1 . Since the mid-1990s, tourists have paid storm-chasers to take them to places in the American Great Plains where they expect to see tornadoes. Why, a reasonable follow-up question might go, would anyone want to get so close to something so disruptive? These tourists, a study found, characterized their relationship to severe weather as a “passion”, describing their feelings about tornadoes using words like “enjoyment”, “fascination” and “love”. Some people seem spiritually moved by tornadoes-one tourist called the storms “humbling” -but the main motivator seemed to be simple: Twisters are cool.

America has many more tornadoes than any other country, and its people have long regarded twisters with a mix of fear, awe and thrilled pleasure. Fast-moving and dramatic, tornadoes have been irresistible parts for popular entertainment. One needn’t be an extreme-weather enthusiast, however, to take a brief and far-less dangerous tour: of culture tornadoes have inspired and of the transformation of American society’s feelings about these storms from fear to excitement.

European colonists in the future United States were fascinated-and sometimes horrified-by their new land’s weather. In the Early Republic, the influence of romantic ideas about the terrible and wonderful power of nature became clearer in American tornado culture. Some people began to write about tornadoes in terms of awe, and to produce art that explored the phenomenon’s natural beauty, while also moralizing about its meaning. Since the 1930s, American tornadoes have been less deadly: the country has much better early-warning systems, fewer people live in rural areas and tornado activity has largely shifted from the southeast to the thinly-populated Great Plains.

Storm-chasing-a scientific, thrill-seeking activity that most Americans found out about via the1996 blockbuster film Twister, is still incomprehensible to many who don’t practice it. “I find it difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t chased what forces us to seek pleasure from risk,” wrote Jennifer Henderson, a scholar and crazy storm-chaser, characterizing her feelings while chasing as “a sense of exposure and revelation tightly coupled”.

1. What does the underlined word “disruptive” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Amazing.

B．Ruinous.

C．Costly.

D．Sensitive.

2. What do we learn about tornadoes in America?

A．They are small and have a slower moving speed.

B．They tend to be less common in American history.

C．They have aroused interest in weather tours in America.

D．The American people have suffered less damage from them.

3. Why did the harm of tornadoes in America decrease in paragraph3?

A．The population of America was declining gradually.

B．There was no tornado activity in the southeastern America.

C．America has made greater progress in natural disaster warning.

D．The natural environment in tornado areas has been damaged.

4. What is the best title of the article?

A．The thrill of storm chasing	B．The tour of watching tornadoes
C．The formation of tornadoes	D．A unique phenomenon in nature

2 . In the beginning, there was nothing. The vastness of an unborn galaxy was marked by the absence of sound, light and substance. Empty music stood on an empty stage. Then the universe began to form when colors and shapes began to dance across what we would soon come to call the sky, the stars and the planets. Sounds of an orchestra began to play, colorful and clean.

Gustay Holst’s “The Planets, Op. 32”, to put simply, is a magical piece of music. Written between 1914 and 1916, the suite has built a strong legacy. As explained by conductor Peter Bay, Holst found inspiration from a topic that has twisted the human mind for centuries. It cannot be argued how deeply our understanding of the planets has shaped our aesthetics and culture — and Holst takes full creative liberty with this insight.

Each movement proved spectacular. “Clouds” combines a solemn tone with that of peaceful permanence, while “Festivals” follows with blooming joy and loud confidence. “Sirens” features the chorus, with their fascinating calls over the ebb and flow (起伏) of the orchestra itself. Different sections make for an impressive playing and listening experience.

The main event of the evening, to no surprise, proved an excellent journey across the planets that we find so familiar, bringing each to life with persistence and passion. In a world so focused on the digital, it is often easy to forget the power of live performance, particularly that of orchestral music. Yet, the richness and energy that flowed throughout the hall again proved the power of this art form and how fascinating collective sound can be.

1. What does the author describe at the beginning of the text?

A．The setting of the stage.	B．The origin of the galaxy.
C．The formation of the universe.	D．The technique of the orchestra.

2. How does the author develop the writing in paragraph 3?

A．By listing examples.	B．By analyzing models.
C．By comparing theories.	D．By presenting arguments.

3. Why does the author mention the digital in the last paragraph?

A．To praise its integration with music.	B．To reveal the appeal of the live show.
C．To show the importance of technology.	D．To emphasize its harm to concentration.

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

A．A Musical Journey across the Galaxy.	B．A Magical Exploration of the Universe.
C．A Powerful Piece of Music on the Planets.	D．A Creative Musician with Space Inspiration.

3 . Must-read New Fiction Books

We all have a few tried-and-true fiction favorites, but there’s something special about a brand-new, hot-off-the-press novel. Whether it’s your favorite author’s new release or a new writer’s first work, great fiction books make the perfect escape from ordinary life. That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of the best new books released in February.

Age of Gold by Jerry Lapoor

Jerry Lapoor’s latest action-packed novel unfolds like a crazy movie. This thriller begins when a wealthy man’s car gets out of control. But when the dust settles, the rich man is nowhere to be found. How and to where does he disappear? With an exciting plot that will carry you from old-money houses to small agricultural villages, Age of Cold will take you on an unforgettable ride across a vast land.

City Under One Sky by Rachel Young

In the book, Young presents a crime story set in a small town. Detective Sara Kennedy has been sent to investigate a case. But soon after arrival, Sara gets snowed in with the 205 townsfolk living in the same apartment building. Who is hiding the key to the crime? And is there anyone she can truly trust? The appealing story, strange but distinctive characters and unexpected plot are just a few of the reasons why City Under One Sky gains its popularity.

Lady by Jess George

Lady is an irresistible fiction from Jess George. The story of Mary’s fresh start at adulthood is shot through with themes of family, race and discrimination, womanhood and the immigrant reality of feeling torn between cultures. Though struggling with life in London as an African, Mary jumps at every chance to stand on her own feet.

1. What will impress the readers in Age of Gold?

A．The thrilling plot.	B．Traditional cultures.
C．The family conflict.	D．Crazy characters.

2. What happens to Sara Kennedy in City Under One Sky?

A．She is trapped in the snow.	B．She is to investigate a case abroad.
C．She hides the key evidence.	D．She has trouble discovering the truth.

3. Which is likely to be the main theme of Lady?

A．Self-reliance.	B．Gender equality.
C．Domestic violence.	D．Cross-cultural communication.

4 . The UK’s greatest football grounds

The British football grounds featured in this guide are some of the best in the whole world. Some stadiums have celebrated more success than others, but each ground has its own rich heritage and unique atmosphere.

Craven Cottage, London

Craven Cottage was designed by the Glaswegian architect Archibald Leitch, who built 20 major football stadiums in the UK, including Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge. The“cottage”itself, lying on one corner of the pitch (球场), was added by Leitch because he’d forgotten to have changing rooms in the original design.

Capacity: 25,700.

Tickets: Adult (18+) £19.99        Children under 18 £9.99

Family bonus: 2 adults+1 child £39.97

Visiting time: Mon-Sat, 8:30 — 20:30

Anfield, Liverpool

Anfield saw the fulfillment of many dreams. Located in the solidly working-class area of north Liverpool, it’s another ground built by Archibald Leitch.

It was torn down in 1994 with the coming of all-seated stadiums, but plans are now underway for a £260 m upgrade including a hotel and a “food hub”.

Capacity: 45,500.

Tickets: Adult (18+) £15.99 Children under 18£8.99

Visiting time: Mon-Fri, 9:00 — 20:00

Old Trafford, Manchester

You’d be hard pushed to find any football fan who hasn’t heard of Old Trafford. The stadium, yet another ground designed by Leitch, has been Manchester United’s home since 1910. However, no games were played between 1941 and 1949.

In 2008, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Manchester United’s first European Cup win, a statue of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton was displayed.

Capacity: 75,800.

Tickets: Adult (18+) £16.99          Children under 18 £8.99

Visiting time: Tue-Sat, 9:00 — 21:00

1. How much will a couple with 3 children pay for entering Craven Cottage?

A．£68.95.

B．£58.95.

C．£59.95.

D．£60.95.

2. Which stadium was once destroyed according to the passage?

A．Anfield.

B．Craven Cottage.

C．Stamford Bridge.

D．Old Trafford.

3. What do the three stadiums have in common?

A．They were built at the same time.	B．They are all open on weekdays.
C．They are the best stadiums in London.	D．They were designed by the same architect.

5 . In late summer, Death Valley National Park earns its name. The heat in this region of California and Nevada is unbearable. Despite the heat, there was a slow but steady drop of water into the collection bottle of Omar Yaghi’s device, a group of components resembling a telescope. By the end of the day, this system had collected only a few millilitres of water — barely enough for a refreshing sip. But these results, published in July, represent a landmark in the field of Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH).

The key ingredient in this device — a water-absorbing chemical called MOF-303 — has the potential to deliver life-sustaining volumes of clean water to regions that currently struggle to access it. “The vision there is to have something like a village-scale device,” says Yaghi, a chemist at the University of California. “If you’ve got a tonne of MOF-303, you could deliver about 500 litres of water a day.”

By current estimates, roughly two billion people lack access to clean drinking water. Desalinated seawater can meet some of this need, but the technology required remains costly and is limited to coastal regions. This accounts for the growing enthusiasm for alternative solutions that extract clean water from the air.

“It is estimated that Earth’s atmosphere contains nearly 13,000 cubic kilometres of water — over six times the volume of the world’s rivers. We cannot exhaust it — it’s always refilled in the process of natural water cycle,” says Tian Li, a materials scientist at Purdue University. And although many of the most promising AWH technologies are still at the stage of lab demonstrations, the field is quickly developing towards real-world systems that produce plentiful amounts of water at low cost.

1. What can we learn about Omar Yaghi’s device from the text?

A．It uses MOF-303 for water absorption.	B．It requires substantial investment in use.
C．It operates like a telescope for water collection.	D．It collects enough water for a day’s use.

2. What does the underlined phrase “account for” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Confirm.

B．Emphasize.

C．Explain.

D．Contradict.

3. Why are Tian Li’s words quoted in paragraph 4?

A．To reveal the severeness of water shortage.

B．To arouse people’s awareness of water conservation.

C．To prove the non-renewable nature of atmospheric water.

D．To demonstrate a favorable condition for AWH technologies.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A travel guidebook.	B．A science magazine.
C．A psychological novel.	D．An introduction to a book.

6 . 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。

Small changes can have large consequences. The idea came to be known as the “butterfly effect” which indicates that the beating of a butterfly’s wings might     1     (possible) cause a tornado. Tulenov Ruslan, a man from Kazakhstan, is     2     real-life example of this.

Ruslan, with the rare Rh-negative blood type     3     (refer) to as “panda blood”,     4     (donate) more than 6,000 milliliters of blood since he came to study in China in 2009. Having great     5     (admire) for China and its culture, Ruslan chose to learn Chinese at Hainan University when he was 17 years old.

This kind-hearted Kazakh man,     6     Chinese name is Lan Tian (blue sky), said it was his mother who had encouraged him many times to help others before he came to Hainan. In 2014, when a victim of a traffic accident urgently needed blood transfusion (输血), Ruslan left a comment to show his concern,     7     (add) “Lan Tian brother wishes to help you.”

Ruslan’s simple act of kindness won praise from the Chinese government. Now, Ruslan has the opportunity     8     (serve) at a provincial department in Hainan as a global media officer. “Lan Tian brother” takes     9     (impress) action to show his pure love to China and he never imagined that his rare blood type would become a symbol of friendship     10     China and his home country.

7 . My father once told me some advice. “The advice,” he said, “was that if after the first 50 pages of a book you don’t get _________, you’re allowed to cease reading and _________ again later when you feel ready for it.”

A reader, he suggested, needs a little _________ to adapt to a book’s _________ tone, rhythm and voice. But at the same time, this advice gives a person permission to _________ reading. Nobody needs to _________ themselves to finish reading a book they’re not interested in. I _________ like the gentle suggestion to return to a book “when you feel ready for it”. It’s a(n) _________ that reading is a kind of relationship with yourself and that this relationship is not _________.

I like to think my father’s readerly advice can be __________ in life more generally. Give things a fair __________; don’t judge too hurriedly. It’s helped me when confronted with common landscapes, unanticipated __________ and awkward social situations. Resisting the __________ to escape or to complain, has meant I’ve come to __________ the particular charm of a wide variety of places and personalities. Besides, when something doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to quit it, __________ for the time being.

1.

A．tired

B．attracted

C．convinced

D．informed

2.

A．try

B．copy

C．send

D．remember

3.

A．patience

B．imagination

C．strength

D．courage

4.

A．perfect

B．regular

C．obvious

D．particular

5.

A．continue

B．enjoy

C．stop

D．practice

6.

A．permit

B．beg

C．force

D．cheat

7.

A．especially

B．objectively

C．fortunately

D．partly

8.

A．characteristic

B．expression

C．prejudice

D．recognition

9.

A．various

B．unreal

C．priceless

D．unchanging

10.

A．used

B．told

C．assessed

D．hidden

11.

A．idea

B．chance

C．stage

D．competition

12.

A．meetings

B．operations

C．improvements

D．delays

13.

A．attitude

B．urge

C．smile

D．struggle

14.

A．appreciate

B．record

C．rescue

D．care

15.

A．in brief

B．on earth

C．at least

D．in addition

8 . What’s in a Game?

Picture you and your friends sitting around one Saturday, bored. You’ve read every book, watched every movie and played every game. There is absolutely nothing left to do.     1    ? Here are some guidelines to help you invent a new game that’s both playable and fun.

The Ohjective

The first thing you’ll need to design a great game is an objective or goal for players to work toward.     2    . For example, Hockey games and Risk, a kind of card game, have one thing in common — when one player or team reaches the final objective, they win.

    3    

Next, you’ll need rules to let your players know what they can and can’t do. It might seem like a game with no rules would be more fun. You can do anything you want! Unfortunately, this often results in confused players arguing about how the game should be played. Rules set limits and define what the game is — and what it isn’t. Players need to know what they can and can’t do, and what will happen when they do different things.

Meaningful Choices

While you are creating your rules, think about the choices players will make and what effects those choices will have.     4    . If the same thing happens no matter what choice the player makes, they’ll wonder why they have to choose.

Don’t Forget to Playtest!

Any game you see in stores has gone through many rounds of testing and revision. Rules that seem clear to you might be confusing for others. Situations might come up that you didn’t expect.     5    .

A．The Place

B．The Rules

C．What can your players do

D．What if you could invent your own game

E．Every choice a player makes needs to have an effect on the gameplay

F．The best way to make sure your game is playable and fun is to playtest it

G．Objectives can take many forms, but they should always be clear to the players

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

A．A host.

B．A teacher.

C．A guide.

2. What are the listeners expected to do after meals?

A．Wash up.

B．Return the dishes.

C．Clean the tables.

3. What activity is offered on Sunday morning?

A．Field walking.

B．Horse riding.

C．Sailing.

4. What change is made to tomorrow evening’s arrangement?

A．The music will be different.

B．The dancing will be canceled.

C．The special dinner will come last.

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。

Di Di is a Chinese director and producer. Through the media company he     1     (found) a few years ago, the 29-year-old makes advertising and promotional     2     (video), including those for Tsinghua University.

With ten years of directing experience under his belt, you might think he     3     (happy) lives in the ivory tower of directing,     4     in fact, he has a very down-to-earth philosophy. “In today’s video-content-centered world, everyone has the ability to be a director and share people’s stories,” he said.

Di’s own somewhat accidental path to becoming a director serves as a perfect example. Majoring in journalism at Tsinghua, he got into     5     (make) films for a student association and then the university as a whole.

For the university’s 2020 promotional video, Di created a story of a group of students     6     aimed to launch their own satellite after facing a sudden setback before the launch date. “We have spent more than two years     7     this. Now with one month     8     (leave), no one knows how it will turn out. But before the dust settles, I want to go all out this time,” said the leader of the student team in the 8-minute-long video.

And in this attempt, Di also found     9     (inspire). “This video made me rethink my own career: Whether to continue working hard in the corporate world or stay true to     10     (me) and create more stories about Chinese young people,” he said.