1 . Happiness is subjective and can take on different meanings for various individuals.
Creativity is a crucial aspect for many artists worldwide as they seek to express themselves through different forms of art,
The arts that bring people happiness vary widely, depending on their environment, culture, and opportunities. For creatives like Matt, happiness takes on a distinct meaning, as it involves finding your niche (定位/舒适的生活), connecting with a community, and leaving a legacy and imprint on the world. Developing an original style plays a significant role in Matt’s happiness, but a style is not all that — his work and approach to it continues to evolve.
Ultimately, what brings Matt happiness is the people that are close to him — being able to hopefully inspire and enjoy with others, and most importantly give back, in any way possible. By creating beautiful environmental, cultural, and portrait art, he not only makes himself happy but also brings joy to those around him, and hopefully those that are far away too.
| A．He emphasizes the importance of exploring different styles and genres |
| B．including photography, painting, and other mediums |
| C．and now resides in Bali, Indonesia, where he also found a love and community |
| D．The people around him and his wife give him a sense of belonging |
| E．but being motivated by money can hinder one's quality of work and chances of success |
| F．While some may equate it with wealth or influence |
| G．Another crucial aspect contributing to happiness is finances |
2 . There are few clear rules in the UK saying drivers should not park on the pavement (人行道). But Scotland, a country of Britain, is planning a complete ban on pavement paking. And, earlier this year, the UK government admitted it was considering changing the law for the other parts of Britain.
Joe Irvin of Living Streets (the UK charity for everyday walking) says there is “no excuse” for the disagreement and has called on the UK government to act the same way.
“Pavement parking is really thoughtless—and if you think about people with wheelchairs, pushchairs, or sight impairment (受损), they have to go out on to the road,” says Mr Irvin.
Steve Hynd, from Bristol, said his father, who uses a wheelchair, had recently ended up in hospital after a parked car had blocked his path.
“My dad’s experience was near his care home,” he says. “He was trying to wheel himself back inside and a car had parked up on the pavement. He tried to get around it and fell out of his wheelchair.”
“He went to hospital. He’d hurt his head and got a black eye where his glasses had gone in.”
Groups such as the AA and RAC admit “some streets” should not allow pavement parking if it causes problems to emergency vehicles (紧急车辆) — but they do not believe in a complete ban across the country.
AA president Edmund King says, “We would be concerned if there was a total ban. It is clearly possible in some areas to park on the pavement while still allowing room for pushchairs or people in wheelchairs to pass.”
Hugh Bladon of the Alliance of British Drivers argues a complete ban would cause serious problems as some streets were so narrow.
The simple way to deal with the problems, Mr Bladon believes, is that all drivers must leave at least one metre between their car and the inside of the pavement to allow people with pushchairs and so on to pass by.
1. What should the UK government do according to Joe Irvin?| A．Give equal rights to drivers in the UK. |
| B．Prevent Scotland from making the law. |
| C．Ban pavement parking totally in the UK. |
| D．Find more ways to protect walking people. |
| A．A hospital. | B．A parked car. |
| C．A wheelchair. | D．A care home. |
| A．He is against it. |
| B．He is uncertain of it. |
| C．He feels hopeful about it. |
| D．He pays little attention to it. |
| A．Be careful with cars on the pavement. |
| B．Stop parking on the pavement forever. |
| C．Allow people with pushchairs to go first. |
| D．Leave enough space for pavement walkers. |
3 . Traffic Regulation and Accident Prevention
We live in a remarkable time, and many of the once fatal diseases can now be cured with modern medicine and surgery.
Nothing can seriously increase your risk of potentially fatal car accidents other than speeding and failing to pay due attention to weather conditions.
Traffic rules are for everyone to follow under any circumstances, and no one can make an exception unless you make a joke of your own life. Universally accepted standards can only have a significant beneficial on the incidence of accidents. Governments should develop safety codes for manufacturers.
| A．There are five reasons for the accident and you are guilty. |
| B．Every year thousands of people are horribly killed, and we sit still and let it happen. |
| C．Surprisingly, society should smile at the driver and forgive him. |
| D．Someone has rightly said that when a person is sitting behind the steering wheel, his car becomes an extension of his personality. |
| E．All advertisements that emphasize power and performance should be banned. |
| F．It is time to develop a universal norm to reduce this senseless waste of human life. |
| G．It is almost certain that one day a cure will be found for the rest of the diseases. |
4 . You’ve heard that plastic is polluting the oceans — between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.
At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called “Strawpocalypse,” a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168,000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source (来源) of plastic pollution, but they’ve recently come under fire because most people don’t need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that’s part of Von Wong’s artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone, the straw will take centuries to disappear.
In a piece from 2018, Von Wong wanted to illustrate (说明) a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds, a truckload’s worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled “Truckload of Plastic,” Von Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look like they’d been dumped (倾倒) from a truck all at once.
Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.
1. What are Von Wong’s artworks intended for?| A．Beautifying the city he lives in. | B．Introducing eco-friendly products. |
| C．Drawing public attention to plastic waste. | D．Reducing garbage on the beach. |
| A．To show the difficulty of their recycling. |
| B．To explain why they are useful. |
| C．To voice his views on modern art. |
| D．To find a substitute for them. |
| A．Calming. | B．Disturbing. |
| C．Refreshing. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Artists’ Opinions on Plastic Safety |
| B．Media Interest in Contemporary Art |
| C．Responsibility Demanded of Big Companies |
| D．Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures |
5 . Rock music consists of many different styles. Even though there is a common spirit among all music groups, they make very different music.
After they were given an invitation to appear live on BBC, the Beatles quickly became famous in Britain with nationwide tours. By mid-1963, the Beatles had been extremely popular in England.
| A．They decided on a tour to the United States in 1964. |
| B．Even their hairstyles became major trends at that time. |
| C．Rock music developed in the 1950s and the early 1960s. |
| D．However, their songs changed the lives of generations to come. |
| E．Many rock bands were able to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles. |
| F．They appeared in the films A Hard Day's Night(1964)and Help！(1965). |
| G．They performed their first concert in America at CBS television’s 53rd street studio. |
