1 . As a kid growing up in a suburb of London. I loved to go looking for the perfect park bench. Some Sunday mornings, my dad could be persuaded to drive to new parks. We’d have a kick-around with a soccer ball, share a bag of Doritos and check out all the benches in the area, reading the words on them.

The good park bench leaves me in a state, somewhere between nostalgia (怀旧) and eager anticipation. Where once I was excited by the words carved on wood, I now find, as a 10-year-old, that I’m more appreciative of each bench’s quiet stoicism (坦然淡定), the way they are willing to wait out their turn in every weather, remaining available to all-comers. Like a good book or piece of music, a park bench allows for a sense of solitude (独处) and community at the same time, which is crucial to life in a great city.

Part of my obsession with park benches is as spaces where history settles. By planting seeds of curiosity, and making space for reflection, park benches become doors to the past. Maybe that’s the greatest power of the park bench: its capacity encourages the art of observation. A good bench catches us in our quietest, most vulnerable (脆弱的) moments, when we may be open to imagining new narratives and revisiting old ones. Our masks are taken off, hung from the bench’s wrought iron. On other nearby benches, babies are being burped. Glances exchanged. Sandwiches eaten. Newspapers read it .

Lately, I’ve found me sitting on a lot of cramped metal benches of the kind that don’t invite you to linger long, or harsh concrete ones that leave you cold. That’s because public seating is becoming an endangered species. Our cities are becoming more like Disneyland, which has been quietly removing public seating and replacing it with more restaurant seating. If you want a moment’s rest in 21st-century America, you have to open your wallet.

One recent Sunday, I wandered through Central Park. To be in Central Park in what is hopefully the pandemic’s twilight is to be reminded of the beauty of living in a city that still makes space for park benches in the modern cityscape.

1. How did the writer lead in the topic?

A．By describing the scene of the park.

B．By revealing his passion for London.

C．By showing his father’s affection for him.

D．By introducing his childhood experience.

2. What can we learn about the writer after he grew up?

A．He was suffering great frustration in his 40s.

B．He enjoyed the peace in the park very much.

C．He liked the feel park benches brought to him.

D．He was still crazy about the words on the bench

3. Which aspect of park benches does paragraph 3 focus on?

A．Design.

B．History.

C．Location.

D．Power.

4. Why is public seating becoming an endangered species?

A．It is out of date.	B．It is uncomfortable to sit there.
C．It is commercialized.	D．It is usually made of metal.

2 . “Mountains are always smaller in your imagination than they are in real life,” someone wise said. And the quote sprang to mind as I stared up at the snowy _______of Pen Y Fan, the highest mountain in South Wales. I was to take part in the Fan Dance the world’s oldest Special Forces test.

My general feeling about the event was that it would be tough,but good strength _______for my running. I felt pretty _______ within the first kilometre and I was surprised how easy it felt so far. Kilometre two   _______ me trudging (跋涉) through snow and ice, but spirits still remained high as I chatted to fellow_______ around me.

Gradually, however, the climbing became extremely _______. The snow was _______ by a thick fog and winds so strong that I could hardly stand on my feet. The wind kept _______me backwards and sideways, and each step seemed to require all the energy I had. I was about to quit when someone appeared out of _______. “You’re doing really well! Keep going!” he shouted __________the wind. I felt a sudden burst of __________and I crazily pulled myself to the finish line.

We’d been moving for hours and were __________the finish line. The wellbeing of my body came second to my burning desire to get to that finish line.

I was expecting to feel relieved and joyful when I finally succeeded, __________instead I felt a mixture of tiredness and confusion. I __________ on the idea that while mountains are smaller in your imagination than they are in real life, your ability to suffer is also bigger in real life. In fact, I __________over more than just a mountain at the Fan Dance.

1.

A．peaks

B．caves

C．valleys

D．hillsides

2.

A．looked

B．worked

C．applied

D．called

3.

A．shocked

B．depressed

C．moved

D．relaxed

4.

A．saw

B．kept

C．found

D．caught

5.

A．colleagues

B．admirers

C．participants

D．assistants

6.

A．encouraging

B．exciting

C．energy-consuming

D．time-wasting

7.

A．blocked

B．warmed

C．wrapped

D．accompanied

8.

A．guiding

B．holding

C．blowing

D．chasing

9.

A．nowhere

B．place

C．sight

D．mind

10.

A．over

B．upon

C．into

D．across

11.

A．fear

B．hope

C．panic

D．anger

12.

A．approaching

B．escaping

C．crossing

D．extending

13.

A．while

B．since

C．so

D．but

14.

A．focused

B．reflected

C．depended

D．carried

15.

A．took

B．rode

C．turned

D．climbed

3 . Curiosity is rooted in our DNA. We are fascinated by the future; we are impressed with the unknown that surrounds us; we are amazed at all that we have to explore. The mysteries of the world have always been a push for us to watch.     1    .

Children are known for sticking their fingers in places where young fingers should never be. They are famous for putting all kinds of objects and substances in their mouths, everything from plastic blocks to any object in the room.

    2     It holds our hand as we move into old age and the unknown of the future. By and large, we are determined question-askers. We want to know more than we know; we want to expand our horizons, try out the new and undiscovered, and pursue experiences that deepen our comprehension of the world we live in.

    3     It is also the generation of possibilities. When we look at the world from multiple perspectives, we give ourselves permission to examine a wider range of resolutions. We open up our minds to explore the unexamined and unknown.     4     Ian Leslie explains it this way, “Curiosity is essential to an exploring mind; it opens our eyes to the new and undiscovered, encouraging us to seek out new experiences and meet new people.”

Curiosity is the catalyst(催化剂) for questioning, and questioning is what urges us to seek out the unfamiliar and the unknown.     5     It does not move forward, nor does it have sufficient power to dig what may lie just below the surface or just slightly out of reach. Curiosity is the fuel necessary for creativity to prosper and succeed.

A．Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

B．Without questioning, knowledge becomes inactive.

C．Nowhere is this truer than when we watch our children.

D．But curiosity is much more than a simple search for answers.

E．Curiosity becomes a boost for new opportunities and new options.

F．So ask questions to which there may be a wide variety of responses.

G．In adults, curiosity guides us toward a lifetime occupation and to new destinations.

4 . Mitchel Wu creates interesting stories using toy photography, a relatively new art form. He’s taken photos for an impressive list of clients, including Disney, Marvel, Hot Wheels, and Hasbro. There’s no limit to creativity, and Mitchel proves it through his unique work, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for clients worldwide.

While toy photography dates back to the 1800s, it didn’t gain popularity until the 1970s. Around this time, a man by the name of David Levinthal became the father of miniature（微型画）photography.

Over time, it evolved into a global phenomenon mostly involving action figures and pop culture imagery. It’s a diverse art form containing many themes and story ideas. Many artists draw inspiration from popular sources such as Disney movies, Star Wars, and Pokemon characters. With toy photography, the viewers, completely immersed in the story, feel like they’re actually there, in a different land.

“For me, toy photography is really all about storytelling,” Mitchel says. “Storytelling is what makes an image impactful, so my goal is to have my image just stop you in your tracks and make you think ‘Wow, what’s going on here?’”

Mitchel was a wedding photographer in the beginning. In 2015, he realized that he needed to find something else. Right around the same time, his nephew who photographed toys as a hobby said, “Uncle Mitch, why don’t you bring your camera and shoot some toys?”

Once he tried it out, he got hooked immediately. His nephew lent him a couple of Stormtrooper action figures, and from the very first click of the shutter（快门）, he found it was something incredible.

What began as a hobby quickly became a new-found career for Mitchel. It’s yet another story that motivates us to pursue our dreams because you never know where they’ll take you.

It seems the only limits are the ones you create for yourself. Mitchel tries to keep breaking those limits and learn new techniques in his exciting career path. His story shows that you can create your path in life by following your heart and using your imagination.

1. Which of the following is true according to the first three paragraphs?

A．David Levinthal founded toy photography.

B．Toy photography is by all means a new art form.

C．Mitchel helps promote toy photography around the world.

D．Toy photography was widely recognized more than 200 years ago.

2. What does the underlined word “immersed” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Involved.

B．Applied.

C．Located.

D．Stuck.

3. What does toy photography mean to Mitchel?

A．It brings him a great fortune.

B．It only serves to limit his creativity.

C．It is a way of telling his own stories.

D．It enables him to follow his new passion.

4. What message does Mitchel’s story convey?

A．Great hopes make great men.

B．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

C．The longest journey begins with the first step.

D．Behind one minute on stage is ten years of practice.

5 . As a working mother, my years passed without time for relaxing. The kids have been out of the nest, and I have been retired. Now I could take some time for ME!

    1     As a lifelong list maker, I did my research. There were relaxation activities like meditation (冥想), exercise, socializing...... I was determined to find the one thing that truly filled my soul. And so I began my not-so-smooth journey to finding myself.

Meditation was the first to come and go. I never fully understood how to shut my mind off. I always felt like I was just waiting for it to end. Next, I tried “Teatime as Me Time.”    2    I imagined sitting across from a dear friend, drinking elegantly from delicate cups, but that is as far as it ever went. I have the fancy tea set (never used) and a shelf full of tea packages that I will never consume. Exercise is a highly recommended me-time activity. But for me, after a week or so of training, exercise time was killing me.    3    

Many other me-time experiments left me wanting less of them, not more. I felt like a failure at this me-time thing. I could spend the whole morning watching the big, fuzzy bees in my garden. In those moments, time stood still.    4    I discovered that I truly desired less emphasis on me altogether.

Maybe the experts had this me-time thing all wrong, and it had little to do with “me” or “time” as I was defining it. Perhaps we are too concerned with how we spend our time instead of enjoying the nothingness of simply being. Instead of viewing it as a hesitation between activities, we can shift our awareness into welcoming timelessness.    5    Maybe a better version of “me time” is simply “be time” ...... or, better yet, “bee time”!

A．Taking the focus off myself was a relief.

B．Of course, there were many possibilities.

C．At first, I was very enthusiastic about this.

D．So, I eventually crossed these ideas off my list.

E．Sitting around feeling special doesn't feel special to me.

F．I still value all those busy years but I know I should learn to relax.

G．Witnessing simple moments of nature re-centered my soul better than anything else.

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。

A couple of years ago, I volunteered to be a finish-line “hugger” at the Kentucky Special Olympics held in Richmond.

The day of the event dawned dull, wet and gray. Even though it started to rain and a cold wind blew, most of the participants were so excited that they didn’t seem to notice the weather at all.

My job was to stand at the end of a lane on the track and hug the person in that lane when he or she crossed the finish line. It seemed to me that many of the participants completed their races just so they could get that finish “hug”. As the arms of the hugger closed around them, their faces lit up with pure joy, whether they came in first or dead last.

While we huggers stood around, we talked. I was told that most of the participants had been training for the races all year. I also noticed that, the Special Olympic participants weren’t here just to win. They didn’t talk negatively about the people they were racing against. In fact, they hugged and wished each other luck before they started, and hugged again when it was over, whether they had won or not.

What I remember most vividly from that day was the long-distance race. It was a long race by any standards: twelve laps around the track. There were only four participants, three boys and one girl. They were only a couple of laps into the race when the rain started up again. Standing in the rain, I began to feel miserable. My feet hurt. I was soaking wet. I was hungry. I was cold when the rain and wind came and hot when the sun came out. I thought irritably: This race is lasting entirely too long. Even though the three boys were nearly finished, the girl was at least four laps behind. I wondered why she kept going when there was obviously no way she could win.

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。

Finally, the three boys finished but they didn’t leave right away.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As she approached the finishing line, the girl was barely running.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . If you were to ask people what they needed to be happy, two of the most common answers would be health and wealth. Both are definitely necessary for happiness. However, if you could only have one, which is more important? It is my opinion, health wins hands down.

Firstly, health is more important than wealth because if you are physically fit, you will have a sense of well-being. That means that you will feel happy.     1     Many people mistakenly think that they would be happy if they had a million pounds. They think that having more money will solve all their problems. On the contrary, it has been found that being wealthy can actually rob you of your peace of mind.

    2     To understand this, we must look at why we gather wealth. The purpose of doing so is to be able to supply our daily needs and make ourselves happy by spending on luxuries. Without good health, no matter how much one spends on material things, that person will not be able to enjoy them to the fullest. For example, a person who is bedridden will not be able to enjoy vacations in exotic places even if he owned a private plane.     3    

Another point in favor of health is that if you were healthy, you would be able to gain wealth.     4     If a person is healthy, he would be able to find work or carry out investments that could eventually make him wealthy. However, for a person who is wealthy but ill, even the best medical care that money can buy may not guarantee the return of that person’s health.

In a nutshell, health is indeed more important than wealth for the reasons explained above.     5     But if you had to choose, pick the one that gives you the greatest amount of happiness.

A．The reverse is not possible.

B．Therefore, health is above wealth.

C．Wealth does not necessarily do the same.

D．Wealth, however, if you use it, comes to an end.

E．Besides that, wealth is of no use without health.

F．However, wealth is usually the first choice of many people.

G．Of course, the ideal situation would be to have both health and wealth.

8 . As a child I found comfort and joy in being creative, so I knew fairly early on in life that I wanted to do something art-related. Later, I knew about a ______ who was trained at City & Guilds Art School. I was in total awe of her talent and it really encouraged me to see her breathtakingly ______ pieces of art. With that, I visited C & G and ______ a woodcarving course.

Because I only started carving, I didn’ t ______ lots of pieces. One of my favourites was my seahorse in oak (橡树) it was my second ______ project. It was my first experience with oak and I ______ how hard the wood might be. I knew that it was going to really ______ me. It took me a good week to ______ it but I gave up halfway. When I looked at my unfinished piece, I started to feel ______ with it as it just looked so ugly.

As my ______ came to an end for the Christmas break, I took it home and I probably wouldn’t even ______ it. Because of Covid I ended up spending Christmas in my own flat, so I decided to take out the seahorse and ______ to work on it.

Slowly it began to ______ and take shape. The end piece was far from a ______ example of carving skills, but it taught me a most valuable lesson—not to give up and to keep my ______ in control.

1.

A．teacher

B．painter

C．woodcarver

D．classmate

2.

A．huge

B．amazing

C．odd

D．tiny

3.

A．participated in

B．turned down

C．lectured on

D．wrote about

4.

A．enjoy

B．purchase

C．collect

D．have

5.

A．research

B．development

C．construction

D．carving

6.

A．hoped

B．confirmed

C．feared

D．claimed

7.

A．satisfy

B．test

C．ruin

D．comfort

8.

A．transport

B．admire

C．process

D．clean

9.

A．satisfied

B．impressed

C．connected

D．annoyed

10.

A．career

B．term

C．holiday

D．meeting

11.

A．touch

B．forget

C．decorate

D．remove

12.

A．refused

B．helped

C．stopped

D．continued

13.

A．disappear

B．emerge

C．move

D．wait

14.

A．bad

B．disappointing

C．perfect

D．puzzling

15.

A．self-doubt

B．self-confidence

C．self-worth

D．self-defence

9 . Why Is Independence Important?

When we speak of a person being independent, what do we mean?     1     Therefore, he becomes capable of being independent. We will grow apart from our parents as we grow older. We need to develop independence in every aspect of our lives so that we can earn a living and develop a career. Outlined here are reasons why achieving independence is essential.

    2    

If you are dependent on other people, your ability to make clear, precise decisions is severely affected.    3     How often have we heard of dependent adult children being cut out of a will or denied an inheritance because they have made a decision their parent does not agree with? Their dependence made them subservient. Being independent means you can make decisions without fear of the consequences.

Independence leads to personal improvement.

    4     You can pursue the career that you want and undertake activities that appeal to you. No-one else will be trying to limit your ambition. You can meet new friends, try new things, and follow up on new opportunities.

Independence is a boost to your self-esteem.

Self-esteem is tied in very closely to achieving success. How we see ourselves can affect our whole approach to life.     5    If you see yourself as a successful person, you will be more likely to achieve greater success.

When you can act independently in each of these areas of your life, then you will have become a mature adult with a positive attitude towards everything you do.

A．Independence makes you happier.

B．Independence makes you a better decision-maker.

C．When you are independent, you can lead a free social life.

D．Usually, we take it to mean that a person achieves adulthood.

E．You will always have to consider the effect that your choices will have on those other people.

F．The more independent you are, the more likely it is that you will have positive self-esteem.

G．You are going to be willing to do things on your own, without needing support or approval from others.

10 . At 111, Dr Edith Kaufmann was the second oldest person in the UK. I met her when I ________ at a care home for the elderly in London six years ago. I didn’t realize it would be the start of a close ________, where the age gap spanned eight decade.

At first sight, I was ________ by her self-confidence. Her doctorate (博士学位) told me she was intelligent and ________. From the beginning, I never felt as if Edith and I ________ conversation. Edith could have a full conversation with me about anything, and that her memory stretched back so easily, ________ even small things which took place 100 years ago.

She was also ________. She loved dancing as a child and I recall, only a few weeks before her death, ________ she smiled when I played the waltz and we ________ hands and danced along to the music. Although towards her later years she was ________ to a wheelchair, she still participated in the exercise classes.

As I ________ Edith each week, I realized that I was going as much for me as I was for her. I learnt to take the words of ________ when I could get them. When I have ________ over the years, and small decisions have weighed on my mind, I have ________ nothing more than the opportunity to regain my perspective (视角) on life and what actually ________.

1.

A．studied

B．relaxed

C．volunteered

D．lectured

2.

A．cooperation

B．friendship

C．attention

D．encounter

3.

A．upset

B．embarrassed

C．stressed

D．struck

4.

A．helpful

B．kind

C．bossy

D．sharp

5.

A．lacked

B．enjoyed

C．needed

D．started

6.

A．explaining

B．confusing

C．forgetting

D．recalling

7.

A．artistic

B．literary

C．active

D．capable

8.

A．how

B．why

C．what

D．when

9.

A．shook

B．held

C．raised

D．clapped

10.

A．restricted

B．devoted

C．addicted

D．introduced

11.

A．missed

B．visited

C．called

D．pushed

12.

A．praise

B．greeting

C．wisdom

D．thanks

13.

A．succeeded

B．failed

C．dreamed

D．progressed

14.

A．appreciated

B．provided

C．expected

D．created

15.

A．differs

B．matters

C．exists

D．happens