1 . From Asia to America and everywhere in between, Swing — an energetic form of dance that includes six-step and eight-step rhythms (节奏) — has taken the world by storm. Making a recent comeback, swing dance floors have popped up all over the world. Many clubs make fans of Swing happy by holding nights when swing music is played, and sometimes even offering classes to attract customers.

Though Swing is now popular worldwide, it first appeared alongside the jazz movements of the 1920s and 1930s in New York City. While listening to jazz, the young black people of that time developed the movements of the Lindy Hop — a style of dance that is best known for a break away or “swing out” move and sudden improvisation (即兴表演).

It was reportedly given this name when a reporter was interviewing a person at the dance hall who was watching other couples dance. When asked what that dance was called, the watcher looked at a newspaper next to him that had an article about Lindbergh — the first person to fly alone across the Atlantic (大西洋) — which was titled, “Lindy Hops the Atlantic”. Then the watcher announced that “Lindy Hop” was the name of the dance, and it has stuck since then.

In 1926, the Savoy Ballroom was the first large business to offer a place for people to listen to swing music and dance. With its huge dance floor, the Savoy became a big success overnight, attracting some of the best dancers and musicians in the New York area.

Within ten years, the Lindy Hop was sweeping through the United States and became a symbol of unity, as young people of all racial (种族的) backgrounds crowded into dance halls to swing the night away. Traditional dance teachers did not welcome it because they thought it was not even a real dance and were quite sure about its demise but Swing has proved them wrong; it continues to be one of the world’s most fun dances.

1. What’s the purpose of this passage?

A．To introduce a popular form of dance.

B．To discover the fun secrets of a dance.

C．To tell stories about an energetic dance.

D．To describe the special moves of a dance.

2. Which of the following words has the closest meaning to “demise”?

A．Challenge.

B．Change.

C．Development.

D．Death.

3. What can we learn about Swing?

A．It’s a lively dance with strict rules.

B．It has a close connection with a pilot.

C．It has a history of over 90 years.

D．It attracts mostly young black people.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The dance style will soon be accepted by traditional dance teachers.

B．The name was changed from “Lindy Hop” to “Swing” in the 1940s.

C．The movements of different Swing dancers always look the same.

D．The dance might have become unpopular sometime in its history.

2 . A recent story on TikTok showed how two neighbors found companionship (陪伴) and a new spirit in life during COVID-19, thanks to a shared love of the piano.

The heartbreaking story started when Giorgio Lo Porto heard his neighbor playing the piano through their dividing wall. Lo Porto is an Italian living in London. He reached out to his neighbor and left a note, saying if he or she could play My Heart Will Go On. The mystery neighbor agreed, suggesting they play together. Over time the music between two complete strangers became a regular weekend engagement(约会).

A week later, the pair finally met and “it was better than expected,” shared Lo Porto. The mystery pianist happened to be a78-year-old Polish man named Emil. “He lost his wife in December due to COVID-19 and all he has been left is the piano. And he plays at 2 p.m. every weekend because his wife loved it,” shared Lo Porto.

While Emil didn’t want to appear on any of the videos, he did share his thankfulness to Lo Porto for keeping him motivated during a most emotional and lonely time.When the pair offered each other company, Emil also inspired Lo Porto to continue writing his own song. And Emil reported being happier after playing music with Lo Porto and was thankful to those who watched their performance.

The bittersweet story shows the unbelievable influence two complete strangers can have on each other. Emil moved out at the end of February. Lo Porto wrote, “Dear Emil, you changed my life. You gave me back my passion (激情)，and we shared that with the world. You’ll be in my heart. I’ll keep playing, thinking of how powerful music can be. You said I was your light, but you’ve been mine too. Bye, Emil.”

1. What happened after Lo Porto left a note for Emil?

A．Emil helped with Lo Porto’s studies.

B．Emil started to share his music online.

C．They worked together to create new mu sic.

D．They performed music together through the wall.

2. Why does Emil play the piano at a special time?

A．To remember his wife.

B．To improve his piano skills.

C．To express his thanks to Lo Porto.

D．To cheer people up during COVID-19.

3. What can we infer about the two men from Paragraph 4?

A．They missed their ordinary life in the past.

B．They encouraged each other through music.

C．They wished to spend more time with their families.

D．They wanted to become famous by posting their music online.

4. What message does the author intend to show in the text?

A．We should be independent in difficult times.

B．Young people should do their part to help the old.

C．We all can be the light of somebody if reaching out.

D．People should take some time to enjoy their hobbies.