文学、艺术与体育

阅读理解

Passage 1

Theater Upcoming Events

Dear Evan Hansen

EISENHOWER THEATER

Aug. 30—Sep. 25， 2024

Dear Evan Hansen is a deeply personal and profoundly （深刻地） contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The New York Times calls it “a breathtaking knockout of a musical”.

Recommended for age 12 and up

Bluey’s Big Play

EISENHOWER THEATER

Nov. 22—27， 2024

When Dad feels like a little bit of Sunday afternoon time out， Bluey and Bingo have other plans！ Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness to get Dad off that bean bag. Bluey’s Big Play is a new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy Award-winning children’s television series， with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm， and new music by Bluey composer Joff Bush.

Suitable and enjoyable for all ages.

Shear Madness

THEATERLAB

Oct. 1—5， 2024

Set in present-day Georgetown， Shear Madness is an interactive comedy that engages audiences as armchair detectives to help solve the murder of a famous concert pianist who lives above the Shear Madness hairstyling salon （沙龙）.

Performance Timing： 2 hours， with one short break.

No Excuses， No Limits

FAMILY THEATER

Jan. 13—15， 2025

Inspired by this international all-star breakdance crew of seven of the world’s best differently-abled dancers， No Excuses， No Limits takes audiences on a journey of each dancer’s story through dance， music， audience interaction， and a gained understanding of the limitless possibilities that any person can hold.

1. What is adapted from a children’s television series？

A. Shear Madness. B. Dear Evan Hansen. C. Bluey’s Big Play. D. No Excuses， No Limits.

2. What can we learn about Shear Madness？

A. It presents the impact of hairstyling salons.

B. It is aimed at remembering a concert pianist.

C. It runs for 2 hours with two breaks.

D. It lets audiences solve the crime.

3. When can we enjoy an exciting story about dancers？

A. On September 22. B. On November 25. C. On January 14. D. On October 1.

Passage 2

There was a time when baseball was the only game in the summer holidays. But with competition from other sports like soccer， baseball is not as prevalent as it used to be. However， the baseball field is still a place for young boys to prove themselves.

Tim was one of those boys. He seemed to be growing in special ways： long arms and legs， thin shoulders， and no meat on his bones. But he loved baseball. Although strikeouts （三振出局） piled up （堆放） in the recording sheets， Tim continued. He knew his body didn’t respond to dreams and wishes， but his desire was always there.

Tim practiced his swing every day， and every strikeout brought two things to the little boy： determination and some tears that Tim quickly wiped away before returning to the baseball field. His teammates encouraged him. His coach worked with him. Even the opposing teams held their breath， wishing for his hitting， just one hit for the boy who seemed to deserve it more than any other 10-year-old kid in the world.

What teammates and parents and even the coach never saw was a gray van （小型货车） that pulled up each game in the parking lot. Inside was Tim’s father， too weak from advancing cancer to get out of the van. It was a tough assignment for a father to watch his kid strike out， but for Tim’s father， he believed success was made out of sweat， tears， and effort instead of results. That was also what he expected Tim to understand and do.

At the end of the season， Tim did his best， but ended up missing the chance to advance. When the game was over， Tim ran straight into the gray van and into the arms of his father， who knew his son’s every effort and was proud of him. Sometimes success really means more than the result.

1. What does the underlined word “prevalent” in Paragraph 1 probably mean？

A. Challenging. B. Disappointing. C. Competitive. D. Popular.

2. What can we infer about Tim from Paragraph 3？

A. He held the whole team back. B. His efforts won others’ respect.

C. His progress brought hope to his father. D. He made an excellent performance finally.

3. What can be concluded about Tim’s father？

A. He put high hopes on Tim. B. He was an inspiring father.

C. He felt disappointed with Tim. D. He helped Tim learn the baseball.

4. What can be the best title of the text？

A. Success Is a Journey Rather than a Destination

B. A Wonderful Boy and His Family

C. The Right Way to Learn Baseball

D. One Step Makes a Difference

Passage 3

The term “Iron Man” has many connotations （内涵）， including references to a song， a comic book icon， even a movie. Yet only one definition of the term truly lives up to its name： iron-man triathlon （铁人三项）， held annually in Hawaii， a unique setting for a challenging race， which demands amazing physical skills and the ability to swim， bike， and run a marathon， all in less than 12 hours with no break. Very few individuals are up to the task.

However， Gordon Haller is a exception. Growing up in the 1950s， Haller developed an interest in many sports categorized as endurance （耐性） athletics. So when he heard about the race in 1978， the first year it was held， he immediately signed up.

The race originated in a somewhat amusing way. The members of the two popular sport clubs， the Mid-Pacific Road Runners of Honolulu and the Waikiki Swim Club of Oahu， had a long-standing and good-natured debate going over who made better athletes： runners or swimmers. However， some local bikers thought both clubs were wrong， claiming that they， in fact， deserved the title. Wanting to settle the debate once and for all， they decided to combine three separate races already held annually on the island into one massive test of endurance. Thus， iron-man triathlon was born.

Haller was one of only fifteen competitors to show up that February morning to start the race. He quickly scanned （浏览） the few pages of rules and instructions. And at the end of the day， he became the first iron-man champion in history. Haller’s physical strength enabled him to do what no one else in the past had accomplished.

In the thirty years since that very first race， the race has become a tradition in Hawaii. The competitors who complete the race don’t have to be the first across the finish line to claim success： just finishing is a victory onto itself.

1. What does the “Iron Man” refer to in Hawaii according to Paragraph 1？

A. A folk song. B. A movie character. C. A triathlon athlete. D. A sports event.

2. Why was the triathlon race born？

A. To make a movie." " " " " " B. To end a debate.

C. To show athletic endurance." " " D. To improve people’s physical abilities.

3. What is the result of the race according to Paragraph 4？

A. There were two champions." " " B. Haller won the first place.

C. More people became interested in the race. D. Some competitors gave it up.

4. What does the last paragraph try to tell us？

A. It is the participation that counts more. B. The current race is different from before.

C. The victors may not be excited about the race. D. All competitors complete the race as their traditions.

Passage 4

Beer and eggs are commonly seen in the kitchen. However， scientists recently found that they were used in historic paintings， too.

To preserve Danish paintings， a group of researchers studied what was the composition of ancient paint or what it was made of. They did experiments on small pieces of paintings that had already been cut off from the original artwork.

According to their paper published in Science-Advances， grains and yeast were found on the base of the paintings. Beer was the most common drink in the 19th century in Denmark， and its by-products were grains and yeast used.

The study showed that they were used to provide a stable painting surface. Researchers also pointed out that beer by-product was used as a “glue” because it had a lot of sugar. With beer added， the paint can also dry faster.

Apart from beer， egg has long been found in oil-based paints used by artists in the 15th century， such as Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci. A recent study published in Nature Communications may have discovered the secret of how eggs can help preserve artworks.

The researchers re-created the ancient paint by adding egg yolks （蛋黄） to oil paint. They then looked into how it changed over time. The findings showed that the proteins in the yolk helped to make the oxidation （氧化） of the paint slowly and reduce wrinkling as the egg makes the paint more smooth.

However， the oil paint with added egg usually takes longer to dry. It seemed fine for artists. They were willing to accept that their work would be preserved for a longer period.

“The more we understand how artists choose and use their materials， the more we can appreciate what they’re doing”， Ken Sutherland， an expert at the Art Institute of Chicago， US， told Science News. Sutherland added that research like this could help people have a deeper understanding of the artworks.

1. What is the main purpose of the research mentioned in the text？

A. To study the history of beer and egg. B. To find out the composition of egg.

C. To explore the benefits of beer. D. To protect Danish paintings.

2. Why were beer by-products used in historic Danish paintings？

A. To keep the paintings clean. B. To help the colors stick better.

C. To give the painting a different look. D. To make the paintings more colorful.

3. How did yolk’s proteins help preserve the ancient paint？

A. By wrinkling it. B. By making it dry faster.

C. By adding color to it. D. By slowing down the oxidation of it.

4. What does the research provide according to Ken Sutherland？

A. Preservation techniques for paintings. B. Deeper understanding of the artworks.

C. More appreciation for artists’ materials. D. Insights into the history of art materials.

阅读七选五

Passage 1

Do you have a lot of pre-loved jeans that you can never seem to let go of？ If your jeans really do not fit you anymore or have fallen out of style， you can always make changes to them！ 1 Check them out！

New Shorts

If you are tired of your old jeans， all you need is a pair of scissors to get some new cute shorts for the summer. 2 Then， get a pencil to mark where you will cut them off. After that， carefully cut each leg straight.

Reusable Bags

3 Just cut squares with the same sizes using an old pair of jeans. Then， sew them up according to your preferred bag size. You can also mix and match the squares from different sets of jeans.

Stylish Accessories （配饰）

Denim （牛仔布） accessories will never go out of style. 4 Just cut some pieces of the old jeans and twist them together. Then， shape it by sewing or using a glue gun. For kids， you can also make friendship bracelets for fun.

Denim Organizers

5 For example， you can cut out the pocket of your jeans and glue them onto a hard surface. These pocket organizers are perfect as key holders.

A. Old jeans can be made into cleaning tools.

B. You can make some wonderful home accessories too.

C. You can use your old jeans to create a new headband.

D. Old jeans can be turned into organizers for your things.

E. Here are some easy ways to change them into a new favorite of yours.

F. There are many ways to change old jeans into useful bags in daily life.

G. First， wear the trousers and choose how short you would like them to be.

1. ______________" 2. ______________" 3. ______________ " 4. ______________ " 5. ______________

Passage 2

People who enjoy running often like to take part in running events as well. Signing up for a particular event and then working towards it can be a great way to achieve goals and increase confidence. 1 A number of running events also include a choice for people who would rather walk， but still want to take part in the event.

The most common types of running events are races. 2 For example， marathons and ultra-marathons are very long and challenging runs， but a shorter race such as a 5K or 10K can be a good place to start， followed by a half-marathon. 3 Generally， running events are related to a particular group or charity. Many running events encourage runners to raise money for certain charities. Runners can then run together during the race if they choose， and the individual sponsors" who donated money to the runners have the satisfaction of helping a charity as well as helping their friends participate in a race. 4 That’s because it is a good way to raise money for a cause as well as to encourage physical fitness.

5 Schools frequently have running meets， where different schools will come to one location， and students will compete against each other in individual events. These meets often last all day， and winners typically receive medals after a competition.

A. The distance run is only part of each running event.

B. Of course， there are other events in addition to races.

C. Many runs are scheduled every year in the same location or city.

D. There are different kinds of races to suit different running ability levels.

E. Running is one of the cheapest and most affordable forms of exercising.

F. Running events can also be a great way to have fun and meet other people.

G. Active runners have lower blood pressure compared to people who don’t run.

1. ______________ " 2. ______________ " 3. ______________ " 4. ______________ " 5. ______________

完形填空

Passage 1

Who would win a race between a human and a horse？ An annual event in a small town in Wales may have the 1 . In the Man Versus （对抗） Horse marathon， 2 and their horses compete with runners over a distance of about 36 kilometers—a little 3 than an official marathon—on hills， paths and even across small rivers.

Out of 50 horses that 4 the race in June 2022， 40 finished， along with around 450 individual human runners and over 120 human relay teams. And for just the third time in the event’s 5 ， a human was the winner—an Englishman named Ricky Lightfoot.

Lightfoot， a 37-year-old firefighter from Cumbria in northwest England， finished more than two minutes earlier than the first horse—Invictus， 6 by Kim Alman. With his time of 2 hours， 20 minutes and 23 seconds， he was the first human to 7 since 2007. Lightfoot， a successful long-distance runner， won around $4，250 from the victory. But do you know how the event 8 ？

It is said that the idea for the race came from a（n） 9 42 years ago in a local pub， according to the event’s website. After 10 two customers disagreeing about whether a human could 11 a horse over a long distance， the landlord （店主） decided to put it to the 12 ， organizing the first race in 1980. However， it wasn’t until 2004 that a human 13 came out on top.

14 events have been held around the world in recent years， including an 80-kilometer

15 in Arizona in the US.

1. A. mystery B. answer C. evidence D. solution

2. A. riders B. coaches C. trainers D. owners

3. A. greater B. faster C. shorter D. noisier

4. A. started B. completed C. quitted D. supported

5. A. plan B. guideline C. future D. history

6. A. called B. ridden C. liked D. kept

7. A. challenge B. compete C. win D. appear

8. A. broke in B. went on C. took off D. came into being

9. A. experiment B. debate C. theory D. idea

10. A. hearing B. imagining C. minding D. helping

11. A. approach B. attack C. outrun D. feed

12. A. measure B. wonder C. vote D. test

13. A. carefully B. naturally C. accidentally D. finally

14. A. Traditional B. Similar C. Unusual D. Typical

15. A. record B. walk C. race D. path

Passage 2

After graduation， I decided to take the gym seriously. Accompanied by a friend， I 1 a routine of walking on the treadmill （跑步机）. I was content with our 2 in the gym. My friend， however， became bored.

One day， he suggested that we 3 an outdoor sport. I was an uncoordinated （动作不协调的） person， so I 4 his idea.

But several weeks later， he managed to persuade me to step onto an outdoor racquetball （美式壁球） court. When I hit the 5 ， I sent it flying in every direction except the direction that I had 6 . Still， somehow， I tried hard to learn it and became 7 after constantly practicing.

“We’re not getting enough 8 on the treadmill. Why not play tennis to build up our body？” suggested my friend.

“Tennis？ I can’t play tennis！ That 9 real skills！” I firmly resisted （抵抗） his new 10 .

However， weeks later， I started playing tennis. After several months of 11 practice， one day， as the ball came flying towards me， my racket and the ball met in what tennis players view as the “sweet spot”. I had 12 learned how to play tennis properly！

I learned a valuable 13 from these experiences： I can do whatever I set my mind on. I just need to put in efforts， and the results will 14 . And I become quite 15 about trying new things and I’m always filled with a sense of excitement.

1. A. started B. continued C. quitted D. doubted

2. A. aim B. test C. routine D. plan

3. A. bring about B. take up C. make up D. check in

4. A. refused B. supported C. consider D. admired

5. A. hand B. wall C. door D. ball

6. A. delivered B. wanted C. scheduled D. arranged

7. A. fluent B. impressive C. curious D. skillful

8. A. exercise B. adventure C. movement D. time

9. A. includes B. explores C. improves D. requires

10. A. behavior B. strategy C. suggestion D. goal

11. A. painful B. easy C. perfect D. common

12. A. hopefully B. strangely C. finally D. likely

13. A. lecture B. lesson C. message D. responsibility

14. A. flash B. change C. follow D. succeed

15. A. nervous B. positive C. confused D. particular

语法填空

Passage 1

Every year during the Spring Festival， a small village in Beijing puts on a special show. It’s about ‒15°C and a man dressed in a straw hat and sheepskin coat 1 （throw） spoon after spoon of heavy molten iron （铁水） at a massive， icy wall. The collision （碰撞） between the l，600°C liquid metal and the frozen brick creates a waterfall of sparks （火花） 2 （fall） over him， equally beautiful and dangerous.

This is a performance which requires extraordinary courage， skill and strength. 3 （know） as Da Shuhua， it has a history of 500 years in Nuanquan， a highly-developed steel town. Da Shuhua translates literally into “beating down the tree flowers”， 4 agricultural activity of hitting fruit trees to increase growth.

In ancient times， fireworks weren’t always 5 （wide） affordable. So people in Nuanquan made use of scrap iron and developed Da Shuhua as a way 6 （celebrate） festivals. As a result， they brought firework 7 （display） to a whole new level.

Today， Da Shuhua has become more popular 8 ever， because of rules of banning on fireworks to reduce air pollution in some parts of China. Every year， this unique firework display attracts tons of people in spite of the freezing cold weather 9 draws attention to its protection. Since 2021， it 10 （list） as an intangible cultural heritage of China.

1. ______________ " 2. ______________ " 3. ______________ " 4. ______________ " 5. ______________

6. ______________" 7. ______________ " 8. ______________ " 9. ______________ " 10. ______________

Passage 2

It’s a race against time， as generations of cultural heritage conservators at the Dunhuang Academy make a great effort 1 （protect） the artistic charm of the Mogao Caves， a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The team is 2 （devote） to protecting the 45，000 square meters of murals （壁画） and more than 2，400 painted sculptures of the 735 caves of the site， the construction of 3 takes about a thousand years， 4 the 4th century to the 14th century. The cultural relics are the product of the cultural exchanges that 5 （take） place over centuries on the ancient Silk Road.

Commonly seen “diseases” 6 （affect） the murals include cracking and flaking （剥落）. To restore 7 mural requires an all-rounder. Restorers should know painting， master the skills of a mason （石匠） and have some knowledge of chemistry and physics to be able to recognize the problems and deliver a solution. They must also select proper materials and tools， and conduct experiments， before 8 （formal） carrying out the restoration and evaluating the effect afterward.

The restoration should respect the 9 （origin） work and aim to maintain the current situation of the murals rather than repainting them. When the restorers find some parts of murals missing or fading away， they never repaint them to create a “perfect” 10 （appear） in restoration.

1. ______________ " 2. ______________ " 3. ______________ " 4. ______________ " 5. ______________

6. ______________ " 7. ______________ " 8. ______________ " 9. ______________ " 10. ______________

应用文写作

假定你是李华，你的英国朋友William来信询问你的体育锻炼情况。请你给他回信，内容包括：

1. 你喜欢的运动及理由；

2. 平时怎样做的；

3. 你对体育锻炼的看法。

注意：

1. 写作词数应为80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

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