1 .

A．The concert is very popular.

B．The woman has to finish her work first.

C．The woman shouldn’t go to the concert.

D．He doesn’t believe the woman has the concert ticket.

2 . Directions：After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Science Isn’t Always Serious

Each December, a committee (委员会) in Sweden announce who will receive this year’s Nobel prizes. The people     1    (honor) each year have made an amazing contribution to science and culture. They are given awards for solving the mysteries of the universe and for discovering ways to treat serious illnesses.

But not all research is serious. In fact, some of it is quite silly. And it’s this silly research     2    the Ig Nobel Prize celebrates. Awarded since 1991, the Ig Nobel Prize reminds us that science     3    be fun too.

Here are some examples that let us see     4    the Ig Nobel committee stands for. In 2007, its linguistics (语言学的) award was given to three researchers     5    (prove) that rats couldn’t tell the differences between Dutch spoken backward and Japanese spoken backward. And two years ago, a biologist who wrote a book based on his experience collecting dead and almost dead flies     6    (award) for his work.

As with the proper Nobel prizes, every year there is a ceremony    7     the winners receive their awards. The ceremony for the Ig Nobel Prize is as silly as its recognized research. It officially begins when the audience is told to throw paper airplanes at the stage. The serious business begins when the winners are given the chance     8    (summarize) their research – in 60 seconds.

This part of the ceremony     9    (become) more mature over the years. Once, the “60-second law” was carried out by a child named “Miss Sweetie Poo”, who would yell, “Please stop; I’m bored” at any person who took longer than a minute to present their speech. However, Miss Sweetie Poo was soon retired, giving the ceremony a more professional feel.

As for this year, what inspiring breakthroughs were announced at the event on Sept 13? Well, the winner of one of the prizes wrote a paper on how to create a cleaning product     10    means of human saliva (唾液).

So, as we can see, the awards aren’t given for the most scientifically important things in the world. But then again, what’s more important than having fun?

3 .

The Coming Series
Express Yourself! The Art of Cartooning Time: Thursday, January 6, 18: 30 Welcome to the first event in our new series, Express Yourself! We will explore many forms of personal self - expression and discuss how and why people create things and have hobbies. Join William Denham, an American diplomat stationed in Shanghai. Outside of the office, Will's main artistic hobby is drawing cartoons. His cartoons have been displayed in two shows in Shanghai. He will discuss his hobby, what it means to him, and help take participants on their own cartooning journey. This entertaining and interactive event is open to all - including those with no drawing or cartooning experience. Be sure to bring your favorite pen or pencil, a notepad or sketchpad, and a creative attitude.	Breaking Barriers: The NHL's Trallblnzer Willie O'ree Time; Wednesday, January 12, 18: 30 Join us to watch and discuss the award - wining documentary, Willie, inspired by the story of Willie O'ree who, in 1958, became the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL). Willie tells the story of an extraordinary life and triumph over adversity. It also examines larger issues such as race, equality, inclusion, community, and so on, Through goal setting. hard work, and perseverance, Willie overcame many barriers and paved the path for talented hockey players, regardless of race, to play at the highest level. Please register to learn about this groundbreaking sports time.
American Short Fiction: Writing Our Storles x The Yellow Wallpaper Time: Tuesday, February 15, 18: 30 Quick to read and easily shared, the short story is said to be the literature of our times. We invite you on a journey to get to know some of the best short stories in American literature. The Yellow Wallpaper, by American author Charlotte Perkins (Stetson) Gilman, was first published in 1892 but persists in American culture as a literary touchstone. While it is a horror story on its surface, a careful reading reveals deeper themes of gender equality and the importance of self - expression. And in this time of global situation, it reemerges as a study on the effects of isolation. Join American diplomat Peter Fasnacht to discuss these themes and their connections to American society. Please read the story ahead of the talk. You can find the story here.

* Online registration is capped at 40 for each event. RSVP : http: //shpas012121.wanshe.cn

* The discussion will be conducted in English.

1. Which of the following is NOT true about the first event?

A．William Denham will share his artistic hobby with the participants

B．The participants will explore various forms of personal self - expression

C．Drawing or cartooning experience isn't a must for the participants

D．The participants will be provided with essential drawing tools.

2. What can we infer from the coming series?

A．The story of Willie O'ree is neither inspiring nor entertaining.

B．The Yellow Wallpaper tells a horrible story revealing global emergency

C．Those who haven't registered online are also welcome to the events

D．Applicants had better have a good command of English.

3. Which of the following is the most possible theme of the series introduced in the passage?

A．Arts and literature	B．Books and films
C．Entertainment and interaction	D．Heroes and achievements

4 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. launch B. dedicated C. identified D. barely E. hit F. specifically G. personalized H. encountered I. divides J. originals K. devoted

For many young Chinese, neither “The Shepherd in Keketuohai (可可托海的牧羊人) ” nor the name of its original singer, Wang Qi, sounds familiar. Their parents, however, may know every word in the song.

Such generational     1     in musical tastes aren't unusual. What may be surprising is where most middle-aged Chinese people may have first     2     the song: the popular short-video app Douyin. A March search for the song's name on Douyin returned more than seven million clips, many from an increasing number of accounts popular among middle-aged users.

That some Douyin users might not be familiar with a song, even as others are constantly hearing it, is the result of the platform's highly     3     recommendation algorithms (算法) . They are able to produce different video feeds for each user based on their musical preferences and tastes.

In the five years since its     4     in 2016, Douyin has grown into one of China's biggest platforms for pop music. On QQ Music, the largest digital music service provider in the country, songs popular among short-video creators are even ranked on a    5     Douyin Chart. The variety and scale of the app's user base mean all genres and styles can find an audience, and more and more artists now choose Douyin to debut their new tracks in the hopes of achieving a viral     6    .

One of the most popular uses for music on an app like Douyin is known as a challenge video. Short clips from songs are played over a well-designed dance, which creators then challenge their followers to imitate. If a given dance challenge shows promise, it- is quickly     7     by the platform's algorithms and pushed to a larger user pool. Over time, more and more pop music has been produced     8     with such uses in mind, and songs are now being composed to be easily adapted to these short video formats.

This trend is having an impact on our relationship to music. Users often find they can     9     recognize or remember the artists, names or the titles of songs. Meanwhile, the songs themselves are often cut up to focus only on their catchiest parts, while covers (翻唱版本) often go on to achieve far more fame than the     10    

5 . A MAGICAL PLACE

Theme parks? I just love them. In a month or so, the UK’s finest will throw their gates open for the new season to thrill us with their engineered delights. As usual, I will be the first person inside. Yes, I may be a digital enthusiast, but to me there is nothing as irresistible or as thrilling as the full-on experience of spending a day in someone else’s imagination.

Dr. Carissa Baker, assistant professor in theme parks and storytelling at the University of Central Florida, argued in 2018 that theme parks are gatherers and tellers of stories. Their distinct narratives start before you enter the park, are played out in what you experience there, and continue after you’ve left. How do they do it? Some believe it’s down to creative direction and narrative system design. But I call it like I see it: they use all the psychological tricks in my social psychology textbooks to get us to feel and act in the way that the people behind the scenes foretell.

Everything in theme parks is manipulated(操纵). Everything is accounted for. Whereas in the digital world, designers infer what we feel, these theme parks digest these emotions. A famous example is Disneyland’s Main Street USA, which you walk down on first entering the park: the sets have been designed with forced perspective so the buildings appear taller and grander than they really are. Techniques like this are everywhere to be seen in the squares of Renaissance Italy and Georgian England to make the buildings seem bigger than they were. The mythical Main Street is made to feel larger and more impressive, which gets visitors excited when they enter the park—we are the hero of Disneyland’s narrative. Now that’s a powerful trick.

The digital world is nowhere near as magical as these places are. Yes, digital designers can create something out of nothing with mathematics and electricity, but their best attempts are only shortcuts in two-dimensional space. All they have in their toolboxes are sight and sound. But in theme parks, digital is out of place. Yes, behind the scenes there are data machines that are trying to track us to make our experiences better and more personal. Except for one or two notable examples, digital tech isn’t being used to enhance our time at the park in any practical way. It just gets in the way. And perhaps that is why I love theme parks. Because when I’m there, I want to be propelled(推动) by someone else’s vision, and give over to the feeling.

The next killer app isn’t on your device. It’s in the places that thrill us and compel us to keep our phones in our pockets so we can truly experience them.

1. From the first paragraph we can conclude that ________.

A．engineers in the UK are full of imagination

B．the writer is enthusiastic about digital devices

C．the writer finds theme parks charming and exciting

D．it takes much imagination to guess visitors’ preferences

2. The writer fancies going to theme parks in that ________.

A．the experience in theme parks helps him to let out emotions

B．they provide a designed setting in which he is easily absorbed

C．the digital effect makes theme parks a wonderland full of magic

D．the psychological tricks they use make him feel manipulated

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．It is advisable to put down your phone and get a taste of what theme parks bring you.

B．Nowhere else can you find a place as magical as the digital world.

C．The huge constructions in theme parks are designed to appeal to more visitors.

D．Digital tech plays an irreplaceable role in keeping theme parks running smoothly.

4. What does the article mainly talk about?

A．The distinct properties that theme parks and digital devices have.

B．The thrilling and irresistible experiences the writer has in theme parks.

C．Digital devices meant to create a magic world with simple techniques.

D．Clever techniques used by theme parks to make your visit memorable.