1 . Live music livens up beach

I’ve been to a few music festivals like Glastonbury, the UK’s biggest and most famous music festival. But I’d never been to one in China.

At the end of August, I went to the Xiami Music and Arts Festival in Aranya, Qinhuangdao. Although the main draw of the festival for me was Suede, a classic UK band, I still had a lot of fun enjoying the festival’s other aspects.

Apart from the festival’s huge stages and screens, excellent sound systems and people dancing and singing with their friends and family, there were other surprises too. This was the first festival I’d been to located on a sandy beach!

Watching live music by the ocean was incredibly relaxing. Everyone had blow-up chairs you could buy and sit on comfortably to enjoy the music. Some people even had couches! Often at music festivals, you’re left standing the whole time, but Aranya was a bit more peaceful. There were also more children and families in attendance than I’ve seen at UK festivals, and this was great to see.

As the day went on, my anticipation (期待) grew as I looked forward to seeing my familiar band, Suede, who were the headliners: While Suede put on a good show, the most enjoyable surprise came from my unexpected discovery of and subsequent (随后的) fondness for the Chinese band The Life Journey. Unlike the seasoned Suede, these young performers were clearly in their prime. They became famous after appearing on iQiyi’s The Big Band (《乐队的夏天》). Playing after the sun had gone down with bright lights coming from the stage, The Life Journey really captured my imagination with their variety of musical styles, beautiful vocals (歌唱) and positive lyrics and vibes (氛围). Even with my limited Chinese, I was still able to happily sing along.

1. What can we know about the author?

A．He has been to the largest music festival in Europe.

B．He went to Aranya to see his favorite Chinese band.

C．He had never seen Suede in person before.

D．He went to a Chinese music festival for the first time.

2. What surprised the author about the festival?

A．Its performers.

B．Its ticket price.

C．Its location.

D．Its popularity.

3. How did the festival differ from those in the UK, according to the author?

A．There were more families in the audience.	B．Everyone had their own chair to sit on.
C．People felt more relaxed and comfortable.	D．It lasted longer with more bands performing.

4. Why did the author develop a liking for The Life Journey?

A．They interacted more with the audience.	B．Their music was emotional and unique.
C．He could understand their lyrics easily.	D．He was attracted by their performance.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why was Misty worried about Matthew meeting Father Christmas?

A．He was too excited.

B．He has health problems.

C．He is afraid of strangers.

2. What caused Matthew’s blindness?

A．That he had an accident.

B．That he was born too early.

C．That he had a terrible fever.

3. Which one of the doctor’s judgments turned to be wrong?

A．That Matthew had learning difficulties.

B．That Matthew was unable to walk.

C．That Matthew couldn’t talk.

4. How did Matthew feel when he met Father Christmas?

A．Relieved.

B．Confused.

C．Excited.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the conversation mainly about?

A．Fighting fires.

B．Detecting fires.

C．Using fires.

2. How many fires did California have in 2020?

A．Around 50.

B．About 400.

C．Over 8600.

3. What size of fire can the new satellites discover?

A．Size of a car.

B．Size of a plane.

C．Size of a sports field.

4. What is more important to the woman?

A．Saving animals.

B．Saving the trees.

C．Saving humans.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does Lisa want the new job?

A．It pays more money.

B．It offers her career advancement.

C．It will be easy as she’s done it before.

2. How did Lisa find out about the job?

A．From an advertisement.

B．From a co-worker.

C．From someone who works there.

3. How many children does Lisa have?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

5 . What has Peter been doing to annoy Wendy?

A．Studying late at night.

B．Using up all the milk.

C．Leaving the milk out.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who is probably the speaker?

A．A reporter.

B．A teacher.

C．A writer.

2. What did the coachman do outside the theater?

A．He read a book.

B．He looked after the horse.

C．He enjoyed the snow.

3. How did the young lady feel about the coachman’s situation?

A．Sad.

B．Moved.

C．Casual.

4. What does the speaker want to tell us?

A．Help those around us as much as we can.

B．Read as many books as we can.

C．Be grateful for what we have.

7 . Hangzhou is now in the spotlight as the main host of the 19th Asian Games. Tourists from various places have gathered to this heavenly city to enjoy its slow life tempo and beautiful natural surroundings. Here are some highlights of the city you can’t miss.

West Lake

The West Lake is definitely a place people can never miss when visiting Hangzhou. The lake itself covers 6 sq km, and includes some of Hangzhou’s most famous scenic places.

There are “10 scenes of West Lake” and “10 new scenes”, but it is not necessary to make a checklist and walk back and forth to look for these scenic spots. Just walk casually along the Nanshan and Beishan roads and the causeways, take a ferry on the boat to the islands on the lake, or simply sit in a lakeside teahouse and enjoy the picturesque views and the longjing (dragon well) tea.

 Lingyin Temple

Lingyin, or the Temple of the Soul’s Retreat, has historically been the most renowned destination

The temple has undergone several restorations, the latest of which was in the 1970s at the urging of Premier Zhou Enlai. Lingyin Temple is now considered one of the largest Buddhist complexes in the country.

Leifeng Pagoda

On the south of the West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda is considered the top scenic structure around West Lake due to its stunning silhouette in the glow of evening.

For almost a thousand years the pagoda withstood fires and wars, but finally collapsed in 1924, due to the removal of bricks as souvenirs by locals. Rebuilt on historic ruins, the pagoda was restored in 2000 in the style of the Southern Dynasty (AD 420-589) and opened to the public in 2002. The 71.7m-tall pagoda is eight-sided with five stories.

The Xixi wetland park

Xixi, located less than five kilometers from West Lake in the west of Hangzhou, is China’s first national wetland park. The area covers about 10 square kilometers and it has been around for more than 1,500 years, although it was only recently revived to offer residents and visitors a green respite from the concrete of the city.

1. Where can you enjoy eat while admiring the picturesque scenery?

A．In the Xixi wetland park.	B．In Leifeng Pagoda.
C．In Lingyin Temple.	D．In the West Lake.

2. If you have faith in Buddha, which spot is most appealing to you?

A．West Lake

B．Lingyin Temple

C．Leifeng Pagoda

D．The Xixi wetland park

3. In which column do you most probably read the text?

A．Travel.

B．Culture.

C．Lifestyle.

D．World.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman like best about the present house?

A．Its rooms.

B．Its surroundings.

C．Its design.

2. Why did the woman move to the village?

A．To give classes to little kids.

B．To enjoy a happy retirement.

C．To help her husband recover.

3. How was the woman’s experience with learning Welsh?

A．It was a failure.

B．It was a funny story.

C．It was an easy process.

4. What does the woman plan to do next week?

A．Milk cows.

B．Pick apples.

C．Make cheese.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What can we know about sales of hardback books?

A．They remain steady.

B．They have gone up.

C．They are on the decline.

2. Which kind of books have a decrease in sales this year?

A．Books about cooking.

B．Books about wildlife.

C．Books about famous people.

3. What is the attitude of Mr. Stephen towards the future of paper books?

A．Concerned.

B．Positive.

C．Ambiguous.

10 . 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。

(CHINADAILY Sep.19.2023 Tuesday) Hangzhou, along with five other cities in Zhejiang province,     1    (be) ready to host a smart and safe Asian Games, which will officially open on Saturday, said Chen Weiqiang, chief spokesman for the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

“The Hangzhou Asian Games — the third Asiad (亚运会)     2     (host) in China — is an Asian Games held in     3     new era. Many high-tech applications     4    (install) already to deliver a smart and safe Games,” said Chen, who is also executive secretary-general of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee.

“We have overcome a lot of challenges     5     are now fully equipped to successfully hold the Games. All competition     6    (equip) and support and operations teams are in place,” he added.

For the     7     (one) time, “online torchbearers” from around the world will together light the flame of the Games during the opening ceremony, Chen said.

The digital torch relay was launched on June 15, in sync (同步) with the physical one. More than 100 million people online,     8     passed on the torch by shaking their mobile phones, had participated in the digital relay as of Wednesday.

“We’ve opened a new era in our preparations for the Asiad; it is the era of digitalization,” Chen said,    9     (add) that smart control systems, enabled     10     5G technology, internet of things, big data and artificial intelligence, among other technologies, have been installed at major competition venues.