museum President Sean Decatur said in a letter to the staff, The New York Times reported. “The number of cultural objects on display in these halls is significant, and because these exhibits are also severely outdated, we have decided that rather than just covering or removing specific items, we will close the halls,” Decatur said. The move comes because of the implementation (执行) in early January of update d regulations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
Over the next five years, museums, universities, art institutions and similar places are required to undertake essential updates to prepare all human remains and related funerary (葬礼的) objects for repatriation (遣送), making sure that tribes have more power and increased authority throughout the process. “The ultimate goal of the law is not to cover up exhibitions. It’s not to prevent appropriate education about diverse native cultures. It’s about repairing and repatriating items that have been stolen over the last couple of centuries and returning them to the rightful people,” Shannon O’Loughlin, the CEO of the Association on American Indian Affairs said.
Chicago’s Field Museum earlier this month also closed several displays featuring Native American cultural items. The Field Museum has one of the biggest collections of Native American remains in the country and opened a new permanent exhibition in the spring of 2022 that displaced the museum’s longstanding Native American exhibition since the 1950s.
Harvard University, which has more than 5,000 Native American human remains, has said it will remove all Native American funerary items from its exhibits. “Exhibitions have always been discussed during tribal discussions and cultural items have been removed from display at the tribal request. With the new NAGPRA regulations, the museum is in the process of removing all the funerary belongings and likely funerary belongings off display,” Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, said in a statement.
1. Which has the same meaning as the underlined word “perspectives” in Paragraph 2?| A．Occupations. | B．Faults. | C．Challenges. | D．Viewpoints. |
| A．It opened a new permanent exhibition. |
| B．It collected some Native American belongings. |
| C．It handed funerary objects to American Indians. |
| D．It set about displaying Native American cultural objects. |
| A．By selling them to other people. | B．By putting them in some labs. |
| C．By taking them away from its exhibits. | D．By covering them with pieces of cloth. |
| A．US New NAGPRA regulations scheduled to be in effect |
| B．US museums stop displaying Native American exhibits |
| C．US museums feature Native American cultural items |
| D．US museums prefer ancestral heritage items |
2 . Persuasion fatigue (疲劳) is a new term implying a situation where a person experiences a worn-out and frustrating feeling as a result of failing to persuade someone to do something or take a certain direction.
How do you react when your power of persuasion fails? You might regard the viewer as biased (有偏见的), stupid or otherwise out of touch with reality. You naturally feel your logic is right. You might decide to stop talking about that particular topic. You might even end relationships with your viewers. Indeed, these unresolved debates can contribute to social distancing and parent-child breakups.
In ongoing research, we are investigating the consequences of this experience. Our initial findings —still unpublished —suggest that persuasion fatigue is widespread. Of 600 people in the U. S. who participated in recent studies, 98 percent reported having experienced this fatigue, caused by discussions of topics such as politics, religion and health. Our work also suggests that most people believe debates hit dead ends because the other person in the conversation was at fault.
Yet we humbly suggest that sometimes it’s not them; it’s you. Fortunately, research suggests some sound approaches to saving these situations and protecting your relationships. As an initial step, label your emotional experiences, which helps you manage your feelings, including anger and sorrow. Simply acknowledging your persuasion fatigue as such may help you slow down, take a breath and ask yourself why a discussion has been stuck. Second, remember values and feelings are the basis of thinking. To reach your audience, it is essential to express your message in terms of their values, not yours. Wrapping your message in your audience’s values has been proven to increase its persuasiveness.
In our research thus far, 28 percent of participants have cited persuasion fatigue as the reason for cutting someone out of their life. Recognizing persuasion fatigue and how we contribute to it may help us pass through debatable situations without leaving those we love behind.
1. What is a probable consequence of persuasion fatigue?| A．Reducing prejudice against viewers. | B．Breaking up with your viewer. |
| C．Continuing to explore the issue. | D．Questioning your own speech logic. |
| A．It’s common to experience persuasion fatigue. |
| B．Persuasion fatigue always clouds our judgment. |
| C．It is easy for people to acknowledge their fault. |
| D．People are sensitive to topics concerning money. |
| A．Give in to your own feelings. |
| B．Identify the audience’s emotions. |
| C．Shift your point of view immediately. |
| D．Take the audience’s values into account. |
| A．Persuasion Fatigue: Who to Blame? |
| B．Persuasion Fatigue: How to Assess It? |
| C．Persuasion Fatigue: A New Frustration |
| D．Persuasion Fatigue: A Cause for Poor Relations |
3 . Scientists have just shown how to 3-D print flat wood so that it later changes into a desired complex shape. They relied on what could have been a disadvantage -- the tendency of damp wood to warp (变形) as it dries. The researchers first had to figure out how to make wood fibers line up in desired ways. To do this, they turned to ground-up wood, known as wood “flour”. They changed it into a paste (糊状物) to make the ink for their 3-D printer.
The team printed their shapes at different speeds and using different patterns to lay down the ink. After each test, Kam, who works at the Hebrew University, says, “We look to see how it dries.” Along the way, they learned how to 3-D print a structure. They described their technique in the February 2022 issue of Polymers. They offered even more minutiae about how to control the shapeshifting (变形) of wood ink.
This technology is still in progress. Kam hopes it could change the way people build things. “Most makers try to make things — ‘like a brick’ — that last as long as possible” he says. But that’s not how nature works. Organisms grow, die and rot. This allows their building blocks to be reused to make new organisms.
His team’s materials also are reusable. “You can ‘take any old wood’. Perhaps an old chair or a bedroom dresser. Rather than trash it, grind (磨碎) its wood and reuse the sawdust — flour — to make something new.” says Kam. Kam also hopes that one day, we won’t carve up our trees to make new chairs but instead just 3-D print a new one. “You sit on it for three or four years,” he says. “When you are tired of it, just grind it up and print something new. No trees are harmed to 3-D print this piece of wood.”
1. What can we know about the 3-D printer in the text?| A．It can produce flour. |
| B．Its ink is made of wood paste. |
| C．It prints a desired shape directly. |
| D．Its principle is based on dry wood. |
| A．Details. | B．Tasks. | C．Opportunities. | D．Analyses. |
| A．3-D printing technology is against natural law. |
| B．3-D printing technology is still on the way. |
| C．People prefer natural building materials. |
| D．People have changed the way they build. |
| A．It wastes materials. | B．It develops quite fast. |
| C．It lowers the wood’s price. | D．It benefits the environment. |
4 . Museums are institutions characteristic of their specific cultural and historical value. For centuries, museums have been in the center of human interest. Here are several best museums.
The British Museum, London, the UK
The long history of the British Museum began in 1753. Its collection is mainly focused on human history as well as art and culture. Furthermore, this collection includes more than 8 million items. With its collection including items from prehistory, ancient Greece and Rome, and of course, items belonging to the history of Europe and Britain, the British Museum is considered the first national museum in the world
Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece
The Acropolis Museum was founded in 1865. It holds more than 4,000 objects in possession. This museum is the main tourist attraction in Greece. It provides its visitors with an insight into art and history through a unique collection of architectura l sculptures. It’s believed that more than I million visitors enjoy the display of this museum annually.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The Rijksmuseum was founded in 1800. Its collection goes around Amsterdam’s art and history. This Dutch national museum offers a collection of 1 million items, which extends a period of 800 years. Moreover, these objects are significant either artistically or historically.
Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
The Prado Museum was founded in 1819. Its collection occupies the vast period of 8 centuries, from the 12th to the 20th century. It houses the world’s richest collection of Spanish paintings, as well as masterpieces of European paintings, attracting more than 2 million visitors per year.
1. Which museum has the longest history?| A．The British Museum. | B．Acropolis Museum. |
| C．Rijksmuseum. | D．Prado Museum. |
| A．It is a place of interest in Spain. | B．It houses objects from prehistory. |
| C．It features architectural sculptures. | D．It has the world’s largest collection. |
| A．They were set up in the 20th century. | B．They mainly exhibit Spanish paintings. |
| C．They attract millions of artists every year. | D．They have a collection range of 800 years. |
5 . “A fish out of water.” “A bike without a chain.” There are many metaphors for culture shock, all of which attempt to describe the unique experience of being far from one’s home country and culture.
Scientists have studied culture shock for over a century. Rather than focus on the purely negative aspects, psychologists describe it as a process of stress and adjustment. The first stage is the honeymoon phase, when we are filled with excitement about being in another country. Eventually, as daily challenges arise, we enter a state of crisis and anxiety, harboring unfriendly feelings about the host culture. The longer we are immersed in the culture, we adjust and recover from those negative feelings. Finally, after some time we adjust even more and fully accept the new culture.
One of the factors that determines how we react to cultural stress is our personality. Not surprisingly, extraverts (外向者) tend to have an easier time adjusting to new cultures. That is because being in a new country means meeting many new people and spending a lot of time around them, and extraverts thrive in these situations. But introverts simply prefer to be alone after spending time in groups, and only have limited energy to spend in social settings.
Cultural intelligence, or CQ, also plays its part. Cultural intelligence is defined as the capability of an individual to function effectively in situations characterized by cultural diversity. It has to do with our interest in interacting with people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and our ability to adapt to new cultural context. It is argued that the higher our CQ, the lesser the effect of culture shock on our ability to cope in new situations.
Many effective coping strategies are interpersonal. A recent study found that relating to others with empathy is significantly associated with lower stress levels abroad. The more we are able to take on other people’s points of view, the more positive our interpersonal relationships and thus our adaptation to the stress of culture shock.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．Explaining the quotes. | B．Raising an argument. |
| C．Introducing the topic. | D．Presenting an example. |
| A．Anxious. | B．Thrilled. | C．Shocked. | D．Grateful. |
| A．An active boy interested in anything new. |
| B．A shy boy unwilling to socialize with strangers. |
| C．A quiet girl open to diverse cultural backgrounds. |
| D．A communicative girl fluent in the local language. |
| A．Lowering the stress level. | B．Developing self-awareness. |
| C．Analyzing the cause of discomfort. | D．Understanding others with sympathy. |
6 . China has constructed more than 20 new museums since 2012. Here are some of the best.
Shanghai Astronomy Museum
Launched in 2021, Shanghai Astronomy Museum is reportedly the world’s largest astronomy museum, covering more than 630,000 square feet.
In its three main sections — Home, Universe, and Journey — visitors can see 150 interactive exhibits. They can also watch videos of the vast universe in a huge dome theater with an 8K screen, which helps visitors to have a multi-sensory journey for space exploration.
Chengdu Science Fiction Museum
Located on a lake and opened to the public on October 13, 2023, the roughly 635, 000-square-foot museum explains Chengdu’s status as the national center of science fiction writing. It was in this mountain-surrounded city that China’s most popular science fiction magazine, Science Fiction World, was first published in 1979.
Beijing Sound Art Museum
For a decade, local artist Colin Chinnery regularly walked the streets of China’s capital, recording traditional sounds that are gradually disappearing from this modernizing city. Now, the museum has cataloged hundreds of his audio recordings of Beijing’s evolving soundscape — from the calls of street hawkers (商贩) to pige on whistles blown in parks. Opened on May 20, 2023, it’s located in Songzhuang Art District of Tongzhou, in Beijing’s eastern suburbs.
Suzhou Imperial Bricks Museum
Opened to the public on May 18, 2016, it is China’s first museum to display bricks for the royal families during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 — 1911). The museum was built close to the brick kiln (窑) to show the complex brick-making process.
The kiln is still in use today. Bricks produced with traditional technologies have been used in restoration projects of heritage buildings, such as the Summer Palace in Beijing and the Puji Temple in Zhejiang province.
In the exhibition hall, visitors can explore the brick-making process through various cultural relics and interactive games.
1. What can visitors do in the huge theater of Shanghai Astronomy Museum?| A．Play interactive video games. | B．Watch high-definition videos. |
| C．Attend multi-sensory exhibits. | D．Scan the universe with telescopes. |
| A．In 2021. | B．In 2016. | C．In 2012. | D．In 1979. |
| A．They preserve the past. | B．They show high technologies. |
| C．They explain the royal lives. | D．They present personal artworks. |
7 . From Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga to Wicked: Part One, 2024 is shaping up to be a thrilling year of films. Here’re some you have to see at the cinema.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
(May 24, 2024)
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a decade since the superb Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) , but George Miller is finally returning with the sequel (续集) this year, and it looks promising. While Charlize Theron played the so-called Furiosa in Fury Road, this time Anya Taylor-Joy will be the actor to tell her origin story as she is taken and trapped between two warring cruel rulers and tries to find her way back home.
Inside Out 2
(June 14, 2024)
Returning with a sequel to 2015’s surprisingly emotional Inside Out, Pixar picks back up the story of Riley and the emotions who control her inside her brain. Now a teenager, Joy (Amy Poehler) and the other core emotions are joined by new addition Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and some other, unconfirmed emotions as well, judging from Anxiety saying “we wanted to make such a good first impression” in the advertisement.
Wolves
(September 20, 2024)
This highly anticipated movie sees Hollywood royalty Brad Pitt and George Clooney reunite for their first film together since 2008’s Burn After Reading. After showing their on-screen chemistry in the Ocean’s Eleven permission, the Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home) directed film follows two lone wolf fixers assigned to the same job.
Wicked: Part One
(November 27, 2024)
This one has been a long time coming! Originally announced all the way back in 2012, the first act of the film adaptation of the multi-award winning musical Wicked is nearly here.
It is a prequel (先行篇) to the beloved The Wizard of Oz, telling the story of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda (the Good Witch, played by Ariana Grande) in the years before the tornado transported Dorothy and Toto to the magical land of Oz.
1. What do Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Inside Out 2 have in common?| A．They both are sequels. | B．They are action films. |
| C．They’ll be released together. | D．They have the same plots. |
| A．It was filmed in 2008. | B．It is directed by Brad Pitt. |
| C．Two actors first unite in the movie. | D．The same task is arranged for two fixers. |
| A．To praise some movie actors. | B．To encourage people to film more. |
| C．To advertise for the four films. | D．To presell the tickets for the four films. |
8 . Early in my career, I was easily overwhelmed. My responsibilities, commitments and ambitions piled up into this mass that I felt immeasurably large—until, one day, when I worked in federal contracting, my manager gave me something that is still on the bulletin board over my desk 26 years later, even as I’ve now transformed my career: It’s a postcard picture of Earth.
He wanted me to look at Earth and think about the significance of what I was trying to accomplish, and the stress I was feeling, and to do so in the context of what others around the world faced. I started to do this during late nights in my office, when I hadn’t seen my family in days, as I lived on caffeine and cheese nabs. I imagined the good happening to people around the globe. I also imagined the bad—people starving, enduring war, or losing their homes—and then weighed my situation. I would say a prayer for them, and I would remember that my time on Earth was limited.
With this perspective and my manager’s encouragement, I went back to school, then took a job with a Fortune 500 firm as a contracts manager and rose to become a director and VP. I have recently started my own consulting business to mentor small companies entering federal contracting. I’ve found that many folks feel they must make a good impression or prove themselves, and that to do so, they cannot admit when they need help. But I can see it in their eyes or hear it in their voices. I tell them what my manager told me: Step away for a few minutes, prioritize your actions, and focus on what your best can be in that moment.
That is how I hope to make a difference in their lives. And who knows, maybe beyond what I see, my presence ripples (传开) out to their circles of influence, which reaches others’— creating waves again to those that make up all that blue in my picture of Earth.
1. What’s the function of paragraph 1?| A．To arouse readers’ interest. |
| B．To show the author’s strong emotion. |
| C．To introduce the author’s current status of work. |
| D．To illuminate the author’s ups and downs in his career. |
| A．Because he needs its navigation when at a loss. |
| B．Because he has gained a favored job with its help. |
| C．Because he was required by his manager to value it. |
| D．Because he views it as a reminder of thinking overall. |
| A．Instruct. | B．Absorb. | C．Invest. | D．Encourage. |
| A．The Influence of My Manager. |
| B．The Ripples of the Big Earth Picture. |
| C．The Stress Coming from Responsibilities. |
| D．The Good and the Bad Happenings in My Career. |
9 . 4 brilliant hybrid bikes for urban or off-road use
From commuting to riding for leisure or exercise, cycling is popular as a pastime in our towns and cities. There are various types of bikes that you can use to get around, depending on your interests and lifestyle.
Schwinn Scree Gravel hybrid bikeThis Schwinn bike is multi-use, with gravel tyres that are great for country roads and paths as well as more traditional roads. The bike has a relatively low sports-like frame with inward-facing handlebars, as well as a height-adjustable seat for comfort.
Specifications:Wheel size — 28 inches
Frame material — aluminium
Professional Metropolitan hybrid bike
With a sturdy but lightweight alloy steel frame, this bike is a solid choice for commuting in urban environments. It has six gear speeds that can be switched between and a spring saddle for comfortable riding.
Note: The bike is 90 percent built, please check the assembly guide.
Specifications:Wheel size — 29 inches
Frame material — alloy steel
Schwinn Wayfarer 500 bike
This hybrid bike has an 18-inch high-tensile steel frame, coming with a cushioned seat and seven different speeds. It has a classic design as well as an adjustable seat post.
Note: The bike comes 80 percent assembled, please check the assembly guide.
Specifications:Wheel size — 28 inches
Frame material — alloy steel
Ammaco Pathway hybrid bike
This model has rigid suspension and comfortable handlebar grips, affording you a good experience whether you use it for exercise or leisure in the countryside. Another feature is the bike's reflective tyres, for added safety with early morning or night riding.
Note: Assembly will be required.Specifications:
Wheel size — 29 inches
Frame material — aluminium
1. Which is most suitable if you want a city bike to ride to work?
| A．Schwinn Scree Gravel hybrid bike. | B．Professional Metropolitan hybrid bike. |
| C．Schwinn Wayfarer 500 bike. | D．Ammaco Pathway hybrid bike. |
| A．Light Frame. | B．Variable speeds. |
| C．Reliable stopping power. | D．Extra security. |
| A．They are multifunctional. | B．They are mountain bikes. |
| C．They have adjustable seats. | D．They have high-rise handlebars. |
10 . The round-up fundraising strategy was first introduced about 15 years ago. Why have round up for charity campaigns proven so successful? Katie Kelting, an associate professor of marketing at Saint Louis University, suggests that there’s some powerful psychology at work.
In 2018, Kelting and her colleagues enlisted the St. Louis Zoo in a field study. Instead of asking people for the usual $1 donation for a wild animal conservation effort, the zoo temporarily tried the round-up approach.
Arguably more important is that at cashier register charitable requests can change an ordinary purchase into a moral dilemma. It becomes an opportunity to signal to others that we care. In the case of the round-up request, it becomes something of a moral test.
Kelting says that customers might also change their behavior and perceptions in public and private settings.
| A．It’s like an effort-reduction strategy. |
| B．There are likely other factors in play. |
| C．In a private setting, it is easier to decline. |
| D．During the experiment fundraising jumped by 21%. |
| E．The round-up fundraising strategy has really taken off recently. |
| F．It’s such a low-cost ask that saying no starts to make us feel guilty. |
| G．Customers may become overwhelmed with the round-up fundraising. |
