On July 19, 2013, a girl who was coming to 10 signed up on Weibo with the nickname (外号) “frog princess Gu Ailing”,
2 . Bill Gates was born in 1955. He grew up in Seattle, Washington. When he was young, he was good at science and maths. And he wanted to be a scientist.
Bill started to play with computers when he was 13. At that time, computers were very large machines. Once he was interested in a very old computer. He and some of his friends spent lots of time doing unusual things with it. In the end, they worked out a software program with the old machine. Bill sold it for 4,200 dollars when he was only 17.
In 1973, Bill went to Harvard University. He developed the Basic Language for the first microcomputer. In his third year, he left Harvard. Bill began his company in 1975 with his friend Paul Allen. They thought that the computer would be a very important tool in every office and in every home, so they began developing software for personal computers. They developed the software to make it easier for people to use computers.
In 1999, Bill wrote a book. In the book, he told people how computer technology could solve business problems in new ways. It was one of the best-sellers on The New York Times’ list. Bill Gates has many hobbies. He enjoyed reading very much. He also enjoys playing golf and bridge.
1. When did Bill begin to play with computers?| A．In 1968. | B．In 1966. | C．In 1965. | D．In 1972. |
| A．17 years old. | B．18 years old. |
| C．19 years old. | D．20 years old. |
| A．how to do unusual things |
| B．how to play computer games |
| C．how to work out a software program |
| D．how to solve business problems with the help of computers in new ways |
| A．Bill worked for Microsoft before he went to Harvard University |
| B．Bill sold his first software program for 420 dollars |
| C．reading is one of Bill’s hobbies |
| D．Bill began his company in 1976 with his friend |
| A．Bill Gates developed the Basic Language for the first microcomputer. |
| B．Bill Gates enjoys playing computer games. |
| C．Bill Gates wrote many science books. |
| D．Bill Gates books are on the top of best-sellers. |
Marie Kondo is
Yet fans want more help and
Kondo says the boxes were not part of her
Kondo did not tell readers to get special containers
But fans still ask Kondo
Kondo says the idea behind the boxes is not to hide things.
4 . Film director James Cameron first became interested in sea exploration when he was a little boy. His love for the ocean grew after he made the 1989 undersea adventure film The Abyss and the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, one of the most successful movies of all time. Following that big success, James Cameron decided to put his film career on hold to become a sea explorer.
In 2012, James Cameron made a journey to the deepest spot in the Mariana Trench, known as Challenger Deep. And now the great journey has been made into a documentary film, named James Cameron’s Deep-sea Challenger 3D.
In James Cameron’s fantasy films, such as Avatar and The Abyss, the unexplored areas are decorated in colors and full of danger. But on his dive into Challenger Deep, the reality proved far different: white, deserted and dull.
“I felt like I had gone to another planet,” Cameron said after returning from the cold and dark place in the Western Pacific Ocean, nearly 7 miles below the surface.” I really have a sense of being separated and realize how tiny I am down in this big, black and unexplored place. “Cameron captured the moonlike landscape of the deep sea and documented the sea creatures he observed in the ocean.
James Cameron’s Deep-sea Challenger 3D tells the story of Cameron’s journey. It is a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths. The movie shows a unique insight into Cameron’s world when he makes his dream reality and makes history by becoming the first person to travel alone to the deepest point on the planet.
It’s an exciting film and inspiring reminder that our beautiful planet still has a lot to explore.
1. When did James Cameron really decide to start exploring the sea?| A．When he was in his childhood. |
| B．After his films The Abyss and Titanic. |
| C．Before he achieved great success in movies. |
| D．After he made the 1989 undersea adventure. |
| A．Putting his film career away for the moment. |
| B．Firmly holding on to his film career. |
| C．Giving up his film career forever. |
| D．Never taking up his film career again. |
| A．Colorful and dangerous | B．Boring and deserted |
| C．White and attractive | D．Small and dull |
| A．a film about scientists’ exploration of the deep ocean. |
| B．a story about the colorful deep ocean and creatures. |
| C．a film about Cameron’s own experience to the deep ocean. |
| D．a film that stars some famous actors and actresses. |
5 . Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy in 1564. In 1580, Galilei entered the University of Pisa to study medicine. Armed with unusual intelligence and drive, he soon became interested in many subjects, particularly mathematics and physics.
While at the University of Pisa, Galilei was exposed to the Aristotelian view of the world, the only one approved by the Roman Catholic Church at that time. At first, Galilei also supported this view, like any other person of his time. In 1589, Galilei was appointed to the chair of mathematics at the University of Pisa. And he made his famous experiments with falling objects there. Then Galilei began to write about his discovery of the falling objects, which was against the Aristotelian theory. For that reason he lost his job at the University of Pisa in 1592. But Galilei continued his scientific study.
In July 1609, Galilei learned about a simple telescope (望远镜) made by Dutch eyeglass makers and soon developed one of his own. In August, he showed it to some Venetian businessmen who saw its usefulness in sailing and spotting ships. They gave Galilei a salary and asked him to make several telescopes for them.
Galilei’s ambition pushed him to go further. In the fall of 1609, he turned his telescope towards space. Using his telescope to explore the universe, Galilei observed the Moon and proved the planet Venus moved around the Sun, which was against the Aristotelian theory that the Earth was the centre of the universe. In January 1610, he discovered four moons moving around Jupiter. He also found that the telescope showed much more stars than the naked eye (肉眼) could see. These discoveries were startling, and Galilei quickly produced Sidereus Nuncius, in which he described these amazing discoveries.
Galilei’s great contributions to our understanding of the universe include not only his discoveries, but also the methods he developed and the use of mathematics to prove them.
1. Which subject was Galilei most interested in while he was at university?| A．Medicine | B．Physics | C．Chemistry | D．Philosophy |
| A．His teaching method failed to attract his students. |
| B．His relationship with other professors wasn’t good. |
| C．His scientific discovery wasn’t supported by some people. |
| D．His potential related to science wasn’t fully developed then. |
| A．Surprising. | B．Unwelcome. | C．Terrible. | D．Encouraging. |
| A．Enthusiastic | B．Determined | C．Courageous | D．All the above |
6 . “The value of people cannot be defined,” this is the philosophy by which Majda Gibran, better known in Egypt as “Mama Maggie”, lives. She devoted over three decades of her life to serving the less fortunate. Her work empowered over 33,000 children in Cairo to achieve their potential and successfully leave Cairo’s slums (贫民窟).
Her story begins with what was meant to be a quick visit to the slums in Cairo. She knew right away she would devote the rest of her life to helping those in need, especially children. The scenes of poverty in the slums forever changed her life. Mama Maggie soon abandoned the comforts of her previous life and quit her job as an American University professor to lend a helping hand to those who needed her most.
She began sharing meals, gifts and basic necessities to less fortunate families in the slums. Her warmth and sincerity gave residents a sense of hope and dignity. In 1985, Mama Maggie founded the Stephen’s Children Foundation, with the mission to empower children and young people to lead their own development and lift them out of poverty. The foundation provides education and training to thousands of children living in poverty. Over the last few years, the foundation has extended its social and educational initiatives to thousands of families and children in other poor neighborhoods.
To date, Mama Maggie has established 92 educational centres nationwide to teach over 18,000 children and carried out healthcare campaigns that provides treatment to over 40,000 patients annually. She conducts visits to more than 13,000 children to provide training services. Her foundation’s three training centres for mothers and children empower families to earn their own income. Her foundation has benefited over 33,000 children, with the help of about 2,000 volunteers, and it is still growing today.
Mama Maggie, a Nobel Prize nominee (被提名人), never sought fame or reward for her work. She desires to be remembered as a hope maker who made a difference in the lives of every person that crossed her path.
1. What inspired Mama Maggie’s devotion to the less fortunate?| A．Her visit to the slums. | B．The quitting of her previous work. |
| C．The saying of a philosopher. | D．The potential of the less fortunate. |
| A．offer the poor basic necessities | B．improve the local healthcare |
| C．promote the local education | D．bring the poor hopeful prospects |
| A．To imply the celebrity of Mama Maggie. |
| B．To demonstrate the rise of the foundation. |
| C．To stress the contribution of Mama Maggie. |
| D．To illustrate the popularity of the foundation. |
| A．Considerate and optimistic. | B．Caring and devoted. |
| C．Responsible and humorous. | D．Tolerant and helpful. |
注意：词数100左右。
参考词汇：杂交水稻 hybrid rice
Let the Scientific Spirit Live on
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8 . While most people were stuck at home last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, feeling isolated, some young people were thinking outside the box and reached for the sky as they created an impressive work.
When Bilibili uploader Lin Xiao, had too many bags to carry, instead of asking someone for help, the then 18-year-old spent about nine months addressing the problem. He built a robot, which can follow him wherever he goes, and upon which he can ride. The robot’s name? Devil! The name comes from the background music Devil’s Swing (Remix) for the video game Bendy and the Ink Machine. It resembles a suitcase, which can follow Lin wherever he goes, day or night, and detect obstacles in its path. It can also be used for transport and even charges Lin’s electronic devices.
Lin did everything himself, from designing the robot with 3D modeling, manufacturing the physical parts and programming it, to assembling all the components and electronics. The robot has a steel structure, a 3D-printed plastic shell and two 2D laser and radar scanners. The brain of the robot is powered by Arduino, an open-source electronics platform, and computing and coding solutions from computer manufacturer Raspberry Pi.
Lin admits that Devil is not perfect, but he hopes that it can inspire his peers to believe “what you do matters” and that they can make a difference in people’s lives. He sees Devil as “a toddler who is learning to walk”.
Lin’s passion for robotics began in his first year at his high school, when a teacher, discovered his talent for working with computers. He provided full support to advance Lin’s skills and took him to various computer science competitions.
1. How did the robot get its name Devil?| A．From a video. | B．From an online game. |
| C．From a scientific fiction. | D．From a piece of music. |
| A．It looks like a suitcase. | B．It is entirely made of steel. |
| C．It can charge cellphones. | D．It can serve as a transportation tool. |
| A．Unsatisfied. | B．Hopeful. | C．Concerned. | D．Critical. |
| A．A young man thinking uniquely. | B．An impressive robot. |
| C．A young tech influential. | D．Lin’s passion for robotics. |
9 . 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. |
10 . Worried about your tuition? Take a look at some of the big names offering tuition assistance.
McDonald’s
Hourly employees can receive up to $2,500 in tuition assistance, and salaried workers can take up to $3,000. Both on-campus and online degree programs at schools are eligible (有资格的). You only have to be an employee for 90 days to benefit from this educational program.
Chipotle
Chipotle allows employees to use up to $5,250 in tuition assistance, regardless of part-or full-time employment status. They can use these funds at two-year, four-year or vocational/ technical schools. Additionally, Chipotle is offering to pay full tuition for students studying business or technology at some colleges.
Walmart
Under its tuition assistance plan, full time employees only have to pay $1 a day towards their college tuition, and Walmart will cover the rest. This policy does not apply to part-time employees.
Publix
For college and university enrollment (注册), employees can take up to $3,200 per calendar year and a lifetime limit of $12,800. For other types of study, employees can receive up to $1,700 per calendar year and $3,400 over a lifetime.
Home Depot
Employees are eligible on day one of employment for a variety of tuition assistance benefits. Salaried employees can receive up to $5,000, full-time hourly employees $3,000 and par-time hourly up to $1,500 per calendar year.
UPS
On the day employees are hired, UPS will provide up to $5,250 per calendar year and up to a lifetime maximum of $25,000.
1. Which company has no limit on employment status?| A．McDonald’s. | B．Chipotle. | C．Walmart. | D．Publix. |
| A．Only on-campus degree programs are qualified for it. |
| B．Employees need to pay $1 a day towards their tuition. |
| C．Employees paid by the hour will gain less benefit. |
| D．Employees should work for at least 3 months. |
| A．$2,500. | B．$3,000. | C．$5,250. | D．$25,000. |
