1 . Fifteen-year-old Sansa has been writing for eight years and has been working on a book for the past four. Feeling stuck and unable to write, she started searching for writing groups in Los Angeles, looking for guidance. When she found WriteGirl, she was inspired.
Keren Taylor started WriteGirl in 2001 as a way to help teen girls who did not have access to creative writing programs. “Teen girls are incredibly vulnerable (脆弱的) and invisible,” Taylor said. “They really need to be lifted up and inspired.”
At WriteGirl, 400 women writers volunteer to mentor (指导) 700 teenagers a year. Every girl who has gone through the mentorship program has gone to college and several have pursued careers as professional writers. Through the program, girls dive into poetry, fiction, songwriting, play and so on, learning techniques from professional women writers. This leads to well-rounded training and sets WriteGirl apart from other organizations.
A typical exercise at WriteGirl is mic and rant, a 30-second session before writing for each girl. As a vehicle for teens to get their ideas out, it empowers girls to explore anything meaningful to them. “Not the flowery language, or rather, complicated expressions that sound skillful, but more of the natural, this is what I’m thinking and what I’m feeling.” Taylor said.
Sansa’s mentor Danyella Wilder is attracted by the long-term nature of mentoring at WriteGirl. Wilder wishes she had a program like this herself when she was 15. “To just have an organization where people are spending their time just to tell you, ‘Hey, good job,’ or ‘That was amazing.’ You’re at the age where you need to hear that.”
1. Why did Sansa join WriteGirl?A.To gain a sense of belonging. | B.To overcome her writing block. |
C.To release negative emotions. | D.To become a professional writer. |
A.It aims to produce professional writers. |
B.It turns teen girls into mentors. |
C.It exposes girls to varied writing styles. |
D.It ensures girls’entry to college. |
A.A daily writing task. | B.A recitation of poetry. |
C.A session for idea generation. | D.A skillful expression activity. |
A.Mentoring is a time-consuming process. |
B.Positive feedback is crucial for teen girls. |
C.Criticism at a young age can be harmful. |
D.Mentorship should be based on friendship. |
2 . The wind roils the Midwest plains as if it is searching for someone or something to carry away. Dust and chaff funnel into blinding clouds. The clatter of storms overhead makes it impossible to hear, and herds of bison (野牛) grow restless. The Omaha tribe has wandered these plains for generations, and now, it seems that the winds have brought back one of their own. Susan La Flesche has returned to the village where she was born. Not as a visitor, but as the region’s only doctor.
When Susan was 8 years old, she waited at the bedside of an elderly woman writhing in pain. A doctor was called for. They waited. A messenger was sent. The doctor still didn’t come. Susan provided what comfort she could through the night, but by sunrise, the elderly woman had died. The episode both haunted and motivated Susan. She threw herself into her studies and earned her way to what is now Hampton University in Virginia — a historically Black college with a program for native American students. And she finished second in her class.
Susan would never forget the childhood she enjoyed, full of powwows, buffalo hunts and the people she loved. But there was further to go. She enrolled in the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, a tedious train ride away from the world she knew. It was 1886, and the Victorian age held stiff against the progress of women. In her graduation speech from Hampton, she told the East Coast audience, “Give us a chance.” Three years later, she became a doctor.
Returning to the plains to serve her people was a difficult task. She opened an office in the government boarding school and began seeing patients. The lines were long, old and young seeking reprieve (缓解) from cholera and tuberculosis (肺结核) as well as a slew of other diseases. Susan worked long hours at her office but also braved the wind and snow, walking miles to make house calls. Her work was more than as a physician. She often acted as lawyer, accountant, priest, political liaison and counselor as she helped the Omahas navigate the new world. And Dr. Susan La Flesche was determined to spend her entire life helping her people navigate the storms.
1. What contributed to Susan’s being a doctor?A.Her poor family. |
B.Her desire for knowledge. |
C.The opposition to women’s progress. |
D.The lack of medical resources in her hometown. |
A.She had an unhappy childhood. |
B.She enjoyed the train ride to her college. |
C.She got high marks in every exam. |
D.She encountered difficulties in her college life. |
A.To emphasize her lack of focus on her medical career |
B.To suggest that she was overburdened with responsibilities |
C.To highlight her dedication to serving the community wholeheartedly |
D.To showcase her adaptability in fulfilling various roles within her community |
A.Hard-working and helpful. | B.Sensitive and modest. |
C.Serious and brave. | D.Greedy and self-centred. |
A.A Force of Nature: Dr. Susan La Flesche’s Impact |
B.Winds of Change: Dr. Susan La Flesche’s Legacy |
C.The Resilient Doctor: Dr. Susan La Flesche’s Triumph |
D.Whispering Winds: Dr. Susan La Flesche’s Mysterious Journey |
3 . Imagine suddenly waking up at midnight,
I guess it may have been in part the
After much
However, life
In conclusion, this is what I would like to say —when in trouble, reach out for help, talk to family and friends, your doctor or a counsellor. Take time to take care of yourself, you are worth the
A.struggling | B.searching | C.begging | D.waiting |
A.cause | B.result | C.price | D.condition |
A.anxious | B.practical | C.temporary | D.urgent |
A.pressure | B.emphasis | C.effect | D.limit |
A.found | B.displayed | C.occupied | D.enjoyed |
A.concern | B.surprise | C.puzzle | D.guilt |
A.suggested | B.recognized | C.claimed | D.guaranteed |
A.complaint | B.debate | C.preparation | D.resistance |
A.went | B.worked | C.behaved | D.reacted |
A.slid | B.threw | C.rolled | D.sank |
A.ignored | B.ensured | C.robbed | D.disturbed |
A.left out | B.pointed out | C.reached out | D.passed out |
A.approaches | B.disciplines | C.assumptions | D.patterns |
A.permanently | B.potentially | C.smoothly | D.thoroughly |
A.passion | B.freedom | C.strength | D.effort |
4 . I once had a strange relationship with money. I always made more money than most people of my age did. But it still stressed me out, and I felt like I never had enough. After coming across The School of Betty, a platform that enables women to create relationships with their money, I found myself inspired to do a no-spend month challenge. The result? I saved more than $1,000. It was like finding money in my winter coat pocket after a long summer.
The most eye-opening thing a no-spend challenge can do for you is shedding light on the emotions and the behaviors you have around your money that have become a habit. Most individuals don’t realize they are spending out of habit and based on their emotions. Figuring out the causes and knowing I was able to save a good sum of money in only 30 days, I set out to do a longer challenge — three months.
As for the first challenge, I was only allowed to buy essentials, which meant my normal bills — lighting, phone, car insurance, gas, oil and groceries. But in my 90-day challenge, I further removed all of the extras — no new clothes, no new shoes, and no lunches at restaurants. I allowed myself one night out with friends per month — to avoid going crazy — but I stuck to a budget. This also allowed me to see what type of experience was worth my money and what type was wasting my money.
90 days later, my jaw hit the floor when I totaled my savings: I was almost $4,000 richer. The rewards were more than financial: I was able to distinguish between my needs and my wants. The process enabled me to spot purchases driven by emotions. Even better, I shifted the way I valued money: The money I spent socializing with friends felt far more valuable than the pleasure of purchasing, say, two new sweaters.
1. How did the author feel after the first no-spend challenge?A.Stressed and regretful. | B.Surprised and wonderful. |
C.Tired but content. | D.Awful but encouraged. |
A.Because of their unintentional habits. | B.Because of their social communication. |
C.Because of their heavy pressure of work. | D.Because of their basic needs. |
A.She hung around with friends weekly. | B.She saw essentials as a waste of money. |
C.She enjoyed her friends’ company. | D.She bought nothing in ninety days. |
A.To share personal experiences. | B.To advertise a platform. |
C.To support an argument. | D.To advocate healthy lifestyles. |
5 . At the beginning of graduate school, I knew that if I wanted to get tenure (长期聘用), I had to be productive. However, when my first three papers were rejected by major journals, a leading expert told me my projects were hopeless, and I wondered if I should drop out.
We all get rejected at work, whether it’s having our suggestions shot down or getting fired from a job. It causes pain. Neuroscientists (神经系统科学家) have scanned the brains of people who have cruelly been excluded from an online game. The physiological (生理学的) response looks fairly similar to processing physical pain.
Apparently, this was adaptive in our evolutionary past. If rejection didn’t hurt, you might have been perfectly comfortable leaving your tribe, which would not be good for your survival. But it’s left us nervous and likely to overreact to everyday rejections. If you’ve ever given a presentation and felt upset by the one unfriendly face in a room full of smiles, you know what I mean.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that we can learn to accept rejection calmly. “When you’re insecure in one, you rely on the other one that’s doing better at that time. Pliability (柔韧性) is the definition of strength,” said filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan.
When my work got rejected early in my academic career, pliability became my source of strength. My identity as a researcher was under threat, but that wasn’t what had drawn me to graduate school in the first place. I had another, stronger identity: I wanted to be a teacher. However, I hadn’t had the chance: The first two years of my program were supposed to focus entirely on research.
I realized that if I wanted to bounce back from the research rejections, I had to find a way to teach. I convinced an adviser to sign off on independent study projects for a group of students, and I started meeting with them weekly to teach my own little class. The conversations with the students gave rise to my first two major papers, which gave me a head start toward tenure.
1. What was the author’s reaction to the leading expert’s words?A.He took his advice. | B.He felt discouraged. |
C.He paid no attention. | D.He consulted another expert. |
A.Rejection really hurts. |
B.Rejection is important to survival. |
C.People tend to overreact to rejection. |
D.Physical pain grows because of rejection. |
A.Find out the reasons behind it. |
B.Forgive those who reject us. |
C.Turn to our stronger identity. |
D.Learn a lesson from past failures. |
A.He left graduate school. |
B.He turned into a middle school teacher. |
C.He worked on practicing his physical pliability. |
D.He accomplished some research work successfully. |
6 . I was sixty-eight years old and retired when our church (教堂) joined a prison service group. We went on a tour of the women prison (监狱). The metal doors gave me a sense of
Then Margo, a young but experienced volunteer in the prison,
Later, Margo and I scheduled our first visit.
Fifteen years have passed now and I
A.curiosity | B.fear | C.surprise | D.sadness |
A.rarely | B.especially | C.even | D.just |
A.invited | B.forced | C.allowed | D.hired |
A.control | B.influence | C.cheat | D.judge |
A.capacity | B.patience | C.confidence | D.reputation |
A.Moreover | B.Therefore | C.Otherwise | D.However |
A.planned | B.refused | C.managed | D.offered |
A.stay | B.speak | C.come | D.walk |
A.nervously | B.excitedly | C.expectantly | D.angrily |
A.survive | B.escape | C.relax | D.change |
A.encouraging | B.interesting | C.polite | D.tough |
A.congratulating | B.asking | C.thanking | D.observing |
A.stop | B.struggle | C.forget | D.continue |
A.satisfaction | B.interest | C.disappointment | D.wish |
A.hidden | B.same | C.mental | D.wooden |
7 . Seven years after a terrible fall left me paralyzed, here I was, with my two teammates, on the way to becoming the first all-disabled team to cross Europe's largest ice cap, the Vatnajökull glacier, unsupported and unassisted.
A year before, when McCann first suggested making the 100-mile trip, I was excited by the
From our start point, we would need to
After 11 tough days, and countless
That moment at the
A.prospect | B.condition | C.schedule | D.observation |
A.curious | B.puzzled | C.enthusiastic | D.anxious |
A.recovery | B.fame | C.adventure | D.money |
A.battle | B.live | C.see | D.walk |
A.powers | B.limits | C.sources | D.dangers |
A.pushing | B.dragging | C.operating | D.following |
A.strength | B.responsibility | C.weakness | D.pressure |
A.resistance | B.protection | C.inspiration | D.failure |
A.closer | B.harder | C.higher | D.deeper |
A.steps | B.turs | C.falls | D.tricks |
A.set down | B.went beyond | C.kept off | D.moved into |
A.edge | B.base | C.center | D.summit |
A.ignored | B.fought | C.perceived | D.hid |
A.successful | B.disabled | C.brave | D.irresponsible |
A.curiosity | B.sincerity | C.willpower | D.innovation |
8 . Tina Leverton was 62 when she bought her first pair of ballet shoes. She said putting her feet into the soft leather was very emotional. She said:“I’ve waited a long time for it.”
A few days later, Leverton took her first ballet class after seeing an advertisement in a newspaper. It showed older women dancing in a class near Leverton’s house. “As I came in the door, I found a big smile on my face. From the minute I started, I felt like coming home.”
Leverton had longed to dance as a child. Sadly, her parents couldn’t afford ballet classes, for they were first-generation Indian immigrants, struggling to make a living in the UK. Her father was a train driver on the underground in London and her mother held two cleaning jobs. However, she harboured her dream of being a ballerina (芭蕾舞女演员).
At her present age, a grand plie—lowering to the floor with bent knees seemed to be out of the question. It took her three months to master the move: leaping and landing on one foot. “I love the struggle and the challenge of learning something new. People in their 60s have a lot of self-limiting beliefs: ‘I can’t do it,’ ‘I’m not good enough.’ And maybe they’re not good enough. But it doesn’t matter,” she said.
Ballet has been transformative. At a medical appointment a few months after Leverton’s first class, a nurse measured her at 163cm, half an inch taller than she had thought . She attributes (归因) the difference to improved posture. Her muscle tone has improved and her lower back pain has stopped. Dancing has also brought new friends. She met a group of older, more independent women and worked together towards a team award with the Royal Academy of Dance. And then, of course, there is the joyful feeling. “Ballet is all the therapy (治疗) I’ll ever need,” said Leverton.
1. How had Leverton been feeling about taking a ballet class?A.Confident | B.Shy | C.Bored | D.Expectant |
A.The ballet class was unaffordable for her family. |
B.Her parents prevented her from doing so. |
C.Her family was busy immigrating to the UK. |
D.She had to hold two cleaning jobs. |
A.A team award. | B.Health and friendship. |
C.Fame and wealth. | D.A well-paid job. |
A.Never too old to pursue dreams. | B.Hard work pays off. |
C.Interest is the path to success. | D.Actions speak louder than words. |
With a history of thousands of years,
Due to the vast territory of the country, traditions surrounding Spring Festival vary from provınce to province,
My first experience of Spring Festival was in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province in Northeast China,
What I didn’t realize was these traditions,
A common tradition for the locals of Hong Kong is to ring in the New Year at Wong Tai Sin temple. During Lunar New Year, the crowds swell beyond measure, with eager visitors impatient to get inside and make their offering as soon as possible in the hope
Once they enter Wong Tai Sin, visitors are ushered (引领) through the complex at a constant pace just
Seeing the crowds enbrace this Spring Festival tradition at Wong Tai Sin is a remarkable experience and shows just how differently one holiday can be celebrated. It is this variety that keeps my life in China
10 . When I was 19, I was in a really bad car accident. I woke up with a severe
I worked and worked, and
So that’s what I did. I spent five years in graduate school and got my
A.face | B.head | C.back | D.skin |
A.withdraw | B.graduate | C.escape | D.return |
A.patient | B.reserved | C.diligent | D.gifted |
A.mood | B.commitment | C.identity | D.career |
A.cheerful | B.indifferent | C.powerless | D.optimistic |
A.suddenly | B.eventually | C.naturally | D.reluctantly |
A.reminded | B.convinced | C.instructed | D.allowed |
A.ended up | B.dropped out | C.started over | D.fell behind |
A.exam | B.interview | C.lecture | D.reception |
A.staying | B.coming | C.dreaming | D.quitting |
A.ignore | B.advertise | C.recall | D.fake |
A.terrified | B.inspired | C.qualified | D.discouraged |
A.scholarship | B.admission | C.license | D.degree |
A.minds | B.experience | C.insight | D.lessons |
A.beliefs | B.outcomes | C.personality | D.talent |