2 . “The mountains are calling and I must go” — the famous quote is from John Muir(1838-1914), who is described as “the wilderness poet” and “the citizen of the universe.” He once jokingly referred to himself as a “poet-geologist-botanist and ornithologist (鸟类学家)-naturalist etc. etc.!” He is known as the Father of American National Parks.

Famed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns recently said, “As we got to know him… he was among the highest individuals in America; I’m talking about the level of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Thomas Jefferson— people who have had a transformational effect on who we are.”

So where is the quote from? Well, John Muir was a productive writer. Whether he was writing poetry or simply letters to his family, John Muir was always putting pen to paper. The quote is from within one of his many letters written to his sister:

September 3rd, 1873 Yosemite Valley Dear sister Sarah, I have just returned from the longest and hardest trip I have ever made in the mountains, having been gone over five weeks. I am weary, but resting fast; sleepy, but sleeping deep and fast; hungry, but eating much. For two weeks I explored the glaciers of the summits east of here, sleeping among the snowy mountains without blankets and with little to eat on account of its being so inaccessible. After my icy experiences, it seems strange to be down here in so warm and flowery a climate. I will soon be off again, determined to use all the season in carrying through my work—will go next to Kings River a hundred miles south, then to Lake Tahoe and surrounding mountains, and in winter work in Oakland with my pen. Though slow, someday I will have the results of my mountain studies in a form in which you all will be able to read and judge them. The mountains are calling and I must go, and I will work on while I can, studying incessantly (永不停息地). I will write again when I return from Kings River Canyon. Farewell, with love everlasting. Yours, John

1. What can we learn from John Muir’s self-description in paragraph 1?

A．He longed to expand his own career.

B．He enjoyed his involvement in nature.

C．He wanted to find his real advantage.

D．He valued his identity as a poet most.

2. What did Ken Burns mainly talk about?

A．Muir’s political influence.	B．A documentary film on Muir.
C．Muir’s historic significance.	D．The social circle around Muir.

3. How did Muir feel when writing the first paragraph of his letter?

A．Relieved but regretful.	B．Exhausted but content.
C．Excited but lonely.	D．Defeated but hopeful.

4. Why must John Muir go into mountains again?

A．To go on with his mountain studies.

B．To seek freedom from social connection.

C．To attend an appointment in Oakland.

D．To experience the hardship of wilderness.

3 . To mark International Women’s Day, we asked Dezeen Awards judges to nominate (提名) a woman in architecture and design who should have greater recognition.

Shefali Balwani

Nominated by Kamna Malik

“Shefali Balwani is an Indian architect. Her projects have a certain voice that goes beyond the conventional definitions of architecture and design. Whenever I look at her work, I see mindfulness on so many levels, whether it is through the use of materials or the sensitivity shown towards the surroundings.”

Oana Stänescu

Nominated by Ingrid Moye

“Having met Oana Stänescu many years ago while working at SANAA in Tokyo, we have not only been following each other’s path but also become friends. I admire Oana’s curious perspective (视角) through which she observes the world. Her refreshing voice shows not only in her original architectural practice but also in her work as an academic, lecturer, and writer.”

Tatu Gatere

Nominated by Stella Mutegi

“Tatu Gatere is the co-founder and CEO of Buildher—an organization that seeks to empower women with skills needed in the construction industry, which is very male-dominated in Kenya. The skills that these women are empowered with at Buildher make a big impact on every aspect of their daily lives.”

Jessica Smulders Cohen

Nominated by Katie Treggiden

“Having studied sustainable design at Kingston University, Jessica Smulders Cohen decided not to become a designer or a maker, but instead to become a repair specialist. Jess and her work deserve more recognition because our whole industry needs to move away from pursuing newness and instead prioritize reuse and repair—it is the only hope we have for a circular future that will enable our species to live well on this planet.”

1. What do Balwani and Stänescu have in common?

A．Writing many books.	B．Being creative architects.
C．Working for SANAA in Tokyo.	D．Empowering construction workers.

2. What can we know about Ingrid Moye?

A．She is a writer.	B．She is a friend of Stänescu.
C．She once worked for Stänescu.	D．She thinks Stänescu has a beautiful voice.

3. Whose organization improves the lives of Kenyan women?

A．Shefali Balwani’s.	B．Oana Stänescu’s.
C．Tatu Gatere’s.	D．Jessica Smulders Cohen’s.

4. What is Cohen?

A．A designer.

B．A maker.

C．An architect.

D．A repair specialist.

5. Why does Treggiden nominate Cohen?

A．She excels at designing and making.	B．She contributes to a sustainable planet.
C．She promotes equal rights between genders.	D．She gets where she is through self-education.

5 . Zong Qinghou, the rags-to-riches founder of one of China’s biggest beverage makers, who was once China’s richest man, died of an illness on Sunday at the age of 79, his company Hangzhou Wahaha Group said in a brief statement.

In China, Zong was known as a legendary businessman who grew his soft drinks empire from a tricycle cart hawking (沿街叫卖) ice pops to school kids into a large company selling everything from milk drinks to bottled water and canned porridge.

Zong was also recognized as a national hero for wrestling the full control of Wahaha, which means “laughing child”, from its French partner Danone more than a decade ago. Victory in that bitter battle boosted Zong’s wealth to $8 billion, making him China’s richest man in 2010 and again in 2012, according to Forbes.

His death was mourned across China. Condolences (吊唁) poured in from remarkable Chinese entrepreneurs including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun. Wahaha employees and residents in the eastern city of Hangzhou laid flowers outside the company.

The beverage giant’s rise came to represent the can-do spirit of China’s first generation of private entrepreneurs, who helped accelerate the country’s explosive economic growth in the years after they capitalized on market reforms in the late 1970s.

Despite his wealth, Zong was known for his simple lifestyle, which set him apart from many of China’s new rich. He was nicknamed “the richest man in cloth shoes” for always sporting plain black shoes.

In an interview with the state-run People’s Daily in 2010, Zong said the title and wealth had brought little change to his life. “Every day, I still smoke two packs of cigarettes that cost 12 yuan (then $1.80) each, have two cups of tea, and eat my three meals at the company canteen,” he said. He was known for starting work around 7 am and not leaving the office until 11 pm, working for more than 12 hours a day long before the tiring “996” work schedule became common.

1. Zong Qinghou was praised as a national hero because of his ______.

A．stimulating China’s economy

B．becoming China’s richest man in 2010

C．teaming up with the French partner Danone

D．completely dominating Wahaha by beating Danone

2. What can we infer from Zong Qinghou’s rags-to-riches legend?

A．His soft drinks empire was established overnight.

B．Embracing the changes in policies benefited him.

C．His perseverance played a decisive role in China’s economic growth.

D．His family background and people skills contributed to his success.

3. The interview with Zong Qinghou in 2010 can show that ______.

A．he stayed true to himself	B．he brought fame and fortune to people
C．he gave in to the temptation of wealth	D．he pioneered the “996” work schedule

4. According to the text, which of the following best describes Zong Qinghou?

A．Respectful and optimistic.	B．Influential and enterprising.
C．Generous and aggressive.	D．Talented and economical.

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Wang De, who is a blacksmith by trade and an inheritor of the 500-year-old art of dashuhua that     1     (literal) means “creating tree flowers”,     2     (live) in Yuxian county of Zhangjiakou.

Wang and his assistants put     3     over a dozen dashuhua performances for villagers and tourists as part of Spring Festival celebrations each year. The folk artist hopes the revival of the tradition can bring more visitors to his hometown of Zhangjiakou.

Dashuhua is a traditional form of fireworks performance that takes place during certain festivals.     4     (create) molten iron fireworks, waste iron is melted to 1,600℃ and thrown against a cold wall. The mix bursts into sparks that look like glittering tree branches.

But the high-risk tradition is still only reserved for     5     brave. Due to the nature of the performance-handling superheated coal and molten iron, it’s easy for performers to suffer injuries. During a performance a few years ago, Wang suffered severe     6     (burn) on his leg and took two months to recover.

There are only four people     7     (leave) in China who have mastered the ancient practice, three of     8     are either middle-aged or elderly. Both Wang’s father and grandfather were blacksmiths. Wang said     9     was his responsibility to pass this craft on to the next generation. Otherwise, it will be lost.

The art of dashuhua requires extraordinary courage, skill and     10     (strong). Now, The molten iron fireworks performance has become a major tourist attraction.

7 . For the 70 percent of the world’s population without any chance of using electric washing machines, keeping up with laundry takes up a lot of time. And it is often a painful physical task. The task falls unreasonably to women and girls, who can spend 20 hours a week washing clothes, often without electricity or running water. London engineer Navjot Sawhney, however, has come up with an idea: a portable and lightweight washing machine that is similar to a plastic drum. It also does double duty as a dryer, and costs around $60.

31-year-old Sawhney calls it the Divya, after the woman who inspired the project — his former next-door neighbour in South India, where he spent a year volunteering after leaving his job as an engineer at high-end vacuum (真空吸尘器) maker Dyson. “When I got to know Divya, I was so sad about all the unpaid work she needed to do — cleaning clothes,” says Sawhney. In 2018, he returned to the United Kingdom to found “The Washing Machine Project”, which is developing a washing solution that will be affordable, portable and accessible for everyone, everywhere. After a few months of developing a model, he received some money from Oxfam’s Iraq Response Innovation Lab.

Since March 2019, more than 150 Divyas have been given out to refugees (难民) in Iraq through non-profit partners. “The response was great,” Sawhney says. His goal is to deliver 8,000 machines in 10 countries over the next three years. By saving 75 percent of the time and 50 percent of the water required to wash clothes, he says, women and girls will be freer to accept education.

Aside from the Divya, Sawhney has also worked on making fuel-efficient cookstoves, and plans to develop refrigerators, conditioners, and lighting. Sawhney sees the world’s growing refugee crisis as a call for innovation: “There is a huge need for appliances that make life better for people.”

1. What did Navjot Sawhney do to help the women in India?

A．He provided them with free access to education.

B．He volunteered to wash clothes for them.

C．He worked out a solution by inventing a washing machine.

D．He called on people in his community to donate clothes.

2. What inspired Navjot Sawhney to found the project?

A．His previous work in Dyson.	B．His neighbour’s experience.
C．The request of refugees in Iraq.	D．The support of a science lab.

3. What can we infer about the project in Paragraph 3?

A．It focuses on education.	B．It is highly praised.
C．It has earned a lot of money.	D．It has created many jobs.

4. Which of the following can best describe Navjot Sawhney?

A．Helpful and serious.	B．Selfless and honest.
C．Thoughtful and strict.	D．Caring and creative.

10 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Asia’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) world champion Weili Zhang knocked out Poland’s Joann a Jedrzejczyk to win the chance     1     (challenge) for the women’s strawweight title at UFC275 on June 12, 2022 in Singapore.

The fight     2     (set) off wild celebrations on Chinese social media so far. The 32-year-old is seen as a genuine star. She became China’s first UFC champion in 2019. “Together we put girl power on display in the Octagon (八角笼). We’ve proved to people     3     said we cannot do certain things that we can.” Zhang said after the fight when     4     (interview) on stage.

Zhang’s fighting dream began young. Her childhood hero, Bruce Lee,     5     (inspire) her to take up kung fu when she was 6. Later, she learned sanda. But at 17, her sanda fighting career ended because of     6     (injury). Over the next six years, she tried different jobs, like a kindergarten teacher, a saleswoman     7     a bodyguard.

However, she still dreamed of being     8     fighter. In 2013, she started learning MMA. Many people think that the sport isn’t     9     (suit) for the “weaker bodies” of women. But Zhang     10     (strong) disagrees. “Anything men can do, women can do, too—and we can do it just as well as them.” Obviously, she has proved it’s true!