03 人与社会之文学，艺术与体育
Passage 1
（2024·北京·高考真题）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.
Passage 2
（23-24 高一下·甘肃庆阳·期中）Adding to the achievements of a remarkable year,
Taylor Swift has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2023.
Already a superstar before 2023, Swift's career has reached new heights thanks to the
beginning of her Eras Tour that brought her 3. 5-hour performance to 66 shows in 23 cities across
North America, Argentina and Brazil. Promoted by her tour, Swift has been named the most-
streamed female artist in the history of Spotify and Apple Music. According to Billboard, the tour
made about$900 million (about 6. 4 billion yuan) in 2023. In addition, the tour's movie Taylor
Swift: The Eras Tour became the biggest concert movie of all time, taking more than $250 million
globally.
As she was declared (宣布) a billionaire by Bloomberg in November, a hidden “Taylor
Swift economy” also promoted sales for business owners across the U. S. From soaps to a cruise
inspired by her different “eras”, interest in Swift-related products went way up.
Apart from her financial contributions, Swift made a significant cultural impact by taking
back control of her music. In 2019, her old record label, Big Machine, sold the master tapes of her
first six albums (专辑) to Scooter Braun. The sale meant that she didn't have the rights to the
albums. In response to this, Swift began re-recording her first six albums, tagging (加标签于)
them “Taylor's Version”. This move stressed her belief that artists deserve to own their work. “It's
all in how you deal with loss,” she told Time. “I respond to extreme pain by resisting.”
Heading into 2024, Swift will start the Eras Tour again in Japan and Australia. As USA
Today noted, “Her current top has been a long time coming, but it may also be just beginning.”5．What do we know about Taylor Swift?
A．She broke a new record on her tour. B．She toured South America before 2023.
C．Her achievements received great recognition. D．Her performance began with the Apple
Music.
6．How did Taylor Swift benefit from her Eras Tour?
A．She proved herself to be an artist. B．She learned to make some products.
C．She got rich and regained album rights. D．She sold her master tapes to a company.
7．What can we learn about Taylor Swift from the last paragraph?
A．She will end her music career. B．She will continue her Eras Tour.
C．She will reach her top in Japan. D．She will make a record in Australia.
8．What is the author's attitude towards Taylor Swift?
A．Admirable. B．Uncaring. C．Doubtful. D．Critical.
Passage 3
（23-24高三上·山西吕梁·期末）Taylor Swift was named Time Magazine’s person of the
year. The star, whose Eras Tour broke box office records, follows the likes of Barack Obama,
Greta Thunberg and Mark Uckerberg. The award goes to an event or person believed to have had
the most influence on global events over the past year.
Already a superstar before 2023, her career has reached new heights thanks to the Eras tour,
which sees the singer perform a career-spanning 45-song set every night. Demand for tickets was
so high that it crashed Ticketmaster’s website, causing a hearing into its business practices by the
US Senate.
After speaking out against Donald Trump and in favour of abortion rights, Swift hit a
creative purple patch with the pandemic-era albums Folklore and Evermore. Showcasing a more
organic indie-folk approach than the country-pop that made her famous, the records confirmed her
status as generational songwriting talent.
Time editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs said the US pop icon was “the rare person who is both the
writer and hero of her own story”, adding that Swift had “found a way to go beyond borders and
be a source of light”.
The Eras tour film became the biggest concert movie of all time, taking $249m at the global
box office; Swift became the first living artist to have five albums in the US Top 10simultaneously. She broke the record for the most number one albums by a woman in US chart
history-13 in total.
Swift became the first songwriter to score seven Grammy nominations for song of the year.
Boosted by her tour, Swift was named the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify
and Apple Music.
9．what can we know from the second and third paragraphs?
A．Swift’s career reached a certain height before 2023.
B．There are 45 songs totally in the Eras tour.
C．Swift was once in favour of Donald Trump.
D．Her country-pop confirmed her songwriter status.
10．What does Sam Jacobs think of Taylor Swift?
A．Rare and plain. B．Talented and dependent.
C．Daring and stubborn. D．Shining and inspiring.
11．How many of her albums were in the US Top 10 at the same time?
A．One. B．Four. C．Five. D．Ten.
12．What can be a suitable title for the passage?
A．A record-breaking Eras tour film B．An influential female music superstar
C．A history-making album D．A far-reaching award
Passage 4
（23-24 高三下·湖南·期中）The argument over video games has been ongoing for
decades. While some argue that e-sports require skill, there is disagreement over whether they
meet the standards of a traditional sport. According to the dictionary, a sport is a physical activity
for pleasure. While playing video games requires skill and coordination (协调), it lacks the
physicality associated with traditional sports. Strategy is also present in board games like chess or
card games like solitaire, but these activities are not classified as sports. Similarly, playing a
musical instrument requires practice and training, yet it is not considered a sport.
Sports require full-body movements and coordination while video games mainly involve
finger and hand movements. Although it is possible to include physical movement while playing,
it is not a requirement for success. Many e-sports enthusiasts sit in front of their screens, filling
themselves with snacks while controlling the game. This lack of physicality not only sets videogames apart from sports but can also have negative effects on health. Unlike traditional sports,
which have been shown to improve well-being, too much video gaming can lead to headaches and
anger.
While e-sports and competitive gaming may be comparable to activities like chess in terms
of competition, they do not possess the physical effort and health benefits associated with
traditional sports. However, as the industry continues to develop, the idea of e-sports is evolving.
Studies have stressed the demanding motor skills and reaction times required in e-sports. Professor
Ingo Frobose conducted a study that demonstrated the impressive motor skills of e-sports
“athletes”, with up to 400 movements per minute on the keyboard and mouse. The strategic aspect
of e-sports, including team planning, is also often ignored. Games such as League of Legends,
Dota 2, and Honor of Kings have attracted large audiences and showed the skills of players.
While some argue against the classification (分类) of e-sports as real sports, evidence
suggests that they possess unique skills and abilities. As the industry grows, the understanding and
recognition of e-sports as a lawful competitive activity are gradually changing.
13．Why don’t some people think of video games as a sport?
A．They lack full-body movements. B．They stress teamwork mostly.
C．They have no influence on health. D．They require no strategy and training.
14．What will be a result of playing video games too much according to the text?
A．Better relationship with friends. B．Bad performance in study.
C．Poor health condition. D．Lack of coordination.
15．Which supports the classification of e-sports as real sports?
A．The fast development of traditional sports.
B．The benefits for health brought by video gaming.
C．The comparison of e-sports to chess.
D．The strategic aspect involved in e-sports.
16．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A．Do e-sports require teamwork and skills?
B．Should video games be considered a sport?
C．Do e-sports have negative effects on health?
D．Should e-sports players concentrate more when playing?Passage 5
（23-24高三下·上海·阶段练习）The last few months had brought to my attention an
important incompatibility between us — one that I’d never noticed before. Despite being a pair
of lifelong travelers, Felipe and I seldom travel in a similar way. The reality about Felipe is that
he’s both the best traveler I’ve ever met and by far the worst. He hates strange bathrooms and dirty
restaurants and uncomfortable trains and foreign beds. Given a choice, he will always select a
lifestyle of routine, familiarity, and reassuringly boring everyday practices. All of which might
make you assume that the man is not fit to be a traveler at all. But you would be wrong to assume
that, for here is Felipe’s traveling gift, his superpower, the secret weapon that makes him peerless.
He can create a familiar habitat of boring everyday practices for himself anyplace, if you just let
him stay in one spot. He can assimilate absolutely anywhere on the planet in about three days, and
then he’s capable of staying put in that place for the next decade or so without complaint. This is
why Felipe has been able to live all over the world. Not merely travel, but live. Over the year he
has folded himself into societies from South America to Europe, from the Middle East to the
South Pacific. He arrives somewhere totally new, decides he likes the place, moves right in, learns
the language, and instantly becomes a local.
While Felipe can find a corner anywhere in the world and settle down for good, I can’t. I
am infinitely curious and almost infinitely patient with minor disasters, which makes me a far
better day-to-day traveler than he will ever be. So I can go anywhere on the planet—that’s not a
problem. The problem is I just can’t live anywhere on the planet. I’d realized this only a few
weeks earlier, back in northern Laos, when Felipe had woken up one lovely morning in Luang
Prabang and said, “Darling, let’s stay here.”
“Sure,” I’d said. “We can stay here for a few more days if you want.”
“No, I mean let’s move here. Let’s forget about me immigrating to America. It’s too much
trouble. This is a wonderful town. I like the feeling of it. It reminds me of Brazil thirty years ago.
It wouldn’t take much money or effort for us to run a little hotel or shop here, rent an apartment,
settle in ….” He was serious. He would just do that. But I can’t.
17．The word “incompatibility” (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to “_____”.
A．harmony B．negotiation C．difference D．tension18．According to the writer, what is Felipe’s traveling gift?
A．He can speak dozens of languages.
B．He can make himself at home anywhere.
C．He can decide at first sight if he likes the place.
D．He can find interesting activities in boring places.
19．According to the writer, why is she a better traveler than Felipe?
A．She is much more restless than he is.
B．She can travel for a longer time than he can.
C．She is more curious about local life than he is.
D．She can live better in poor places than he can.
20．By “I can’t” (in the last paragraph), the writer means that she can’t _____.
A．remember the trip to Brazil B．move to Luang Prabang
C．immigrate to America as planned D．run a little hotel or shop well
