1 . HELSINKI—Driven by a passion for giant pandas, Finnish scientists are learning how to cultivate bamboo in freezing temperatures not normally beneficial to growing the primary food source for these special animals.

In early 2018, a pair of giant pandas from China made their first public appearance at the Ahtari Zoo in central Finland. It was the first time that pandas had come to live in Northern Europe, and the event was met with great enthusiasm from the Finnish public. The pandas, Hua Bao and Jin Baobao, were nicknamed “Pyry” and “Lumi” — meaning “heavy snowfall” and “snow”— by their hosts in Finland.

Meanwhile, two years before their arrival, a group of local farmers had taken up the challenge of growing bamboo in the country where temperatures often fall to below 30 degrees Celsius in winter. The farmers have persevered despite failures and difficulties, and their efforts are now bearing fruit as they have succeeded in growing bamboo in the extreme cold.

Over the years, agricultural advisor Jari Luokkakallio has become an expert on bamboo cultivation, driven by the desire to build the best possible food reserves for the pandas. “I think the pandas prefer the bamboo that I bring to them,” Luokkakallio said. “It is fresh and local.”

Around 50 farmers joined in the bamboo cultivation project when it was first launched in 2016. “The first year was very, very hard,” Luokkakallio said. “When the temperature dropped to minus 30 in November and December, we lost every single bamboo plant.” The next year, the farmers started all over again, he said. “And we came to understand that we had to better protect the bamboo.” Looking back on such experiences, Luokkakallio stressed that it was important to adopt techniques suitable for Finland’s climate. For example, snow can be used as a natural insulator (绝缘体) for bamboo plants.

When Luokkakallio learned that bamboo grows in China’s cool, slightly wet mountainous areas, he was convinced it could also grow in snowy Finland. “The snow actually provides the best protection for the bamboo, an evergreen plant,” Luokkakallio said. Covering bamboo with snow ensures enough moisture (湿度) for the leaves, he said, so that they remain green and fresh. By conducting experiments and learning from mistakes, Luokkakallio said he discovered Finland-specific ways to protect bamboo, which is crucial for sustaining the pandas’ diet locally.

Finland’s local bamboo production currently makes up just a small part of the food supply for the two giant pandas, providing an alternative when extreme situations could affect the timely arrival of imported bamboo. “Growing bamboo is our hobby, not a business,” Luokkakallio said, adding that he and his colleagues are delighted to be able to provide some backup (后援) food reserves for the lovely pandas in Ahtari. “My grandsons are also very proud of me because what I’m doing for the two pandas is special.”

1. What does the underlined word “persevered” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Cheered up.

B．Given up.

C．Kept trying.

D．Continued worrying.

2. Why did Luokkakallio say the first year to plant bamboo was rather difficult?

A．All the bamboo shoots died from lack of water.	B．The output of bamboo plants was very small.
C．All the bamboo plants were frozen to death.	D．The bamboo plants grew very slowly.

3. How does Luokkakallio keep the bamboo leaves green and fresh?

A．By watering the plants from time to time.	B．By using snow to cover the bamboo plants.
C．By spraying some special chemicals on the plants.	D．By growing the bamboo plants in greenhouses.

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

A．Cultivating bamboo for pandas in Finland	B．Pandas have been used to living in Finland
C．Finland-specific ways to protect bamboo	D．Bamboo can grow in snowy Finland

2 . Anxiety isn’t funny. When we feel worried or afraid, the last thing we feel like doing is laughing. Finding humor can be difficult when we live with anxiety. However, if we begin to look for humor, we can find that laughter can be a great coping skill.

Researchers have discovered that laughter has many benefits. Among the ways laughter lifts us by increasing our overall well-being and boosting our mental health. When we live with anxiety, our stress hormones pulse through us. This makes us feel tense and anxious. Although there are no quick solutions for anything in our life, a good laugh can instantly begin to reduce these harmful stress hormones that are mixed with anxiety. Laughter gets to work immediately, and a regular “diet” of laughter continues to decrease anxiety over time.

The act of laughing is similar to deep breathing in its ability to increase the oxygen in our bodies. Combined with reducing stress hormones, the increased oxygen in our bodies helps lead to muscle relaxation. All of this helps reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety.

Laughing feels good. It’s addictive and we can keep wanting more. When we laugh regularly, our anxiety begins to decrease. When we have humor and give ourselves a chance to laugh a little bit for even a short while each day, we distract our focus. Rather than seeing the world within or without as a worrying place, we start to see it as a good, safe, and perhaps even fun place. We start to see beyond the anxiety. Sure, the anxiety lingers (徘徊) for a while, but every time we laugh, we can reduce it.

Introducing intentional laughter into our life decreases our stress hormones. Breathing deeply during the act of laughing relaxes muscles. Thinking about something funny shifts our focus to new things. Having humor regularly helps our outlook become more positive.

1. What can make us feel nervous?

A．Pulsing stress hormones.	B．Lacking sense of humour.
C．Tiredness and sleepiness.	D．Feeling eager to get something.

2. Why is deep breathing mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A．To compare it with taking exercice.	B．To suggest people do it more often.
C．To show its importance to the body.	D．To explain how laughing reduces anxiety.

3. What does Paragraph 4 focus on in terms of laughter?

A．Its functions.

B．Its concept.

C．Its causes.

D．Its disadvantages.

4. Who might need to read the text most?

A．A person who has developed a bad habit.	B．A person who tends to feel nervous easily.
C．A person who is fond of humorous stories.	D．A person who can’t get along well with others.

3 . Celebrate the season with the Art Institute of Chicago! Whether you are planning an outing with family and friends or looking for ways to reflect or recharge, we’ve got just what you need to reconnect with art, yourself and each other.

* Canova and ancient art

Antonio Canova carved a modern portrait of the ancient past in stone. Inspired by classical antiques and the birth of archeology (考古学), he created works that brought mythic characters of Greece and Rome to life in the 18th century Europe. On July 18 at 6:00 pm. curators Emerson Bowyer and Lisa Ayla Cakmak will share how Canova sought to compete with the beauty of ancient art even as he fought to preserve it.

* Expression through dance

In four performances, each created for and presented in a specific gallery, the local dance company, the Seldoms, shows the power of dance to interpret and appreciate art across different types. Stop by on July 30 from 1:00 to 2:30 to see your favorite artworks from the collection in a dynamic new light.

* James Johnson on carving, design and fashion

Glad to know artist James Johnson, who with works like Lakt, carves and paints imagery (意象) in wood using a Northwest Coast style called “formline”. On July 23 at 6:00 pm, Johnson and associate curator Andrew Hamilton will discuss the artist’s work and how it informs his recent design cooperation with Lib Tech Snowboards and Vans.

* Holiday art-making

Head to Griffin Court for holiday-themed art making. On July 20 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, create your own holiday card inspired by the work of Ray Johnson using a series of collage (拼贴画) materials. And on July 22 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, look to our textiles (纺织品) collection for ideas as you build a festive folding star from paper. All ages are welcome to drop by!

1. What can we know about Antonio Canova?

A．He painted on stones.	B．He created vivid works.
C．He collected classical antiques.	D．He preserved modern artworks.

2. Which involves creating something with paper?

A．Holiday art-making.	B．Canova and ancient art.
C．Expression through dance.	D．James Johnson on carving, design and fashion.

3. What is the aim of the text?

A．To show the artworks of the Art Institute of Chicago.

B．To introduce the history of the Art Institute of Chicago.

C．To describe the structure of the Art Institute of Chicago.

D．To encourage people to visit the Art Institute of Chicago.

6 . 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。

Lisa Sweeney is a 32-year-old mail carrier in Staten Island, New York. Four months ago, she noticed that something wasn’t right at one of the homes on her route. It was her quick action that made all the difference.

One afternoon in August, an old woman named Marie Boyer, who lived alone, fell at the foot of the stairs in her home. She was just lying unconscious(昏迷的)on the floor.

The next afternoon, her regular mail carrier, Lisa Sweeney, passed by and noticed something unusual. Though she and Marie hadn’t had much conversation over the years, Lisa knew her habits. She was surprised not to see Marie working in her garden, because she usually spent most afternoons there when the weather was fine.

I just had a feeling in my heart that Marie was inside. “Lisa recalls. She went straight round to the back of the house, thinking that the old woman might be in the kitchen, but she didn’t find anybody there. Puzzled, Lisa returned to the front of the house and knocked bard on the door. There was no answer. She thought that this was very strange, so she knocked on a neighbor’s door, but he’d been away on vacation and arrived home just a short time before so he didn’t know anything. Just then Lisa noted that Mane’s bottle of milk, which was delivered early in the morning, was still on the doorstep. It was a clear warning sign.

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。

“I must get in to see what’s happened.” Lisa said to herself.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lisa’s quick action not only saved a life but also started a friendship.

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8 . Ten years ago, not many families in the United States would consider homeschooling a serious option for their children. There were negative feelings about homeschooling, especially among school educators, who considered it crazy or irresponsible. But things have changed now.     1     As homeschooling becomes more widely practiced, school communities are becoming far more accepting and recognize that it can meet real needs.

    2     Homeschooling provides community life that is valuable to children. Participating in community life, homeschooled children relate socially with a wide variety of people.     3     Without social pressure from age-separated classrooms, kid feel more comfortable forming friendships.

    4     We often hear parents and kids talk about how relieved they feel from being freed of traditional schooling and nightly homework. With independent learning, they have more time to talk and listen; more time to spend in libraries, museums, and concert halls; or to hike, ride bikes, read, or think. These changes are what happens when family life is driven by the needs of families, rather than the needs of institutions.

Homeschooling also creates better learning environments for children who have been wrongly considered as having all sorts of imaginary “learning problems” in public and private schools. The educators want the children to be fixed so that they will fit; the parents correctly sense that their children are fine and only need something different: more space, freedom to move, a safe environment, or respectful treatment from others.     5    

A．Homeschooling helps children lo broaden their knowledge.

B．In homeschooling families, life is likely to be less stressful.

C．Some people choose homeschooling for socialization benefits.

D．Homeschooling success stories are often reported in the media.

E．People can see how easy it is to get along with homeschooled kids.

F．For these families, homeschooling helps a child build a life that works.

G．The combination of two kinds of schooling has a great effect on a child.

9 . In some parts of the world people are likely to plan for the future, while in others people are more likely to live in the moment. In some societies people prefer more personal space; in others they are comfortable being in close quarters in public.

There are a number of theories about where cultural differences between societies come from. In a growing number of cases, researchers have found that human culture an be shaped by key features of the environments in which people live.

Ecology includes basic physical and social characteristics of the environment—such factors as how rich a place is in resources, how common infectious (传染性的) diseases are, how heavily populated a place is, and how much threat there is to human safety. Variables like temperature and the availability of water can be key ecological features.

For over 200 societies, our lab at Arizona State University gathered comprehensive data on nine key features of ecology— such as rainfall, temperature, infectious disease and natural resources —and dozens of aspects of human cultural variation— including values, strength of social norms (社会规范), personality, motivation and institutional characteristics. With this information, we created the EcoCultural Dataset.

Using this dataset, we were able to generate a range of estimates for just how much of human cultural variation can explained by ecology.

We ran a series of statistical models looking at the relationship between our ecological variables and each of the 66 cultural outcomes we tracked. For each of the cultural outcomes, we calculated the average amount of the cultural diversity across societies that was explained by this combination of nine different ecological factors. We found that nearly 20% of cultural variation was explained by the combination of these ecological features.

Importantly, our statistical estimates take into account common issues in cross-cultural research. There will likely be unmeasured similarities between societies with shared historical roots and traditions.

Ecology isn’t the only reason people around the world think and behave differently. But our work suggests that, at least in part, our environments shape our cultures.

1. Which best explains why people are comfortable being in close quarters in public?

A．They are friendly to each other.	B．They like staying in public places.
C．They enjoy spending time with others.	D．They live in a place with cold temperatures.

2. What do we know about the EcoCultural Dataset?

A．It’s a combination of humans and nature.	B．It’s a combination of ecology and culture.
C．It’s a comparison between theory and practice.	D．It’s a comparison between ecology and culture.

3. What did the author's lab want to find out?

A．Where cultural differences come from.	B．Whether ecological features affect culture.
C．How strong the ecology-culture connection is.	D．Why cultural differences between societies exist.

4. What is the conclusion of the author’s study?

A．Shared traditions lead to cultural similarities.

B．There are cultural differences between societies.

C．Cultures are shaped by the environments people live in.

D．Cultural differences partly come from ecological factors.

10 . A Selection of Museums and Attractions in Washington DC

The Tidal Basin

The basin, part of the West Potomac Park, is surrounded by a path that’s perfect for walking, running or cycling. The memorials to Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King Junior are two highlights surrounding the lake. It is the location most associated with Washington’s Cherry Blossom (樱花) Festival that takes place each spring.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The museum opened in late 2016 after more than a decade of planning. It is dedicated to African American history and culture and is organized like a vertical timeline, starting with the Atlantic slave trade on the 1400s and moving up to the 21st century. Higher up are exhibitions on African American music, theatre and art. It’s a powerful experience and also very popular: you’ll have to apply for a timed ticket to enter.

The Newseum

Further along Pennsylvania Avenue is the Newseum, loved for the 800 newspaper front pages from around the world that are hung outside every morning. Inside, there are moving exhibits showing how important historical events have been reported, such as the September 11 attacks. Alongside newspaper pages from the day after the attacks, there’s a video exhibit highlighting the work of journalists reporting on the Twin Towers falling. A must if you’re interested in journalism.

National Gallery of Art

The art gallery is an impressive space: two buildings, linked underground, and a sculpture garden next door. Inside the light-filed East Building there’s modern art, including a roomful of Jackson Pollock’s murals (壁), Andy Warhol’s Green Marilyn and Roy Lichtenstein’s Look Mickey.

The classical West Building tends to house older artwork: the European impressionists and Italian Renaissance art (from artists including Da Vinci and Raphael) are two highlights.

1. Which of the following requires reserving a ticket in advance?

A．The Newseum.

B．The Tidal Basin.

C．National Gallery of Art.

D．National Museum of African American History and Culture.

2. What can visitors do at the Newseum?

A．Learn about the stories about news.

B．Learn how to report important events.

C．Talk with journalists about the 9/11 attacks.

D．Read 800 recently published newspapers.

3. Why is Green Marilyn exhibited in the East Building?

A．It’s a painting of modern art.

B．It is a painting of traditional art.

C．It is a painting by a famous artist.

D．It is a priceless painting of the gallery.