1 . Chen Shaoqin, a woman from Beijing, has shown the world how life should be lived by working as a tour guide in her seventies.

Chen has only a middle school education. She began studying English at the age of 40, changing herself from a factory worker to a white collar (白领) worker in an international trade company.

Chen continued to learn after retirement (退休), studying art and finally becoming an art guide at the age of 67. Over the past five years, from a person who knew nothing about art to a great volunteer guide, Chen's hard work and love for learning have encouraged many. As a guide, she is able to take special training courses and has the chance to learn from artists, giving her courage to continue.

Chen is proud of many exhibitions (展览) guided by her over the years, including those of famous artists like Zeng Fanzhi, Xu Bing, Qiu Zhijie and Pablo Picasso. She believes that every tour is a beautiful journey and a new chance to learn and be moved. Chen's love for learning has made her an excellent guide. After turning 73 this year, she said. “Well, I may be old, but I believe that the width of one's life can be expanded (延伸) through self-exploration and learning.”

1. How did the English learning affect Chen Shaoqin?

A．She became a white-collar.	B．She got a job as an art guide.
C．She had a chance to be an artist.	D．She turned out to be a factory worker.

2. How old was Chen Shaoqin when she became an art guide?

A．40.

B．67.

C．72

D．73.

3. What can we know about Chen Shaoqin from the last paragraph?

A．She gets into trouble when travelling.

B．She becomes famous for her great paintings.

C．She has guided many exhibitions successfully.

D．She has been a volunteer guide for five years.

4. What's Chen Shaoqin's attitude towards her life?

A．Hopeful.

B．Worried.

C．Regretful.

D．Doubtful.

2 . Academic Year (学年) at Newcastle University in the UK

If you’re staying with us for the next academic year, you might be wondering about term dates and assessment (测评) periods. Here’s how the next academic year will look.

Term 1

There will be a one-week training course on the week beginning on 18 September this year. Teaching on most programmes will start on 25 September.

Teaching in this term will last for 12 weeks, with an enrichment week, allowing you to stop and think of your learning, or to explore new skills. During the enrichment week we’ll be running many events for you to take part in.

After the Winter Break, there will be a two-week assessment period beginning on 8 January next year, followed by a one-week break from 22 January.

Term 2

Teaching in Term 2 will begin on 29 January and will last for 12 weeks, including a revision week, allowing you to focus on your studies and to catch up.

The assessment period for Term 2 will begin on 20 May and will last for three weeks.

Term 3

For our students on Postgraduate Taught programmes, Term 3 will begin on 21 June and finish on 13 September.

1. What’s special about Term 1?

A．There is a training course.

B．It has no assessment periods.

C．It has the longest teaching weeks

D．It includes Postgraduate Taught programmes.

2. When will Term 3 start?

A．On 8 January.	B．On 20 May.
C．On 21June.	D．On 13 September.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A DIY course.	B．A history book.
C．A school calendar.	D．A travel guide.

3 . I’ve always been very sporty, even when pregnant with my four children. But when my third child George was born, everything _______. As a very _______ baby, he was always on the go and never slept. I still kept _______, but when he turned two, he started to have some _______ problems. One night we took him to hospital, and within 12 hours we were told he had _______ cancer of the white blood cells. It was his third birthday.

Our lives _______. We were taken by ambulance to Birmingham hospital and my husband Rich and I _______ to spend three days with him and three days with our kids at home. After about a month, Rich _______ me my running shoes. I looked at them, _______ He said: “George is ________, he’s with a nurse. I think you need to go for a run.” I remember putting them on and ________   as I ran on the road, as fast as I could for 25 minutes, which was such a(n) ________.

When George was on the road to ________, I needed to re-find my identity and earn some money. I couldn’t ________full-time as he was always going to need a lot of ________, so I decided to become a personal trainer. We built a ________ in the garden and now I train groups of women running there.

I also ________ in obstacle course races (OCR) and won the Spartan world champion. The thing that ________ me is the memory of George at rock bottom; I want all my kids to see that you can never ________. You just need motivation and passion. Just like my’ story-when George had cancer, exercise helped me cope with the difficulty and gave me a new ________.

1.

A．escaped

B．abandoned

C．changed

D．remained

2.

A．gentle

B．careless

C．lazy

D．energetic

3.

A．running

B．swimming

C．hiking

D．skating

4.

A．family

B．health

C．mental

D．financial

5.

A．mysterious

B．temporary

C．significant

D．serious

6.

A．restricted

B．injured

C．stopped

D．wasted

7.

A．rolled over

B．took turns

C．calmed down

D．paid off

8.

A．made

B．held

C．designed

D．brought

9.

A．excited

B．delighted

C．confused

D．upset

10.

A．safe

B．ready

C．brave

D．strong

11.

A．missing

B．crying

C．staring

D．sighing

12.

A．guide

B．healer

C．adviser

D．trainer

13.

A．danger

B．youth

C．retirement

D．recovery

14.

A．work

B．sing

C．dance

D．study

15.

A．appreciation

B．encouragement

C．company

D．understanding

16.

A．gym

B．swing

C．lab

D．cabin

17.

A．competed

B．observed

C．judged

D．reported

18.

A．forces

B．admits

C．drives

D．demands

19.

A．miss out

B．give up

C．tum down

D．move on

20.

A．skill

B．course

C．car

D．career

4 . Remember boiling tap water for drinking? Who has the time now? Instead, bottled water is everywhere, in offices, airplanes, stores, homes and restaurants. But what’s in that bottle? Beautiful names and labels depicting romantic scenes have convinced us that the liquid is the purest drink around. But given the lack of labeling requirements for bottled water, how much do consumers really know about what’s in the bottle? “The public should not assume that water purchased in a bottle, is better regulated purer, or safer than most tap water. Water utilities are required to tell the public more about the tap water than bottled water companies are,” says Mae Wu, a bottled water (expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit organization in the US devoted to protecting health and the environment. Sure, some bottled water comes from sparkling springs and other, sources. But in the US, alone, more than 25 percent of it comes from a municipal (市政的) supply. The water is treated, purified and sold to us, often at a thousand fold increase in price. Most people are surprised to learn that they are drinking glorified tap water, but bottlers aren’t required to list the source on the label.

According to the Asian Bottled Water Association, water from municipal supply does not have to state on its label that it is from a community water system. However, there are some brands like Nestle Pure Life that indicate whether the water comes from public, private or deep well sources. Advertising can be misleading at best and deceptive at worst. In a recent case, a food and drink manufacturer boasted in a TV commercial that its mineral water came from a “high-quality water source” but it turned out that, that was no more than plain tap water.

The potential health risks are important to understand, but bottled water also affects the health of the planet. While we struggle to, cut down on our consumption of fossil fuels, bottled water increases it. Virgin petroleum (石油) is used to make PET, and the more bottles we use, the more virgin petroleum will be needed to create new bottles. Fossil fuels are burned to fill the bottles and distribute them. Some brands of water come from islands and countries thousands of kilometers away, and shipping bottles can cause carbon pollution to spill into the water and spew into the air.

1. Compared to the tap water, bottled water             .

A．is much better, than the tap water

B．is better regulated, purer and safer

C．spends more money on advertisement

D．is required to list the source on the label

2. What can you infer from the second paragraph?

A．We can never trust the TV commercials.

B．Advertisements on bottled water always cheat the audiences.

C．Some companies choose to state where the water comes from.

D．The government asks the company not to state the source of water.

3. How is the third paragraph organized?

A．Through listing, figures.

B．Through making comparisons.

C．Through adding background information.

D．Through cause and effect argumentation.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards the bottled water?

A．Indifferent.

B．Negative.

C．Favorable.

D．Ambiguous.

5 . Rice now has its own big data platform, claimed a conference in early April. Led by the China National Rice Research Institute, the platform records data throughout every stage of rice production, including collection, storage, and analysis. It will also regularly publish reports to improve the service of rice production, providing convenience to farmers. Apart from big data, other technology is aiding agriculture in China in recent years.

Flying above

Drones (无人机) play an important role in farming this spring. “Using drones to spread the nutrient solution (营养液) is a lot safer than doing it manually (手动地),” Shi Zhenhai, a farmer in Henan who is responsible for about 119 hectares of wheat fields said. Shi added that the flying machines greatly improved efficiency. The more advanced drones that the farmer bought recently can be filled with 50 liters of liquid, which can be used to cover about 3.4 hectare farmland. With four drones working at the same time, it only takes three hours to finish spreading the solution over all of Shi’s land.

Monitoring on their own

A smart glass greenhouse used to grow tomatoes features more than 120 patented technologies. Located in Shandong, the demonstration base covers’ about 80, 000 square meters but requires very few workers.

Sensors collect information about the plants, such as the humidity (湿度) of the environment, the condition of sunlight and heat, and whether the room is ventilated (通风) enough. It is then uploaded to a platform to be analyzed. The correct levels of water and fertilizer are supplied to crops by the automatic irrigation system, Robots and other devices are used to pick and transport tomatoes.

With facilities to store heat, the structure does not use huge amounts of energy in winter, unlike traditional greenhouses. “Growing crops in a controlled environment enables farmers to produce high-quality plants, maintain high food safety standards, and avoid the use of pesticides,” Wang Haiguang at the operations office of the greenhouse said.

1. How do the drones play a part in farming?

A．Spread the seeds.

B．Work at high altitudes.

C．Improve the working efficiency.

D．Provide early warning in wheat fields.

2. What does “It” underlined in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The information.

B．The sensor.

C．The humidity.

D．The robot.

3. With the help of the advanced technology, farmers can enjoy many benefits EXCEPT             .

A．applying big data platform	B．avoiding the use of pesticides
C．producing high-quality plants	D．using huge amounts of energy in winter

4. Where is the text most likely to come from?

A．A book on eating habits.

B．A magazine about high-tech agriculture.

C．An article on the introduction to drones.

D．An environmental conservation booklet.

6 . Ecuadorian writer Veronica Bonilla has received the Special Book Award for 2021, the highest recognition by China for a foreign writer.

At an emotional ceremony held Monday at the Chinese embassy in Ecuador, Bonilla received a golden statuette for her outstanding contribution to promoting Chinese culture.

“I feel-happy, honored and pleased to be the first Ecuadorian to receive this award and also to be the first Latin American to receive it. It is a very important thing. It fills me with pride and happiness,” said Bonilla, visibly moved.

“I am writing about China, a country that I fell in love with when I had the opportunity to get to know it because I want the children of the world to get to know China,” Bonilla said, adding that all the work and effort she has put into her work pays off.

The China Special Book Award has been awarded since 2005 to foreign translators, writers and publishers who have made significant contribution to promoting Chinese culture in the world.

Monday’s ceremony in Quito was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Ecuador Chen Guoyou, and Acting Ecuadorian Vice Foreign Minister Augusto Saa.

Saa said that Bonilla’s work is an example of the value of culture as’ a means of union between peoples. “Our countries have managed to develop an active cultural diplomacy and a powerful soft power tool that has contributed to mutual understanding.”

In congratulation, Chinese Ambassador Chen Guoyou said that Bonilla received the well-deserved award thanks to her long-term dedication to promoting Chinese culture to Ecuadorian children.

“Recent years have witnessed the growing dynamism in the cultural exchange between the two nations through contacts in culture, science, technology, sports, education, among others,” Chen said, noting that relations between China and Ecuador are at the best moment in history.

The Ecuadorian writer has so far translated three of her 83 books into Chinese.

1. Why did Bonilla feel proud and happy?

A．Because she wrote a book about her favorite country.

B．Because the work and effort she put into her work paid off.

C．Because she wanted the children of the world to get to know China.

D．Because she was the first Ecuadorian to receive the Special Book Award.

2. Who most probably has the chance to win the China Special Book Award?

A．A French artist.	B．A Chinese publisher.
C．An English translator.	D．A Chinese novelist.

3. What do we know according to Chen’s words?

A．Ecuadorian writers prefer translating Chinese books.

B．China and Ecuador have developed a friendly relation.

C．Many people in Ecuador have made contributions to China.

D．Ecuadorian children learn the Chinese culture from school.

4. What is the best title of this passage?

A．Ecuadorian writer receives China book award

B．Ecuadorian writer translates books into Chinese

C．Cultural exchange is a useful way of communicating

D．A ceremony is held at the Chinese embassy in Ecuador

7 . A Trip to Northern Spain

DAY 1: Begin the day from Bilbao with a visit to the Guggenheim Museum where you can view European modern art. Afterwards, move onto Laguardia to visit the old city and a wine shop for a tasting. Finally continue on to Burgos to visit the Museo de la Evolucion Humana before returning to Bilbao for an evening meal together.

DAY 2: Move from Bilbao to Santander to visit the Prehistory and Archaeology Museum of Cantabria. Then enjoy a visit to the caves (洞穴) of Las Monedas and El Castillo. El Castillo has many cave paintings with a history of more than 40, 000 years old. Finally continue on to Santillana del Mar to enjoy dinner together.

DAY3: This morning, you’ll visit the old town of Santillana with many historic buildings which provide a fascinating background for exploring this town. Then you’ll visit the Cave of Altamira, where some of the cave paintings were damaged by a large number of visitors. Then you’re free before an evening meal together.

DAY 4: In the morning, you’ll visit the Cave of EI Pindal, which has 12 prehistoric paintings, some more than 33, 000 years old. Then head to the Cave of EI Buxu. Due to the size of the cave, only several people are allowed in at a time. Later in the afternoon move to Oviedo and visit the Gothic Cathedral before enjoying dinner.

1. Which place is the starting point of the whole trip?

A．Laguardia.

B．Bilbao.

C．Santander.

D．Oviedo.

2. On which day are tourists allowed to have their own trip plan?

A．Day 1.

B．Day 2.

C．Day 3.

D．Day 4.

3. Who might be most interested in the trip?

A．People who love European art.

B．People who enjoy extreme sports.

C．People who do medical research.

D．People who love modern buildings.

8 . Choosing a career path is one of the most important decisions that senior high graduates have to make.     1     Therefore, it is essential to consider various factors before making a final decision. Here are some factors that senior high graduates should consider when choosing a possible career.

Personal Interests and Passions: Choosing a career that suits to one’s interests and passions can lead to a fulfilling and satisfying career. For instance, if someone is passionate about art, they may consider a career in graphic design, animation, or fine arts.     2    

Job Market and Demand: Graduates should research the job market and find out which careers are in high demand.     3     For instance, careers in healthcare, technology, and finance are currently in high demand.

    4     Some careers require a specific degree or certification, while others may require on-the-job training. Graduates should research the education and training requirements for their chosen career and ensure that they are willing to invest the time and resources required.

Potential Salary and Benefits: Graduates should research the average salary and benefits for their chosen career and ensure that it matches up with their financial goals and lifestyle.

Work- Life Balance:     5     Graduates should consider their personal preferences and lifestyle when choosing a career.

Choosing a career is a significant decision that requires careful consideration. By considering these factors, graduates can make an informed decision that will lead to a fulfilling and successful career.

A．Previous Working Experience:

B．Education and Training Requirements:

C．This will increase their chances of finding a job after graduation.

D．It is a decision that will have a significant impact on their future.

E．Graduates should consider the gap between the job demand and their potential.

F．Some careers may require long hours or frequent travel, while others may offer more flexibility.

G．On the other hand, someone interested in science may consider a career in medicine, engineering, or research.

9 . 语法填空

The Chinese painting is one of the oldest artistic traditions in the world. The painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as guohua,     1    (mean) the “national” or “native” painting. It is different from Western styles of art which     2    (become) popular in China in the 20th century.

One technique of the traditional Chinese painting is ink and wash painting and in Chinese it is called shuimo. In fact this was an art form     3    (practise) by gentlemen from the Song Dynasty. This style is also referred to     4     xieyi or the freehand style.

    5    (traditional), the Chinese painting is done on rice paper or thin silk. There     6     (be) broadly three subjects for traditional Chinese paintings — portraits, landscapes, and flowers and birds — of     7     the landscape is the most familiar to people. Therefore the Chinese painting is often known as the landscape painting, or shanshui painting.

The landscape painting was regarded as     8     highest form of the Chinese painting, and generally still is. In the north, artists such as Jing Hao painted     9     (picture) of towering mountains and in the south, Dong Yuan, Juran, and other artists painted the rolling hills and rivers of their native countryside in     10     (peace) scenes.

10 . 假定你是李华，最近你的班级就学生在学习和生活中面临的问题对班上的同学进行了调查。请根据图表，用英语写一篇短文向学校英文报投稿。内容包括：
1.学生面临困难的状况描述；
2.简单评论；
3.你的建议。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.稿件标题已给出，不计入总词数。

What Trouble We Have

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