1. Which country is Stephen from?
| A．The United States. | B．Mexico. | C．Australia. |
| A．His family. | B．The books he read. | C．His friend’s death. |
| A．In 1970. | B．In 1972. | C．In 1974. |
| A．Stephen didn’t make money from it. |
| B．Stephen almost gave it up. |
| C．Stephen didn’t finish it. |
2 . Four famous classic Italian writers
When speaking of Italian literature, many people come up with Dante. But there are many other famous Italian authors. Below are four recommended writers and their masterpieces.
Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533)
Ariosto is best known for his epic (史诗般的) poem Orlando Furioso, which was published in 1977. As a poet always with new ideas, Ariosto invented the way of “singing the poem to the audience”. The poem presents a rich variety of characters, which has been an encouragement for many paintings and musical works.
Italo Calvino (1923-1985)
Calvino was the author of If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler published in 1979. The novel differs from others for its unique description of a frame story - a unifying story within which several tales are related. It has encouraged musicians like Sting to create their works. At the time of his death in 1985, Calvino was one of the world’s most translated Italian writers.
Umberto Eco (1932-2016)
Eco wrote The Name of the Rose, a historical murder mystery (神秘) novel published in 1980. In the story, he skilfully applied the use of signs and symbols to it. A number of his books deal with the meaning and understanding of communication.
Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873)
Manzoni is most famous for his novel The Betrothed published in 1827. The novel was regarded to be connected with Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement(统一运动) in the 19th century. Probably we can say, without this great novelist and this masterpiece of world literature, Italy wouldn’t be Italy.
1. What do Orlando Furioso and If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler have in common?| A．They have both influenced musical works. |
| B．They both have related characters and stories. |
| C．They were both published in the same year. |
| D．They are both translated into many languages. |
| A．A unique describing style. | B．A mix of new ideas. |
| C．The use of signs and symbols. | D．The history of a movement. |
| A．Ludovico Ariosto. | B．Italo Calvino. | C．Umberto Eco. | D．Alessandro Manzoni. |
3 . 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 Supreme Court of the United States. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 25 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 passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). 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 noted 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．Her little work experience in court. |
| C．The discrimination against women. |
| D．The poor financial conditions. |
| A．They are highly educated. | B．They are truly creative. |
| C．They are pioneers. | D．They are peace-lovers. |
4 . Shen Hao was born in 1964. He was the former first secretary of Party branch of Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County, Anhui Province. He died on November 6, 2009. From 2004 to 2009, he had done many good things for the villagers. For the development of Xiaogang Village he had made great contributions (贡献). So he was respected by all the villagers.
During the six years, he repaired the village roads, and built a building for a number of villagers. He rented a house in the village and thought about how to get the villagers to get rich all day. Even in the New Year, he still got together with his villagers. At last, under his leadership, Xiaogang Village was out of poverty. Now the villagers are leading a rich life.
He is a very filial son, but he had almost no time to get together with his over 90-year-old mother. But she never complained. His wife works in the bank and she is very busy. They both have little time to look after their daughter.
Although he did not do what he should do to his mother, wife and daughter, all the villagers will remember their good secretary forever.
1. Shen Hao worked as first secretary of Party branch of Xiaogang Village _______.| A．for about six years | B．for about sixteen years |
| C．about six years ago | D．about sixteen years ago |
| A．repairing the roads | B．putting up a building |
| C．helping the villagers to get rich | D．moving the village to a new place |
| A．孝顺 | B．叛逆 |
| C．勤奋 | D．诚实 |
| A．Shen Hao was only 45 years old when he died. |
| B．Shen Hao spent much time in taking care of his daughter. |
| C．Shen Hao helped the villagers a lot. |
| D．Now in Xiaogang Village, people are leading a rich life. |
5 . Here are the introductions and achievements of four scientists.
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
Jöns Jacob Berzelius was a Swedish chemist, often referred to as one of the founders of modern chemistry. He developed a system of chemical symbols, which laid the foundation for the establishment of the modern periodic table. Berzelius also made important discoveries in the field of electrochemistry.
Niels Henrik David Bohr
Niels Henrik David Bohr was a Danish physicist. He proposed the atomic (原子的) model known as the Bohr model, which explained the behavior of electrons moving in fixed energy levels or orbits around the atomic nucleus. His model helped explain the spectra of elements and laid the groundwork for further developments in atomic physics.
Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle, born in Ireland, was regarded as one of the founders of modern chemistry, known for Boyle’s law. Boyle’s law describes the relationship between the pressure and volume (体积) of a gas at constant temperature. Boyle’s work laid the foundation for the modern understanding of gas behavior and promoted the development of scientific experimental methods.
William Lawrence Bragg
William Lawrence Bragg was a British physicist born in Australia who made significant contributions to X-ray crystallography (晶体学). Together with his father William Henry Bragg, he developed the famous Bragg’s law. This discovery revolutionized the field of crystallography and paved the way for determining the atomic and molecular structures of various substances, including DNA and proteins.
1. What do we say about Jöns Jacob Berzelius?| A．He invented a new chemical substance. |
| B．He established the modern periodic table. |
| C．He was referred to as a founder of modern physics. |
| D．He made important achievements in the field of electrochemistry. |
| A．Jons Jacob Berzelius. | B．Niels Henrik David Bohr. |
| C．Robert Boyle. | D．William Lawrence Bragg. |
| A．They were born in Denmark. | B．They made a contribution to physics. |
| C．They discovered new models for chemistry. | D．They did research together with their family. |
6 . Four Self-Portraits (自画像) by Famous Artists
Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino)—“Self-Portrait”, 1506
One of the beautiful self-portraits by famous artist Raphael was drawn at the age of 23. It measures around 45cm×33cm and is located at the world-famous Uffizi Gallery. The Italian painter used oil on board to draw his self-portrait, which was the clearest and the most recognizable self-portraits of Raphael himself.
Leonardo da Vinci—“Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk”, 1512
“Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk”is a self-portrait of da Vinci at the age of 60 and measures around 33.3cm×21.6cm, which is on display in Biblioteca Reale, Turin, Italy. It is drawn with red chalk on paper and represents the head of an elderly man in a three-quarter view. In the portrait, the length of the hair is uncommon in Renaissance (文艺复兴) portraits.
Rembrandt van Rijn—“Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-up Collar”, 1659
Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn painted his self-portrait in 1659 when he was 53 years old. It shows his worried expression that clearly portrays the troubled condition of his mind at that point of his life since the year 1659 was a year of anxiety for him. This self-portrait found its place among the Benjamin Altman Collection, which has been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1913.
Edgar Degas—“Degas Au Porte-Fusain’”, l855
Edgar Degas made this self-portrait only when he was twenty-one years old. It was one of the most remarkable of his fifteen self-portraits. Degas was seated as seemingly without fear and anxiety. The pose in the painting was formal and academic. The painting is located in the musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.
1. Where should visitors go if they want to admire Raphael’s self-portrait in 1506?| A．Uffizi Gallery. | B．Biblioteca Reale. |
| C．The musée d’Orsay. | D．The Metropolitan Museum of Art. |
| A．The red clothing. | B．The formal pose. |
| C．The long hair. | D．The worried expression. |
| A．Raphael. | B．Edgar Degas. |
| C．Leonardo da Vinci. | D．Rembrandt van Rijn. |
During his life, Dr. James Naismith worked as a doctor, taught P. E. and wrote several books.
One day the school principal told James he was having a problem with the students. Because of heavy snow, the students could not go outside. He told James that they needed a sport that the boys could play indoors and gave him two weeks to think of something.
It was
注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
提示：1. 我最崇拜的运动员是……，他/她给我们国家带来了巨大的荣耀（honour and glory），为我们树立了榜样；2.当面对困难时，他/她永不言弃；3.他/她的成功秘诀是从失败中汲取教训；4.我决心向优秀运动员学习，努力锻炼身体，为国家做贡献（make contributions to）。
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9 . As the only woman competing in para ice hockey (残奥冰球) at Beijing 2022, Yu Jing, at the age of 38, caught people’s eyes in Team China’s 6-0 round-robin win over Italy on Tuesday.
Yu played over five minutes in the game which fittingly took place on International Women’s Day, becoming only the third woman in history to ever compete in the Paralympic hockey program, following Norwegians Brit Mjaasund Oeyen and Lena Schroeder in 1994 and 2018, respectively.
Para ice hockey is a mixed-gender sport, but world championships and Paralympic Games still tend to feature all-male teams due to the sport’s physically demanding nature.
Yu has had a passion for sports since she was a kid-even with polio (小儿麻痹症) causing a disability in her left leg when she was little.
In 2019, Yu took up para ice hockey. Similar to wheelchair basketball, para ice hockey involves players with various lower body disabilities sitting on sledges while pushing themselves along the ice with hockey sticks in both hands.
“It was hard at the beginning. It’s quite difficult to maintain balance while sitting on thin blades (冰刃) and controlling the puck,” Yu said.
She developed a serious disease on her right wrist because she pushed herself too hard. Icing her wrist has become a daily routine, not to mention frequent treatment for wounds on her shoulders and back.
However, nothing deters the sports lover. “In this sport, crashes are unavoidable. I am ready for whatever challenges come my way on the ice,” she said.
Yu expects to see more of her gender follow in her footsteps. “Women with disabilities all over the world, I hope they know it’s not impossible, and I hope they see this as encouragement,” she said.
1. Why did Yu Jing catch people’s eyes in para ice hockey at the Paralympic Games?| A．Yu got the most scores in the para ice hockey. |
| B．Yu won the most medals at the Paralympic Games. |
| C．Yu was the only woman competing in the para ice hockey. |
| D．Yu was the oldest woman participating in the Paralympic Games. |
| A．Honest and simple. | B．Hardworking and inspiring. |
| C．Positive and smart. | D．Kind and outgoing. |
| A．Prevents. | B．Strengthens. | C．Defends. | D．Relieves. |
| A．Never Too Late To Learn | B．Never Give Up |
| C．Fearless Yu Breaking Down Barriers | D．Brave Yu Catching People’s Eyes |
10 . 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. |
