1 . In 2011, artist Grimanesa Amorós stepped off a boat made of totora reeds (芦苇) onto an island—also made of totora reeds — in the northwest portion of Lake Titicaca. It’s home to one of the world’s most innovative achievement of human engineering: the Uros Islands.

The man-made floating islands, which are home to the native Uros people, are created by putting layers upon layers of totora roots and reeds. This water-resistant plant grows in the lake and is the lifeblood of the Uros community. It is used to make boats, houses, roofs, mattresses (床垫) and more. The plant is also eaten and serves as medicine, and its flowers are used to make tea.

However, the Uros weren’t always dependent on the totora. More than 500 years ago, the growing Inca Empire began to invade the Uros’ mainland villages. To beat this threat, the Uros began to build the islands, which could be launched deep into Lake Titicaca, away from danger. Hundreds of years later, there are now about 120 of these constructed islands, with around 1,300 people living on them.

To build the islands, the Uros first gather large blocks of totora roots. Multiple blocks are pulled together, and the roots and reeds mix naturally to form a layer about 1 to 2m thick. The totora reed is laid on top of this floating base. The Uros use a long tool to reach deep down into the water and cut the plant above the base. Then, the reeds are dried in the sun for one to four weeks and bundled (捆绑) together using a rope. Once dried, totora reeds are placed in alternating directions on top of the root blocks and become the ground that the Uros walk and build their homes on.

Today, urban influences are evident on the islands: Solar panels power bedroom lights and small TVs; a radio station operates on the main island. It’s evident that these modern changes and tourism have changed the Uros’ life on the lake. One thing remains certain, though. As long as there is totora growing at Lake Titicaca, the islands’ rooted foundation will stay the same.

1. Which word can best describe the role totora reeds play in the Uro’s life?

A．Essential.

B．Symbolic.

C．Protective.

D．Sustainable.

2. What was the original purpose of building the floating island?

A．To develop tourism.	B．To maintain their lifestyle.
C．To escape from enemies’ attack.	D．To be separated from the world.

3. What does the fourth paragraph mainly focus on?

A．The key to selecting building materials.	B．The procedure of building the islands.
C．The difficulty of living on the island.	D．The method of spotting reeds.

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

A．Fancy Lifestyles of the Uros	B．Innovative Building Materials
C．Floating Homes on Lake Titicaca	D．A Must-see Tourist Attraction of Lake Titicaca

2 . Build your own first aid kit

Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere, so being prepared for one is important. Having a proper first aid kit in your home is an easy but essential part of good emergency preparation.     1    . Instead of getting such one, you can save money and ensure the kit is personalized to suit you and your family’s particular needs by creating your own.

Pick a good container. One good option is a large, water resistant, rigid or flexible plastic container. This makes the materials inside visible for easy identification and safe.     2    . A handle is ideal out of consideration for that. Regardless of your container choice, clearly identify it, for example, by writing “ FIRST AID” with a permanent marker.

    3    . One should include all of your basic medicinal supplies, such as bandages (绷带), gloves and scissors, while the second one includes medicine. Make sure that the important basic medical tools and medicines are contained in it.     4    . However, when it comes to bandages, wipes and other lightweight items, the more the merrier. And remember that everything is kept in small sealed plastic bags.

    5    . When one of your family is crying about a cut on her finger, you don’t want your home kit buried at the back of a cupboard or lost because it’s not being returned to the same spot after each use. Establish a clearly-defined, consistent spot for it. Let small children know where the kit is located, but place it where they cannot reach it.

A．Make your first aid kit safely accessible

B．Separate the first aid kit into two sections

C．The ready-made first aid kits in the store are usually expensive

D．The kit should be easy to transport as needed to the emergency

E．The number of each item will depend on the size of your family

F．Having several first aid kits means you can get one of them anytime

G．First aid kits on the market often lack what you want or have something useless for you

3 . To Their Own Beat

When Los Lobos perform in concert today, audiences in the thousands cheer them on. It’s hard to believe that the group started out as just another garage band playing popular rock-and-roll tunes from the radio, In 1974 four high school friends from East Los Angeles formed Los Lobos ( Spanish for “The Wolves” ) .

Like many garage bands, these friends might have simply gone their separate ways after high school. But the members of Los Lobos wanted to keep making music together. They decided to change their musical style and began focusing on traditional Mexican music that showed their tradition.

“We pulled out all those records we used to beg our parents not to play around our friends and found an incredible wealth of music,” says Perez. “These guys (on the records) were doing amazing things with their instruments, and we started trying to pick up on it. ”

The group put aside its electric guitars for the acoustic ones used in traditional Mexican music. For several years Los Lobos played at weddings or parties—any event that needed live music. They also landed a regular engagement (合同)   at a Mexican restaurant.

By 1978 Los Lobos had made enough money to record their first album   (唱片) , and they sold copies of it wherever they performed. They also returned to their electric guitars to get closer to a Tex-Mex sound, which is a mixture of traditional Mexican music, rock and roll, country music, and the blues. This new, louder sound produced one unexpected result: the group was fired from the restaurant.

But it didn’t matter that Los Lobos had lost their one steady job, because they had found a position that no other group took up. They had combined electric and acoustic instruments and blended (混合) musical styles in their own way. Steve Berlin joined the band in 1983 as the saxophone and keyboard player, adding to the band’s unusual sound.

“We didn’t so much want to recycle the music we’d grown up with as much as find the common links between it and all the other styles and sounds that were all around us,” Perez explains.   “It became a mission ...   bringing music together to bring people together. ”

In the 1980s Los Lobos gained the attention of several record companies. They were hired to perform on the soundtrack to the film La Bamba, which earned them a Golden Eagle Award. They have since earned many awards, including two Grammys and an MTV Video Music Award. Their many records have been very successful, and they have toured the world.

Even after 30 years of making music together, Los Lobos continues to experiment with their sound. They never moved far away from their Mexican roots, however.   They still include traditional music in their live performances, sharing their history—and their culture—with their fans.

1. Los Lobos recorded their first album after they_______.

A．lost their job at a restaurant

B．began playing acoustic guitars

C．won an award for a film soundtrack

D．added saxophone and keyboards to their sound

2. Which paragraph writes about the great success of the band?

A．Paragraph 1.

B．Paragraph 4.

C．Paragraph 6.

D．Paragraph 8.

3. What makes Los Lobos special and successful?

A．The way they recorded their first album.

B．Their blending of different types of music.

C．Their decision to play traditional Mexican music.

D．The fact that they performed and toured the world.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Music is best when played with traditional instruments.

B．Music must be recorded to be passed down.

C．Music should remain the same over time.

D．Music can show many cultures.

4 . Sometimes, we pour in our best efforts, only to see the worst outcomes. It can be frustrating and demotivating, and slipping into a negative mindset is easy.

In the event of failure, it is very tempting to self-blame or self-pity for what happened.     1     Here’s what you can do to make yourself feel good when things don’t work out.

Acknowledge Your Emotions

When things don’t go according to plan, it’s natural to feel disappointed, frustrated, or sad.     2     Recognize your feelings and accept that it’s okay to feel that way. By allowing yourself to experience your emotions, you can process them better and move on.

While it is good to recover quickly, the grieving phase is a necessity you shouldn’t skip. People who deny that they failed and that nothing went wrong only find themselves in more complicated situations and a more fractured emotional state. Feel sad, breathe, take a few walks, and think that acknowledging the issue means 50% of your problem is already solved.

Practice Self-Care

    3     Grab some time to engage in activities that make you happy and relaxed. Take a long bath, walk in nature, meditate, read a book, or watch your favorite movie. When we feel good about ourselves, we are better equipped to deal with life’s challenges.

Surround Yourself with Positivity

Surround yourself with people who inspire you, while being true.     4     You could also join a support group or an online community of like-minded individuals who share your interests.

    5     While you see yourself as a strong person who can handle negativity, it’s best to withdraw from the chaos during recovery. Avoid social media and dealing with colleagues who often trigger negativity.

A．Take a step back and evaluate what went wrong.

B．Don’t suppress your emotions; instead, acknowledge them.

C．However, it’s crucial to pick yourself up and move forward.

D．Spend time with family and friends who love and support you.

E．Self-care is the key to healthy mental and physical well-being.

F．Celebrate the small wins with friends who are happy to see you triumph.

G．Having a positive support system can help you stay motivated and focused.

5 . How much salt is too much salt? Unfortunately, it’s most likely the amount you’re consuming.

A new study published Monday in the journal JAMA found that cutting one teaspoon of salt a day results in a decline in blood pressure comparable to taking blood pressure medication.

Humans need sodium (钠), which is found in salt, for our bodies to work properly. It plays an important role in nerve and muscle function by allowing nerves to pulse with electricity and muscles to contract. But too much sodium can be bad for our health. It contributes to high blood pressure, or hypertension (高血压)which is a major cause of stroke and heart disease.

One way it does this is by making the body absorb more water. Extra sodium in the blood pulls more water into blood vessels (血管), which increases the amount of blood in the vessels. This increases blood pressure and, in some people, leads to high blood pressure and can damage vessels and even organs like the heart, kidney s and brain.

In this latest study, participants who cut out their daily salt intake by one teaspoon had lower blood pressure in just one week. This was even true for people already on blood pressure medication.

But how much sodium is in one teaspoon of salt? A teaspoon of salt has about 2,300 mg of sodium in it. And according to the FDA, Americans eat an average of 3,400 mg of sodium. So cutting out a teaspoon would be equivalent to cutting two-thirds of a person’s daily sodium intake.

But the researchers say that cutting out any amount of sodium will help lower blood pressure-at least more than no reduction at all.

1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?

A．To describe an interesting fact.	B．To present a confusing question.
C．To introduce the topic of the text.	D．To provide background information.

2. How does too much sodium harm us?

A．By causing muscle disorders.	B．By bringing about hypertension.
C．By directly damaging our organs.	D．By absorbing the water in blood vessels.

3. What does the underlined word “equivalent” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Equal.

B．Relevant.

C．Beneficial.

D．Important.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Recommendation on the Intake of Salt

B．The Less Sodium We Have, the Better We Are

C．Cutting One Teaspoon of Salt May Improve Health

D．The Relationship Between Salt and Blood Pressure

6 . For most of December, Adele Adkins had the top-selling album in Australia, followed by Ed Sheeran, and then there was a collection of songs that took everyone by surprise.

Songs Of Disappearance is a collection of calls from endangered Australian birds. Last month, it briefly reached No.3 on the country’s top 50 albums chart (排行榜) — ahead of Taylor Swift.

Anthony Albrecht, a PhD student at Charles Darwin University, produced the album with Professor Stephen Garnett. “I knew it was a crazy thing to suggest. But Stephen’s a little bit crazy like me and he let me do it,” Albrecht said.

Songs Of Disappearance was published with a university report which found that 1 in 6 Australian bird species are now threatened. The album records 53 of those species.

“Some sing what you might think of as bird songs, but not all of them,” said SeanDooley, who represents the conservation organization Bird life Australia. “Songs from the golden bowerbird sound like a death cry from some sci-fi series. And the love songs from Christmas Island frigate bird, which has a piece of skin hanging under its mouth that caninflate (膨胀) like a huge red balloon, sound as bizarre as its unusual looks.”

There’s also the Christmas Island pigeon. When people hear that pigeon, they might think that it’s a human making silly noises, Dooley added.

The Charles Darwin University and Bird life Australia report does document successes in protecting endangered birds, the hope being that the album will protect more species.

“The increased awareness can make a difference,” Dooley said. “When we have a community on board, that brings pressure to the government to do the right thing. We know that these conservation actions do work.”

1. Whose album reached No.1 on the chart in December?

A．Taylor Swift’s.

B．Adele Adkins’.

C．Ed Sheeran’s.

D．Anthony Albrecht’s.

2. What can be learned from the university report?

A．About 53 bird species are threatened in Australia.

B．It has not found success in protecting endangered birds.

C．One sixth of Australian bird species are now endangered.

D．Music is very powerful in encouraging people to protect birds.

3. Which is closest in meaning to “bizarre”in paragraph 5?

A．Strange.

B．Beautiful.

C．Loud.

D．Sharp.

4. What does Sean Dooley think of Anthony Albrecht’s project?

A．Crazy.

B．Amusing.

C．Uncreative.

D．Helpful.

7 . Poetry has a place in the curriculum of primary schools. It can be taught as part of reading, writing, and language lessons, and it fits easily into classroom themes, projects, and celebrations.     1    . Here are four reasons to teach poetry in the classroom.

Build Reading, Speaking & Listening Skills

The unique thing about poetry is that we often read aloud, repeat often, and share in groups. When children are listening to poems orally, they are building their listening skills     2    . When sharing poems in a classroom, look at, and read them together. Children are strengthening their reading skills and building reading fluency through repeated reading.

Explore Language & Vocabulary

    3    . Children can learn about phonics and letter sounds by listening for and locating rhyming words. A poem can be used to teach vocabulary, sentence structure, parts of speech, and many grammar skills. Poetry also builds vocabulary. Children get exposed to words they have not heard before, and they listen to them in context.

Inspire Writing

Learn about how poems are created and the words they contain. It is the first step in writing.     4    . In poetry, we learn how to put words together to form meaning and context. We learn how to choose the right words to create imagery and effect. Writing poetry is a transferable skill that will help children write in other ways and styles.

    5    

Poetry is a form of expression. Writing it lets us get out our feelings and thoughts on a subject while reading it encourages us to connect and find meaning in our experiences. Poetry can have a positive impact on the social and emotional learning of children. It may offer them a new way of thinking about something. It can put things into words that children may not know how to express otherwise.

A．Build a Love for Reading

B．Encourage Creative Thinking

C．It can add additional value to our studies

D．Poetry often contains words that rhyme for effect

E．Different types of poems have various components

F．Children have a natural curiosity to foster and encourage with poetry

G．They learn to attend to the words they hear and think about what those words mean

8 . It is frequently said that the best camera is the one you already have with you. Amazingly, the cameras on modern phones can take killer images without a professional camera. But if you’re struggling to get the quality you want, try a few of these helpful tips.

Pick the right time of day

There are a variety of lighting options that change throughout the day.     1     And it is properly named for the yellow color the sun casts. This warms any scene. If you’ve been working during golden hour and want to try something new, go out during the blue hour. This is the hour just before sunrise or just after sunset.     2    

Pay attention to lighting

    3     When taking pictures of nature, pay attention to the available light. How can you use it to create eye-catching images? Turn the sun peaking through the trees into a dramatic starburst by setting your f/stop to f/22 or above. Look for ways light and shadows create exciting patterns on otherwise flat backgrounds.

    4    

Look for subjects with natural motion like a waterfall, stream, flowers in the wind, etc., and set your shutter speeds to 20 seconds or more. It is vital to have a small secure support to ensure your camera is as perfectly still as possible during the shot.

Photo editing apps

Don’t limit your photos to what you can capture straight out of camera (SOOC).     5     . Look at the built-in filters (滤光器) that come with your system, or download a free photo editing app to add up your masterpieces. By using all these techniques, you should be able to create unique images that take brilliant photos.

A．Long exposure

B．Consider composition

C．Try to have access to many creative apps

D．You can control whether the background is in focus

E．Photography is often referred to as painting with light

F．It provides an attractive tone for your subject and scenery

G．Golden hour is the hour just after sunrise or just before sunset

9 . Mary Shelley bends over her latest creation. Although the carving is only half complete, the image of a waitress holding a plate of eggs comes out from the board. Of Shelley’s nearly seven hundred carvings, many show scenes with cows on farms and people in restaurants.

From memories to carvings

“My work is a visual diary, ” Shelley says. “The carvings describe things I have experienced and felt at different times in my life.”

Every one of her carvings tells a story. Many of the stories in Shelley’s woodcarvings come from memories of her childhood in a rural (乡村的) area outside of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Shelley’s family managed a small farm. Mary was a serious girl who spent a lot of time raising animals, exploring outdoors, and reading. Although Shelley never felt especially artistic as a child, there was always an art project in the works in the Shelley household. Her grandmother painted. Her father was a commercial artist, who drew and wrote to make a living.

______

Shelley attended Cornell University and hoped to become a writer, but an unusual present took her in another direction. At age 23, she received a gift her father had made-a woodcarving of her as a girl on the farm. The gift caught her interest. After gathering boards from a building site where she worked as a carpenter, Shelley bought some tools and taught herself to carve.

Shelley soon realized that she loved the slow, thoughtful process of working with wood and painting. “A carving is like a jigsaw puzzle (拼图游戏),”   she explains. “I didn’t know how it would all fit together, but the process of solving the puzzle kept me going.”

The Shelley style

Early in her career, people hired Shelley to carve special pieces that took four or five weeks to complete. The money she received motivated her to try more complicated scenes created by carving deeper in the wood. Over time, Shelley’s art began to have its own style. In a typical Shelley woodcarving, some objects seem to reach out of the frame while others drop back, creating a feeling of depth.

1. What can we infer from the “From memories to carvings” part?

A．Art is from but beyond life.	B．Life is short and art is long.
C．It is great art to laugh at your own misfortune.	D．Knowledge without practice makes but half an artist

2. Which can be the best title for the second part?

A．Life in School	B．A Dream Come True
C．A Life-Changing Gift	D．Jigsaw Puzzles and Carving

3. What made Mary take up carving?

A．The dream to be an artist in her childhood.	B．Her father’s low-relief carving for her.
C．The rugs hooked by her grandmother.	D．Her school life in Cornell University.

4. According to the text, Shelley’s art ______.

A．is very popular	B．is very expensive
C．has simple scenes	D．creates a feeling of depth

10 . What you can do with FluentU
• Do personalized quizzes with speaking.
• Understand and truly enjoy real-world videos.
• Learn new words in multiple contexts.
Reviews from users

FluentU is a great method to learn a foreign language. We watch videos with subtitles and at any time, we can stop the video if we don’t understand a word or an expression. We click on for additional explanations. Then, we have a quiz to work the vocabulary. I find this method very interesting to improve and stay motivated.

—Estelle Jaouen

I appreciate being able to hear the pronunciation from a male and female voice. I think the mix of characters and pinyin are great and well-balanced. I love the fact that I’ve only been doing this for less than a month and I already know dozens of useful phrases and words!

—Maria van Eeden

I like the fact that it’s very dynamic and not grammar focused. Also, having many videos to learn from makes it even less boring no matter where you are as long as you have a smart phone. I like to just watch each video one time, pause at each sentence and try to remember words and sentences.

—Eduard Marius

The best thing about FluentU is that you have direct context for each new vocabulary that you learn. Repeating the dialogues is the way I learn. Also, that you can bring in your own vocabulary list and that the program searches for videos or material in which the words are included are remarkable!

—Jan Rehmer

1. What is included in FluentU?

A．Lots of videos.	B．Many language tutors.
C．Varieties of educational websites.	D．Much advice on grammar learning.

2. Who is most likely to be learning Chinese now?

A．Estelle Jaouen.

B．Maria van Eeden.

C．Eduard Marius.

D．Jan Rehmer.

3. What is this text?

A．An English brochure.	B．A language textbook.
C．An interview about AI.	D．An introduction to an App.