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: 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.

3 . 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.