1 . Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo is best known for big public art pieces. The artist carves hundreds of 20 -centimeter-tall ice figures seated with their ankles crossed and places them atop outdoor steps and puts them in city squares all over the world, where they quickly melt. The faceless sculptures drip and pool into small puddles as time passes. Her works have been adopted by environmentalists as a kind of activist art against climate change.

But is it? Yes and (mostly) no.

The mass of melting bodies makes a natural connection to the threat humankind faces due to rising global temperatures. “Its close link with that subject is evident,” said the artist. In addition to the threat of global warming itself, the sheer number of sculptures sitting together also calls attention to the fact that we humans are all in it together. “Such kind of threats also finally put man in his place, his fate is along with the destiny of the planet, and he is not the ‘king’ of nature, but an essential element of it,” continues Azevedo on her website.

“I took every characteristic of traditional monuments and made the opposite,” she says. “I made small figures that sit on the floor. It doesn’t honor anybody. It does honor the unknown.”

Azevedo explains, “In a few-minute action, the rules of the monument are inverted: in the place of the hero, the unknown; in the place of the solidity of the stone, the momentary process of the ice; in the place of the monument size, the minimum size of the perishable (易毁坏的) bodies.” Originally Azevedo wanted her art to get people thinking about impermanence, and the sight of ice transforming into a puddle of water certainly does that brilliantly.

1. What can we learn about Néle Azevedo’s artworks?

A．They are put in public places for artists to appreciate.

B．They are adopted as a way of showing artistic talents.

C．They are linked with the threat of climate change.

D．They are considered as a symbol of unity.

2. Which of the following can best replace the word “inverted” in paragraph 5 ?

A．kept track of	B．turned upside down
C．laid emphasis on	D．taken into account

3. What can be inferred about the square show from the last paragraph?

A．It is permanent by nature.

B．It lacks practical influence.

C．It takes long to see the results.

D．It conveys the artist’s exact intention.

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

A．Public Interest in Contemporary Art

B．Ice Figures Transforming into Water

C．Responsibility Demanded of Activist Artists

D．Mini Sculptures Echoing the Climate Crisis

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What do we know about the area?

A．Lightning strikes mostly in December.

B．The people there worry about getting hit.

C．The area is near the Andes Mountains.

2. What did NASA call the area?

A．The Never-Ending Storm of Catatumbo.

B．The Lightning Capital of the World.

C．The Light of Venezuela.

3. How many people are struck by lightning near the Catatumbo River?

A．One in three per year.

B．One in 12,000 per year.

C．80% of people who live there.

4. What does the man say in the end?

A．He’s scared of storms.

B．He’ll never visit Venezuela.

C．He’d be careful if he lived in the area.

3 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

A penguin colony in Antarctica that’s home to over 18,000 pairs of Adélie penguins suffered a massive breeding failure, with all but two of the babies starving to death when their parents     1     (force) to travel further in search of food during this breeding season.

According to CNN, the World Wildlife Fund said unseasonably extensive amounts of sea ice around the colony forced the adult penguins to travel further     2     (hunt) for food. The babies did not survive the parents’ journeys. “This disastrous event contrasts with     3     image that many people might have of penguins,”     4     (say) Rod Downie, Head of Polar Programs at WWF.

Downie continued: “The impact of this event is restricted to this specific colony of Adélie penguins, and predictions are that the Antarctic will get     5     (warm) and this may pose different     6     (challenge) in the longer term.”

Adélie penguins are     7     (general) doing well in East Antarctica and there they mostly eat krill, a small shrimp like crustacean.     8     they are declining in the peninsula,     9     the effects of climate change are already being felt. In addition     10     the climate change, the local penguin population is further threatened because of proposals to open the area to the krill fishing industry.

4 . British artist Sacha Jafri has had an incredible year. In September, he set the record creating the world's largest painting. Last week, the painting was sold for $62 million, which Mr. Jafri will give to charity.

Mr. Jafri is a 44-year-old artist from England. Last year, as the coronavirus spread and many countries went into lockdown, Mr. Jafri was in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Rather than feeling stuck because he was unable to move on, Mr. Jafri decided to take on a huge project that could "make a really big difference". He decided to create the world's largest painting. And he wanted to do it in a way that would involve people from around the world. He asked children to send him pictures showing how they were feeling during the pandemic. He got artwork from kids in 140 different countries. Using the children's ideas as a starting point, Mr. Jafri began to paint.

The painting is massive --- over 17,000 square feet. Mr. Jafri planned to cut it up into smaller pieces when he was finished, so he could sell them for charity. It took him 7 months to create the painting. He worked long hours --- often up to 20 hours a day.

Mr. Jafri hoped that his painting, called "The Journey of Humanity", would help bring the world together during a difficult time. He tried to keep the ideas from the children's pictures in his mind. He even included the children's drawings in the artwork. When he finished last September, he had set a Guinness World Record for the world's largest painting. The painting was roughly the size of four basketball courts. Since Mr. Jafri's goal was to raise money to help children, the painting was split up into 70 large sections. Mr. Jafri hoped that by selling the sections separately, he could raise $30 million.

But when the auction (拍卖) ended on March 22, Mr. Jafri did much better than that. And he didn't have to split up the pieces. The whole artwork was sold for $62 million. That's the fourth highest price ever paid for a painting by a living artist.

1. What drove Mr. Jafri to work on such a huge project?

A．His talent for painting.	B．His craziness about fame.
C．His desire for wealth.	D．His enthusiasm for charity.

2. What do you know about Mr. Jafri's artwork?

A．It reflected the ideas of the children.	B．It took him years to get it done.
C．It was purchased by different buyers.	D．It was sold at his expected price.

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

A．A Most Famous British Artist	B．A Guinness World Record
C．The World's Largest Painting	D．The Most Expensive Painting

5 . About 10 million undocumented immigrants live in the U.S. They are not registered with authorities and therefore often hide from the government. They do not pay taxes, and they cannot apply for driver’s licenses, jobs that require a work permit, or loans to buy houses. If discovered, they can be sent back to their home countries.

But this week, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to allow some undocumented immigrants to stay for a limited period and apply to work legally. The decision will affect only undocumented immigrants who meet three criteria: those who have not been found guilty of a crime; those who have been in the U.S. for the past five years or more; and those who have a child who was born here or lives here legally. About 4 million undocumented immigrants meet those criteria.

The case has much to do with a program called DAPA. It stands for “Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents.” The program was approved two years ago. One of the goals of the program was to keep families together. It also aimed to bring more people into legal work. People who support DAPA say the program can greatly reduce the fear undocumented immigrants feel.

A six-year-old girl named Sophie Cruz spoke outside the Supreme Court building. She was born in the U.S., but her parents are here without documents. That means the government can force her parents to leave the country – and their daughter—at any time. “I ask the judges to protect us children and all immigrants,” Sophie Cruz said.

If the Supreme Court decides the DAPA program is legal, the government will protect approved undocumented immigrants. They will receive a social security card, permission to work in the U.S., and a promise that they will not be forced to leave for three years.

1. At present, the undocumented immigrants' life in America is ________.

A．respectable

B．stylish

C．plain

D．insecure

2. What can we infer from paragraph 2?

A．All undocumented immigrants will benefit from the possible decision.

B．Undocumented immigrants meeting the criteria can live legally for ever.

C．Many a undocumented immigrant will get benefit from the decision.

D．There seems to be little chance to have the important decision made.

3. The program called DAPA will contribute to ________.

A．the increase of panic	B．the stability of society
C．more job opportunities	D．academic performance

4. How will Sophie Cruz react once the decision is announced?

A．She is sure to feel relieved.	B．She will decide a permanent stay.
C．She will join the program.	D．She is to obtain a security card.

6 . One of our biggest stressors is not finances or marriage but the lack of a regular routine. Even simply eating lunch an hour later than usual can disrupt your body's ideal state. Try to eat, sleep, and exercise at the same time every day, 365 days a year.     1    

Your fruit and vegetable selections

By the time produce travels from its source to store shelves, it has lost many of its disease-fighting compounds.     2     If not, stick to frozen, which is prepared at peak ripeness to lock in nutrients.

Your gym workout

Even if you exercise vigorously, spending the rest of your day sitting could affect cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Find little ways to get moving all day long, including these sneaky ways to stay fit without working out.

Your heels

You know the high narrow heels aren't comfortable, but the pain they cause is also a sign of inflammation linked to chronic disease. While Dr. Agus doesn't say that heels contribute to heart attacks, he does believe that sticking to comfortable shoes can protect your body from inflammation's long-term damage.     3    

Your nail biting

    4    . It can also cause great damage to your health. In a small Turkish study, 76 percent of nail-biters tested positive for diarrhea—and vomit-causing bacteria like Escherichia coli, compared to just 26.5 percent of non-biters. Doctors say these little habits hurt your health, too.

    5    

If the cancer risk alone wasn't a good enough reason to quit this, here's one more: Smoking can decrease your immune function, making you more likely to catch the flu, or cold. Don't miss these clear signs you're getting sick.

A．Your smoking habit.

B．Nail biting is more than just a bad tendency.

C．You can wear heels and still feel comfortable.

D．Buy fresh vegetables locally or when in season.

E．So just give up your perfect pair of high-heeled shoes.

F．Watch out for the silent signs stress is making you sick.

G．Make sure you try to get rid of the bad habit of nail biting.

7 . My husband was killed on September 11, 2001; he worked in WTC, well above the impact floors. On his birthday in March, 2002, I went to the site that used to be the WTC. It wasn't cleaned up yet; in fact it was ugly as hell and smelled about the same, and access was still pretty chaotic. I got to the Century 21 department store across the street, and stood against the wall. I broke down.

A guy who was working across the street at the site which was still a full-on disaster area—saw me and came across. "Who did you lose?" he asked. "My husband," I said, through ugly tears, and I told the guy what firm my husband had worked for, and that it was his birthday.

They guy turned out to be a firefighter. He reached into his front pocket. "This is actually really rare. Not a lot of glass survived; it just vaporized." And he pressed it into my hand.

He sensed my doubt and said, "Maybe it is for nothing. But crying all the day could be for something?"

I still have it. It's not that the guy was giving up a valuable souvenir. It was that he was acknowledging my connection to that little piece of glass, and putting it where he thought it belonged—that, and he needed to give me something that in some small way I could hold onto and focus on, instead of the hurt. This was how he could do that in that one moment.

I was so bound up in my own head that I never even asked his name; he didn't ask mine either. If he's out there now, I want to tell him that the little piece of glass made me start to think that maybe there were things, little things, short moments, small pieces, that last no matter what.

I want to say to him: thanks for that.

1. Why did she go to the site?

A．She decided to do some shopping.	B．She missed her husband very much.
C．She intended to meet the firefighter.	D．She meant to look at the ruined WTC.

2. The firefighter gave her a piece of glass to ________.

A．honor her husband	B．lift her spirits
C．persuade her to leave	D．remove her doubt

3. What was her attitude to the firefighter?

A．Appreciative.

B．Doubtful.

C．Disapproving.

D．Reserved.

8 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

My uncle was a forest officer of Pakhirrlay Island and this time he brought me there.

His house was in the forest. When we arrived, Sambhu saw us and rushed to open the garden gate. He was an elderly man who did my uncle’s cooking and other household work.

“How are you?” I called out.

“I’m all right.” he said, “but Payal isn’t.”

My uncle, who walked ahead of us, stopped.

“Why Sambhu, what is wrong with our friend?”

“From the day you left, she hasn’t been eating properly.”

My uncle looked worried.

“Who is Payal?” I asked Sambhu. “Why! Don’t you know? Here she is.”

I turned round. My heart skipped a beat. There was Payal, a well-trained dog, giving my uncle a warm welcome by licking (舔) his face.

Then she caught sight of me and came forward. I stood still while she sniffed my all over. Later I was told that Payal’s mother was killed when she was only ten days old. I felt sorry for her.

Soon my uncle left for work. I wondered how to pass my time. There was a small pond behind the house and I liked to sit beside it. I got up. Immediately Payal moved her tail to show she had seen me move. I could bear it no longer, this feeling of being constantly watched by two silent eyes. I walked off angrily and sat beside the pond.

WOOSH!!! I heard a splashing sound. I looked up. Payal had dived into the water and was swimming in the pond. Soon she came out of the pond and sat breathing behind me. Then Payal growled（咆哮）.

After a while, Payal growled again. This time there was a note of urgency in her growl. I could not help turning back and looking at her. She was staring at something. I looked in the same direction and broke into a cold sweat! There was a snake less than six feet away!

注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:

The snake was ready to attack.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

Realizing we were out of danger, I took Payal in my arms.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

A sage（先知） was passing through the capital city of a famous king. While walking, he spotted a coin and picked     1     up. Content with his simple life, he had no use of that coin. So, he planned to donate it to the one     2     was in need of it. He strolled around throughout the day but didn't find any such.

Next morning, he     3    (see) the king was ready to invade another state with his army.     4     (catch) sight of the sage, the king ordered his army     5     (stop). He came to the sage and said, "Oh, great sage, I am going to war to win another state. So please bless me to be victorious."

After thinking     6     (brief), the sage gave the coin to the king, saying, "Oh, great king! I found this coin yesterday while strolling around the     7     (street) of your city, but I had no use of it. Therefore, I had decided to donate it to someone who is needy, but I found no one such. It seemed that they were satisfied with     8     they had had. But today, you, the king of this state, still have the desire to gain     9     (much), so I feel you are in need of this coin."

Hearing this, the king realized his mistake and gave up the     10     (intend) war.

10 . One hot early morning, I, accompanied by my mother, was gently wheeled across our quiet street to the taxi stand. Three weeks earlier, I had ________ my left ankle accidentally. Now, with my ankle in a cast, I had a/an ________ at the hospital to be assessed for a/an ________.

The thought of it ________ me because I had never been operated on, but I would have to ________ it. After waiting for a taxi for over 90 minutes, we were still ________, trying to stop one. But the taxis would pass by us either already filled with passengers or ________ to take us.

My mother was starting to get ________ as we were fast running out of time; our appointment was ________ for 10:45 am and we still had to ________ the admission process and it would take up to 40 minutes to get to the ________.

Then a black SUV pulled over and ________ in front of us. The driver, taking a look at us, ________, "You two look like you could use a ________." He told us he'd seen us earlier as he was taking his son to a weekend school activity. With no questions asked, this good Samaritan ________ us aboard and got us to the hospital in 45 minutes.

We arrived at 10:30 a.m.— ________ in time for my appointment. He________ any pay, saying people should ________ one another, then left with a smile.

To this day we have not ________ paths again with this friendly driver, but his ________ has stuck in our minds and he has taught me to keep watch for and help others in need.

1.

A．pressed

B．cut

C．broken

D．burnt

2.

A．appointment

B．gathering

C．investigation

D．opportunity

3.

A．examination

B．operation

C．adjustment

D．combination

4.

A．thrilled

B．astonished

C．inspired

D．worried

5.

A．expose

B．hug

C．occupy

D．face

6.

A．guiding

B．standing

C．observing

D．handling

7.

A．eager

B．content

C．unwilling

D．unable

8.

A．frustrated

B．exhausted

C．sensitive

D．homeless

9.

A．designed

B．performed

C．advanced

D．scheduled

10.

A．dispose of

B．go through

C．take up

D．get rid of

11.

A．room

B．building

C．hospital

D．school

12.

A．broke down

B．cut in

C．speeded

D．stopped

13.

A．said

B．whispered

C．complained

D．explained

14.

A．lift

B．taxi

C．bus

D．wheelchair

15.

A．led

B．supported

C．convinced

D．welcomed

16.

A．still

B．just

C．even

D．well

17.

A．enjoyed

B．hated

C．refused

D．accepted

18.

A．respect

B．defend

C．help

D．greet

19.

A．beaten

B．approached

C．crossed

D．taken

20.

A．generosity

B．optimism

C．humor

D．determination