1 . Terri Bolton is a dab hand when it comes to DIY (do-it-yourself). Skilled at putting up shelves and piecing together furniture, she never pays someone else to do a job she can do herself.

She credits these skills to her late grandfather and builder Derek Lloyd. From the age of six, Terri, now 26, accompanied Derek to work during her school holidays. A day’s work was rewarded with £5 in pocket money. She says: “I’m sure I wasn’t much of a help to start with, painting the rooms and putting down the flooring throughout the house. It took weeks and it was backbreaking work, but I know he was proud of my skills.”

Terri, who now rents a house with friends in Wandsworth, South West London, says DIY also saves her from losing any deposit when a tenancy (租期) comes to an end. She adds: “I’ve moved house many times and I always like to personalise my room and put up pictures, so, it’s been useful to know how to cover up holes and repaint a room to avoid any charges when I’ve moved out.”

With millions of people likely to take on DIY projects over that coming weeks, new research shows that more than half of people are planning to make the most of the long, warm summer days to get jobs done. The average spend per project will be around £823. Two thirds of people aim to improve their comfort while at home. Two fifths wish to increase the value of their house. Though DIY has traditionally been seen as male hobby, the research shows it is women now leading the charge.

1. Which is closest in meaning to “a dab hand” in paragraph 1?

A．An artist.

B．A winner.

C．A specialist.

D．A pioneer.

2. Why did Terri’s grandfather give her £5 a day?

A．For a birthday gift.	B．As a treat for her work.
C．To support her DIY projects.	D．To encourage her to take up a hobby.

3. How did Terri avoid losing the deposit on the house she rented?

A．By making it look like before.	B．By furnishing it herself.
C．By splitting the rent with a roommate.	D．By cancelling the rental agreement.

4. What trend in DIY does the research show?

A．It is becoming more costly.	B．It is getting more time-consuming.
C．It is turning into a seasonal industry.	D．It is gaining popularity among females.

2 . Have you always wanted to learn to play tennis, but you’ve been unsure of where to start? Do you love watching Rafael Nadal or Serena Williams dominate the courts, and hope to be just like them?    1    It’s also a great way to spend time with your family or your friends. Here are some tips on getting started.

Find a place to play.

You can play tennis at your local park, a gym, or tennis club. Search online or ask friends where the best local courts are. Most parks let you play for free, but you’ll probably need to pay membership fees to play anywhere else.

You can practise basic serving techniques in any large, open space.    2    You’ll learn the layout of the court faster, and minimize the risk of breaking anything with your racquet (球拍) or a ball!

Buy tennis supplies.

    3    But every beginner will need to have a few things to get started. Some gyms or tennis clubs provide basic supplies for their members. But if that isn’t the case, you’ll need to go shopping.

    4    

Before you buy tennis clothes, ask your gym or club if they have any clothing requirements. If not, any loose, comfortable athletic clothes will be fine.

Find an opponent.

Once you learn the basics, you’ll need an opponent to practise tennis with. Ask anyone you see playing at your local court if they’d be interested in helping you learn.    5    

A．Buy tennis clothes.

B．Stricter clubs may require you to buy tennis shoes.

C．Playing tennis can help you build speed, power, and fitness.

D．But it’s best to spend as much time as possible on actual courts.

E．Figuring out the different areas of the tennis court is the first step.

F．You don’t need to buy professional grade tennis supplies right away.

G．If not, try asking friends, family, or even searching online for a local tennis association.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What do we know about the woman?

A．She knew nothing about the band.

B．She wants to join the band, too.

C．She was a member of the band.

2. How old was the man when he started to play base guitar?

A．15.

B．16.

C．21.

3. Where does the man usually play music?

A．In the city theatres.

B．On the town square.

C．In local clubs.

4. Why does the man join the band?

A．To make money.

B．To have fun.

C．To meet stars.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Which is the woman’s favorite hobby?

A．Doing exercise.

B．Writing at home.

C．Collecting recipes.

2. Why does the woman suggest cooking?

A．It is good to do alone.

B．It is a creative hobby.

C．It helps avoid going to restaurants.

3. What does the man probably think of cooking?

A．It’s hard to learn.

B．It’s healthy to cook his own food.

C．It’s a fun thing to do with his family.

5 . What instrument does the man play?

A．The drums.

B．The piano.

C．The guitar.

6 . Moving through the air, a gray-haired 79-year-old keeps her head up, eyes closely watching every movement of the giant kite-like inflated (膨胀的) wing as she floats effortlessly across the land. Tracey Hardison, 79, spends most of her spare time going powered paragliding (滑翔伞运动) .

Like any other extreme sports such as skydiving and bungee jumping, more and more young people like to play with it. But Tracey, who started powered paragliding in 2008, sees it as the perfect sport for her. “There are 1, 000 reasons not to do something you don’t like, but there is only one reason you do something you like. I only do what I like. I like doing what challenges me - things that are considered impossible by others”, she said.

She once crashed into rich woodland on a snowy day, and was lucky enough to escape with just a few scratches (刮伤) . One spring nearly a decade ago, Tracey was walking by a river when she saw a man playing with a powered paraglider. It was the first time she had seen it, and she immediately fell for it, begging the man to teach her how to use it.

However, a new powered paraglider would cost her 7, 240 dollars and an additional 600 dollars for lessons, which she could not afford. But she decided to take up the sport, so when she found a secondhand paraglider for half the price, she didn’t think twice. “Took out all my savings to follow my dream to fly”, she said.

Tracey’s daughter, who is 36 and married, could not understand her mother’s choice at the time. She is still strongly against her love for flying, but nothing seems to be able to stop her. Asked how many more years she plans to glide, Tracey replied, “I’ll fly until I’m physically unable to do so.“

1. Why does Tracey spend most of her spare time going powered paragliding?

A．Because she enjoys the feeling of flying.

B．Because she uses it to kill her spare time.

C．Because she loves it and it is challenging.

D．Because she likes adventure and it is interesting.

2. What do you know about Tracey from the passage?

A．She lives a rich life.

B．She is a determined woman.

C．She is good at many extreme sports.

D．She learnt how to use the powered paraglider by herself.

3. How does Tracey’s daughter think of her mother’s choice?

A．She is in favor of it	B．She is proud of it.
C．She disagrees with it.	D．She thinks nothing of it.

4. What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Grandma shares her dreams with others.

B．Grandma practises paragliding everyday.

C．Grandma likes the dangerous sports.

D．Grandma follows her dream to fly.

7 . When I was 4 years old, my aunt put a pair of headphones around my ears one day. For the first time I listened to classical music. My first experience with it was _______. The moment she put those headphones on, I stopped everything and stared   _______ out into the universe, _______ by what was going on between my ears.

_______ her, I had an early enjoyable experience with classical music that _______my life path. I started taking piano lessons and composing my pieces of music at 9. In high school I _______ a band with my best friends playing and recording music and it had become a huge part of my life and _______.

_______ of these, though, would have much story value without some complications. In college, I started ballroom dancing, and all of us began to pursue our individual life _______. Music took a back ________ until one day in 2017.

It was a usual Sunday afternoon and I played a bit on the piano, but this time was a little ________. Something snapped (突然失去控制) in me and I was ________ for action. How could I have given up on music? I went online immediately to buy some ________ to start recording. The things you don’t do today will end up being the ________ of tomorrow.

So I started playing passionately, writing and ________ my pieces online. In a few months, I had dozens of pieces published and my ________ was on fire.

As more people began to listen to my music, I got ________ feedback. They said my music made them think and relax. I told them that I could ________. For some it was even good sleep aid or a good way to ________ stress from a hard day at work. I began to realize that my music wasn’t just for me —it could ________ and help others in a meaningful way.

1.

A．useful

B．magical

C．painful

D．similar

2.

A．horribly

B．angrily

C．politely

D．blankly

3.

A．fascinated

B．encouraged

C．terrified

D．confirmed

4.

A．Regardless of

B．Except for

C．Thanks to

D．As to

5.

A．speeded up

B．broke up

C．cleared up

D．set up

6.

A．replaced

B．formed

C．booked

D．quitted

7.

A．career

B．identity

C．research

D．challenge

8.

A．Each

B．All

C．None

D．Neither

9.

A．paths

B．virtues

C．benefits

D．attitudes

10.

A．door

B．page

C．seat

D．room

11.

A．urgent

B．difficult

C．familiar

D．different

12.

A．motivated

B．expected

C．changed

D．convinced

13.

A．pieces

B．tools

C．videos

D．lyrics

14.

A．regrets

B．plans

C．comforts

D．failures

15.

A．reading

B．selling

C．posting

D．wrapping

16.

A．creativity

B．curiosity

C．courage

D．caution

17.

A．confusing

B．rewarding

C．demanding

D．professional

18.

A．review

B．remark

C．report

D．relate

19.

A．control

B．cause

C．relieve

D．produce

20.

A．accept

B．present

C．protect

D．heal

8 . Seven years ago, American Libby Green was traveling with her mom to the French Mediterranean resort city of Nice.

Meanwhile, German-born Marcel Gnauk and a friend were also in Nice, attending the Crossover Festival, a celebration of eclectic music.

Walking on the city’s beachfront Promenade des Anglais, Marcel spotted Libby holding a Hasselblad, a traditional medium-format film camera, and couldn’t resist approaching her. The pair chatted about this valuable object and then their travel. The next day, Libby flew back to the US, but they kept in contact.

In the early years of their relationship, sharing their travel experiences online became part of their routine. Then, when traveling in Phnom Penh, Libby filmed some pigeons taking flight that she wanted to use in a film. But she couldn’t record the sound of their wing beats.

They looked on the internet, searching sound libraries, but couldn’t find anything appropriate. So, Marcel took a $100 audio recorder, and went searching for the missing sound to record. He didn’t find any pigeons—but he did manage to change the direction of the couple’s future.

Marcel turned the recorder on in a small construction zone where women were shoveling gravel, listening through a cheap set of headphones. He was shocked. Everything became alive, and from that day until now he had never stopped recording.

In the six years since that first recording, Libby and Marcel have captured audio in more than 25 countries. They share their experiences through Instagram. Through postings they offer not just their passion and experiences recording sounds, but also details of the equipment and techniques they use. Through their website they offer 500 royalty-free sound libraries. Of these, 145 are free to download.

Marcel says their “a-ha” moment came when he was sitting in front of a computer in 2017. Libby had added a donation button to their website, and a Hollywood post-production creative had donated a few dollars. He realized others shared a passion for sound—and were willing to pay for it. Now their passion becomes a business.

1. What attracted Marcel when he saw Libby?

A．Her voice.

B．Her camera.

C．Her kindness.

D．Her beauty.

2. Which moment was of significance to the couple?

A．When they made a film in France.

B．When they shared travel experiences online.

C．When they searched the woods for a specific bird.

D．When they tried to record sounds of birds beating wings.

3. What does the author want to convey by saying “‘a-ha’ moment” in the last paragraph?

A．Marcel got a surprise.	B．Marcel could do nothing but sigh.
C．Marcel couldn’t say a word.	D．Marcel felt really worried.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．An Unforgettable Travel	B．A Secret to Happiness
C．A Passion for Sounds	D．A Lesson From Nature

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When will the performance start?

A．At 4:30 p. m.

B．At 4:45 p. m.

C．At 7:00 p. m.

2. What has caused the traffic jam according to the woman?

A．The terrible weather.

B．A food cart.

C．A concert.

3. What can we say about the woman?

A．She’s a music fan.

B．She likes country music best.

C．She won’t have dinner tonight.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who does skydiving in the USA?

A．People of all ages.

B．Crazy young people.

C．Brave teenagers.

2. When did the speaker skydive for the first time?

A．When she was a teenager.

B．When she was a university student.

C．When she worked as a lawyer.

3. What prevented the speaker from going skydiving regularly?

A．Fear of heights.

B．Shortage of money.

C．Lack of free time.

4. Why does the speaker go skydiving?

A．To keep healthy.

B．To face up to her fear.

C．To forget her problems.