1 . 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.

A. potential              B. accesses              C. touching              D. promotes              E. easily              F. means G. presents              H. responsible        I. standing              J. exposure              K. given

Why is Art so Powerful?

Perhaps the simplest answer to this question is that art touches us emotionally.

Art is powerful because it can potentially influence our culture, politics, and even the economy. When we see a powerful work of art, you feel it     1    deep within your core, giving us the power to make real-life changes.

It has the power to educate people about almost anything. It creates awareness and     2    information in a way that could be absorbed by many     3    . In a world where there are those who don’t even have access to good education; art makes education an even greater equalizer of society.

It breaks cultural, social, and economic barriers. While art hardly really solves poverty or     4    social justice on its own, it can be used as a leveled playing field for discourse and expression. The reason why everyone can relate to art is that everyone has emotions and personal experiences. Therefore, anyone can learn to appreciate art regardless of their social background, economic     5    , or political affiliation.

It     6    higher orders of thinking. Art doesn’t just make you absorb information. Rather, it makes you think about current ideas and inspire you to make your own. This is why creativity is a form of intelligence — it is a special ability that unlocks the     7    of the human mind. In fact, studies have shown that     8    to art can make you better in other fields of knowledge.

The truth is that people have recognized how powerful art can be. Many times in history have we heard of people being criticized, threatened, censored, and even killed because of their artwork. Those     9    for these reactions, may it be an aggressive government or a dissident group, take these measures against artists knowing how much their works can affect the politics in a     10    area. In the hands of good people, however, art can be used to give back hope or instill courage in a society that’s undergoing a lot of hardships.

2 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Working Out Worries by Writing

After his father was driven to the hospital for emergent treatment, 43-year-old Yanatha Desouvre began to panic. So, he did one thing that he knew would calm himself: He wrote. Over the next few weeks, Desouvre filled several notebooks, writing about his worry as well as his happy memories with his dad. “Writing allowed me to face my fear and process my pain,” he says. Psychologists refer to that kind of writing as “expressive writing”. People do it by recording their deepest thoughts and feelings. However, different from writing in a journal, expressive writing is to reflect honestly and thoughtfully on a particular frustration or challenge.

A well-known psychology professor says that hundreds of studies have looked at the potential benefits of expressive writing and found it can help reduce pain and improve mood, sleep and memory. It may even help reduce symptoms of various illnesses, and prevent colds and flu.

Expressive writing takes effect because translating a painful experience into language allows people to make meaning out of it, some experts say. The process forces them to organize their thoughts and offers a sense of control, thus completing the pursuit of value from such an experience. Another research suggested that during expressive writing, the act of labeling a feeling can lessen the activity relating to nerves in the threat area of the brain. With these nerves relaxed, people can lower the symptoms of their diseases, enhance their appreciation for life, and increase the acceptance of various experiences in their lives.

What can’t be ignored is that it shouldn’t be used as a replacement for other medical treatments. And people coping with a severe depression may not find it useful to do on their own, without therapy. Yet, it can be a powerful coping tool for many, in large part because it helps battle against their reluctance to face negative emotions.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . Some literary characters capture the imagination of readers. Their adventures, experiences, talents and personalities make them _______. Detective Sherlock Holmes is one of these. Author Arthur Conan Doyle created Holmes in 1887 in his works. He was brilliant. Critically, his ability to notice _______, assemble them and draw conclusions amazed everyone. He first appeared in the story “A Study in Scarlet”The story also introduced Dr. John Watson and how he came to live with Holmes and be part of his life. Watson observes that many interesting people visit Holmes at various times during the day. Holmes informs Watson he is a “_______detective”. These people are clients, including _______ from Scotland Yard, who seek his help to solve difficult cases.

Watson narrates this first case which involves the murders of two men. The story has two parts. In the first part, Holmes solves the crime and captures the killer. The second part gives the backstory as to why the killer murdered his _______. It was a revenge (报复) killing for their part in the death of the murderer’s fiancee.

The Red-headed League is on many people’s lists of their favorite stories _______ Sherlock Holmes. In this story, red-headed businessman Jabez Wilson wants Holmes’ help. Several weeks before, Wilson’s young assistant, Vincent Spaulding, had _______ him to reply to a newspaper ad. The ad offered _______ paid work to a red-headed man. Wilson gets the job and is paid 4 pounds a week for short periods of afternoon work. _______ suddenly without notice the job stops. Wilson wants Holmes’s assistance to discover what happened. Holmes ________ a description of Spaulding and goes to see him at Wilson’s shop. He notices that the knees of Spaulding’s trousers are ________. Then Holmes taps on the pavement ________Wilson’s shop. Next he calls a police inspector and the director of the bank that is behind Wilson’s shop. The four men hide in the dark bank vault (金库) and wait. Soon two men, one of whom is Spaulding, ________ from a tunnel cut into the vault’s floor and are captured. The two men had ________ the Red-headed League to keep Wilson away while they dug the ________ to the bank vault.

1.

A．imaginable

B．intelligible

C．powerful

D．unforgettable

2.

A．criminals

B．processes

C．details

D．expressions

3.

A．consulting

B．investing

C．conducting

D．enquiring

4.

A．natives

B．detectives

C．officials

D．rivals

5.

A．colleges

B．partners

C．relatives

D．victims

6.

A．including

B．representing

C．involving

D．praising

7.

A．urged

B．helped

C．warned

D．forced

8.

A．dearly

B．fully

C．highly

D．earnestly

9.

A．Therefore

B．Furthermore

C．Meanwhile

D．Then

10.

A．turns to

B．asks for

C．takes down

D．works out

11.

A．dirty

B．ordinary

C．special

D．wet

12.

A．on top of

B．at the back of

C．in front of

D．in the middle of

13.

A．escape

B．emerge

C．run

D．keep

14.

A．invented

B．organized

C．supervised

D．commanded

15.

A．yard

B．wall

C．hole

D．tunnel

4 . Railroads and Literature

Nineteenth-century writers in the United States, whether they wrote novels, short stories, poems or plays, were powerfully drawn to the railroad in its golden years.    1    By the 1850’s, the railroad was a major presence in the life of the nation. Writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau saw the railroad both as a sign to development and as an object of suspicion. The railroad could be and was a despoiler of nature. Furthermore, because of speed and noise, it might be a despoiler of human nature as well.

    2     Deeply philosophical historians such as Henry Adams hated the role that the new craze for business was playing in destroying traditional values. A distrust of industry and business continued among writers throughout the rest of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth.

    3     One thinks of melodramas, boy’s books, thrillers, romances and the like rather than novels of the first rank. In the railroads’ best years, between 1890 and 1920, there were a few individuals in the United States, most of them with solid railroading experience behind them, who made a profession of writing about railroading-works offering the ambience of stations yards and locomotive cabs.     4     But anyone who takes the time to consult their fertile writings will still find much information about the place of the railroad in the life of the United States.

A．These writers who can genuinely be said to have created the “railroad novel” are now mostly forgotten, their names having faded from memory.

B．By the 1850’s and 1860’s, there was a great distrust among writers and intellectuals of the rapid industrialization of which the railroad was a leading force.

C．The “railroad novels” are good examples of the effects industry and business had on the literature of the United States.

D．For the most part, the literature in which the railroad plays an important role belongs to popular culture rather than to serious art.

E．In fact, writers responded to the railroads as soon as the first were built in the 1830’s.

F．Many writers had the experience of working on railroads.

5 . New Journalism, American literary movement in the 1960s and 70s, pushed the boundaries of traditional journalism and nonfiction writing. The genre combined journalistic research with the techniques of fiction writing in the reporting of stories about real-life events.

As in traditional investigative reporting, writers in the genre immersed (沉浸) themselves in their subjects, at times spending months in the field gathering facts through research, interviews, and observation. Their finished works were very different, however, from the feature stories typically published in newspapers and magazines of the time. Instead of employing traditional journalistic story structures and an institutional voice, they constructed well-developed characters, sustained dialogue, vivid scenes, and strong plotlines marked with dramatic tension.     1    . Their writing style, and the time and money that their in-depth research and long stories required, did not fit the needs or budgets of most newspapers, although the editors of prominent magazines sought out those writers and published their work with great commercial success. Many of those writers went on to publish their stories in anthologies or to write what became known as “nonfiction novels,” and many of those works became best sellers.

    2    . They also associated journalism with fiction when they described their work with phrases such as “nonfiction novel” and “narrative techniques of fiction.” In so doing, they sparked off a debate over how much like a novel or short story a journalistic piece could be before it began violating journalism's commitment to truth and facts.

Some observers praised the New Journalists for writing well-crafted, complex, and convincing stories that revitalized readers' interest in journalism and the topics covered, as well as inspiring other writers to join the profession.     3    . They feared that reporters would be tempted to stray from the facts in order to write more dramatic stories, by, for example, creating composite characters (melding several real people into one fictional character), compressing dialogue (making dialogue shorter), rearranging events, or even fabricating (or inventing) details. Some New Journalists freely admitted to using those techniques, arguing that they made their stories readable and publishable without sacrificing the essential truthfulness of the tale.     4    .

A．Others firmly opposed the use of those techniques, arguing that any departure from facts, however minor, discredited a story and moved it away from journalism into the realm of fiction.

B．They also wrote in voices that were distinctly their own.

C．The New Journalists argued that objectivity does not guarantee truth and that so-called “objective” stories can be more misleading than stories told from a clearly presented personal point of view.

D．The New Journalists expanded the definition of journalism and of legitimate (正统的) journalistic reporting and writing techniques.

E．The New Journalists’ ideas continue to be explored and refined by new generations of reporters and editors.

F．Others, however, worried that the New Journalism was replacing objectivity of with a dangerous subjectivity that threatened to undermine the credibility of all journalism.

6 . 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 more word than you need.

A. community       B. emerging       C. address       D. effortlessly       E. vehicle       F. encouraged I. challenge       G. noticeably       H. welcoming       J. prioritized       K. lack

The Power of Poetry

“Thank you for leading us to these places of comfort,” one participant said. “It helped me feel connected to a greater sense of being, which is so needed during these times.” Her words echoed (和……共鸣) many of the participants’ feelings in Finding Comfort, the first installment of the Hope Storytelling Project.

We were inspired to create the project, a series of virtual poetry workshops held in partnership with the Cambridge Public Library and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, for a simple reason: to create     1     through poetry.

In this time of social isolation and uncertainty, the need for meaningful connections is more apparent than ever. The longer the pandemic continues, we, as a nation, are quickly realizing how there is a(n)     2     of tools to fight the growing feelings of loneliness. Therefore we decided to use poetry as a(n)     3     for connection: to cultivate a safe space where free expression is     4    , different opinions are tolerated, and sharing stories offers therapeutic reflection. Through the combination of introspective writing and open group discussions, we have built a model in which poetry can directly     5     feelings of loneliness.

One of the most powerful and simple ways of dealing with emotional issues is communicating and listening to others with our undivided attention and open minds. Therefore, in designing the Hope Storytelling Project, we     6     designing our workshops for that particular purpose—to use poetry as a way to heal through individual reflection and group discussion. Divided into five parts (Finding Comfort, On Perspective, Approaching Emotion, Being a Witness and A New Hope), the Hope Storytelling Project seeks to guide participants through different forms of writing poetry, and finally, to uplift each other and create a sense of unity.

In our first workshop, participants shared childhood stories, memories about loved ones, and about the things they missed, such as hiking, going to work or simply hugging a friend. In the span of an hour, the virtual space felt     7     more tight-knit, warmed by shared poems and experiences. As we closed, many participants noted how this workshop     8     offered the space to simply write, listen and connect.

It is time to recognize how powerful creative expression, through mediums such as poetry, can be in times of despair, and we believe all aspects of poetry—reading, writing and sharing—can serve as an incredible cure for loneliness. In times like these, poetry will     9     us to imagine and to consider our journeys within the collective landscape, and we can use this to heal and to create meaningful connections. Poetry can be a(n)     10     medium of comfort and beauty, reminding us of how we were all closely connected, even in isolation.

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

A. Inspired       B. respect       C. series       D. extraordinary E. facility       F. particular       G. journey       H. expand I.   Determined       J. limitless       K. require

Life of Pi

Ang Lee’s “Life is a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery.     1     by a worldwide best-seller that many readers must have assumed was unfilmable, it is a triumph over its difficulties.

The story begins in a small family zoo in Pondicherry, India, where the boy Piscine is raised. Piscine translates from French to English as “swimming pool”, but in India where many more speak English than French, his playmates of course nickname him “pee”.     2     to put an end to this, he adopts the name “Pi”, demonstrating a(n)     3     ability to write down that mathematical constant(常量) that begins with 3.14 and never ends. If Pi is   a(n)     4       number, that is the perfect name for a boy who seems to accept no limitations.

The zoo goes broke, and Pi’s father puts his family and a few valuable animals on a ship bound for Canada. In a forceful     5     of falls, a zebra, an orangutan (猩猩)，a hyena (戢狗)and the lion tumble into the boat with the boy, and are swept away by high seas. His family is never seen again.

The heart of the film focuses on the sea     6    , during which the human - that he can think with great cleverness and the tiger shows that it can learn.

Pi and the tiger Richard Parker share the same possible places in and near the boat. Although this point is not specifically made, Pi’s ability to     7     the use of space in the boat and nearby helps promote the tiger’s     8     for him. The tiger is accustomed to believing it can rule all space near him, but now humans     9     the animal to rethink that belief.

During the course of 227 days, they come to a form of recognition. The tiger, in     10    , becomes aware that he sees the boy not merely as victim or prey, or even as master, but as another king.

8 . 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.

Charles Dickens

It has been 150 years since Charles Dickens died, 184 years since his first work was released to the public and 156 years since his last completed book came out. In all of this time, these novels have never been out of print. Dickens may have left us, but his work remains timeless,     1     (fascinate) the majority of those who open their pages.

Most people have read, watched or at least heard of Dickens’ stories, but what makes him and his work so popular? Since he began novel writing in his 20s, Dickens constantly produced quality classics. Year after year his awaiting fans were not left     2     (disappoint) as their minds were fed with complex tales of romance, crime, hope and despair.

In the Victorian era he lived in, much of the work Dickens produced     3     (model) on the literature before him. He was one of the first writers of the time     4     (portray) honest examples of working-class people, giving many something to relate to. He focused on unfolding the good and bad qualities of characters which allowed his readers to follow their journeys and understand     5     they may have acted in the unusual or shocking ways that they did.

Any Dickens fans will know the diverse and outrageous (耸人听闻的) characters coming to life between the pages.     6     was special about this novelist’s ability in imagining these characters’ stories is that it comes from his own life’s path.     7     a young boy left to take care of himself in a workhouse to the wealthy figure he became through his writing successes, he knew what it was like to see in different lights. This deep understanding of his characters gave his fictional stories the strong element of believability     8     is needed in a good novel.

Over a century and a half later, Dickens’ themes can be relevant to today’s world problems. His words and imagery have been transformed further into the media of modern film, television and even musical adaptations.     9     set in a time unfamiliar to readers today, his work still enables everyone to relate to the love, hardship and sense of family that pours from the narratives. It is this aspect     10     has carried Charles Dickens into the 21st century.

9 . You may read the questions first:

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Steve Jobs	In Steve Jobs, based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years — as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, competitors, and colleagues — Walter Isaacson has pictured an appealing up-and-down life and strong personality of a creative man whose passion for perfection revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.
Living History	Hillary Rodham Clinton is known to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Yet few beyond her close friends and family have ever heard her account of her extraordinary journey. She writes with humor and passion about her upbringing in suburban and her transformation from Goldwater Girl to controversial First Lady.
Thinking, Fast and Slow	In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, and emotional; System 2 is slower, and more logical. In the book, Kahneman also shows the extraordinary abilities — and the faults and errors — of thinking, and reveals the influence of personal impressions on our thoughts and behavior.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid	Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the main suspect. But the crazy thing is, he has done nothing wrong. The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise storm hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holiday?

1. About the book Steve Jobs, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A．The main contents of the book are mainly based on various interviews.

B．The book is written by Steve Jobs.

C．Steve Jobs has experienced both successful and difficult periods in his lifetime.

D．Steve Jobs has totally changed six different industries.

2. What is the book Thinking, Fast and Slow mainly about?

A．Two thinking types and thinking-related facts.

B．Difference between two thinking systems.

C．How to think fast and logically at the same time.

D．The great power of personal impression on thinking system.

3. From the introduction of the Book Diary of a Wimpy Kid, it is implied that ________.

A．Greg was caught damaging the school property

B．Greg knew who really damaged the school property

C．it was hot during the holiday

D．Greg had a poor relationship with his family

10 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages 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.

Loving Legacy

Magic wands, flying broomsticks, terrifying monsters... these are the features of the fantasy genre. And over the last few decades, Harry Potter has remained at the top of the list for     1     looking to journey into a magical world. Where many authors have tried, J. K. Rowling—with the help of numerous fans—has succeeded in bringing her characters to life     2     books, movies, theaters, theme parks and so much more.

Harry Potter might have started off as     3     book meant for young children to read and perhaps forget a few years down the line. Few expected that the young boy with messy jet-black hair, green eyes and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead     4     (manage) to take us all along on an unforgettable journey. Critics of the series claim that certain characters do not have enough depth, or the writing cannot compare with the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. However, they     5     hardly deny the massive impact of Harry Potter on the literary world.

I grew up reading Harry Potter. Like millions of other children, I waited on my eleventh birthday for an owl carrying a letter to inform me that I     6     (accept) into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For the younger me, the wizarding world was so fantastic and attractive that I always wanted more. As a new book was only released every year or two, I had plenty of time     7     (explore) other worlds of fantasy. And I loved every moment of it.     8     I have not picked up a Harry Potter book in about a decade, I still make a beeline for (直奔) the fantasy section each time I am in a bookstore. Most importantly, I came to love the simple act of reading.

Some may think that fantasy or science fiction has no place in literature, as they corrupt the mind and provide no useful lessons. These people are wrong. Characters in popular fantasy or science fiction novels are not much different from those in classic literature novels. Each embodies the emotion, character and thought     9     the author is trying to convey. So,     10     unrealistic the plot may seem, good novels teach, and keen readers learn.