1 . Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be "the easy subject" at school, insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?

Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can; art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert, they are paying for music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don't just want material things anymore, they want to experience life一the arts are a perfect crossover（交迭）between culture and commerce.

Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation's experience.

The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people's wellbeing. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.

Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development; encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life.

Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.

1. Art products differ from most other commercial products because .

A．most people purchase them for collection

B．they are more expensive and less accessible

C．they have both commercial and cultural values

D．their prices may climb up as time passes

2. By sharing their arts experiences, community members can .

A．keep the community safe from illnesses

B．develop a stronger tie between them

C．learn to appreciate their own works of art

D．offer honourable solutions to their problems

3. What can we learn about people who are involved in artistic activities?

A．They enjoy better living conditions.

B．They like to compare themselves with others.

C．They are particularly good at both music and art.

D．They tend to be healthier physically and mentally.

4. How does kids' engagement with the arts benefit them?

A．It promotes their academic performance and emotional growth.

B．It gives them more confidence in exhibiting their learning skills.

C．It inspires their creativity in designing their future career.

D．It helps to make responsible people out of them.

5. What is the best title for this passage?

A．How Art Cures Our Hearts

B．Art: A Blessing to Humankind

C．How Art Benefits Communities

D．Art: A Bridge Between Cultures

2 . My brother and I are exactly one year apart. We look like twins, but we are completely _________ . By the time we got to middle school it was clear that my older brother _________ meditation (冥想),while I was a born _________ who preferred the theatrical, even when off stage. I took his relative silence to be offensive. We simply didn't _________.

I didn't _________ having a tense relationship with my brother because I was involved at school. _________, I threw myself into the world of musicals. I practised singing in the bedroom every day to remain at my best and be _________ for roles; my brother would meditate on a window seat. He might feel high school was already hard enough _________ my noisy singing. So space to practise became a（n）_________ between us because we shared a room.

At the start of the semester, I practised “Circle of Life" for a musical. This was the first time I __________ to learn a song, because my voice cracked (破音)as I switched to a head voice. I was annoyed in that period and __________ practising, declaring I had reached the ceiling of my singing career. For the first time in years my brother __________ quiet when I got home.

After two days of this, my brother asked me to __________ him in meditation. Feeling my anger at my inability to manage this song __________,I accepted. My brother said, "When your mind floats away, you simply come back. Don't blame yourself" I got the message, and it soon became my new __________. I kept trying at the song, no longer getting __________ at myself. And just in time for the trial performance, I was able to __________ power in my singing despite the switch to a head voice. It was important for me to learn that you don't have to always get everything __________ the first time and that good things come with continual __________.I now understand why my brother favours the __________.

1.

A．mature

B．different

C．content

D．normal

2.

A．disliked

B．preferred

C．replaced

D．abandoned

3.

A．writer

B．leader

C．painter

D．performer

4.

A．get along

B．drop by

C．show off

D．check in

5.

A．try

B．mind

C．enjoy

D．delay

6.

A．In particular

B．In vain

C．In return

D．In theory

7.

A．humorous

B．ordinary

C．competitive

D．grateful

8.

A．above

B．below

C．near

D．without

9.

A．issue

B．contrast

C．agreement

D．balance

10.

A．struggled

B．expected

C．promised

D．decided

11.

A．began

B．allowed

C．stopped

D．continued

12.

A．hated

B．experienced

C．accepted

D．wanted

13.

A．help

B．invite

C．join

D．admire

14.

A．gracefully

B．suddenly

C．fiercely

D．cautiously

15.

A．limit

B．sentence

C．mistake

D．philosophy

16.

A．rude

B．angry

C．surprised

D．excited

17.

A．lose

B．share

C．reduce

D．maintain

18.

A．wrong

B．right

C．back

D．down

19.

A．luck

B．absence

C．effort

D．fear

20.

A．fight

B．noise

C．quiet

D．safety

3 . In the lab, keeping things clean and organized can help provide a safer ________.

A．system

B．method

C．investment

D．environment

4 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。

Recent research suggests that if an argument gets resolved，the emotional response tied to it is significantly reduced or almost completely erased．Thus，it may be worth bringing up issues with your friends， family members，or classmates rather than holding them back．

There is a difference between arguing and fighting．Arguing is that you and your opponent present your concerns and discuss the feelings and issues related to those concerns．You can engage in an argument respectfully without stirring up（激起） anger．Fighting，however，usually involves personal attacks，raising of voices， and storming out．Discussing your issues and resolving them instead of stuffing them down can improve your emotional health．In a study，2.000 people were asked to record their feelings and experiences for eight days in a row．When people had an argument that they considered resolved， they had half the reactivity （情绪反应） of those who avoided an argument．Reactivity is an increase in negative emotions or a decrease in positive emotions．In other words，resolving an argument cuts your negative feelings by half．One day later， people who had a resolved argument reported no increase of negative emotions compared with those who avoided an argument． This means that resolving an argument can feel like you have reached a state of resolution——and you are less likely to be annoyed．

Moreover，the older you are，the more likely you will come to a resolution after an argument．This may be because more life experience usually leads to more defined priorities．You are more likely to distinguish between what matters and what does not．

It is easier to avoid a discussion，but risking talking about it may eventually lead to a better outcome．

1. According to this passage，what is arguing？
2. Why is it that“the older you are， the more likely you will come to a resolution after an argument”？
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement，then underline it and explain why．
Resolving arguments can improve your emotional health，because it increases your reactivity and reduces the chance of you getting angry．
4. In addition to improving emotional health，what do you think are some other benefits of resolving an argument？ （In about 40 words）

5 . Recently，I took a trip home by train．I got a seat opposite a middle-aged man with sharp eyes，who kept_________a young woman in a window seat with a little boy on her lap．The woman's eye fell on the man's face，and she immediately looked down and_________her scarf．

As the night wore on，people began to close their eyes，but the seats were so uncomfortable that only a very heavy sleeper could manage to get any_________．The woman looked over at the man．He was still staring at her．She looked back at him with fire in her eyes．I was beginning to get_________，too．

The train moved on．The little boy was _________ awake on his mother's lap，but the woman dropped off to sleep．A moment later，he began to_________the half-open window—one leg went over it．The man jumped up and _________the child just before he fell out．

The_________ woke up the woman．She seemed to be in_________，and then reality dawned （显现）．“Your child has been looking for an opportunity to climb out of the window，”the man said as he gave the child back to her. ．“So I have been watching the whole time．”The woman was __________，and so was I．

1.

A．guiding

B．bothering

C．watching

D．monitoring

2.

A．adjusted

B．changed

C．packed

D．waved

3.

A．air

B．joy

C．space

D．rest

4.

A．nervous

B．embarrassed

C．angry

D．disappointed

5.

A．almost

B．still

C．hardly

D．even

6.

A．drag

B．climb

C．knock

D．push

7.

A．grabbed

B．rocked

C．touched

D．picked

8.

A．alarm

B．quarrel

C．risk

D．noise

9.

A．sorrow

B．relief

C．panic

D．pain

10.

A．astonished

B．confused

C．concerned

D．inspired

6 . 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 dad, George, only had an eighth grade education. A quiet man, he didn’t understand my world of school activities. From age 14, he worked. And his dad, Albert, took the money my dad earned and used it to pay family expenses.

I didn’t really understand his world either: He was a livestock trucker, and I thought that I would surpass (超过) anything he had accomplished by the time I walked across the stage at high school graduation.

Summers in the mid-70s were spent at home shooting baskets, hitting a baseball, or throwing a football, preparing for my future as a quarterback on a football team. In poor weather, I read about sports or practiced my trombone (长号).

The summer before my eighth grade I was one of a group of boys that a neighboring farmer hired to work in his field. He explained our basic task, the tractor fired up and we were off, riding down the field looking for weeds to spray with chemicals. After a short way, the farmer stopped and pointed at a weed which we missed. Then we began again. This happened over and over, but we soon learned to identify different grasses like cockleburs, lamb’s-quarters, foxtails, and the king of weeds, the pretty purple thistle. It was tiring work, but I looked forward to the pay, even though I wasn’t sure how much it would amount to.

At home, my dad said, “A job’s a big step to growing up. I’m glad you will be contributing to the household.” My dad’s words made me realize that my earnings might not be mine to do with as I wished.

My labors lasted about two weeks, and the farmer said there might be more work, but I wasn’t interested. I decided it was not fair that I had to contribute my money.

注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2.至少使用5个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 pay arrived at last.
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Paragraph 2：I understood immediately what my parents were worried about.
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7 . 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。

It doesn’t impress like George Washington’s plantation on the Potomac, but Lincoln’s home in downtown Springfield, Illinois,     1     （prove）irresistible to visitors since it opened to the public. Beautifully restored（修复）to its 1860 appearance, the house was Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s home for 17 years. In 1844 they bought it     2     $1,200 and some land from Charles Dresser, who performed their     3     （marry）ceremony in 1842.

When the house was built, it was much     4     （small）than it is today. Mary’s niece wrote, “The little home     5     （paint）white.” It was sweet and fresh. Mary loved it. She was extremely pretty, and her house was a reflection of     6     （she）, everything in good taste and in perfect order.

Although Mary loved flowers,     7     she nor her husband was known as a gardener. A long- time neighbor said they never planted trees and only kept a garden for one year. Mary’s sister, Frances Todd Wallace, often came over     8     （plant）flowers in the front yard.

    9     Lincolns enlarged the house to a full two-story in 1856 to meet the needs of their growing family. Three of the four Lincoln sons were born here. After Lincoln was elected President of the US in 1861, they rented the house and     10     （sell）most of their furniture.

8 . You’ve got mail…and it’s a postcard

Paulo Magalhaes, a 34-year-old Portuguese computer engineer, loves to open his mailbox and find a brightly colored picture of Rome’s Colosseum. Or Africa’s Victoria Falls. Or China’s Great Wall.     1    

“I often send postcards to family and friends.” he says to China Daily, “but you can imagine that after a while, you never receive as many as you send, and you realize that not everyone is into it.     2    ” Seeking other like-minded souls, however, Paulo started looking in a somewhat unlikely place: online. Many would say the Internet is a place for people who have given up on the traditional postal service, but Paulo’s hunch(直觉)paid off.

Today his hobby has developed into the website postcrossing.com, a social network that has grown to 575,217 registered users in 214 countries and regions since he started it 10 years ago.     3    Running the website has almost turned into a full-time job.

Language is certainly a barrier for many people. For postcrossing to work worldwide, a common communication language is needed so that everyone can understand each other. As cool as it may be to receive a postcard written in Chinese, the concept doesn’t work if one doesn’t understand it.     4     So a common language is required and in postcrossing that’s English since it’s widely spoken.

“Many people in China have limited exposure to English.     5     That said, we know of many postcrossing members, including Chinese, who have actually improved their English skills through their use of postcrossing,” Paulo says.

A．And that’s totally fine.

B．That makes it extra hard to learn and practice it.

C．He likes to think of sending postcards as a family-friendly hobby.

D．Many love to make a connection with someone from across the world.

E．On August 5, the number of postcards exchanged by members topped 31 million.

F．Similarly, if you speak only Chinese, receiving a card in Swedish takes part of the fun away.

G．In short, he loves postcards, and the excitement of getting a hand-written note from someone far away.

9 . 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。

The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It     1     (build) originally to protect the city     2     the Tang dynasty and has now been completely restored (修复). It is possible       3     (walk) or bike the entire 14 kilometers.

We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.

After     4     (spend) some time looking at all the defensive equipment at the wall, we decided it was time for some action and what     5     (good) than to ride on a piece of history!

We     6     (hire) our bikes from the rental place at the South Gate. My bike was old and shaky     7     did the job. It took us about 3 hours to go all     8     way around the Xi’an City Wall. Supposedly you can do it in two hours, but we stopped at the different gates and     9     (watchtower) to take pictures or just to watch the local people going about their     10     (day) routines.

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

A MOTHER’S DAY SURPRISE

The twins were filled with excitement as they thought of the surprise they were planning for Mother’s Day. How pleased and proud Mother would be when they brought her breakfast in bed. They planned to make French toast and chicken porridge. They had watched their mother in the kitchen. There was nothing to it. Jenna and Jeff knew exactly what to do.

The big day came at last. The alarm rang at 6 a.m. The pair went down the stairs quietly to the kitchen. They decided to boil the porridge first. They put some rice into a pot of water and left it to boil while they made the French toast. Jeff broke two eggs into a plate and added in some milk. Jenna found the bread and put two slices into the egg mixture. Next, Jeff turned on the second stove burner to heat up the frying pan. Everything was going smoothly until Jeff started frying the bread. The pan was too hot and the bread turned black within seconds. Jenna threw the burnt piece into the   sink and put in the other slice of bread. This time, she turned down the fire so it cooked nicely.

Then Jeff noticed steam shooting out of the pot and the lid starting to shake. The next minute, the porridge boiled over and put out the fire. Jenna panicked. Thankfully, Jeff stayed calm and turned off the gas quickly. But the stove was a mess now. Jenna told Jeff to clean it up so they could continue to cook the rest of the porridge. But Jeff’s hand touched the hot burner and he gave a cry of pain. Jenna made him put his hand in cold water. Then she caught the smell of burning. Oh dear! The piece of bread in the pan had turned black as well.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右。
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

As the twins looked around them in disappointment, their father appeared.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The twins carried the breakfast upstairs and woke their mother up.

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