1 . The United States you may not know

The United States is the only superpower in the world, and it is far more advanced than any other country. However, we can’t simply owe its _________ and prosperity to its lucky escape from the destruction of the two world wars. What other nations should _________ is the American spirit and its social system.

The most obvious features of the American spirit are _________ and pragmatism (务实思想). Nearly 70% of the important inventions have been made in the US since the first industrial revolution. Since the US occupies such an important position in science and technology, naturally it has become the first superpower in the world.

Americans are always _________ with what they have achieved, and they have an appetite for adventure over the love of _________. European countries have been pursuing a reformist policy of “high tax and high welfare” since the 1960s, while only the US _________ the policy of “high risk and high return”. _________ , the US has become the leader of the third industrial revolution (in technology of information, materials and biology).

High salary is not the only _________ that the talents from other countries find in the United States. Some characteristics of American society should not be _________. Family backgrounds and great wisdom in building connections and playing up to the boss, to which great importance is attached in other countries, are not so important to __________ development in the US. Most people are on the same starting line, and whether one can succeed or not depends on his own ability and hard work.

However, the American character is full of paradoxes (矛盾). The American people are both extremely romantic and pragmatic. The American is a(n) __________ people, but in every field there are workaholics. The Americans are open-minded but they are very conservative on certain matters. Since China’s reform and opening-up to the outside world, many media in Western countries have greatly __________ their attitudes towards China. However, the American media are singing the same old tune against China as they were in the Cold War period. The Americans __________ freedom, but their government is very fond of interfering in other countries’ internal affairs. What’s most puzzling is that the Americans __________ authority, but they highly respect the laws and regulations of the society. Therefore, in such a nation that values personal liberty, the society can still be kept in good order and operate with high __________ . Is it odd? No one can provide a satisfactory answer.

1.

A．powerfulness

B．ability

C．energy

D．resource

2.

A．reflect on

B．deal with

C．agree to

D．carry out

3.

A．preservation

B．perseverance

C．curiosity

D．creativity

4.

A．dissatisfied

B．concerned

C．engaged

D．pleased

5.

A．nature

B．competition

C．ease

D．innovation

6.

A．goes against

B．sticks to

C．exposes to

D．gives up

7.

A．After all

B．As a result

C．In other words

D．Above all

8.

A．potential

B．passion

C．attraction

D．recommendation

9.

A．considered

B．mentioned

C．ignored

D．defined

10.

A．staff

B．assemble

C．private

D．individual

11.

A．pleasure-seeking

B．outgoing

C．self-disciplined

D．well-educated

12.

A．maintained

B．changed

C．adopted

D．compared

13.

A．oppose

B．rebel

C．care

D．value

14.

A．show

B．admire

C．challenge

D．establish

15.

A．efficiency

B．spirits

C．honour

D．status

2 .

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a New Year address in Beijing at 19:30 on December 31, 2022. This is part of his New Year’s Day message:

Greetings to you all! The year 2023 is approaching! From Beijing, I send my best New Year wishes to all of you.    1    An ambition has been drawn for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation (复兴) of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization (现代化).

Since COVID-19 struck, we have put the people first and put life first all along. Following a science-based and targeted approach, we have adapted our COVID response in light of (按照) the evolving situation to protect the health of people to the greatest extent possible. Officials and the general public, particularly medical professionals and community workers, have bravely stuck to their posts through it all. With great efforts, we have prevailed over unprecedented difficulties and challenges, and it has not been an easy journey for anyone. We have now entered a new phase of COVID response where tough challenges remain. Everyone is holding on with great fortitude, and the light of hope is right in front of us.     2    

    3    The Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games ended with a complete success. Chinese winter sports athletes gave their all and achieved extraordinary (非凡的) results. Shenzhou-13, 14 and 15 soared into the heavens. China’s space station was fully completed and our “home in space” is roving in the deep-blue sky. The people’s army marked the 95th birthday and all service members are marching confidently on the great journey of building a strong military. China’s third aircraft carrier Fujian was launched. C919, China’s first large passenger aircraft, was delivered. And the Baihetan hydropower station went into full operation...     4    Countless working people are coming together and becoming the strength of China!

To the many people who are still busy working at this very moment, I salute (致敬) you all! We are about to ring in the New Year. Let us welcome the first ray of sunshine of 2023 with the best wishes for a brighter future.

May our country enjoy prosperity and our people live in harmony.     5    I wish you all a happy New Year and may all your wishes come true.

Thank you!

A．Today’s China is a country where dreams become reality.

B．None of these achievements would have been possible without the efforts of Chinese people.

C．In 2022, we successfully held the 20th National Congress of the CPC.

D．At this moment, I sincerely praise everyone’s fights and struggles.

E．These showed the great achievements and powerful appearance of China

F．May the world enjoy peace and people of all countries live in happiness.

G．Let’s make an extra effort to overcome the hardship, as solidarity (团结) means victory.

3 . The name “Canada” comes from “kanata”, the Iroquois-Huron word for “village”. The Iroquois used the word to ___________ the village of Stadacona, present-day Quebec City. With the story ___________, you’ll find the ___________ of the early locals and European conquers.

During his second ___________ to “New France” in 1535, Jacques Cartier, an energetic and ___________ French explorer, sailed up the Saint Lawrence River for the first time. The kind Iroquois ___________ him in the direction of “kanata”, the village at Stadacona, which Cartier interpreted ___________ as a reference to both the village of Stadacona and the ___________ wide area subject to the Iroquois chief. During Cartier’s ___________, the French established along the Saint Lawrence the colony of “Canada”, the first colony in the ____________ that the French called “New France”.

By 1547, ____________ maps were showing the name Canada and “Canada” began to ____________. As the country expanded to the west and the south in the 1700s, “Canada” was the ____________name of the territory spanning the American Midwest, ____________ as far south as what is now the state of Louisiana.

After the British conquered New France in 1763, the ____________ was renamed the Province of Quebec. Then, as British loyalists ____________ north during and after the American Revolutionary War, Quebec was divided in 1791 ____________ the colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. In 1841, the two colonies were ____________ under one name, the Province of Canada. It came as no ____________ that the country’s name was   officially changed to “Canada” in 1982 when the Canada Act was passed, and it’s been ____________ by that name ever since.

1.

A．introduce

B．describe

C．contrast

D．discriminate

2.

A．unfolded

B．edited

C．fading

D．denied

3.

A．sample

B．antique

C．election

D．resolution

4.

A．flight

B．solution

C．voyage

D．departure

5.

A．dynamic

B．splendid

C．lazy

D．disabled

6.

A．tricked

B．forced

C．sent

D．pointed

7.

A．intently

B．mistakenly

C．practically

D．ethnically

8.

A．urban

B．suburb

C．surrounding

D．deserted

9.

A．prediction

B．persuasion

C．construction

D．exploration

10.

A．strait

B．territory

C．evidence

D．possession

11.

A．African

B．Australian

C．European

D．Asian

12.

A．take hold

B．come about

C．clear up

D．do wonder

13.

A．mighty

B．ordinary

C．unofficial

D．awesome

14.

A．gathering

B．responding

C．extending

D．challenging

15.

A．item

B．colony

C．border

D．river

16.

A．beat down

B．made their way

C．came down

D．got into shape

17.

A．into

B．by

C．against

D．within

18.

A．united

B．carved

C．fetched

D．witnessed

19.

A．delicacy

B．manner

C．harmony

D．surprise

20.

A．hidden

B．presented

C．affected

D．sustained

4 . Canada, the second biggest country in the world, has an area of about ten million square kilometres, covering most of the northern part of the North American continent and with an area larger than that of the United States. Canada lies to the southwest of Greenland. To the south, it reaches to the same latitude (纬度) as southern France. The distance from the Pacific coast in the west to the Atlantic in the east is greater than that from North America to Europe. But in spite of its size, two thirds of the population of Canada live in a narrow belt of land no more than 200 kilometres from the US border. In the southeast are the Great Lakes that lie on the border with the United States. These huge inland seas empty into the St Lawrence River, which links them with the Atlantic Ocean. The centre of government and finance is in Ontario. So are many of Canada’s industries.

Canada is a country of ten provinces and three territories (地区). The first inhabitants (居民) of Canada were North American Indians and the Inuit. France and Britain each governed Canada in the past. At that time the population of Canada was almost entirely the French, but in the next few decades, thousands of British colonists emigrated (移民) to Canada from the British Isles and from the American colonies. In 1849 the right of Canada to self-government was recognised. Today, 18 percent of Canadians still speak only French.

Canada is often called “A Land of the Future”. The country’s rich oil and mineral resources have hardly been touched. It is among the ten leading industrial nations in the world. Its capital is Ottawa and the largest city is Toronto. Other important cities include Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Quebec.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The history of Canada.

B．The geography of Canada.

C．The industry of Canada.

D．All of the above.

2. What does the underlined word “links” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Connects.	B．Starts.
C．Collects.	D．Begins.

3. According to the passage, where are Canada’s industries mainly located in?

A．Ottawa.	B．Toronto.
C．Vancouver.	D．Ontario.

4. Why is Canada called “A Land of the Future”?

A．It’s a developed country.

B．Its future is very wonderful.

C．Its rich resources haven’t been developed.

D．It’s not mentioned in the passage.

5 . In 1917, when the country declared its independence from Russia, there was a strong desire to explore and clear what it was to be Finnish. Architects and designers became nation-builders, tasked with giving shape to the new homes and public spaces that the country needed, as the economy grew and the once agricultural society began to industrialize. Their ambitious plan was social, optimistic and forward-looking, and democratic design emerged as a significant characteristic of the new country.

Many people found great opportunity and creative stimulus in Finland’s transition into an independent modern nation, perhaps none more than the internationally famous architect Alvar Aalto. Over the course of his long career, he championed a revolutionary style of design that combined functionality with natural materials and organic forms. Aalto was a great ambassador (大使)for Finnish design at a time when Finns were thinking of how to present themselves to the rest of the world. When Aalto designed the Paimio Sanatorium in 1932, he applied his practical approach to the building and every piece of furniture within it to international approval. Soon after, he founded Artek, a design company that combines art and technology to bring about improvements in everyday urban life. Artek is a booming design brand today and the work of Aalto continues to be respected.

But while Aalto’s useful elegance represents a certain Finnish sensibility, Finland is a country of conflicts, and one of its greatest is the disconnect between a characteristically shy national character and the brave innovators it has produced.

One such innovator is Armi Ratia, the energetic founder of Marimekko. Ratia founded the textile (纺织品)and fashion brand in 1951. Her ambition was to bring color and energy into the homes of the depressed postwar nation. Today it is hard to imagine the Finnish lifestyle without the energy of Marimekko. The brand was also symbolic of the equal role women played in Finnish society. Here they were leaders and innovators, creatives and commercial successes. Fashion designs were purposefully free and practical. Such was the interaction between the values of the brand and the values of the nation that spotting a Marimekko print on the street could be compared to seeing the Finnish flag flying.

1. 100 years ago, architects and designers in Finland __________.

A．knew what the Finnish were interested in

B．promoted economic growth of the new country

C．explored the significant shape of public spaces

D．helped establish the new image of their motherland

2. What can be inferred about the Paimio Sanatorium?

A．It created business opportunities for new Finland.

B．It laid a solid foundation for the company “Artek”.

C．It fully presented Aalto’s design styles and methods.

D．It was a successful combination of art and technology.

3. According to the passage, Finland is a country with __________.

A．internal disconnection	B．conflicting features
C．literary sensibility	D．useful elegance

4. Marimekko’s success lies in all the following EXCEPT that __________.

A．it was compared to national flag

B．it energized the war-stricken Finland

C．it helped the country to realize sex equality

D．it reflected the value of the brand and the nation

6 . 语法填空

When we talk about ancient Greece,     1     (know) as “the birthplace of Western civilization”, we usually mean the years between 800 BCE and 146 BCE when there was a lot of cultural, social and scientific progress.

Ancient Greek literature and poetry are still popular today. You can find Greek myths (神话)     2     (study) by school children worldwide. The Olympic Games,     3     (hold) in Greece in 776 BCE for the first time, still take place every four years.

7 . 语法填空

Ancient Rome began as a small village, possibly     1     (build) in the 8th century BCE, which then grew to become one of the most powerful civilizations in history.

The Romans developed their own system of writing numbers     2     (call) Roman numerals. We still use Roman numerals today on clock faces.

The Romans were also excellent engineers and architects who built impressive stadiums, temples and statues. They also built many hard-surfaced roads to other countries and       3     (develop) advanced heating systems.

8 . Norway shares a long eastern border (边界) with Sweden and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast, and the Skagerrak Strait to the south, with Denmark on the other side of the strait. It has an extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea.

For the last few years, Norway has registered the highest quality of life among the world’s nations. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Norwegians can also expect to get a good education, and the job they want — unemployment is only about 4 percent according to recent data updated in 2019. Its achievement today is completely unexpected for many people, especially senior citizens there. Just about 100 years ago Norwegians were moving to the USA in their thousands in search of a better life. The rise in oil prices in the 1970s changed all that. On a per capita basis, Norway is the world’s largest producer of oil outside of the Middle East.

When you arrive in Oslo, the capital of Norway, for the first time, don’t expect to see Dubai-style tall buildings, and rows of Ferraris and Porsches. In 2018, Norway became one of the few countries where over 5 in every 100 passenger cars on the roads is a plug-in electric one. Norwegians also work hard and are always near the top in research on global worker productivity rates. But in today’s high-tech world where work seems to follow us wherever we go, the people of Norway are redefining (重新定义) what wealth means. Laws just recently passed by the government attach great importance to family and time off.

Also, the country is saving for the future. Every dollar earned from oil is put into its pensions (养老金) — worth billions of dollars. At a time when most other western countries are wondering how they will finance the pensions of a growing retired population, Norway is sitting pretty.

1. Where is the Skagerrak Strait?

A．Near the Barents Sea.

B．On the east of Finland.

C．Near the north of Norway.

D．On the north of Denmark.

2. What leads to Norway’s success?

A．Its huge oil reserves.

B．Its low unemployment rate.

C．Its quality education.

D．Its pleasant environment.

3. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．Norwegians are seeking a modern life.

B．Norway doesn’t like showing off its wealth.

C．Norway puts much focus on the traffic.

D．Norwegians try to keep away from high technology.

4. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A．Norway’s future should be considered.

B．Norway wouldn’t like to make changes.

C．Norway has saved enough pensions.

D．Norway’s retired population is decreasing.

9 . I came to Canada from Sri Lanka in 2000. My first day in Canada started at Toronto airport. I will never forget that day, when I felt very strange in the airport. There were so many people with different faces, skin color, hair, clothes and languages. I met an immigration officer, who turned to me and said, “Welcome to Canada.” I replied, “Thank you.” At that time my feelings were mixed which he understood.

On my first day in Canada there were many surprises in my life. The weather, transportation, culture, medical system, taxes, houses and languages are different in my country. When I came to Canada, it was snowing in Toronto. That day was very beautiful. I had never seen snowfall. I was happy to be here but Sri Lanka is a hot country with no winter and no snowfall. Canada has different seasons and different weather.

On my first day in Canada I knew few English words. I wanted to speak with other people but I couldn’t speak very well, because I didn’t know enough English. So I decided to study English and after that I would look for a job.

In Canada the health care system is very good, where there’re many hospitals and doctors, and we don’t pay for the medical care. There’re few hospitals in my home country, where I have to pay a lot.

On my first day in Canada I went shopping and I paid tax for the first time. I was so nervous that I asked my husband about it and he explained it was normal to pay tax there.

In Canada there are different kinds of houses. In my country, there are no apartments, no townhouses and no basements. When houses are built in Canada, the government makes a plan, while in my country, people make a plan.

As my stay lasts in Canada, my feelings, my mind, and my life are changing slowly. I enjoy living here because in my country a war has broken out. I’m feeling safe living in Canada.

1. Which surprised the author on her first day in Canada?

A．Snowfall.	B．Heavy rain.
C．Fine weather.	D．immigration officers.

2. How does the author develop the last four paragraphs?

A．Logic.	B．Contrast
C．Time order.	D．Exemplification.

3. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．My first day in Canada

B．Sri Lankans in Canada

C．Better life in Canada

D．Escape from SriLanka

10 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Protecting friendship

A. appreciation	B. committed	C. marking	D. determined	E. shifted	F. reference
G. coinciding	H. thrown	I. attempt	J. portraying	K. line

For the last 50 years, giant pandas from China have captured the hearts of people in the US.

A “Pandaversary Night” party was    1    on Aug 24 at the Chinese embassy (大使馆) in Washington,    2    the 50th anniversary of giant pandas’ arriving in the US capital. And the Smithsonian’s National Zoo expects the panda craze to last for several more years.

“Giant pandas are worthy ambassadors. They have much longer tenures (任期) than each of the Chinese ambassadors here, and they have many more fans than us,” Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said at the reception. “Year by year, giant pandas have become an icon of mutual    3    and friendship between the two peoples. In particular, the arrival of Xiao Qi Ji (Little Miracle) two years ago has brought us a happy surprise.”

He was referring to the cub’s birth in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic,       4    with the deterioration of China-US bilateral relations to its lowest point in four decades.

The ambassador noted that the number of giant pandas in the wild in China has increased from several hundred 50 years ago to more than 1,800, which meant the species is no longer “endangered”, thanks to unrelenting (持续的) efforts at protection and conservation.

“But sadly, ‘panda-huggers’ are endangered. Now they need protection and conservation,” he said, in    5     to China-US relations, with hawkish (强硬的) US politicians increasingly seeking to “outcompete” China by    6    the country as a challenger or even a threat to the US.

“China’s approach to panda diplomacy has    7     to serve more of a tool to project soft power”, New York Times said in a recent article.

In addition to Xiao Qi Ji, another panda – Kung Fu Panda – was also made in the US. “I still remember a/an    8    from it: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it’s called present!” Qin declared. “At present, we get together to cherish the wonderful gift of the panda. We need more pandas, and we also need more ‘panda-huggers’.”

“I’m absolutely    9    to 50 more years of giant panda care and protection, so I look forward to working with our colleagues in China, as we are     10    about the future for our giant panda program,” said Brandie Smith, director of the National Zoo.