1 . After learning about these famous women, you’ll know you can do a lot for society no matter what. You don’t need to be in a specific field, time or environment to make a difference to the world in your lifetime.
Amelia Earhart (1897－1937)
Amelia Earhart was the first woman who ever flew alone across the Atlantic in 1932. She became the first woman pilot in 1935 after flying from Hawaii to California. She began her lifelong dream of flying across the world in 1937. However, her flight went missing on that trip and she was never seen again.
Helena Rubinstein (1870－1965)
Helena Rubinstein moved to Australia in 1902 without the ability to speak English. Later, she founded one of the world’s first cosmetic (化妆品) companies after mixing lanolin, which is an oil that comes from sheep’s wool, with flowers. Because of that, she became the world’s richest woman at the time.
Katharine Hepburn (1907－2003)
Katharine Hepburn was known for playing strongwilled women in her films. She won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, the most an actress has ever won. Her new dress style made wearing trousers acceptable to women, which wasn’t allowed at that time.
Emmeline Pankhurst (1858－1928)
Emmeline was an influential woman activist, who helped British women get the right to vote. She fought along with her husband for the rights of women all the time in the late 19th century and early 20th century. After she lost her husband, she teamed up with her three daughters and formed The Women Social and Political Union, which was best known as the suffragettes (women’s right to vote).
1. What was the problem for Helena at first when she moved to Australia?| A．She didn’t know how to make up. | B．She didn’t have money. |
| C．She didn’t have work experience. | D．She couldn’t speak English. |
| A．Patient. | B．Friendly. | C．Honest. | D．Determined. |
| A．A pioneering spirit. | B．A creative mind. | C．A good education. | D．A warm heart. |
2 . Fahim was only 11 years old when he first met Alberto Cairo in 1993 in a hospital in Kabul, the Afghan capital. At the time, Kabul was caught in a bloody civil war. After his left leg was blown off, Fahim went to the hospital to seek treatment. This is a hospital run by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). There, he met Alberto Cairo, who arrived in Kabul in 1990.
Over the next three decades, Fahim has made countless trips to the hospital. During those visits, the compassionate (慈悲的) treatment from Cairo deeply moved him. “He is a friend of the Afghan people,” Fahim said of Cairo. When Fahim decided to study medicine, it was Cairo who kept encouraging him. Today, Fahim works as a nurse and an anesthetist (麻醉师) in a hospital in Afghanistan.
Fahim is only one example of what Cairo leaves behind in Kabul, the city that has become his home for the past 30 years.
For Cairo, the job as a doctor came by chance. “I was a teenager in Italy when I saw a man doing something that seemed so simple and so helpful: helping people to walk. That moment left a strong impression on me. I eventually left my training as a lawyer behind to choose medicine.”
In his early years in Afghanistan, Cairo was shocked by the great number of patients seeking treatment for wounds caused by the war. Each year, the rehabilitation centers (康复中心) treat more than 13,000 new patients—most of whom, like Fahim, require lifetime treatment.
At first, the ICRC’s treatment center only focused on war sufferers, but Cairo expanded its treatment to include all people with disabilities in the country. He made two decisions that have left a lasting impact. One was to employ former patients to work in the treatment center. The second was to organize an athletic group for people with disabilities.
1. When did Fahim first meet Cairo?| A．When he became a nurse. | B．Before civil war broke out. |
| C．When Cairo treated his leg in a hospital. | D．When he started to learn medicine. |
| A．The cruelty of war. | B．Fahim’s experience. |
| C．A man helping people walk. | D．His training as a lawyer. |
| A．Demanding. | B．Determined. | C．Outgoing. | D．Caring. |
| A．People wounded in the war. | B．People with disabilities. |
| C．People with mental illnesses. | D．People needing lifetime treatment. |
Yu Rong, a Chinese artist, thinks of a new way to introduce
Hua Mulan,
To better tell the story, Yu Rong takes inspiration from her several
4 . Simone Biles is a remarkable athlete, having won 7 Olympic medals across two Olympic Games. However, in 2020, she shocked the world when she quitted from the Tokyo Games due to some mental problems. Many praised it as a brave decision, as mental health is just as important as physical health. The athlete said she often suddenly lost the sense of direction during the Games, which meant she could no longer sense her body move in the air. It is dangerous for any athlete.
Since then, Biles has focused on her personal life, marrying the love of her life in the process. Recently, USA Gymnastics announced that Biles is ready to return to gymnastics. She is scheduled to compete at the coming US Classic in August, and fans are waiting eagerly to see her in action. Joining Biles in the upcoming competition are 12 Olympic and 16 World Championships roster members. Some notable names include Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee and 2020 Olympic floor champion Jade Carey, among others.
Before Simone Biles became a successful athlete, she and her siblings experienced a “hungry” childhood. Biles’ love for gymnastics began on a field trip. They visited a local gymnasium, where she was given a flyer (传单) to join the program. Biles was a natural, but she didn’t see her potential right away. Little did she know, but everybody else around her did. Her difficult beginnings set the stage for Biles to become one of the most successful sportswomen. Her parents gave their 100% support for her to grow up in the environment she was great at.
Biles has everything she could need to live a golden life— a supportive family, a loving boyfriend and a passion, which also happens to be her career. At 26 years old, she has her whole life ahead of her and is expected to continue dominating (统治) the gymnastics world in the coming years.
1. What did Simone Biles do during the 2020 Olympic Games?| A．She dropped out unexpectedly. |
| B．She won her seventh Olympic medal. |
| C．She hurt others due to dangerous moves. |
| D．She shocked the world with her great performance. |
| A．Worried. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Excited. | D．Shocked. |
| A．One’s birth decides his or her future. |
| B．Quitting doesn’t necessarily mean giving up. |
| C．One should never give up his or her own job. |
| D．A person’s success requires all kinds of preparations. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A fashion magazine. |
| C．A book review. | D．A news report. |
5 . Chen Shaoqin, a woman from Beijing, has shown the world how life should be lived by working as a tour guide in her seventies.
Chen has only a middle school education. She began studying English at the age of 40, changing herself from a factory worker to a white collar (白领) worker in an international trade company.
Chen continued to learn after retirement (退休), studying art and finally becoming an art guide at the age of 67. Over the past five years, from a person who knew nothing about art to a great volunteer guide, Chen's hard work and love for learning have encouraged many. As a guide, she is able to take special training courses and has the chance to learn from artists, giving her courage to continue.
Chen is proud of many exhibitions (展览) guided by her over the years, including those of famous artists like Zeng Fanzhi, Xu Bing, Qiu Zhijie and Pablo Picasso. She believes that every tour is a beautiful journey and a new chance to learn and be moved. Chen's love for learning has made her an excellent guide. After turning 73 this year, she said. “Well, I may be old, but I believe that the width of one's life can be expanded (延伸) through self-exploration and learning.”
1. How did the English learning affect Chen Shaoqin?| A．She became a white-collar. | B．She got a job as an art guide. |
| C．She had a chance to be an artist. | D．She turned out to be a factory worker. |
| A．40. | B．67. | C．72 | D．73. |
| A．She gets into trouble when travelling. |
| B．She becomes famous for her great paintings. |
| C．She has guided many exhibitions successfully. |
| D．She has been a volunteer guide for five years. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Worried. | C．Regretful. | D．Doubtful. |
6 . Famous People Who Begin With Difficulties
Oprah Winfrey
Probably having one of the most famous success stories, Oprah was born into a poor family in Mississippi, raised by a single mother living on welfare. She was physically, and mentally abused during her childhood. Despite her initial struggles as a young girl, she turned herself into one of the most successful talk show hosts of our time.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey has been the star of some of the most successful movies of all time. But Carrey grew up extremely poor in Canada. When he was a teenager, his family took security jobs in a factory to help pay the bills. And during his first stand-up comedy performance, he was booed off （喝倒彩） the stage. Not shortly after, he made it big on In Living Color and then went on to star in Dumb & Dumber, The Mask, and Ace Ventura in the same year!
James Dyson
If you thought Thomas Edison’s failures were bad, let me introduce you to James Dyson, the famous inventor of the Dyson vacuums （真空吸尘器） you see all over the television. Dyson developed over 5,000 failed prototypes （原型） before finding the bagless vacuum brand. Not only that, he put his entire savings account into his prototypes over fifteen years! Luckily, the bagless vacuum worked.
Stephen King
Before Stephen King became known as a great living writer—having written over 60 novels, many of which have been adapted for film and television—King was rejected over and over again. In his memoir, On Writing, King describes how he used to post his rejection letters on the wall for inspiration. His first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times.
1. What do Oprah and Jim have in common?| A．They were abused by parents. | B．They grew up in poor families. |
| C．They were hired as comedians. | D．They found jobs in a factory. |
| A．He repaired the failed prototypes. | B．He developed over 5,000 brands. |
| C．He put all efforts into marketing. | D．He invented the bagless vacuum. |
| A．Oprah Winfrey. | B．Stephen King. | C．James Dyson. | D．Jim Carrey. |
7 . Recently, an article written by China’s first
Entitled “One Day in Space”, Yang’s article was recently included in the seventh-grade textbook in Chinese middle schools, and it was
Yang was 38 when he became the first Chinese person to go into space on the Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003, making China the third country—after the US and Russia—to
In his article, Yang
The near-deadly moment lasted for 26 seconds. When it was finally over, Yang felt like he had been reborn. When ground control finally saw Yang blink his eyes through the surveillance camera, his colleagues
In the article, Yang also described “
Yang shared another interesting experience in the
Eighteen years after his
| A．engineer | B．astronaut | C．doctor | D．designer |
| A．significant | B．usual | C．small | D．good |
| A．given | B．found | C．posted | D．obtained |
| A．policy | B．plan | C．courage | D．appearance |
| A．learn | B．master | C．run | D．teach |
| A．said | B．knew | C．recalled | D．doubted |
| A．Because | B．If | C．Although | D．When |
| A．painful | B．exciting | C．disappointing | D．pitiful |
| A．let off | B．sent off | C．burst out | D．broke out |
| A．interesting | B．mysterious | C．attractive | D．fantastic |
| A．on | B．at | C．outside | D．from |
| A．video | B．article | C．paper | D．photo |
| A．attempts | B．climbs | C．experiments | D．falls |
| A．first | B．recent | C．next | D．another |
| A．different | B．satisfied | C．important | D．comfortable |
Jane Goodall was born in London in 1934. She became interested in animal stories when she was a very young child. She always dreamed of working with wild
In 1957, Jane Goodall traveled to Africa. She soon met the well-known scientist Louis Leakey and began working for him as an assistant. He later asked her to study a group of chimpanzees
Jane spent many years studying chimpanzees
9 . Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the greatest leaders of America by many Americans. Yet people alive when Lincoln was elected in 1860 would probably be surprised by modern-day opinions about him. He had little formal education or government experience. During the presidential campaign, people made fun of his appearance and his simple way of talking.
Born in a poor family, Lincoln taught himself by reading books and eventually became a lawyer. He was known for being tall and strong. And he was honest.
Due to his political beliefs, the support of anti-slavery northerners gave him the presidency.
The war involved the entire country. At least four million men fought in it. Among the soldiers were African-American and Native-American men. The conflict divided families.
| A．As promised, Lincoln sent the supply ships. |
| B．Brothers, fathers, and sons fought against each other. |
| C．The people he defended in the court called him “Honest Abe”. |
| D．But the southern, slave-holding states did not support him. |
| E．To everyone’s surprise, the American Civil War lasted more than four years. |
| F．Some of his opponents-—especially in southern states—had even bigger concerns. |
| G．They warned that he was not very intelligent and would harm the nation’s image. |
10 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams(1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson(1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor(1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks(1913-2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott.It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was,was tired of giving in,”said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?| A．Her social work. | B．Her teaching skills. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. | D．Her community background. |
| A．Her lack of proper training in law. | B．The discrimination against women. |
| C．Her little work experience in court. | D．The poor financial conditions. |
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Rachel Carson. |
| C．Sandra Day O’Connor. | D．Rosa Parks. |
