湖北省武汉市江汉区2024-2025学年高一下学期7月期末英语试题

Discover the collection

The National Gallery displays one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of European painting. It includes many famous works, such as Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait, Velazquez's Rokeby Venus, Turner's Fighting Temeraire and Van Gogh's Sunflowers. All major traditions of Western European painting are represented from the artists of late medieval and Renaissance Italy to the French Impressionists.

This plan will help you to explore the collection. You may wish to start by finding one of the famous paintings illustrated overleaf. You can also plan your route using the ArtStart touch-screen guides. Free guided tours and a variety of audio guides are available.

For further information, ask at Information Desks or pick up the What's On and Book Now guides for full details of talks, tours and family events.

A public collection

The paintings in the National Gallery belong to the public and entrance to see them is free. The Gallery was founded in 1824, but it did not acquire its current home, designed by William Wilkins, until 1838. The site in Trafalgar Square was chosen for its central location, accessible to both the rich of West London and the poorer communities of the East End. The building has been extended and improved over the years, most notably in 1991 with the opening of the Sainsbury Wing, designed by Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates. The Gallery continues to ensure that the widest possible public can enjoy the paintings.

If you do not wish to keep this plan, please return it to an Information Desk for recycling.

I thought of cancer survivor Lynne Hartke's brave story in this issue, about struggle to reach the top of El Minsti, a dormant volcano in Peru, and the lesson she learned. Like Lynne, I hate to give up before reaching a goal, even if mine was more modest. Yet maybe, like Lynne, I should recognize that my plan is not always God's plan, not today at least, and maybe not on any given day.

We don't pick stories for an issue around a certain theme. Still, a theme sometimes suggests itself as the pieces develop. Take our cover story, by Mary Bryant Shrader. Her plan was to become a hard-charging corporate lawyer. Now she's a You Tube cooking star and prepper, teaching people traditional ways of keeping a kitchen. Little did she know how that philosophy would influence her faith in a moment of crisis. In her story, Night and Day, all Jessica Reed desired for was to be normal. Yet was her idea of "normal" God's idea? Take a cross-country ride with Jim Hinch and son in The Two Dudes, and witness how the best-laid plans of a father can take a different turn.

In my life, I've learned that the path laid out before me was not the one I thought I would follow. And yet it has brought great fortune. Even on a late-winter day on a snowy hillside trail. "Come on, Gracie," I said. "Let's go see the beavers."

"We now have proof that dogs and humans had close connections earlier than we thought in the Americas," said the study's lead author, Francois Lanoe, an assistant researcher at the University of Arizona's School of Anthropology.

"People interested in the origins of the Americas want to know if the first humans arrived with dogs. Until we find these animals in old digging sites, we can only guess — it's hard to confirm. This discovery is very significant."

In a 2018 archaeological study, the same team found a lower leg bone from an adult dog-like animal at a site in Alaska. Carbon dating showed the animal lived 12,000 years ago, near the end of the Ice Age. More recently, in June 2023, the team dug up an 8,100-year-old jawbone from a similar animal at a nearby site.

For the new study, scientists performed chemical tests on these bones. They found salmon proteins, suggesting these animals ate fish regularly. This was unusual because dog-like animals at the time only hunted land animals, showing human influence.

While the team believes this is the earliest known relationship between humans and dogs, they say it's too soon to be certain. A key question remains: "What defines a dog?" said Dr. Ben Potter, a co-author of the study and an archaeologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Though these creatures acted and looked like dogs, they might be too ancient to be genetically connected to modern dogs we know today.

This sad story became widely discussed. Sigmund Freud and modern scientists studied this idea. In 2015, an award-winning short film called Henry retold this story.

How does this apply to real life? Most people remember being hurt by close relationships – broken friendships, family conflicts, or romantic betrayals. Since these connections matter deeply, their damage hurts more. Should we stop trusting others? Schopenhauer said yes, but science would say otherwise.

A study in PLOS Medicine reviewing 148 studies with over 300,000 people found those with strong social connections live 50% longer. The National Institute on Aging warns that loneliness harms health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes daily — making Schopenhauer's advice concerning.

When hurt repeatedly, people often fall into defense mode. Relationship expert Hilary Sanders explains common defense behaviors: going silent during arguments, seeing normal comments as criticism, or overreacting to small issues. These reactions often start in childhood. If parents often criticized or classmates bullied someone, they might develop habits like pretending not to care or getting angry easily. While these helped survive childhood pain, they cause problems in adult relationships when used unconsciously.

The good news is people can change. Through therapy, many learn to recognize their defense patterns and understand their origins. Couples can improve relationships by learning each other's emotional triggers and responding thoughtfully instead of arguing. However, Sanders warns that defenses shouldn't be removed suddenly — it's like taking down a wall brick by brick.

Although Schopenhauer focused on the pain of closeness, the hedgehog story actually shows our deep need for connection. Unlike real hedgehogs, humans aren't born with physical spines. By carefully lowering our defenses around trustworthy people, we might truly enjoy both warmth and safety in relationships.

These collections tend to focus on common things that we all need, but which we don't use constantly. This saves on the environmental impact of producing the items by reducing the demand for new things.

For families, financial barriers can mean that things like toys or comfortable clothing can be knocked down the priorities list. But these libraries create a sense of equality in the community, meaning that individuals don't need to go without.

There are several ways to find out where your closest sharing library is. It maps 50 libraries across the UK. But if your area isn't listed by those sites, don't give up hope. Some communities will set up smaller, informal versions of these libraries — for example, street WhatsApp groups where people ask if anyone on the road has the thing they're looking to borrow, or local pass-it-on groups. Attend the Network's online workshops to learn more about sharing libraries and how to set one up for themselves.

In a world where we're encouraged to continue to collect more and more stuff, sharing libraries are taking a stand for the environment and for our personal finances. So, next time you find yourself in need of something handy, consider looking for a way to borrow it.
 

A. Still no luck?

B. If unlisted, search locally.

C. At the core of sharing libraries is greater access.

D. This is the fundamental idea behind sharing libraries.

E. This concept challenges traditional ownership models.

F. Start by checking the UK Sharing Libraries Network website.

G. It'll be easy on the planet, easy on your pocket, and great for the community.

I started at Collie. It was very hot, and I drank water4 and the first thing I did when I arrived at the first stop was5 the rainwater tank. I was6 to find that it had water.

The next day the trail7 became difficult to find. By midday, the8 had become unbearable. I was becoming increasingly9 when I realized that I was quite lost. I stopped to consider my10. The11 plan was to stay overnight at a tourist park, but I had no idea where I was. Tiredly, I got up, remounted my bike. After two hours, I was delighted to see cycle tracks that looked12. However, I soon realized that they were my own!

I had no more water, and was sleepy. A sudden wind 13 me. I heard the sound of a motor, but it disappeared. A while later I heard it again. I14 myself and walked to where the sound was coming. There before me was the dam, with boats towing water skiers and people relaxing. My first lesson on living in Australia had been15.

The over-21-kilometer half marathon course struck a perfect balance: challenging yet doable for runners of all levels. There were machine competitors (compete) in the world's first humanoid robot half marathon, held in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) in the southeast of the city. silicon racers would soon compete on the same physical route as human runners, though on separate tracks.

"Think of it a car rally (汽车拉力赛) for robots," said Liang Liang, deputy director of the BDA management committee. The rules of the humanoid robot half marathon were closely like of a car rally, Liang noted. Teams combined AI autonomy with human oversight, dealing with (challenge) no machine had quite faced before: uneven pavements, communication drops the unpredictability of the outdoors.

"The event (serve) as a testing and demonstration platform, but more importantly, as a space for (develop), enthusiasts and companies to exchange ideas," Liang said.

At the Beijing E-Town half marathon, the Tien Kung Ultra robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center crossed the finish line in just 2 hours and 40 minutes. Noetix's N2 came in second, while a robot designed by Shanghai-based firm DroidUp (secure) third place.

Isn't the organizers' motto, "To compete is victory, to finish is glory," (fill) with Akhwari's story? Every small step these robots took on the marathon course represented a giant leap for China's technological breakthroughs.

1. 陈述看法；2.提出建议。

注意： 1.写作词数为80左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。

How to Tell Stories of China in English as a Group

Good morning, everyone!

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Thanks for your listening!

I like things to balance, partly because of my name, "Ava." When something bothers me, I try to balance the bad with the good. That's why I don't mind being the tallest kid in third grade.

Bad: Have to stand in the back row of my class picture.

Good: Can reach the books on the top library shelf.

Bad: Everyone always points out how tall I am.

Good: Sometimes I want people to notice me. So it balances.

One day, a new girl, Ava Zafra, comes to school, and she's the shortest kid in third grade. Now everyone calls me "Ava J." and the new girl "Ava Z." I thought if we had the same name, maybe we were alike. During art class, I paint a kitten sliding down a rainbow. Ava Z. paints her shoes black. She shouts, "I am an alien hunter! Fear me!" We aren't alike.

During a break, Samir yells, "Over there, Ava!" When I look at Samir, he shakes his head. "Not you, Big Ava. I meant Little Ava." From then on, I'm not just Ava. I'm not even Ava J. — I'm Big Ava. I try to think of something good about being big, but I can't remember anything good.

The next day, Ms. Wu has a surprise. "Everyone, let's draw to pick the speaking roles for our class play!" she announces. "It's called Clever Jack. He rescues a princess from a giant with the help of a wood fairy."

       The fairy! Maybe I can wear my fairy costume. I cross my fingers when she picks the name. "The fairy will be Ava Z.," Ms. Wu says. Then, she pulls one more name from the jar and looks at me. "Ava. J. will be the giant." My heart sinks. The ugly, scary giant? My only line is, "ARRGH!" I hate yelling! I don't want to be too big!

Our class rehearses (排练) until we know every line. The day before the play, we try on our costumes. When it's my turn, Ms. Wu drops a burlap (麻布) robe over my head. I am an ugly, scary giant.

I run to the bathroom, so no one will see my cry. I'm not alone.

注意：

1. 续写词数应为150左右;

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Little Ava is there, and she's crying, too.

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"Ready to exchange?" asks Little Ava.

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