1 . What comes into your mind when you think of British food? Probably fish and chips, or a Sunday dinner of meat and two vegetables. But is British food really so uninteresting? Even though Britain has a reputation for less-than-impressive cuisine, it is producing more top class chefs who appear frequently on our television screens and whose recipe books frequently top the best seller lists.

It’s thanks to these TV chefs rather than any advertising campaign that Britons are turning away from meat-and-two-veg and ready-made meals and becoming more adventurous in their cooking habits. It is recently reported that the number of those sticking to a traditional diet is slowly declining and around half of Britain’s consumers would like to change or improve their cooking in some way. There has been a rise in the number of students applying for food courses at UK universities and colleges. It seems that TV programmes have helped change what people think about cooking.

According to a new study from market analysts, 1 in 5 Britons say that watching cookery programmes on TV has encouraged them to try different food. Almost one third say they now use a wider variety of ingredients (配料) than they used to, and just under 1 in 4 say they now buy better quality ingredients than before. One in four adults say that TV chefs have made them much more confident about expanding their cookery knowledge and skills, and young people are also getting more interested in cooking. The UK’s obsession (痴迷) with food is reflected through television scheduling. Cookery shows and documentaries about food are broadcast more often than before. With an increasing number of male chefs on TV, it’s no longer “uncool” for boys to like cooking.

1. What do people usually think of British food?

A．It is simple and plain.	B．It is rich in nutrition.
C．It lacks authentic tastes.	D．It deserves a high reputation.

2. Which best describes cookery programme on British TV?

A．Authoritative.

B．Creative.

C．Profitable.

D．Influential.

3. Which is the percentage of the people using more diverse ingredients now?

A．20%.

B．24%.

C．25%.

D．33%.

4. What might the author continue talking about?

A．The art of cooking in other countries.	B．Male chefs on TV programmes.
C．Table manners in the UK.	D．Studies of big eaters.

2 . The music industry is highly competitive. It requires you to improve your musical skills continuously for a higher level of artistry.     1    . Being a musician also requires the ability to think in business terms—you must know how to get your music out to the public in cost-effective ways. This means developing and adopting an effective marketing strategy.

    2    . Normally, a person or business looks at what a particular type of customer wants and then figures out what products or services meet the needs of those customers. In this regard, it is the customer that determines what is to be sold. With music marketing, just the opposite is true.     3    . Music marketing strategies thus must match a musician’s music with an audience.

Music marketing strategies involve one or more marketing techniques. Examples include giving free promotional (促销的) singles, putting advertisements on different media, and getting email addresses at concerts so audience members can get updates about the artist.     4    , but a good marketing strategy in music always uses the techniques familiar to the matching audience.

In many cases, music marketing strategies are limited by the artist’s funds. Many beginning artists don’t have the money to promote their work heavily and have to rely on techniques that are free or low-cost.     5    . Once the agency (中介处) gets behind the artist, the musician has access to the agency’s resources for marketing purposes. Agencies are more than willing to provide these resources and develop a marketing strategy, because a good strategy translates into profit for the agency.

A．The artist already has a product ready to go

B．Music marketing strategies differ from regular ones

C．Musical talent alone, however, is not necessarily enough

D．No two musicians have to use the same techniques when marketing

E．An artist doesn’t need to promote all of his/her songs at the same time

F．That’s why most beginning artists dream of being “discovered” by an agency

G．Technology makes it cheaper and easier for artists to promote their work themselves

3 . -What are these housewives talking about?
-They are discussing whether men are actually _____ to housework or just too lazy.

A．relevant

B．allergic

C．native

D．accessible

4 . Michael Gonsalves, a chef of Golden Oak at Disney World, has a cuisine concept rooted in fresh, locally-sourced ingredients that originated from childhood harvesting produce from their family garden with his mom to eventually leading kitchens at Walt Disney World Resorts to employ a sustainable model.

“Truly the whole process starts with menu planning,” he said. Creating one dish leads into the creation of many more through the end-to-end use of products. As chefs, they are always searching for the best ingredients. It is then their focus to ensure they appreciate and respect all that go into each and every one of them. For example, they source chicken that is naturally grown and fed on a natural plant forward diet, no hormones (激素) or additives — that’s used in many ways throughout menus from a simple grilled chicken breast to bone soup. Nothing goes to waste.

When they do have waste, even if minimal, they shift it from landfills to transform it into compost (堆肥) that’s then used across the Walt Disney World property. They also support Second Harvest, a local community food bank where healthy produce, prepared, but not served, meals eatable for human consumption are donated. Disney also works with pig farmers when they can’t distribute foods past the point of safety for human consumption. Besides, wildlife reservations love to get the meat because tigers and wild cats can still eat that.

Their operations are “on a path to a sustainable zero waste kitchen of tomorrow” where chefs learn the full-life cycle of plants from seed to plate and gain a better understanding and appreciation for the product and their craft.

Golden Oak at Disney has millions of bees that produce up to 300 pounds of honey per year, plus those bees help with cross pollination (授粉) of their gardens on a daily basis. They advocate a culture that helps develop not only the quality of food, but an appreciation for nature.

1. Where did Michael Gonsalves’ idea about cuisine come from?

A．His mom’s suggestions.	B．His dream of becoming a chef.
C．His interest in delicious food.	D．His labor experience as a child.

2. How are the ingredients dealt with in Golden Oak?

A．They are grilled to eat.	B．They are used to the fullest.
C．They are divided into groups.	D．They are selected by quality.

3. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 3?

A．Give examples about zero waste.

B．Introduce the unique habit of wildlife.

C．Stress the importance of natural food.

D．Explain the operation mode of the food bank.

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

A．Disney World:New Cuisine Road

B．Michael Gonsalves:Creative Chef

C．Michael Gonsalves:Advocate of Food Diversity

D．Disney World:Pioneer in Environmental Protection

5 . When Nihal was eight years old, he went to visit his grandparents who lived near the Krisha river. He saw people _________ rubbish and plastic waste into the water. This was the point at which the ecologist in him _________, and he wanted to do something.

Nihal has always been _________ by environmental issues, but he’s never given them much _________ except reading the relevant novels. _________, one day, after hearing about a large fire _________ by a lithium battery(锂离子电池) at a waste disposal(处置) site in California, he became _________ and determined to do something. He thought, although the problem could be settled, many people who were observing would simply _________ it. That’s when the concept for “ Recycle My Battery ” _________.

Then, Nihal did more research into battery __________ and discovered that many worldwide companies have __________ about batteries. “ Surely there has to be a __________ to keep them out of landfills(废物填埋地),” he remarked. Then he began to __________ batteries at his school and in the neighbourhood. His father would drive him __________ throughout every corner of towns to collect __________ batteries. With so many batteries piled up, he decided to __________ his own non-profit Recycle My Battery.

So far, more than 1.5 million people have __________ Recycle My Battery. Nihal and his strong team of young people have already recycled over 150,000 deserted batteries and taught over 1.5 million people about the __________ of battery recycling.

Nihal, now only 12 years old, has been struggling for three years to __________ the battery pollution, calling on others to raise battery recycling __________ and working towards the aim of zero pollution.

1.

A．pushing

B．settling

C．hiding

D．throwing

2.

A．agreed

B．existed

C．appeared

D．acted

3.

A．attracted

B．confused

C．touched

D．delighted

4.

A．donation

B．prediction

C．conclusion

D．consideration

5.

A．Moreover

B．However

C．Instead

D．Besides

6.

A．caused

B．burnt

C．lighted

D．set

7.

A．curious

B．shocked

C．proud

D．cautious

8.

A．allow

B．treasure

C．order

D．ignore

9.

A．broke down

B．stuck out

C．came about

D．got around

10.

A．distributions

B．bursts

C．expenses

D．restrictions

11.

A．concerns

B．doubts

C．connection

D．patience

12.

A．version

B．course

C．pace

D．way

13.

A．restore

B．collect

C．rent

D．purchase

14.

A．tirelessly

B．gratefully

C．sincerely

D．curiously

15.

A．brand-new

B．energy-consuming

C．second-hand

D．home-made

16.

A．rebuild

B．expand

C．support

D．establish

17.

A．thrown light on

B．broken away from

C．signed up for

D．come up with

18.

A．necessity

B．capacity

C．decision

D．creation

19.

A．measure

B．recycle

C．clear

D．investigate

20.

A．assessment

B．awareness

C．advertisement

D．protection

6 . Top Exhibitions to See in London in 2023

Architectural: Vanishing Points

While we like to think of architecture existing purely in the real world, emerging designers and architects are using platforms like Instagram to create structures in the virtual world. This collection of works, which range from the practical to the fantastical, are all by architects who have gathered significant social media followings.

In the Digital Universe at ROCA London. 8 February—31 July, free.

Flowery: Orchids

This annual festival is back in bloom (开花), this time inspired by the beauty and biodiversity of Cameroon. Just like previous years, the orchids are spread throughout the various zones of the Princess of Wales conservatory and accompanied by sculptures that are just as colourful as the flowers on display.

At Kew Gardens. 4 February —5 March, &16.50—entrance to the gardens included.

Female Abstraction: Action, Gesture, Paint

Art history has often shone a light on the men of Abstract Expressionism, such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Well, now’s the time to let the most important women of the movement take the limelight in an exhibition that includes works by American artists such as Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler, but spreads the net wider to include the female abstract artists from Europe, Asia and the wider world, with whom most of us will be unfamiliar.

At Whitechapel Gallery. 9 February—7 May, £ 16.50—concessions available.

Powerful Portraits (肖像): Alice Neel

The largest UK exhibition to date of American painter Alice Neel’s work will bring together her figurative pieces from across her 60-year career. Neel went against the popular grain by painting figures when abstract works were most popular, and she painted subjects that other artists ignored — pregnant women, labour leaders, black children, civil rights activists and strange performers. It’s high time we had a major show of her work in London, and the Barbican has duly provided.

At Barbican Art Gallery. 16 February—21 May, & 18.

1. Which of the following exhibitions is held once a year?

A．Flowery: Orchids.

B．Powerful Portraits: Alice Neel.

C．Architectural: Vanishing Points.

D．Female Abstraction: Action, Gesture, Paint.

2. When can visitors appreciate Lee Krasner’s works?

A．On February 8.

B．On January 7.

C．On April 7.

D．On May 8.

3. What can we learn about the artist Alice Neel?

A．She is 60 years old now.

B．Her works didn’t follow the trend.

C．She often ignored some common subjects.

D．She is the most popular American painter in the UK.

7 . Ways to improve Innovation Skills

In your professional life, innovation skills play a vital role. Here are steps and tips to improve them.

Improve reasoning (推理) skills. Reasoning skills form the ability to think about a particular way to work in a sensible and result-oriented manner. You can implement reasoning for innovative ideas and enhance them further.     1     You will also be able to come up with the ideas that have higher chances to become result-driven.

Be a good listener. You should listen to others and try to think about their ideas and concepts.     2     Also, adaptability increases innovation. It would help if you tried adopting newer versions of solutions for the betterment of your company.

Actively participate in team activities. A team is a body that functions the best in togetherness. Team activities like brainstorming sessions are conducted to enhance the team spirit and develop the thinking skills of the team members.     3     Such activities will improve the innovation skills.

Make decisions based on judgments. From the inferences of team activities or other tasks, you can make judgments about the current situations.     4     These will help with innovation. Innovative ideas must be useful, and decisions based on judgments help in ensuring this.

    5     Problems are faced at every point, and every problem has a solution. So, if you develop the desire to solve every problem by a strategic plan, you will aim to find a best solution that is new and innovative. With problem-solving skills, you will always long for new and effective ways to solve a problem in lesser time.

A．Develop problem-solving skills.

B．Be open to absorbing other points of view.

C．But if some ideas do turn true, they can be miraculous.

D．Decisions based on these judgments should be realistic.

E．You will get to know about different other forms. of ideas and possibilities.

F．If you successfully create an efficient design, that will stand as your innovation.

G．These skills are instrumental in enabling you to be more productive with your decision making.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Seeing these “gardens” is like looking at a universe in a plant pot. The miniature (微型的) branches spread and twist,       1       (demonstrate) the beauty of nature, so as to allow viewers to stop and reflect on the circle of life. The potted landscape of penjing.     2       (be) a representative of top-ranking garden art ever since its existence.

    3     (expected), the Suzhou-style penjing cultivation technique was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) in 2011.     4     penjing, Suzhou gardens wouldn’t be as charming as they are today. Once the construction of a garden is completed, its buildings are set, but planting can grow and change, which makes gardens     5     (live).

The history of penjing     6       (date) back to the Tang Dynasty when the great poet Bai Juyi used some stones     7       (create) miniature landscapes in pots. And the Ming Dynasty marked a boom in the economy of Suzhou, the very period       8     turned the city into a major cultural center. Because of that long history, Suzhou-style penjing is often seen as       9     fundamental school of Chinese planting art.

Penjing works are beautiful, but people think that they were owned by the rich. However, only when they are enjoyed by general     10       (consume) can they benefit from being part of people's wider modern artistic taste.

9 . In 1909, Forster published a science fiction short story, The Machine Stops, in which a future civilization falls apart because its technology — much of which sounds a lot like the internet — collapses. Last Friday, after Storm Eunice caused the biggest national power cut on record to more than 55,000 homes across southern and eastern England and South Wales, people begin to think Forster’s imagined machine was really stopping.

It’s not unreasonable to think that Forster’s machine is seizing up when your gas heating doesn’t work because the pump is electric, when you have to go for a drive to charge the mobile phone, when everything in the freezer is going off, when you can’t get on the internet because the WiFi needs mains power, and much of your home technology — from smart doorbells to smart speakers — doesn’t work because, even if it has battery back-up, it still needs Wi-Fi. Millions of landlines will stop working by 2025 because they will use the internet, requiring a broadband connection.

The death of the landline will spell the moment when we are finally full hostages to the electricity supply. As hundreds of thousands of households across northern England lost power because of Storm Arwen last December, people in remote areas without mobile reception were left unable to call for help, as their landlines were phased out in favour of broadband-enabled phones reliant on electricity.

What are we to do to keep our homes working when electricity can no longer be relied on? People have taken to firing up wood burners to keep warm. Those with oil-fired kitchen ranges for cooking,heating and hot water,have been feeling particularly grateful for that reliable appliance.

“A more radical solution is house batteries. However,for society as a whole,it is less likely to be put into action because home batteries are not a neat and wonderfully clean solution”,says Dr Constable,“Lithium-ion batteries are dangerous. They cause fires. That’s why airlines are cautious about them and why you can’t take those little electric scooters on the London.”

1. Why did people begin to believe Forster’s imagination?

A．A smart home was not reliable at all.	B．They saw the biggest national disaster.
C．Forster gave a solution to their trouble.	D．What Forster described became a reality.

2. How does the author support his opinion?

A．By analysing the troubles.	B．By listing a lot of facts.
C．By sharing an expert’s idea.	D．By recommending a fiction.

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Substitutes ought to be prepared before they are needed.

B．The smarter technology is, the less we need to worry about.

C．The more technology we rely on, the more powerless we may be.

D．Home batteries are a wonderful choice when there is no electricity.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Being Left Hostages to Electricity	B．Time to Look for New Energy
C．Days at Home without Electricity	D．Collapsing of Future Civilization

10 . It has been proved that self-care helps people lower stress and get healthier. And another interesting finding has been revealed recently.     1     As a typical form of caring about others, volunteering has been proved to be beneficial to us in the following ways.

Volunteering makes us happier.

Throughout history, cooperation and community have been essential parts of human survival. One reason we feel so rewarded when helping others is that the happiness of those around us has taken root in our survival instinct. According to one study, people who volunteered at least once a month reported better mental health than those who didn’t.     2    

Volunteering increases our sense of purpose.

Typically, the act of volunteering involves taking action and engaging with others. These are two mental health needs shared by most humans, especially people feeling aimless and disconnected.     3     As a result, they can have clearer goals in their own life and increase the sense of responsibility.

Volunteering helps manage depression.

    4     That’s because taking positive action helps to change the negative thoughts---whether by interacting with other people or realizing you have useful skills to share with the world. Based on that, some researchers even suggest including volunteering as an approach to treating depression.

    5    

Some researchers have discovered a link between volunteering and a lower risk of early death. This effect comes in part from how volunteering can reduce stress and depression, which in turn promotes life span, improved physical health, and better management of chronic(慢性的) diseases.

A．Volunteering cures many diseases.

B．Volunteering impacts our physical health.

C．Caring attention towards others also improves our health.

D．Volunteering also helps reduce sadness or hopelessness.

E．People who always hold a positive attitude is unlikely to get depressed.

F．Some even said volunteering made them as happy as having an extra $1,100.

G．When volunteering, people learn new skills and develop more social connections.