1 . Antarctica has not always been a land of ice and snow. Earth’s southernmost continent once was home to rivers and forests full of life. Researchers are using satellites to look deep under the ice in Antarctica, finding a large ancient landscape buried under the continent’s ice sheet. The landscape is located in East Antarctica’s Wilkes Land area bordering the Indian Ocean, covering an area about the size of Belgium. The researchers said the landscape is estimated to have been buried beneath the ice shelf for between 14 million to 34 million years, when Antarctica entered its deep freeze.

“The landscape is like a snapshot of the past,” said Stewart Jamieson, a professor of glaciology at Durham University in England and co-leader of the study published in the journal Nature Communications, “It is difficult to know what this lost world might have looked like before the ice came along, but it was certainly warmer back then. Ancient palm tree pollen has been discovered from Antarctica, not far from our study site.”

Some earlier studies have uncovered ancient landscapes beneath Antarctica’s ice including mountains. But the landscape discovered in the new study was the first of its kind. It is estimated that such an environment would likely have been populated by wildlife. But the area’s fossil record is too incomplete to know which animals may have lived there. The ice above the ancient landscape measures about 2.2 kilometers to 3 kilometers thick.

The researchers said one way to learn more would be to drill through the ice and take a piece of the earth below. This could uncover evidence showing ancient life, as was done with samples taken in Greenland dating back two million years ago.

Right before 34 million years ago, Antarctica’s landscape and wildlife was likely similar to today’s cold temperate rainforests. That includes places like Tasmania, New Zealand and South America’s Patagonia area. When the climate cooled even more, an ice sheet grew which covered the whole continent.

1. How long ago was the landscape not buried at the latest?

A．14 million years ago.	B．34 million years ago.
C．20 million years ago.	D．48 million years ago.

2. Why does Jamieson mention the word “snapshot”?

A．To show it is hard to explore this lost world.

B．To indicate there exist some vivid remains.

C．To present the influence of terrible weather.

D．To explain the landscape was too warm to live in.

3. Where does the newly-discovered landscape differ from others?

A．The landscape contains many hills and mountains.

B．Animal skeletons have been uncovered in the landscape.

C．There seems to have existed a mass of wild animals.

D．The ice above the landscape is too thick to measure.

4. What is the proper title for the passage?

A．Antarctica Once Witnessed Kinds of Wildlife.

B．Areas of Rainforests Found in Antarctica.

C．Many Landscapes under Antarctica Discovered.

D．Ancient Landscape Found Buried in Antarctic Ice.

2 . The United Kingdom is hosting the AI Safety Summit, bringing politicians, computer scientists and big AI company leaders to a site chosen for its symbolism: Bletchley Park, the birthplace of computing and code-breaking (密码破译).

During World War II, a group of mathematicians, chess masters and other experts gathered at the Victorian country house 72 kilometers northwest of London to start a secret war against Nazi Germany. Their goal was to break a set of constantly changing codes produced by Nazi Germany’s Enigma machine. To do it, Bletchley Park’s wartime scientists — building on work done by Polish code-breakers — developed Colossus, the first programmable digital computer. Some historians say cracking the code helped shorten the war by up to two years.

“It has oversimplified its true contribution by describing Bletchley Park as a playground for Turing and other scientists.” said historian Chris Smith, author of The Hidden History of Bletchley Park. “Although it fits into the romantic idea that a group of smart men with a bit of wool and some yards of wire can win the war. In fact, almost 10,000 people worked at Bletchley Park during the war. Three quarters of them were women. It’s basically a factory... Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. When peace came, the code-breakers returned to civilian life and promised to keep secret about their wartime work. It was not until the 1970s that the work at Bletchley Park became widely known in Britain.”

In 1994, the site opened as a museum, after local historians banded together to prevent it from being pulled down to build a supermarket. It was restored to its 1940s appearance, complete with old typewriters, phones and cups—including the one tied to a heater in Hut 8, where Turing led the Enigma team.

1. What can we learn about Colossus?

A．It was invented by Nazi Germany.

B．It was designed to send secret messages.

C．Polish code-breakers also made a contribution to it.

D．The project’s goal was to produce the first computer.

2. What did Chris Smith most probably imply?

A．Women’s hard work was overlooked.	B．The secret should not be kept for so long.
C．The computer ought to be more powerful.	D．It is silly to say the machine shortened the war.

3. Why is the cup mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To highlight the government’s support.	B．To show the perfect restoration of the site.
C．To stress Turing’s important role in the project.	D．To tell the difficulty in collecting the lost items.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To advocate women’s equal rights with men.

B．To advertise a newly restored computer museum.

C．To show the significance of an important meeting.

D．To add some background to the AI safety meeting.

3 . 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。

On Feb 8, 2001, workers at a construction site in Jinsha village, Chengdu, found many pieces of ivory and jade and the hidden ruins of the capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom were brought     1    light by archaeologists. Among the over 5,000 precious relics     2    (excavate)from the ruins, the most eye-catching is the Golden Sun Bird. It is made from delicate gold foil(箔), just one     3    (five)of a millimeter thick. It has two sections: The center is a sun pattern with 12 rays     4    (indicate)the rotation(自转)of the sun and around the sun are four birds flying anticlockwise. According to archaeologists, the four birds symbolize four seasons, while the 12 rays     5    (mean)to represent 12 months of the year. Hence, it could be inferred that over 3000 years ago ancient Shu people possessed     6     good knowledge of astronomy and nature. Furthermore, this masterpiece is believed to be an illustration of an ancient Chinese myth recorded in the classic The Legends of Mountains and Seas,     7     was written about 2,500 years ago. According to the book, ancient people believed the sun was carried up     8    down by birds daily.

In 2005, the pattern was     9    (successful)selected as the symbol of China’s cultural heritage to showcase the ancient Chinese people’s     10    ( wise)and aspirations.

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。

More than 3,000 stone tools have been unearthed during the latest work at the Piluo site, a large-scale Paleolithic site     1     can date back to more than 200,000 years ago in Daocheng county, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, reported by the Sichuan TV on Monday.

The Piluo site,     2     (locate) at the southeastern foothills of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau at an altitude of about 3,750 meters,     3     (reveal) more than 15,000 stone artifacts, including hand axes (斧头) and thin-blade axes, since the beginning of the archaeological excavations (考古挖掘) in April 2021.

The latest stage, kicking off in July, was the third of its kind and covered about 150 square meters,     4     (provide) archaeologists with crucial materials to comprehend the stratigraphic accumulation, artifact distribution and stone tool making across     5     (difference) regions of the site.

According to     6     same report, during this year’s excavation, archaeologists found out that some areas had layers (层) which were     7     (little) than a meter thick, while others had layers as thick as seven to eight meters. This variability allowed them     8     (construct) a time framework spanning from 200,000 years ago to tens of thousands of years ago.

The     9     (discovery) at Piluo site have been listed     10     one of China’s top 10 archaeological revelations of 2021, recognized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

5 . 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。

One sunny day in the late spring of 353, a party took place with 40-some poets, scholars, and artists     1     (play) a drinking game by a river in Lanting, or the “Orchid Pavilion”, a hilly southwestern suburb of Shaoxing. They floated cups of wine in the flow of the stream.     2     the cup stopped in front of a guest, he had to compose a poem.

A total of 37 poems     3     (write) that day, but it was the foreword to the poetry collection by famed calligrapher Wang Xizhi, titled “Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion”, that made this party one of the best     4     (know) in Chinese literary history. In 324 words, Wang described the event while expressing his passion     5     life. The naturally-flowing strokes, a product of his outstanding skills and the     6     (inspire) of the moment have led the “Preface” to be regarded     7     (wide) as the best semi-cursive calligraphy(行书) work ever.

Today, visitors can go to the “Orchid Pavilion” area,     8     elegant garden complex on the former site of the party,     9     includes a calligraphy museum, a pavilion, and a pond, all     10     (surround) by thick bamboo forests. In downtown Shaoxing-a world of alleyways, green canals, ancient bridges and graying whitewashed houses, one can also visit a number of scenery sites connected with Wang’s stories from his time there.

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。

The silk industry in Sichuan is one of the original points of Chinese silk culture. Sichuan brocade (蜀锦) originated from the Spring and Autumn period, and fully developed in the Han and Tang     1     (dynasty). It has a history of more than 2, 000 years and had a far-reaching influence     2     traditional Chinese silk production. Sichuan brocade features light shades     3     (integrate) in an elegant and care free style, which shows Han Chinese characteristics and local traditions.

Sichuan brocade is one of China’s four most famous branches of brocade, the others     4     (be) Yun brocade in Nanjing, Song brocade in Suzhou and Zhuang brocade in Guangxi. With its     5     (attract) designs and bright, clear colors that follow the style of Chinese-ink paintings, Sichuan brocade was put on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Silk     6     (produce) in Sichuan Province since ancient times and Chengdu was the starting point of the southern Silk Road. Sichuan brocade is made with local silk and colored silk threads,     7     are the raw materials. Special embroidery (刺绣) skills are used     8     (turn) brocade into quilt covers, pillowcases, clothes and shoes.

    9     subjects of the Sichuan brocade are rich and varied. Some come from legends, myths, historical stories, and others come from landscape, figures, flowers, birds and animals,     10     (especial) the beasts that symbolize fortune and long life.

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。

If history doesn’t quite repeat     1     (it), it certainly rhymes. With demand for bicycles rapidly    2     (rise), and nations preparing to spend billions to redesign their cities with a new focus on cycling and walking, it’s worth remembering     3     the invention of the bicycle in the late 19th century transformed the world over.

For a few heady years in the 1890s, the bicycle was the must-have — swift, affordable, stylish transportation that could take you anywhere you cared to go, anytime you     4     (like), for free.

Society     5     (transform). Women were especially enthusiastic, deserting their burdensome Victorian skirts, adopting bloomers (灯笼裤),     6     walking on the road in groups. “I think bicycling has done more     7     (free) women than anything else in the world,” Susan B. Anthony said in an interview with the New York Sunday World in 1896. “I feel pleased every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of unrestricted womanhood.”

By 1898 cycling had become     8     a popular activity in the United States that the New York Journal of Commerce claimed it was costing restaurants and theaters more than $100 million a year in lost business. Bicycle manufacturing became one of America’s     9     (big) and most advanced industries. A third of all patent     10     (apply) were bicycle related—so many that the U.S. patent office had to build a separate building to deal with them all.

8 . 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，并将答案填写在答题卡上。

In ancient times, all roads     1     (lead) from the outside to Sichuan were referred to as the Shu Path, including those from Shaanxi and Gansu.

Surrounded by mountains, Sichuan, called Shu in ancient times, was known for its inaccessibility. That became widely known partly due to a line from Chinese poet Li Bai,     2     reads “Traveling on the Shu Path is as difficult as climbing to heaven”. The most famous section of the Shu Path is about 600 kilometers long. It starts at Chengdu, and then passes Deyang and Guangyuan in Sichuan before ending in Hanzhong in Shaanxi. The     3     (construct) of the section started around 316 BC. It was on such     4     (danger) mountains that Li Bai was inspired     5     (mention) it.

When builders approached the Mingyue Gorge in Guangyuan, they found     6     impossible to continue because of high cliffs (悬崖). So they dug three levels of holes in the rock, and put in wooden beams. The upper beams were     7     (complete) covered by planks (木板) to form a road for people to walk on. The plank road     8     (rebuild) many times during wars. Now part of it has been restored to allow visitors to admire the man-made wonder.

The Sword Gate Pass, a towering V-shaped mountain pass—the one that gave rise     9     a household idiom, “One man at the pass keeps 10,000 men at bay”—witnessed countless battles during the Three Kingdoms and     10     (be) a tourist attraction now in the Guangyuan section of the Shu Path.

9 . The now world-famous Lumière brothers, Auguste Lumière and Louis Lumière, were born in Besançon, eastern France, near the border with Switzerland. They grew up immersed in the dazzling potential of photography, pursuing the family passion for developing images.

Their father Charles-Antoine set up a small factory producing photographic plates, and the looming threat of bankruptcy (破产) in 1882 was just the sort of pressure needed to inspire the world’s greatest invention. It was these two boys who invented the machines necessary to automate their father’s plate production, known as the new photo plate “etiquettes bleue”, and saved the family business from sinking.

When their father eventually retired one decade later in 1892, the brothers decided to focus on creating moving pictures. The original cinématographe (电影机) was made by Léon Guillaume Bouly on 12 February 1892, but the brothers made their own more efficient version three years later on 13 February 1895.

One of their techniques for making film more efficient included film perforations (穿孔), which helped pass the film through the camera and projector with greater ease. The first-ever footage (片段) to be recorded using their new invention was recorded on 19 March 1895, a short film that showed workers leaving the Lumière factory in which the brothers worked.

The first public screening of their movies came a few months later in December 1895, and they used their invention of the cinématographe to show 10 movie-clips of about 50 seconds each.

Of course, there was Thomas Edison’s “peepshow” kinetoscope that existed before the French Lumière Brothers invented cinema. But the difference was, Edison’s “peepshow” did not allow simultaneous viewing, whereas the Lumière Brothers invented entertainment that could be enjoyed by the masses and all at once. And cinema has never been the same ever since.

1. Which of the following is credited to the Lumière Brothers?

A．The original idea of cinématographe.

B．The invention of photographic plates.

C．The invention of “peepshow” kinetoscope.

D．The automatic production of photographic plates.

2. What does the Lumière Brothers’s cinématographe feature?

A．Higher Efficiency.

B．Originality.

C．Automatic operation.

D．Low cost.

3. What was the world’s first-ever film footage about?

A．A family party.

B．Working staff.

C．A violent battle.

D．Moving objects.

4. What advantage did the Lumière Brothers’ device have over Thomas Edison’s?

A．It served a larger audience.	B．It presented clearer pictures.
C．It produced louder sounds.	D．It passed the film more easily.

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。

A water system from more than 3,600 years ago     1     (discover) in Central China’s Henan province so far. This find will improve people’s understanding of the city design back then. According to local archaeologists (考古学家), one of the sections was built on a natural river channel, while the remaining two     2     (be) entirely artificial. About 540 meters of ditches (沟) were unearthed，with a     3     (wide) of about 12 meters at the widest point, and a depth of roughly four meters at     4     (it) deepest point. Ruins of the city covered about 25 square kilometers, and it is believed to be a former Shang capital     5     (construct) by Emperor Tang, the first emperor of the Shang Dynasty.

In one of the ditch sections, archaeologists found artificial open channels and stone facilities for water diversion,    6     (indicate) that in the early Shang Dynasty, there had already been complex functional design of the water system.    7     (remain) of handicraft workshops for copper (铜) casting and making bone objects were also found. The ditches were connected with ponds and gardens in the northern parts of the city,    8     means that water in the system supplied not only production and life in the city, but was also used for landscaping of the city.

Discovery of this water system enhanced our understanding of     9     layout of the ancient city, which is     10     great significance for in-depth study of city planning and functional zones division in the early Shang Dynasty capital.