高級(jí)中學(xué)名校試卷PAGEPAGE1福建省廈門某中學(xué)2025-2026學(xué)年高三上學(xué)期11月月考英語(yǔ)試題第一部分：聽(tīng)力（略）第二部分：閱讀理解（共兩節(jié)，滿分50分）第一節(jié)（共15小題；每小題2.5分，滿分37.5分）閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選出最佳選項(xiàng)。AWe’rehappytointroduceNewsforClassroomUse:aweeklynewsletterwithapieceofnewsandactivitiesbasedonitwhichyoucanuseasawarm-up,afillerorawrap-uptask.Thenewslettermightinclude:discussionquestions,tasksaroundheadlinesandimages,commentstorespondtovocabularyandlinkstorelatedESLBrainslessonplans.HowtousethenewsletterThestoriescoveredinthenewsletterrangefrombreakingnewstomoreevergreencontentwhichyouwillbeabletogobacktoaccordingtoyourstudents’needs.Thenewsletteritselfhasseveralparts.INTRO:Ashortparagraphdescribingwhatthenewsisabout.Youmightneedtoreaditouttostudentsoritmayalsoserveasareferencepointtoyou,dependingontheactivitiesthatgowiththeparticularpieceofnews.ACTIVITY:Ataskortasksforstudentstoworkonintheclassroom.Eachnewslettercontainsasetofquestionsrelatedtothenews.Youmightaskstudentstodiscussallofthemorjustsomeofthem.Ifyouteachlower-levelstudents,usetheeasierquestionsorjustaskstudentstosaywhattheythinkaboutthenews.Otheractivitiesmightincludecompletingheadlines,commentingonpictures,reportingwhatstudentshaveheardaboutthenews,etc.SubscribetothenewsletterIfyouareanUnlimitedoraPremiumuserandyou'resubscribedtoournewsletters,theNewsforClassroomUsenewsletterwilldropintoyourmailboxeveryWednesday.1.Whoisthetextintendedfor?A.Newspresenters. B.Teachers. C.Foreignstudents. D.Reporters.2.Whichisafeatureofthenewsletter?A.Itpostsdailyupdates. B.Itprioritizesbreakingnews.C.Itcontainsreal-timecomments. D.Itoffersreusablereadingmaterials.3.Whatactivitycanberecommendedtobeginners?A.Rewritingrelatednews. B.Choosingnewspictures.C.Expressingtheiropinions. D.Contributingtothenewsletter.BBorninXi’an,theeasternstartingpointoftheancientSilkRoad,XuWenneverimaginedthatacasualvisittoanEnglishantiqueshopwouldtiehertotheroute’swesternend.Twodecadesago,sheandherBritishhusband,AlastairBlackburn,wereimmediatelycaptivatedbythreesmall,vividlycolored,finelydetailedpaintings.Uponcloseexamination,thecouplefoundtheyweren’tjustordinarywatercolors,asthepaperwasunique,andthepigments(顏料)seemedmineral-based.Theyboughttheworksonthespot.Thesepiecesmarkedthecouple’sfirstencounterwithTongcaopainting,orpithpainting,whichservedasawindowto19th-centuryChina,anerawithoutcameras.Tongcaopaintingsarecreatedondriedpithfromaricepaperplant,whosehoneycombedtexturedifferssharplyfromfibrousordinarypaper.Thisuniquematerialpreventswatercolorsfromsinkingin;instead,thepaintsitsontop,creatingasubtlethree-dimensionaleffectthatmodernreproductionsstruggletomatch.Xulaterexplainedthattheseartworkswerelike“Easternpostcards”madebyGuangzhouartisans.WhenGuangzhouwasChina’sonlyportopentoWesterntrade,paintersadaptedWesternstylestodepictdailylife,festivals,andcustomsforcuriousWesternmerchants.Fascinatedbythisforgottenchapterofcross-culturalexchange,thecouplespent20yearscollectingTongcaopaintings.Theysearchedantiqueshops,auctions,andprivatecollectionsacrossEurope,eventuallyamassingover2,000piecesdepicting19th-centuryChineselifeandcustoms.Theirpassionledthemtobuildamuseumin2023,whichwasopenedinarenovatedhistoricalbuildinginMacclesfield—Blackburn’shometown,longrecognizedastheSilkRoad’swesternterminus.“ThismuseumbridgesthetwoendsoftheSilkRoad,”Xusaid.ManyChinesevisitorshavecomeandappreciatedinpersonthetown’slonghistorywithChinathroughthemuseumandthewaylocalshopsandculturalcenterscelebratedtheirtiestotheSilkRoad,Blackburnobserved.Tofurtherpromotethisheritage,thecouplefoundedtheSilkRoadFoundationin2023andinvitedstudentstocopyTongcaoworks.XualsocollaboratedwithschoolsinXi’an,hopingtopassonthisintangibleculture.“Thesepaintingsarelivinghistory,”shesaid,“WemustmakesuretheykeeptellingtheirstoriesofEast-Westconnection.”4.WhatmadeTongcaopaintingsattractivetothecouple?A.Itsspecialpaper. B.Itslowprice. C.Itsinterestingcontents. D.Itsartisticform.5.Whatdoestheunderlinedword“amassing”inparagraph4probablymean?A.Accumulating. B.Selling. C.Sorting. D.Donating.6.WhydidthecouplesetuptheSilkRoadFoundation?A.ToattractChinesetouriststoboostlocalculture.B.TopreservetherarematerialusedinTongcaoartwork.C.Tocarryforwardthelegacyofintangibleculturalheritage.D.TodisplaytheirextensivecollectionofTongcaopaintings.7.Whichsayingbestreflectsthemainideaofthepassage?A.WheninRome,doastheRomansdo.B.EastmeetsWestandabridgeisbuilt.C.Ajourneyofathousandmilesbeginswithasinglestep.D.Wedon’tinherittheearth,butborrowitfromourchildren.CNotlongago,youhadtophysicallyhandovercashtobuysomething.Youwitnesseditexityourwallet.Yousensedit.ButwithpaymentservicesKlarnaorClearpay,youcannowpayforanewphoneinthreeinstallments(分期付款)andbarelynoticethedifference.Thisisn’tjustashoppinghabit;it’sareflectionofhowwerelatetomoneytoday.Wearebecomingincreasinglyfreeoftheemotionalburdenofspending.Additionally,ourmentalhealthisbeingprofoundlyaffectedbythisquietshift.ThepopularityofBuyNow,PayLater(BNPL)planshassoared.Theypromisefreedomandflexibility,buttheeaseofusecantrickourminds.Whenpaymentisdividedintosmallerpayments,wearewiredtofeellessemotionallytired.Althoughthe￡15paymentsseeminsignificant,theyquicklyaddup.Psychologistsfoundthatwhentheactofpayingisseparatedfromtheactofpurchasing,weexperienceless“painofpaying”,whichmakesusmorelikelytooverspend.Insocietieswheredigitalcreditiseasilyaccessiblebutfinancialeducationislimited,thisbehaviourcanfallintolastingdebt.Stressovermoneydoesn’tstayinthebank.Itfollowsusintoourhomesandevenoursleep.Researcheshaveshownthatpersonaldebtisstronglyassociatedwithdepressionandanxiety.That’swhyweneedtotalkaboutmoneymoreoften—notjusthowtomakeit,buthowwefeelaboutit—infamilies,schools,workplaces,andtherapyrooms.Therapistsshouldbeabletoaskaboutfinancialstresswithconfidence.Financialeducationoughttobetreatedasessentialinschools.Additionally,weshouldnormalizedebt-relatedconversationstorelievepeople’sfeelingsofshame.Financialstresscanmakeyoufeelhelpless.Butbyaddressingtheemotionalsideofmoneyandbuildinghealthierhabits,wecanmovefromcrisistoconfidence.Weliveinaworldwheremoneyisinvisible.Buttheemotionalburdenittakesisveryreal.Ifwestartnoticingthatcost,wemightfinallytreatmoneynotonlyasaresource,butassomethingdeeplypsychological.8.Whatphenomenondoestheauthorpointoutinparagraph1?A.KlarnaandClearpayhelppeoplesavemoney.B.Digitalpaymentsarenowrelativelypreferred.C.Invisiblepaymentshaveimprovedmentalhealth.D.Installmentseasetheemotionalspendingburden.9.WhatmayBNPLresultin?A.Improvedfinancialknowledge. B.Easyaccesstodigitalcredit.C.Overspendingandlong-termdebt. D.Decreaseofsmall-amountexpenses.10.Howcanwebuildhealthierfinancialhabits?A.Valuefinancialeducation. B.Hidefeelingsofshame.C.Maskpeople’sfinancialstress. D.Highlightdebt-relatedproblems.11.Whatcanbeasuitabletitleforthetext?A.CashShopping:TheHealthyWayofConsumptionB.Money’sEmotionalCost:BeyondInvisiblePaymentsC.BNPL:ANewApproachtoBoostConsumerSpendingD.FinancialEducation:TheCoretoCuttingExpensesDDoyouusuallyspotthetouchscreenfirstwhencheckingoutanewcar?Foryears,almosteverynewcarsoldhasahigh-techscreenthatcontrolseverything.Evensafetyfeatureslikeautomaticlane-keepingaresometimesscreen-controlled.Butisitreallysafe?Ifscrollingdownthescreenofasmartphonewhiledrivingisdistractingandthendoinglikewisewithyourcar’sisprobablyriskytoo.Driversknowthelocationofphysicalcontrolsandpressbuttonswithouttakingtheireyesofftheroad.Atouchscreenoffersnophysicalfeedback,makingtheoperationmuchharder.Andbecausescreenshavetodosomanythings,itoftentakesafewstepsthroughseveralsub-menustofindtherightsetting.In2022,ViBilagare,aSwedishmotoringmagazine,measuredhowlongittookdriverstodothingslikechangingthetemperaturewhiledrivingat110kilometersperhour.Itcompared11carswithtouchscreenstoasingleoldermodelwithrealbuttons.Intheoldcars,driverswereabletodoalltheirtaskswithinabout10seconds,whiletheworst-performingmoderncartook45seconds.Eveninthebest-performingmoderncars,testersstilltookseveralsecondslongerthanintheoldcar.Anotherstudy,donein2024byresearchersinNorway,usedtrackingcamerastocomparehowlongdriversweredistractedwhileperformingdifferenttasksonatouchscreen.Eventhequickestjoblikechangingthetemperaturemeantthreeandahalfseconds,onaverage,ofnotlookingattheroad.NewrulesfromEuroNCAP,anorganizationthatprovidessafetyratingsforcarssoldinEurope,willgivenocarafullfive-starscoreunlesscertaincrucialfunctionsarecontrolledbyrealswitches.EuroNCAP’ssafetyguidelineshavenolegalforce,butcarmakersuseitsratingsasasellingpoint.Traditionalcarmakershavebegunrestoringsomebuttonstotheirnewmodels.Butinnovationneverstops.Evenastouchscreensarefallingoutoffavour,manymanufacturersareturningtheirattentiontovoicecontrol—thoughthatisasubjectforanotherstory.12.Whatisanadvantageofphysicalbuttonsovertouchscreens?A.Theyarecheapertoproduceandreplace.B.Theyareeasiertoseeinbrightsunlight.C.Theycanbeoperatedwithoutlookingatthem.D.Theyallowcontrolofawiderrangeoffunctions.13.Whichtookthelongesttimeinthe2022study?A.Themodelrunningat110km/h. B.Theoldmodelwithrealbuttons.C.Thebest-performingmoderncar. D.Theworst-performingmoderncar.14.Howdoestheauthorprovehisargumentinthepassage?A.Byshowingdifferentresearchresults. B.Bytellinghisowndrivingexperience.C.Bycomparingtheactionsofcardrivers. D.Bymentioningtherulesofanorganization.15.Whatcanwelearnfromthelastparagraph?A.Safetyfeatureswillbesmarter. B.Touchscreenswillbeabandoned.C.Voicecontrolwilldominatethemarket. D.In-carcontrolwillinnovatecontinually.第二節(jié)（共5小題；每小題2.5分，滿分12.5分）閱讀下面短文，從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多余選項(xiàng)。Inourconstantpursuitofproductivityandachievement,weoftenoverlookthequalityofourdailyexperiences.Wefillourhourswithtasks,yetwonderwhywesofrequentlyfeelexhausted,distracted,orunsatisfied.Whatifthekeytoamorefulfillinglifeisn’taboutdoingmore,butaboutdoingdifferently?______16______Activitiesactuallycanbedividedintodifferentcategories.Understandingwhateachcategorytrulyishelpsmakebetterchoices.Pleasingactivitiesarelow-effort,high-reward.Youdon’tneedtoplanthemfarinadvanceorclearoutafullafternoon.Itmightbeawalkinnature,listeningtoyourfavoriteplaylist,orcallingafriendjusttosayhello.______17______Oneofthebiggestmisconceptionsaboutfunisthatithastobesomegrandevent.Intruth,themostrestorativemomentsoftencomefromthesesmaller,everydaypleasures.___18___Theymightfeelchallengingatfirst,buttheymatchwithyourvaluesandleaveyouwitharealsenseofmeaning.Itcouldbelearninganewskillthatpushesyououtofyourcomfortzone.ThesetypesofexperiencestakemoreeffortthanPleasingactivities,buttheyoftenhelpusfeelmorealive.Yieldingactivitiesareactivitiesthatrequirelittleeffortbutofferlittlesatisfaction._____19_____Orvisualizetherepeatedcheckofyourinboxwithouturgency.Theseactivitiescanbeharmlesswaystorelax.Butwhenoverused,theyquietlyreplacemoremeaningfulexperiences.Onceyou’vereflectedonhowyoucurrentlyspendyourtime,trymakingonesmallshifteachday.ChooseaPleasingorLivingactivityyouwouldliketoengageinmore,evensomethingsimplelikeashortwalkortryingsomethingnewthatisconsistentwithyourvalues.___20___A.Trytochangehowyouhandletheseactivities.B.Livingactivitiesaretheactivitiesthatstretchyou.C.Thinkofthemindlessscanningthroughsocialmedia.D.Unbearableactivitiesarethethingsthatleaveyoudrained.E.Thegoalistoreplacedistractedmomentswithengagedones.F.Thisbeginsbyrecognizingthatnotallactivitiesaffectusequally.G.Thesearesimplejoysthatdon’trequiremuchbutofferagenuinereward.第三部分語(yǔ)言運(yùn)用（共兩節(jié)，滿分30分）第一節(jié)（共15小題；每小題1分，滿分15分）Karen,16,wasacollegefreshmaninalocaluniversity.Shewasthrilledtoearna___21___intherenownedchoirfortheirinternationaltour.However,___22___overcameherwhensheoversleptbeforeakeyperformanceatadistantchurch.Missingthebus,she___23___helplesslyinherdormhallway.Shehadnocarsnorfriendsnearbytohelp.Ironically,herneighborPamemerged,the___24___personKarenexpectedtosee.Theirrelationshiphadbeen___25___.Karen’sgroupfrequentlydisturbedthefloorwithlate-nightnoise,___26___Pam’srequestsforquiet.They___27___temporarilyjustlongenoughtocatchtheirbreath—beforethedisruptionscamecrashingbackin.Nowfacing___28___ofherownmistake,KarenawkwardlyconfessedherdilemmatoPam.Toherastonishment,Pamofferedarideimmediately,whichstunnedKaren—Whydidheextendkindnesstosomeonewhohadshown___29___?TheyracedtoPam’scarandarrivedjustasthechoirenteredthechurch—amiraculous___30___.Decadeslater,Karenstill___31___thatgesture.Itwasnever___32___aride,butaprofoundlessoningrace.Pam’scomplaintsgavewaytoforgiveness,___33___Karenredemption(救贖)shehadn’tearned.IfshecouldspeaktoPamtoday,Karenwouldofferanapologyforheryouthfulselfishness,and___34___forthattransformativecompassion.Itsrippleeffects___35___hernextthirtyyears,provingthattruemercybridgesdividesandhealshearts.21.A.spot B.chance C.bonus D.prize22.A.calmness B.panic C.thrill D.relief23.A.paced B.stormed C.bounced D.tripped24.A.best B.worst C.first D.last25.A.tense B.close C.familiar D.distant26.A.disapproving B.doubting C.supporting D.dismissing27.A.stayed B.waited C.paused D.hesitated28.A.processes B.conclusions C.causes D.consequences29.A.some B.none C.any D.much30.A.save B.contribution C.performance D.movement31.A.callson B.reflectson C.holdsback D.looksback32.A.totally B.rarely C.merely D.fairly33.A.gifting B.rewarding C.supplying D.sparing34.A.complaint B.gratitude C.welcome D.regret35.A.restricted B.formed C.constructed D.shaped第二節(jié)語(yǔ)法填空：在空白處填入1個(gè)適當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或括號(hào)內(nèi)單詞的正確形式（共10小題，滿分15分）AskaCantonesecookwhat“wokhei(鍋氣)”is,andthematter-of-factdescriptionmightrefertoitas“thatsmokyflavor”.AmorepoeticonecomesfromChefStephLi,theownerofSavoryKitchen,____36____describesitasaqualityachievedfrom“that____37____(mystery)tasteoftherestaurantoilandthe___38___(noticeable)deeperrestaurantbrowning.”Mydadhasalwaysbeenawokheilover—thatrestaurantmagicishisgoldstandard.Wokheicanonlyhappenwhenfood____39____(cook)atveryhighheat.Unfortunately,thatheatishardtoachieveonahomestovetop.____40____aprofessionalcook,I’vespent15years____41____(experiment)withwokheiinahomekitchen.Lastyear,Ifinallygotthere.Thesecretdoesn’tjustcomefromusingahotstovetop.It’salsoimportanttousetherightkindofwoks—andStephLiexpressesapreferencefor____42____(one)madewithcarbonsteel.Therearetwoextrathingsahomecookcando:Oneistoaddsoysaucearoundtheedgeofthewok____43____(give)fooda“seared(焦的)soysauceflavor”.Thesecondistotakeakitchentorch(火槍)inamethodcalled“torchhei”—thatinvolvesspreadingfoodinasinglelayeronabakingsheet____44____“givingitafewleisurelypasseswithatorch”.WhenIcookwithacarbonsteelwokandaddsomesearedsoysaucetothemix,Icanalmostsmell____45____breathofthewok—andsuddenly,it’slikeIhearmydadpushingopenmykitchendoor,saying,“Ilikethefoodhere.”第四部分寫(xiě)作（共兩節(jié)，滿分40分）第一節(jié)應(yīng)用文（滿分15分）46.假定你是李華，你加入學(xué)校英語(yǔ)辯論社一年來(lái)，英語(yǔ)進(jìn)步很大。請(qǐng)你寫(xiě)一篇發(fā)言稿，在班級(jí)英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)經(jīng)驗(yàn)交流會(huì)上分享，內(nèi)容包括：（1）你的經(jīng)歷；（2）你的收獲和啟發(fā)。注意：（1）寫(xiě)作詞數(shù)應(yīng)為80左右；（2）請(qǐng)按如下格式在答題紙的相應(yīng)位置作答。Dearclassmates,I’mgladtosharemyEnglishlearningjourneywithallofyou.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Thankyou!第二節(jié)讀后續(xù)寫(xiě)（滿分25分）47.閱讀下面材料，根據(jù)其內(nèi)容和所給段落開(kāi)頭語(yǔ)續(xù)寫(xiě)兩段，使之構(gòu)成一篇完整的短文。ItwasahotdayinNewYorkCity.Ihadbrunchwithafriendandpickedupmynewglasses.Alldoneandheadedbackonthetrain.Iwantedtoyellatacoupleofpeoplefortheirrudebehavior,butwiselyjustsatquietly.Anoldblackgentlemanenteredthefarendofthetraincar.Inwornbutneatclothes,hetippedhisfadedcapandgreetedeveryonewithawarm“Goodafternoon,folks.”Mostignoredhim,withcoldblankfaces.Then,hestartedtosing.Ididn’tturnmyhead,butIfeltasmileinmysoul.Manypeopleaskformoneyonthetrain,butIalwaysfeelhappywhensomeoneoffersmusicinstead.Itfeelslikeagift.Iletthenotessettleinforasecondbeforemyeyeswandered.Ayoungboyacrossfromme,maybeten,watchedhim,swaying(搖擺)totherhythm,hismothertoodistractedbyherphonetonotice.Hestartedhissecondsongandmyheartdidahappydance.“Leanonme,whenyou’renotstrong.I’llbeyourfriend...”Ilovethatsong!Withoutthinking,Isoftlysangalittleharmonywithhim.Rightaway,Idecidedhecouldhavethe$5billinmypurse.Helookedtallandthin,buthehadastrongvoiceandkindenergy.Lifehadclearlybeenhardforhim,buthestillstoodtallandcarriedhimselfwithquietdignity.Irolledthebilltightlyandwaitedforhimtomakehiswaytome.Heheldtheoverheadbartosteadyhimselfasheincheddownthecar,pausingbrieflybesideeachseatlikehewaswaitingforasign—thoughnooneglancedup.Noonewasmakinganymovestogivehimcoinsorreachfortheirwallet.注意：(1)續(xù)寫(xiě)詞數(shù)應(yīng)為150左右；(2)請(qǐng)按如下格式在答題卡的相應(yīng)位置作答。Paragraph1:Somehow,henoticedmesingingalong.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph2:Itwasstillhotandstickyinsidethecar,butsomethinghadchanged.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________福建省廈門某中學(xué)2025-2026學(xué)年高三上學(xué)期11月月考英語(yǔ)試題第一部分：聽(tīng)力（略）第二部分：閱讀理解（共兩節(jié)，滿分50分）第一節(jié)（共15小題；每小題2.5分，滿分37.5分）閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選出最佳選項(xiàng)。AWe’rehappytointroduceNewsforClassroomUse:aweeklynewsletterwithapieceofnewsandactivitiesbasedonitwhichyoucanuseasawarm-up,afillerorawrap-uptask.Thenewslettermightinclude:discussionquestions,tasksaroundheadlinesandimages,commentstorespondtovocabularyandlinkstorelatedESLBrainslessonplans.HowtousethenewsletterThestoriescoveredinthenewsletterrangefrombreakingnewstomoreevergreencontentwhichyouwillbeabletogobacktoaccordingtoyourstudents’needs.Thenewsletteritselfhasseveralparts.INTRO:Ashortparagraphdescribingwhatthenewsisabout.Youmightneedtoreaditouttostudentsoritmayalsoserveasareferencepointtoyou,dependingontheactivitiesthatgowiththeparticularpieceofnews.ACTIVITY:Ataskortasksforstudentstoworkonintheclassroom.Eachnewslettercontainsasetofquestionsrelatedtothenews.Youmightaskstudentstodiscussallofthemorjustsomeofthem.Ifyouteachlower-levelstudents,usetheeasierquestionsorjustaskstudentstosaywhattheythinkaboutthenews.Otheractivitiesmightincludecompletingheadlines,commentingonpictures,reportingwhatstudentshaveheardaboutthenews,etc.SubscribetothenewsletterIfyouareanUnlimitedoraPremiumuserandyou'resubscribedtoournewsletters,theNewsforClassroomUsenewsletterwilldropintoyourmailboxeveryWednesday.1.Whoisthetextintendedfor?A.Newspresenters. B.Teachers. C.Foreignstudents. D.Reporters.2.Whichisafeatureofthenewsletter?A.Itpostsdailyupdates. B.Itprioritizesbreakingnews.C.Itcontainsreal-timecomments. D.Itoffersreusablereadingmaterials.3.Whatactivitycanberecommendedtobeginners?A.Rewritingrelatednews. B.Choosingnewspictures.C.Expressingtheiropinions. D.Contributingtothenewsletter.BBorninXi’an,theeasternstartingpointoftheancientSilkRoad,XuWenneverimaginedthatacasualvisittoanEnglishantiqueshopwouldtiehertotheroute’swesternend.Twodecadesago,sheandherBritishhusband,AlastairBlackburn,wereimmediatelycaptivatedbythreesmall,vividlycolored,finelydetailedpaintings.Uponcloseexamination,thecouplefoundtheyweren’tjustordinarywatercolors,asthepaperwasunique,andthepigments(顏料)seemedmineral-based.Theyboughttheworksonthespot.Thesepiecesmarkedthecouple’sfirstencounterwithTongcaopainting,orpithpainting,whichservedasawindowto19th-centuryChina,anerawithoutcameras.Tongcaopaintingsarecreatedondriedpithfromaricepaperplant,whosehoneycombedtexturedifferssharplyfromfibrousordinarypaper.Thisuniquematerialpreventswatercolorsfromsinkingin;instead,thepaintsitsontop,creatingasubtlethree-dimensionaleffectthatmodernreproductionsstruggletomatch.Xulaterexplainedthattheseartworkswerelike“Easternpostcards”madebyGuangzhouartisans.WhenGuangzhouwasChina’sonlyportopentoWesterntrade,paintersadaptedWesternstylestodepictdailylife,festivals,andcustomsforcuriousWesternmerchants.Fascinatedbythisforgottenchapterofcross-culturalexchange,thecouplespent20yearscollectingTongcaopaintings.Theysearchedantiqueshops,auctions,andprivatecollectionsacrossEurope,eventuallyamassingover2,000piecesdepicting19th-centuryChineselifeandcustoms.Theirpassionledthemtobuildamuseumin2023,whichwasopenedinarenovatedhistoricalbuildinginMacclesfield—Blackburn’shometown,longrecognizedastheSilkRoad’swesternterminus.“ThismuseumbridgesthetwoendsoftheSilkRoad,”Xusaid.ManyChinesevisitorshavecomeandappreciatedinpersonthetown’slonghistorywithChinathroughthemuseumandthewaylocalshopsandculturalcenterscelebratedtheirtiestotheSilkRoad,Blackburnobserved.Tofurtherpromotethisheritage,thecouplefoundedtheSilkRoadFoundationin2023andinvitedstudentstocopyTongcaoworks.XualsocollaboratedwithschoolsinXi’an,hopingtopassonthisintangibleculture.“Thesepaintingsarelivinghistory,”shesaid,“WemustmakesuretheykeeptellingtheirstoriesofEast-Westconnection.”4.WhatmadeTongcaopaintingsattractivetothecouple?A.Itsspecialpaper. B.Itslowprice. C.Itsinterestingcontents. D.Itsartisticform.5.Whatdoestheunderlinedword“amassing”inparagraph4probablymean?A.Accumulating. B.Selling. C.Sorting. D.Donating.6.WhydidthecouplesetuptheSilkRoadFoundation?A.ToattractChinesetouriststoboostlocalculture.B.TopreservetherarematerialusedinTongcaoartwork.C.Tocarryforwardthelegacyofintangibleculturalheritage.D.TodisplaytheirextensivecollectionofTongcaopaintings.7.Whichsayingbestreflectsthemainideaofthepassage?A.WheninRome,doastheRomansdo.B.EastmeetsWestandabridgeisbuilt.C.Ajourneyofathousandmilesbeginswithasinglestep.D.Wedon’tinherittheearth,butborrowitfromourchildren.CNotlongago,youhadtophysicallyhandovercashtobuysomething.Youwitnesseditexityourwallet.Yousensedit.ButwithpaymentservicesKlarnaorClearpay,youcannowpayforanewphoneinthreeinstallments(分期付款)andbarelynoticethedifference.Thisisn’tjustashoppinghabit;it’sareflectionofhowwerelatetomoneytoday.Wearebecomingincreasinglyfreeoftheemotionalburdenofspending.Additionally,ourmentalhealthisbeingprofoundlyaffectedbythisquietshift.ThepopularityofBuyNow,PayLater(BNPL)planshassoared.Theypromisefreedomandflexibility,buttheeaseofusecantrickourminds.Whenpaymentisdividedintosmallerpayments,wearewiredtofeellessemotionallytired.Althoughthe￡15paymentsseeminsignificant,theyquicklyaddup.Psychologistsfoundthatwhentheactofpayingisseparatedfromtheactofpurchasing,weexperienceless“painofpaying”,whichmakesusmorelikelytooverspend.Insocietieswheredigitalcreditiseasilyaccessiblebutfinancialeducationislimited,thisbehaviourcanfallintolastingdebt.Stressovermoneydoesn’tstayinthebank.Itfollowsusintoourhomesandevenoursleep.Researcheshaveshownthatpersonaldebtisstronglyassociatedwithdepressionandanxiety.That’swhyweneedtotalkaboutmoneymoreoften—notjusthowtomakeit,buthowwefeelaboutit—infamilies,schools,workplaces,andtherapyrooms.Therapistsshouldbeabletoaskaboutfinancialstresswithconfidence.Financialeducationoughttobetreatedasessentialinschools.Additionall