1 . British sculptor Jason Taylor has made it his mission to use his talent to conserve our ecosystems by creating underwater museums. Over the years, the environmentalist has put over 850 massive artworks underwater worldwide. On February 1, 2021, Taylor launched his latest work---The Underwater Museum of Cannes.
“The main goal was to bring attention to the fact that our oceans need our help,” Taylor told Dezeen. “Ocean ecologies have been destroyed by human activity in the Mediterranean over the past few decades, and it is not obvious what is taking place when observing the sea from afar.”
The Underwater Museum of Cannes contains 6 sculptures featuring local residents of various ages. They range from Maurice, an 80-year-old fisherman, to Anouk, a 9-year-old student. Towering over 6-feet-tall and weighing 10 tons, the faces are sectioned into two parts, with the outer part like a mask. The mask indicates that the world’s oceans appear powerful and unbeatable from the surface but house an ecosystem that is extremely fragile to careless human activities.
Though the waters surrounding the sculptures now appear a pristine blue, the seabed was filled with old boat engines, pipes, and other human-made trash when the project began about four years ago. Besides removing the trash, Taylor also restored the area’s seagrass. Just one square meter of the seagrass can generate up to 10 liters of oxygen daily. The seagrass also helps prevent coastal erosion and provides habitats for many ocean creatures.
“The idea of creating an underwater museum was to draw more people underwater and develop a sense of care and protection,” Taylor told Dezeen. “If we threw unwanted waste near a forest, there would be a public outcry. But this is happening every day in our surrounding waters and it largely goes unnoticed.”
1. What are the underwater museums intended to do?| A．To make huge profits. | B．To raise awareness of protecting the ocean. |
| C．To show Jason Taylor’s talent. | D．To draw attention to endangered sea animals. |
| A．To popularize the features of the locals. |
| B．To remind people to protect themselves. |
| C．To reflect people’s protection of the ocean. |
| D．To stress the sensitiveness of the ecosystem. |
| A．How the project was started. | B．How the seagrass was restored. |
| C．What recovery effort the project made. | D．Why the surroundings were improved. |
| A．The situation of the ocean is easily ignored. |
| B．The destruction caused to the ocean is noticeable. |
| C．Forests play a more important role in ecosystems. |
| D．People have zero tolerance to damage done to nature. |
2 . There is a tree full of ripe plums(李子）with branches hanging over our house . Every single morning when I see plums on the ground , I am
I imagine the tree saying, "If I put the plum here,
"For me?"I said to the plum tree one morning as I
It seems that I have a hard time
Sometimes it feels as though the tree were
| A．upset | B．surprised | C．anxious | D．calm |
| A．tree | B．table | C．grass | D．ground |
| A．exactly | B．hardly | C．gradually | D．certainly |
| A．wear | B．enjoy | C．miss | D．trust |
| A．judge | B．decide | C．stop | D．lose |
| A．trouble | B．trick | C．fact | D．gift |
| A．forced | B．refused | C．bought | D．gathered |
| A．finding | B．accepting | C．calling | D．cooking |
| A．pointing | B．agreeing | C．discussing | D．sharing |
| A．bad | B．smelly | C．dirty | D．free |
| A．frightened | B．allowed | C．locked | D．shown |
| A．arguing | B．walking | C．referring | D．talking |
| A．generosity | B．peace | C．temper | D．knowledge |
| A．attention | B．choice | C．pleasure | D．difficulty |
| A．keeps | B．hopes | C．needs | D．causes |
3 . It's time for people to pick up their boom boxes and dust off their sneakers. Breaking, or competitive break dancing, is going for the gold.
On Dec 7, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that breaking would be an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. It will be the latest modern sport to be added to the Games. IOC President Thomas Bach said that the new addition of breaking could help the Olympics event be “more youthful”. “We had a clear priority, and this was to introduce sports particularly popular among the younger generation,” Bach said. “And also to take into consideration the urbanization of sport.”
Breaking was originally part of early hip-hop culture in New York in the 1970s. In the decades since, it has spread globally, enjoying huge popularity beyond the US and particularly across Europe and Asia. Though breaking is often categorized as a style of street dance, it more easily lends itself to the field of sports than other styles for the competitive nature.
“Back in the Bronx in New York, when it first started, it was always neighborhoods of kids just battling each other,” 26-year-old break-dancer Victor Montalvo told USA Today. “That's how they did it back in the day.”
“Breaking competitions typically consist of one-on-one battles in which one competitor challenges his or her rival with different moves and the other responds. It's a sport/art just as physically demanding as high-intensity dancing and acrobatics”, Montalvo added.
But as an art, breaking also features coordination and creativity. Some combinations of moves can be practiced, but much of a round is improvised. Combining vitality and creativity, breaking is accepted by young dancers across the world who are motivated by the prospect of representing their countries at the world’s biggest sporting event.
1. What does the underlined words “the gold” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．The coins made of gold. | B．The gold medal. |
| C．Great wealth. | D．The deep yellow color. |
| A．It has a short history. | B．It reflects the urbanization of sport. |
| C．It is a new addition to the Olympics. | D．It is popular with the younger generation. |
| A．Creativity. | B．High intensity. |
| C．Physical coordination. | D．Dancing techniques. |
| A．To stress the importance of breaking. | B．To introduce a new Olympic event- breaking. |
| C．To throw light on the rules of breaking. | D．To make a brief historical overview of breaking. |
I went out to have lunch this morning to meet an old friend. We made a date in a small and peaceful restaurant. We hadn’t seen each other for some time. So I was looking forward to it, and thought it would be a lovely lunch and a wonderful conversation. I dressed myself in my favorite dress and did my hair up. Everything seemed perfect.
When my old friend and I were seated, we first ordered our meal. But there seemed to be something wrong with the lady who took our order. Her expression was horrible and she said rudely, “What’s your order?” “A dish of fish and some rice”, I told her our order in a gentle voice. She took my order and gave me the same unfriendly attitude as she had given to others.
The woman’s bad attitude made me uncomfortable. Considering that I didn't want anything to destroy the happy moods that we had, I didn't say anything else.
As my friend and I were having our meal and talking about the things that happened before, my mind didn’t focus on our talking. I just noticed the lady’s behaviors to other customers. She was not in a good mood and she got into a fight with a customer but I didn’t know why.
When it came to my turn to approach her, I thought to myself, “What can I do here to make her mood changed and make her smile?” And I didn’t want her attitude to spoil the whole warm atmosphere in this small peaceful restaurant.
Surely there must be something I could sincerely compliment (赞扬) her on. Then there it was and I knew instantly. I said to her, “Madam, I don’t know what made you so unhappy, but I know that you must have the most incredibly well spoken and clear voice. It is so good. Like incredibly good.” That was what I could compliment her on.
Paragraph 1:
When she heard what I had said, her whole face lit up.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
I went back to my seat and I noticed the lady’s whole attitude changed.
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5 . The Benefits of Digital Art
Digital art is the process of creating artwork using computers and software.
Digital art is often quicker to finish.
Take oil paintings for example. If you create one in the traditional way, you will need all kinds of tools like paper, water, paints, etc.
A computer with the right apps and software might cost you $1, 000, but physical art is pretty expensive. Pencils, paper, paints, paintbrushes and all of the other things you need soon get expensive. And they all need replacing — things can easily reach that $1, 000 and beyond.
Digital art avoids using much space of your room.
Drawings and paintings can take up lots of physical space. I have many physical drawings which are stored in boxes in my room. Some of the drawings took me weeks to complete.
Digital art makes it easy to deal with mistakes.
Digital art gives you the wonderful ability to correct your mistakes. Any time you make a mistake, you can step back from it right away with a push of a button. As for traditional art, it’s not easy to correct a mistake. For example, when your pen accidentally falls on your painting, you may not be able to deal with it.
| A．Digital art helps save money. |
| B．These tools can be very important. |
| C．It takes time to prepare all of these. |
| D．And your painting will be destroyed. |
| E．Digital art will never be a paper killer. |
| F．But they never see the light of day now. |
| G．Compared with traditional art, digital art has some advantages. |
6 . “Your mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds,” William Wordsworth wrote. In the above quote, William suggests that the process of gardening mirrors human life. Depending on what we “plant” in our lives, we bloom (生长茂盛) or don’t. Before you start to work in your garden, it’s necessary to have a vision for it. Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step in making your vision a fruitful reality. In life, you should consider what you want to create and what you want to achieve, because your mind-garden is like the white paper and the possibilities are endless.
Regardless of what you choose to plant, poor soil isn’t suitable for growth. This is why gardeners take the time and energy to upgrade the soil before planting. So, creating the right soil is important to the realization of your goals and dreams. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make your personal bedrock better. Getting an education is one of the most effective ways, which can help you enrich your life’s soil.
You don’t have to be an enthusiastic gardener to understand the meaning of “You reap(收获) what you sow.” When a gardener wants tomatoes, they just need to plant tomato seeds. It’s a very clear act that produces an expected result. Each of us has the power to decide which “life seeds” to plant. For example, if you plant ill seeds, it's likely that you’ll experience pain in return. Contrarily, if you plant seeds of kindness and understanding, your life will bloom with happiness and love.
A gardener’s truly arduous work begins after the seeds are in the ground because a garden requires a lot of care and attention. Regular watering and weeding are required for a healthy garden. So, to ensure your dreams take root, you should be devoted, aware, and present. After countless hours and energy spent, the crops have grown well and are finally ready to be harvested.
1. What is important before gardeners break ground in their gardens?| A．Receiving some training in planting. |
| B．Drawing up a good plan for their gardens. |
| C．Having the courage to accept the worst outcome. |
| D．Doing research on the common local garden plants. |
| A．Improving the condition of the soil. | B．Growing your most favorable plants. |
| C．Taking care of the plants in your garden. | D．Selecting proper goals in gardening work. |
| A．Your quality of life depends on your positive action. |
| B．Your experience can help you understand plants better. |
| C．Your choice of soil is an important part in your gardening. |
| D．Your knowledge of planting will make you a successful gardener. |
| A．Beneficial | B．Creative | C．Boring. | D．Tough |
7 . When Harrison School District 2 turned to e-learning last spring, they made sure to provide each student with a laptop and the tools needed to succeed at home. But one remaining need in many families was Internet access.
Christine O’Brien, spokesperson for District 2 said, "When you had many people learning and working from home, sometimes there were Internet glitches. We wanted to avoid that and make sure students in our district could have equal chances to learn and that our families could learn from home as well."
O’Brien said that this year they made sure to survey each of their students to see who exactly needed the Internet.
“This year we were really specific about asking whether families had Internet service at home without a phone," she said. They discovered that about a thousand families needed some sort of Internet connection.
And that’s where Altia came into play. A local software company heard there was an Internet shortage for students and it stepped in to see how they could help. Teaming up with local foundations (基金会), they were able to provide a monthly Internet service that allows many people to have Internet access at the same time. Mike Juran, CEO of Altia said; “At Altia we talked to Randy Rocha at District 2 and I just put out an email to friends and people that I knew and that made its way back to Pikes Peak Community Foundation and Norwood Foundation and people spread that around. Within weeks we were able to get something done."
"The community came together and helped us piece this part. We worked so hard as a school district to get those devices into the hands of students but this was a piece that we weren’t ready to do. We hadn’t budgeted (预算) for it, so the community’s coming together to help our families in this way was really truly amazing," said O’Brien.
1. What does the underlined word “glitches” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Users. | B．Services. | C．Problems. | D．Repairmen. |
| A．They kept track of students’ situations. |
| B．They sold laptops to students cheaply. |
| C．They kept holding new learning programs. |
| D．They encouraged students to treat each other equally. |
| A．By visiting the families every month. |
| B．By sending emails to students every week. |
| C．By setting up a local foundation to raise money. |
| D．By offering Internet service to students in need. |
| A．It inspired students to be helpful and active. |
| B．It helped deliver devices to the hands of students. |
| C．It added a big part to the school’s planned budget. |
| D．It solved things the school district was unprepared for. |
8 . Farming is a tradition among many in South Dakota, one that is not always easy to keep in the family. But one family has survived four generations and hopes to continue long into the future.
The year was 1933 when Ed VanderWal’s father first stepped onto the farm. Now 80 years later, Ed carries the passion his father gave him for farming every day while working the fields on the family farm in Volga.
“Well, I was in the first grade when my dad moved here to this farm and I grew up on the farm. And that's what I was interested in doing more,” Ed said. But that love of working the land didn't stop with Ed. He’s passed it down to his six sons. Some of them run farms of their own now, but two of them, Scott and David, still work side by side with their dad every day.
Some people might worry that working sun up to sun down with family seven days a week would lead to a few family spats. But for the VanderWals, the constant time together works just fine.
“When families work together on a farm, it’s a challenge at times getting along. Everyone has to pull their weight and do their share. And that, of course, transfers from one generation to the next,” Scott said.
And while they all get along like any family, with good days and bad, it's tradition that keeps each generation teaching the next.
“But we taught them to work with animals at a young age, like most farmers do. So it’s nice to be able to pass that tradition onto the next generation,” Scott said.
The youngest generation of the VandcrWals, Ed’s three grandsons and a granddaughter, all started learning farming techniques at a young age.
1. Why did Ed VanderWal devote himself to the farm?| A．Because he grew up on the farm. |
| B．Because he was affected by his father. |
| C．Because he could do nothing but work on the farm. |
| D．Because he wanted to set a good example for his sons. |
| A．Panics. | B．Shifts. | C．Quarrels. | D．Blames. |
| A．Ed’s farms have no lack of successors (继承者). |
| B．The VariderWals have strict family rules. |
| C．Ed’s tradition has great effect on the local. |
| D．Ed’s grandchildren will drop out of school. |
| A．A farming family. | B．A successful farmer. |
| C．The agricultural generation. | D．The agricultural tradition. |
9 . Until April 2, 2011, everything in my life was perfect. I was sitting tight like every other
I took the train to reach home early that day to watch the match. I caught the
I always dreamt of becoming a professional sportsman one day. But after this, I was in despair as I
I spent a year looking for
| A．parent | B．athlete | C．student | D．fan |
| A．lift | B．imagine | C．relay | D．quit |
| A．life | B．body | C．country | D．study |
| A．steaming | B．packed | C．cheap | D．late |
| A．burning | B．bleeding | C．suffering | D．reacting |
| A．forget | B．miss | C．accept | D．welcome |
| A．gradually | B．rudely | C．immediately | D．accidentally |
| A．power | B．confidence | C．order | D．consciousness |
| A．time | B．bounds | C．colors | D．surprise |
| A．part | B．dance | C．struggle | D．meet |
| A．agreed | B．joked | C．guaranteed | D．thought |
| A．praised | B．arranged | C．restored | D．nailed |
| A．believe | B．object | C．afford | D．permit |
| A．funds | B．volunteers | C．coaches | D．receivers |
| A．injury | B．pleasure | C．talent | D．career |
10 . According to Jessica Hagy, author of How to Be Interesting, it’s not difficult to make yourself interesting at a dinner party.
People love to talk about themselves. If you can start the conversation with a question other than “What do you do for a living?”, you’ll be able to get a lot more interesting conversation out of whomever it is you’re talking to.
And what about that other dinner-party killer: awkward silence? If you’re faced with an awkward silence at a dinner party, the only thing that always gets everyone talking again is to give the host a compliment (赞扬).
So being interesting at a dinner party isn’t that hard.
| A．How do you know the host |
| B．The first step is to go exploring |
| C．If you ask the question “How did you get here?” |
| D．Be prepared to have awkward conversations with strangers |
| E．Or turn the conversation into a topic where they have little to say |
| F．What about that person who had too much to drink or won’t stop talking |
| G．He or she is the person who is feeling the weight of that awkwardness the most |
