Beijing opera or Peking opera （Pinyin: Jīngjù） is a form of Chinese opera which arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century．The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China．Major performance troupes （剧团，戏班子） are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north，and Shanghai in the south．The art form is also enjoyed in Taiwan，and has spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.
Beijing opera features four main types of performers．Performing troupes often have several of each variety，as well as numerous secondary and tertiary performers．With their elaborate （认真的，精心的） and colorful costumes，performers are the only focal points on Beijing opera's characteristically small stage．They make use of the skills of speech，song，dance，and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive，rather than realistic．Above all else，the skill of performers is evaluated according to the beauty of their movements．Performers also hold a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production．The layers of meaning within each movement must be expressed in time with music．The music of Beijing opera can be divided into the Xipi and Erhuang styles．Melodies include arias （唱腔），fixed-tune melodies，and percussion patterns．The repertoire of Beijing opera includes over 1,400 works，which are based on Chinese history，folklore，and，increasingly，contemporary life.
In recent years，Beijing opera has attempted numerous reforms in response to sagging audience numbers．These reforms，which include improving performance quality，adapting new performance elements，and performing new and original plays，have met with mixed success．Some Western works have been adopted as new plays，but a lack of funding and an adverse political climate have left Beijing opera's fate uncertain as the form enters the 21st century．How long has Beijing Opera become a popular art form?
| A．About one and a half centuries. |
| B．More than two centuries. |
| C．More than one century. |
| D．About half a century. |
How many art forms of Beijing Opera at present?
| A．Two including Beijing and Tianjin，and Shanghai in the south. |
| B．Two including Beijing and Tianjin in the north. |
| C．Three including Beijing and Tianjin，and Shanghai in the south and Taiwan. |
| D．Five including Beijing and Tianjin，and Shanghai in the south，Taiwan，US and |
What are the features of the performers’ movements of Beijing Opera?
| A．Elaborate. | B．Colourful. |
| C．Realistic . | D．Representative. |
Which of the followings is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Performers can take different stylistic traditions in the plays. |
| B．The standard to estimate a performer is the amount of his/her movements. |
| C．It’s necessary to keep movements along the music in time. |
| D．The content of Beijing Opera is plentiful but much fixed. |
What will be the future of the Beijing Opera?
| A．Very bright. | B．Certainly good. |
| C．Much uncertain. | D．More popular. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
The notion that we live in someone else’s video game is irresistible to many. Searching the term “simulation hypothesis”（模拟假说）returns numerous results that debate whether the universe is a computer simulation — a concept that some scientists actually take seriously. Unfortunately, this is not a scientific question. We will probably never know whether it’s true. We can, instead, use this idea to advance scientific knowledge.
The 18th-century philosopher Kant argued that the universe ultimately consists of things-in-themselves that are unknowable. While he held the notion that objective reality exists, he said our mind plays a necessary role in structuring and shaping our perceptions. Modern sciences have revealed that our perceptual experience of the world is the result of many stages of processing by sensory systems and cognitive（认知的）functions in the brain. No one knows exactly what happens within this black box. If empirical（实证的）experience fails to reveal reality, reasoning won’t reveal reality either since it relies on concepts and words that are contingent on our social, cultural and psychological histories. Again, a black box.
So, if we accept that the universe is unknowable, we also accept we will never know if we live in a computer simulation. And then, we can shift our inquiry from “Is the universe a computer simulation?” to “Can we model the universe as a computer simulation? ” Modelling reality is what we do. To facilitate our comprehension of the world, we build models based on conceptual metaphors（隐喻）that are familiar to us. In Newton’s era, we imagined the universe as a clock. In Einstein’s, we uncovered the standard model of particle（粒子）physics.
Now that we are in the information age, we have new concepts such as the computer, information processing, virtual reality, and simulation. Unsurprisingly, these new concepts inspire us to build new models of the universe. Models are not the reality, however. There is no point in arguing if the universe is a clock, a set of particles or an output of computation. All these models are tools to deal with the unknown and to make discoveries. And the more tools we have, the more effective and insightful we can become.
It can be imagined that comparable to the process of building previous scientific models, developing the “computer simulation” metaphor-based model will also be a hugely rewarding exercise.
（1）What does the author intend to do by challenging a hypothesis?
| A． |
Make an assumption. |
B． |
Illustrate an argument. |
| C． |
Give a suggestion. |
D． |
Justify a comparison. |
（2）What does the phrase “contingent on” underlined in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A． |
Accepted by. |
B． |
Determined by. |
C． |
Awakened by. |
D． |
Discovered by. |
（3）As for Kant’s argument, the author is _________.
| A． |
appreciative |
B． |
doubtful |
C． |
unconcerned |
D． |
disapproving |
（4）It is implied in this passage that we should _________.
| A． |
compare the current models with the previous ones |
| B． |
continue exploring the classical models in history |
| C． |
stop arguing whether the universe is a simulation |
| D． |
turn simulations of the universe into realities up. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
When I was a little girl, I liked drawing, freely and joyously making marks on the walls at home. In primary school, I learned to write using chalks. Writing seemed to be another form of drawing. I shaped individual letters into repeating lines, which were abstract forms, delightful but meaningless patterns.
In secondary school, art was my favourite subject. Since I loved it so much I thought I was good at it. For the art O-level exam I had to present an oil painting. I found it difficult, but still hoped to pass. I failed, with a low grade. I’d been over-confident. Now I’d been declared talentless.
But other channels of creativity stayed open: I went on writing poems and stories. Still, I went to exhibitions often. I continued my habitual drawing, which I now characterised as childish doodling（乱画）. In my 30s, I made painter friends and learned new ways of looking at art. However, I couldn’t let myself have a go at actually doing it. Though these new friends were abstract painters using oil paints, or were printmakers or sculptors, I took oil painting as the taboo（禁忌）high form I wasn’t allowed to practice.
One night, in my early 40s, I dreamed that a big woman in red approached me, handed me a bag of paints, and told me to start painting. The dream felt so authoritative that it shook me. It was a form of energy, giving me back something I’d lost. Accordingly, I started by experimenting with water colours. Finally, I bought some oil paints.
Although I have enjoyed breaking my decades-long taboo about working with oil paints, I have discovered I now prefer chalks and ink. I let my line drawings turn into cartoons I send to friends. It all feels free and easy. Un-anxious. This time around, I can accept my limitations but keep going.
Becoming a successful painter calls for being resolute. I realised I was always afraid of wanting too much. That dream reminded me that those fears and desires could encourage me to take risks and make experiments.
（1）How did the author feel about the result of the art exam?
| A． |
Scared. |
B． |
Worried. |
C． |
Discouraged. |
D． |
Wronged. |
（2）In her 30s, the author _________.
| A． |
avoided oil painting practice |
B． |
sought for a painting career |
| C． |
fancied abstract painting |
D． |
exhibited child paintings |
（3）Which word would best describe the author’s dream?
| A． |
Confusing. |
B． |
Empowering. |
| C． |
Disturbing. |
D． |
Entertaining. |
（4）What can we learn from this passage?
| A． |
Actions speak louder than words. |
B． |
Hard work is the mother of success. |
| C． |
Dreams are the reflections of realities. |
D． |
Creative activities involve being confident. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
The Language Exchange Programme allows students in pairs to communicate in two different languages they wish to share and learn each week. Students record short entries after each partner meeting noting the language skills practised and the topics discussed. Each pair of students meets three times throughout the term with a teacher who decides if the exchange is effective. Students who successfully complete the programme will receive one credit each.
Requirements for completion:
•One welcoming session on the second Friday of the term
•18 weekly one-hour pair meetings
•Weekly progress reports for all pair meetings
•At least three pair-teacher meetings
•One five-minute final video
Sign up!
The sign-up and registration process is as follows:
•Students sign up and indicate the languages they can share and languages they are interested in learning.
•Based on the information entered by each student, potential pairs are identified.
•Proficiency（熟练）levels are confirmed through coursework or placement tests.
•Once a pair has been determined to be suitable, the students will be contacted individually with a special permission number to register for the programme.
Reminders:
Signing up for the programme does not automatically mean that you will be able to register and participate. Pairs are matched by languages of interest and proficiency levels. Since there are many factors involved in the pairing process, not all students who sign up will be matched with a partner and be able to register for the programme.
（1）In the programme, students will _________.
| A． |
chair daily meetings |
B． |
evaluate the exchange |
| C． |
meet teachers each week |
D． |
practise their language skills |
（2）To complete the programme, students are required to _________.
| A． |
development tests |
B． |
participate in pair meetings |
| C． |
welcome new students |
D． |
work on weekly videos |
（3）What do students need to do during the registration?
| A． |
Indicate their languages of interest. |
B． |
Select their own coursework. |
| C． |
Make individual contact. |
D． |
Choose their partners. |
阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。
There’s something magical about the way imagination works. Around the world, kids are using imagination in ways that were once only found in science fiction.
Take the story of Mark Lee. He loved biking around his neighbourhood but grew upset seeing that many plastic bottles littered the parks and sidewalks. Instead of simply complaining, he decided to do something about it.
Using an old 3D printer, Mark started experimenting. He melted（熔化）plastic bottles down and tried shaping them into small bricks. At first, everything went wrong — the plastic broke, the printer jammed, and the pieces didn’t fit together. Friends laughed a little, and even Mark’s parents thought he should just give up.
But Mark had a different idea. He redesigned the bricks to lock together like puzzle（拼图）pieces and adjusted the heating temperature carefully. After months of trial and error, he succeeded. With a little help from his school and the local community centre, Mark used his bricks to build a small bike shelter for his neighbourhood.
And he’s not alone. Thirteen-year-old Sally Carter loved reading fantasy books. Inspired by magical maps in her stories, she wondered: what if we could build a real-world app that helps people explore hidden places in their own cities? She gathered friends, learned some basic programming, and together they created an app that maps small local parks and gardens few people knew about. Their app quickly grew popular in town and even won a local youth innovation award.
Next time you see a young person lost in thought, don’t rush to pull them back. They might just be imagining the next great idea.
（1）What upset Mark when he was biking around his neighbourhood?
_____________________________________________________________
（2）How does the app created by Sally and her friends help?
_____________________________________________________________
（3）Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
> With encouragement from his friends and parents, Mark built a small bike shelter for his neighbourhood after months of trial and error.
_____________________________________________________________
（4）How can you put your imagination into practice as Mark and Sally did?（In about 40 words）
_____________________________________________________________
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
What is adulthood? Societies all over the world view the concept of an adult as self-supporting and self-directed, because it identifies a point in the life cycle.
As Alice Black points out, today’s parents’ fear of letting kids do more housework has added to their inability to feel competent and, thus, confident in themselves. Psychologist Robert Turner wrote about this in his book, The Life Cycle, mentioning a stage when kids learn self-direction and mastery. （1）
But Turner’s other cycles are just as important. （2） If these life cycles are delayed, interrupted, or denied, you feel incapable of accessing your states of self, controlling unpleasant feelings, and manipulating（操控）the energy that puts together the fabric of your inner world.
Turner wisely said that “doing well” psychologically is being able to roll with the flow of emotions, manage them, communicate clearly and well with others, and master various skills. This requires an internal locus（核心）of control, which implies self-control of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. （3） You’re self-directed and not reliant on the world to tell you who you are. And you know who you are within all this.
So, being an adult isn’t just holding a job. Being an adult is about having a rooted sense of self while being capable of identifying and managing your emotions and actions. （4） We are a social species, so this is important.
While raising an adult is a parent’s job, it’s also our responsibility as a society to ensure that we support schools that nurture（培养）emotional and identity development. （5）
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A. It’s also our job to support adults who need help repairing incomplete life cycles. B. They talk about someone’s inability to support themselves through work. C. It’s being able to show understanding when communicating with others. D. In other words, you’re playing the game of life — life isn’t playing you. E. They teach emotional awareness and management as well as identity. F. You feel like an 18-year old, especially when playing 80s music. G. When this stage is denied it creates a sense of insecurity. |