1 . 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。

When it comes to building their dream home, people have a lot of different ideas. However, some people decide to avoid    1    (tradition) architecture, and build something completely different, for instance, a container house. That’s exactly what designer Will Breaux did and now he’s a proud     2    (own) of a house built out of shipping containers. His new home is located on McGowen Street in Houston. The containers are piled on top    3    each other to create a three-story house.

Breaux wanted to build his own house since the early 2000s, however, for a long time he struggled     4    (find) someone who would design the kind of house he wanted, so eventually Breaux decided to do it     5    (he). Breaux got the idea of a container house many years ago. Why containers? “Shipping containers are strong, fireproof, long-lasting, hurricane resistant, and have common characteristics,” Breaux explains.

However, the man,     6     is not a professional builder, had little knowledge of     7    it would take to build his dream house. But he was determined to do everything he could.

After long hours spent    8    (learn) everything about constructing a house out of shipping containers, Breaux possesses     9     impressive 2, 500-square-foot house. Now the house is     10     (full) furnished (装修) and looks just like Breaux had imagined it.

2 . 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。

Last Thursday, the 18th-century Rhode Island farmhouse that inspired the 2013 horror movie The Conjuring     1     (sell) to a Boston house developer, Jacqueline Nunez, for $ 1. 525 million. Nunez and Jennifer Heinzen,     2    seller, jointly announced the sale on Facebook.

Nunez plans to continue the business     3     (start) by Heinzen. Guests will be able to continue the nightly explorations there. Day-time tours will resume (恢复) soon.

“This purchase is personal for me,” Nunez told The Boston Globe. “It’s around my own     4     (curious). Since I was a child, I     5     (be) in love with horror movies, like The Conjuring. I look forward to experiencing strange things in the house.”

However, one of the conditions in the contract is     6     the new owner will not live in the house year-round. “Because the energy is so powerful,” Heinzen told The Boston Globe later. “It is intended     7     (protect) the buyer.”

The Conjuring wasn’t filmed in the house but was based on the     8     (experience) of a few families that lived there in the 1970s.

“I’m not afraid     9     the house,” she said. “I don’t think the energy here is     10    (harm). Things that will happen here may frighten me, but will not hurt me.”

3 . Popular Libraries in the World

The idea of a public library —— where anyone in the community is trusted to borrow books, often for long stretches of time, for free —— is fairly magical. Some of the libraries in the world are pretty popular now.

The British Library, London, the UK

The British Library is comparable to the Library of Congress in terms of the size of their holdings, many of which are unique. According to its annual report, the British Library welcomes millions of visitors every year, but the figure in 2016-2017 represents a small but disappointing reduction in the overall visitor numbers.

The State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

According to its annual report, the State Library of Victoria’s visitors broke the 2 million in 2016-2017 visit record for the first time in its history, making it the busiest library in Australia. It also recorded many online visits, accessed collection items and uses of digitized collection items.

The New York Public Library, New York, the USA

The New York Public Library reports that it has hosted millions of visitors and circulated large numbers of items over their locations. According to a press, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building —— the main branch of the library —— yearly receives the greatest number of visitors.

The National Library of China, Beijing, China

Established as the Imperial Library of Peking in 1909, the National Library of China is now the largest library in Asia, with holdings of over 30 million items. The library’s annual report puts its total visitors across multiple locations at several million every year.

1. What do we know about the British Library?

A．It holds many rare collections.

B．Its visitors are constantly on the rise.

C．It has the largest collection of books in Europe.

D．Its coverage is the smallest in the world’s libraries.

2. What do the four libraries have in common?

A．They possess two branches.

B．They gain plentiful visitors.

C．They are the busiest libraries in their countries.

D．They face a decline in tourism in the 20th century.

3. In which column of a magazine can you find the text?

A．Finance.	B．Culture.
C．Architecture.	D．Technology.

4 . 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。

Bamboo is called“poor people’s material”and even in China it is not    1     (wide) accepted as a modern building material. But bamboo makes nearly the lightest houses,     2     is a lot better than“modern” materials at surviving earthquakes.

And unlike the “ Tofu”buildings that may    3     (destroy) in just several seconds in some earthquakes, bamboo makes a much     4     (safe) building. That is why it is suggested as a replacement (替代品) by International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR).

INBAR notes that    5     number of people who do not have safe and healthy shelter will increase with population growth if no proper action is taken.

Study shows that bamboo is excellent in    6     (strong) and is as strong as wood. Besides,because of the lightweight and good elasticity (弹性) of bamboo, bamboo buildings are very good at resisting (抵抗) earthquakes. For example, all of the 30 bamboo houses    7     (survive) without any damage in the 7. 6 magnitude earthquake in Costa Rica in 2012.

Ancient Chinese people preferred living in houses made    8     bamboo. In Yunnan Province, some locals sill live in bamboo homes which can protect    9     (they) from rain and wind. And in Zhejiang Province, where bamboo is plentiful, local officials have been encouraging architects     10     (design) buildings using bamboo.

5 . As a girl who has lived in both places, I can tell you that country living certainly beats the city life! Living in a village has advantages that simply can’t be bought at any price.

In the city, I was tired of the sounds of horns blowing and sirens blaring. In the country, I’m surrounded by the singing of birds, along with the pleasant sound of a cool breeze flowing through the trees.

On congested city streets, I had to deal with tired drivers and careless pedestrians. On winding country roads, I have to try my best to ignore the postcard—like beauty of the farmland and forests so I can keep my eyes on the road.

Yes, country living is the lifestyle that I, like most people who have had the opportunity to experience it, prefer. Instead of salespeople knocking on my door hoping to leave with some of my money, I have warm, friendly neighbors dropping by with baskets of fresh vegetables from their gardens — not to sell of course. They simply enjoy sharing the rewards of their country lifestyles with others.

Living in the country means that I can get up at 8:00 in the morning and enjoy a leisurely jog down a path or simply sit on a riverbank under a big tree with a fishing pole in my hand.

Yes, I do enjoy my country lifestyle! Having spent much of my life living in many cities around the world, I can now enjoy the peace and quietness of my country home. For me, a country lifestyle makes it easy to look forward to the next day!

1. The passage mainly tells us why__________.

A．people hate living in the city	B．the writer loves country living
C．people living in the country are happy every day	D．more and more people are moving to the country

2. The underlined word “congested” in Paragraph 3 probably means_______.

A．long

B．crowded

C．lifeless

D．comfortable

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．In the city, the author is surrounded by the singing of birds.

B．In the country, the author is tired of sounds of horns blowing and sirens blaring.

C．The author prefers to living in the country.

D．The author can’t enjoy the peace and quietness of her country home.

4. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A．All people prefer the life in the country.	B．Nobody in the city likes salespeople.
C．People living in cities are unfriendly to each other.	D．The writer likes her new neighbors very much.

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。

Many cities have live music in their parks during the summer. But there’s a park in Denmark     1     people can hear music all year round — not on a stage but among the trees.

As part of     2     art project for public in Aalborg, trees in the Park of Music host the music once     3     (perform) by musicians at the nearby cultural center. It all started in the 1980s when the city asked visiting musicians to plant a tree     4     a memorial (纪念物) of their excellent and     5     (impress) performances.

Since then, over 80 trees     6     (plant) by musicians worldwide. In 2012, some of the trees became playable. It works like this.     7     (simple) press the button on the plaque (匾牌) bearing a musician’s name next to the tree, and people     8     (hear) a piece of the musician’s music.

All kinds of music from     9     (artist) like Sting can be heard. The trees are “played” about 300,000 times a year,     10     (show) the popularity of the art project.

7 . 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 most special room in our house is the kitchen. When I open the door,     1     is the first thing I notice? The smell of cooking and the noise! You can often hear people talking or laughing, and the sound     2     pots and pans, because usually someone     3     (prepare) food! I always feel comfortable and at home in the kitchen it’s     4     center of family life.

In the middle of the kitchen     5     (be) my favorite piece of furniture - a long wooden table. It looks old and worn, but it’s the place where people sit and work or talk. It     6     (use) for special occasions like my grandma’s birthday,     7     we all sit around the table. It’s also used for everyday     8     (activity), like my brother’s homework. The table is always messy because everyone leaves their things on it. There are house keys, schoolbooks as well as letters     9     (mail).

In short, the kitchen is my favorite room because it’s full of life. It’s the     10     (noisy) place in the house, and I like it that way. It’s the room where I feel most comfortable and happy. And that’s why I love it.

8 . Four Most Beautiful Subways in the World

City Hall Station, New York

Country: the USA

Opened: 1904

Unlike the other subway stations, this one hasn’t been in use since 1945. However, it can be admired by those going aboard the trains that run on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line. Opened on October 27, 1904, this station was designed to represent the flagship of the new subway. Thanks to the specific shape and colors, the station remains the only one of its kind and very impressive—so impressive that it’s often chosen as a movie set.

Toledo Station, Naples

Country: Italy

Opened: 2012

The subway station which is considered the most beautiful in the world stands in Italy. The new design of the Toledo Station in Naples features colorful pictures from a full range of shades of blue. During the construction of the station, it brought to light several archaeological (考古的)finds dating back to the end of the 15th to early 16th century as well as Roman buildings dating back to the 2nd century.

Champ-de-Mars Station, Montreal

Country: Canada

Opened: 1966

Champ-de-Mars is a station on the Orange Line of the Montreal Subway, Canada. It features colorful glass windows made by the artist Marcelle Ferron. Some of the works featured in this station are also considered to be the artist’s most famous ones.

Komsomolskaya, Mosca

Country: Russia

Opened: 1952

Standing in Komsomolskaya Square and the crossroads of three different subway lines, this station is very busy and beautiful. Its place and inside design make it a perfect representation of Russian culture.

1. What can be known about City Hall Station?

A．It represents the new culture.	B．It is the oldest subway in the world.
C．It has appeared in some movies.	D．It can transport the most passengers.

2. Which country owns the most beautiful subway station in the world according to the text?

A．The USA.

B．Italy.

C．Canada.

D．Russia.

3. Which subway station has been in use for the longest time?

A．City Hall Station, New York.	B．Toledo Station, Naples.
C．Champ-de-Mars Station, Montreal.	D．Komsomolskaya, Mosca.

9 . Wherever you live, you always look forward to a comfortable home. However, people don’t often turn it into what they want because they worry about the costs. Actually, this is a common misconception(错误认识)—you don’t need to spend a lot of money in order to make your home comfortable.    1    .

Clear

The first thing you need to do before buying or rearranging anything is clearing rooms.    2    . There is no way to turn a cluttered(杂乱的) space into an attractive one without organizing it. So, the first thing you do is clearing rooms. You don’t have to throw out everything. Though clearing rooms can be an ongoing process that takes time, it’s worth it.

Add Green Plants

    3    . Besides the eye- pleasing effect that plants and flowers have, they also remove toxins(毒素) from the air, making your environment healthier. If that isn’t enough for you, they tend to help calm people down.

Try Darker Colors

Another thing you can do to make a room look warmer is use some darker shades in the decoration. Lighter colors are great for making a room feel bigger, but darker colors create a comfortable and attractive environment.    4    .

Adjust the Lighting

The last thing is lighting. The lighting in a room can make or break it.    5    . Think of using the fireplace if you have one, lighting some candles and hanging up some string lights. Even a lamp can make all the difference to the environment of a room.

A．Warm lighting can make a room pleasant and sweet

B．Disorder is the exact opposite of warm and attractive

C．You shouldn’t keep plants and flowers in your bedroom

D．Throwing in some darker colors will make the room look perfect

E．Besides making it keep warm, blankets add more color to a room

F．Here are some inexpensive ways to make your home comfortable

G．One way to make a room attractive is to add plants and fresh flowers

10 . Four of the Coolest Plant Shops in the State of California

Plants have given us comfort during the coronavirus pandemic, so it should come as no surprise that garden stores are more popular than ever. Here is a look at a few of our favorites.

All Time Plants

Location: 1322 Coronado Ave. Ste B, Long Beach, California 90804

All Time Plants is inside the coffee and bottle house. The storefront is now a hybrid coffee house-plant store-home store where visitors can shop for plants and home goods while enjoying a cup of coffee or a glass of wine or beer.

EnCactusar

Location: 3577 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park, California 90065

The COVID-19 pandemic gave artists Jackie and Julio the opportunity to turn their hobby into their own garden center, a small business at their Boyle Heights home. It is a kind of place where staff members will carry your plants out to your car for you while offering care tips. Open Saturdays and Sundays only.

Flyplant

Location: 1801 E 7th St, Los Angeles, California 90021

Flyplant was founded at the height of the pandemic, by Filipina with a passion for helping plant growing. Their shop offers customers plant and pot pairings, plant-themed costumes and gardening tools. Recently, they have added hands-on workshops, where guests can learn how to plant and care for their houseplants.

Folia Collective

Location: 5052 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock, California 90041

Every plant at Folia Collective, from roses to ferns (蕨类植物), comes with a care card written by owner Danae Horst, a famous author in the field of home growing. Staff will ask you questions to help you pick the perfect plant and offer tips. Horst has houseplant gifts and, before the pandemic, hosted book signings and occasional cutting exchanges.

1. What can you do in All Time Plants?

A．Host book signings.	B．Drink some coffee or beer.
C．Attend classes to look after plants.	D．Borrow gardening tools.

2. Which plant shop provides plant-themed clothing?

A．All Time Plants.

B．EnCactusar.

C．Flyplant.

D．Folia Collective.

3. What do the four plant shops have in common?

A．They were founded during the pandemic.	B．They are open on weekends.
C．They are from the same state.	D．They carry plants to your car.