1 . Kurt, one of Australian most respected and recognized athletes, has won over 40 marathons, including New York, Chicago and London, in his career of more than 20 years. He became the first athlete with a disability to win The Don Award-given to honor those whose achievements inspire the whole nation — in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2018.
Kurt has always been determined. Being born without the lower part of his spine (脊椎) has never held him back, from backyard games of football to crewing an attractive Sydney to Hobart ship and winning dozens of marathons around the world.
Growing up in a large and loving family in the small town of Carcoar, Kurt was encouraged to make the most of every opportunity, and he did. He took on almost every challenge presented to him, encouraged by his parents. He even managed to move himself on his elbows up and down hills at an early age.
Turning his attention to wheelchair sports in his teens, Kurt quickly became a world beater. He started his career with two silver medals at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games, before making his winning breakthrough at the 2004 Athens Paralympics with gold medals in the 5,000m and marathon races. Following the 2004 Paralympics, Kurt conquered the world, winning seven world championships and more than 30 marathons around the globe.
Kurt is a person who supports the rights of people with disabilities. He throws himself into a number of charitable activities. For example, in 2009, Kurt spent two weeks crawling (爬) the 96 kilometer Kokoda Track to raise awareness and money for people’s health charity.
While Kurt’s athletic career is over, his commitment (投入) to sports and support for people with disabilities live on in so many different forms. Kurt believes that people with disabilities should be given more opportunities.
1. What does paragraph 1 tell us about Kurt?A.He contributed a lot to American spirit. | B.He is the most popular marathon athlete. |
C.He is the first athlete to win the Don Award. | D.He is a disabled athlete with great achievements. |
A.Kurt’s living conditions were poor. | B.Kurt’s parents were strict with him. |
C.Kurt’s tough life inspired his creation. | D.Kurt’s childhood saw his determination. |
A.A sick teenager. | B.A blind boy. | C.An injured athlete. | D.A potential champion. |
A.Learn to walk before your run. | B.Ups and downs make one strong. |
C.Become the light and warm others. | D.Disability is a force for great progress. |
A seed expert who brought high-quality vegetable seeds to many countries, was awarded the 2019 World Food Prize. Simon Groot of the Netherlands is credited with introducing high-quality, disease-resistance vegetable seeds to more than 60 countries including the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.
He began his search to create better vegetable seeds to help farmers in Southeast Asia in 1981. Sixteen years earlier, he had made his first trip to Indonesia. There, Groot learned that vegetable seeds which were developed for the climate of Europe, did poorly when planted in the hot tropics (热带). He thought there was a great possibility to introduce hybrid (杂交的) vegetables to the area. The area lacked vegetable seed developers who were trying to create hybrids for the local climate.
“I noticed the seed quality in that part of world was so much below our standards and below achievable standards. I could not stand that the farmers there did not have better seeds.” Said Groot.
At that time, farmers in Southeast Asia usually saved seeds from season to season. That was because the seeds available for sale were often old. Those seeds were usually from Europe or North America and did not grow well in their -tropical climate. This meant that the farmers ended up with smaller crops, and lower quality that changed greatly from season to season. The plant also could easily become infected with diseases.
Groot partnered with seed trade r Benito Domingo of the Philippines. They put together a team of seed researchers and growers from Wageninge University. Within a few years, they developed a hybrid bitter gourd that sold successfully. Then they adapted a tomato plant, followed by eggplants, pumpkins and leafy vegetables.
The early success led to the start of the East-West Seed Company, which now has more than 970 improved seeds of 60 vegetable crops. Over the past 40 years, the discoveries have led to the creation of a tropical vegetable seed industry aimed at small farmers. The tropical seeds are now spreading into Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The award was announced during a ceremony at the U. S. Department of State hosted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “The remarkable improvements made in these tropical vegetable seeds helped small farmers in developing nations produce more food and importantly get more income for themselves and their families,” Pompeo said. He added that these seeds fight hunger and help increase economic growth.
1. Who is Simon Groot? (no more than 4 words)2. Why was Groot awarded? (no more than 6 words)
3. What caused lower incomes from crops in Southeast Asia in the past? (no more than 3 words)
4. How many continents are the tropical seeds now spreading into? (no more than 2 words)
5. Why does the author mention the Pompeo’s statement at last? (no more than 5words)
1.推荐的名人;
2.推荐的理由。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear David,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
4 . Zong Qinghou, the founder and chairman of Hangzhou Wahaha Group, China passed away on Sunday at the age of 79. As one of the most respected representatives of China’s first generation of entrepreneurs (企业家) since the country embarked on reform and opening-up in 1978, Zong’s down-to-earth style and innovative spirit greatly impressed the public.
Born in 1945 in Suqian, Jiangsu province, Zong took over a small grocery store at a school in Hangzhou in 1987. In 1989, he founded Hangzhou Wahaha Nutritional Food Factory. In 1996, Zong launched Wahaha AD calcium milk, which became a great hit with Chinese consumers. The company’s products now cover more than 200 categories, including purified water, milk and yogurt drinks, carbonated drinks, fruit and vegetable juice, tea and coffee drinks, with its sales revenue reaching 51.2 billion yuan in 2022. It has nearly 30,000 employees and 8l production bases nationwide. Zong was ranked as the country’s richest person in 2010, 2012 and 2013 by business magazine Forbes.
However, Zong led a simple life, and it was common to see him dressed in a white shirt and black cloth shoes. He once said, “I am an ordinary person, but luckily I was born in such an era (时代).” He said that Wahaha would not exist without reform and opening-up. He said that Chinese entrepreneurs should fulfill their social responsibilities, and create wealth for the people, adding that they should create more employment opportunities and participate in public welfare activities, contributing to the country’s economic and social development.
Moreover, Zong attached great importance to technological innovation to ensure the quality and diversity (多样性) of Wahaha’s products in a highly competitive market, and provide strong impetus to the company’s sustainable growth. It is widely acknowledged that Zong’s management philosophy has set an example for the development of China’s private economy.
1. What does the underlined word “categories” mean?A.Sorts. | B.Sources. | C.Lines. | D.Fields. |
A.Wahaha AD calcium milk gained great popularity worldwide. |
B.Zong firmly believes he is an extraordinary and fortunate man. |
C.Zong extremely values the quality and diverity of Wahaha’s products |
D.Wahah’s success only resulted from Zong’s devotion and intelligence. |
A.simple and responsible. | B.devoted and creative. |
C.competitive and ordinary. | D.modest and independent |
A.A guideline. | B.A menu. | C.A brochure. | D.A website. |
5 . “Colour” and “color”, “favourite” and “favorite”, “honour” and “honor”… Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a “u”? Is it because they are lazy? Of course not. In fact, the difference in spelling was started by Noah Webster(1758 — 1843). He was a teacher who reformed (改革) English to make American identity (特征) stronger. Linguists (语言学家) celebrate his birthday on October 16 every year.
After the Revolutionary War (1775 — 1783), Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary, rather than rely on British dictionaries. He dropped the British “u” in some words. And he changed “centre” into “center” for children to learn English by spelling words more like what they sounded. He used “subway” instead of British word “underground”. Some other examples are “soccer” and “football”, “fall” and “autumn”.
Webster wasn’t shy about expressing his opinions. In defining (定义) preposterous(unreasonable), he wrote: “A republican government in the hands of female is preposterous.” Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary with his American-style spelling in 1828. He also added local words.
His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new country achieve unity (统一) and cultural independence at a time when most people cared about political freedom.
“He was the creator of our language and the creator of American identity,” said Joshua Kendall, who is working on a book about Webster. “He at last brought us together through our language.”
1. Which is NOT true about Webster’s dictionary?A.It has local words in it. |
B.It is a 70,000-word dictionary. |
C.All the words are spelled without “u”. |
D.Its words are in American-style spelling. |
A.Depend on. | B.Trust in. | C.Put up with. | D.Give up. |
A.It is the only dictionary that Americans still use today. |
B.It helped to bring Americans together besides its cultural influence. |
C.It has no influence on the development of American English. |
D.It helped to make American English more useful than British English. |
A.The development of the British English. |
B.American English is better than British English. |
C.Noah Webster added local words to the dictionary. |
D.Noah Webster wrote an American English dictionary and reformed English. |
6 . Born in a musical family in 1925in New Orleans, Renald Richard spent his childhood filled with music. At the age of 13, he went to see a band perform at a church where he fell in love with trumpet (小号). So he started lessons on it, and later played it in the high school band. After high school, he was sent into military service and played his trumpet in the United States Navy Band. After ending up studying music at Xavier University of Louisiana, he played clubs on the famous Bourbon Street and also toured with many bands.
In 1954, Richard was approached by Jeff Brown, the manager of musician Ray Charles. He invited Richard to join Ray Charles’ new band. “To be selected by Ray Charles was an honor to me. Ray Charles was exacting,” said Richard. “He was a perfectionist and was rather demanding about his music.”
Renald Richard toured all over the South and West with Ray Charles. Sitting in the back seat of the car on the way to a concert, Richard wrote the song “I Got a Woman” for Charles, which became Ray Charles’ first number one radio hit. In 1954, Renald Richard left Ray Charles’ band. However, he stayed friendly with Ray Charles over the years. He became the high school’s band director in his hometown until 1962. Four years later, he moved again to New York City. Over the years, Richard has written many other songs that have been recorded by artists including Joe Turner, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley, to name but a few. Living now in Southern Florida, Richard is still active at the age of 92. As you can see, Renald Richard’s musical days are by no means near an end.
That is today’s Celebrity Introduction. Any comments? Please write to us in the Comments Section on this page.
1. What inspired Richard to learn the trumpet?A.His family background. | B.A band performance. |
C.His high school band. | D.Support from his idol. |
①Start learning trumpet.
②Serve in the military.
③Tour around everywhere.
④Graduate from Xavier University of Louisiana.
A.①③②④ | B.①④③② |
C.①③④② | D.①②④③ |
A.Terrified. | B.Nervous. |
C.Honorable. | D.Uneasy. |
A.Richard creates countless works all over his life. |
B.Richard cooperates with many companies. |
C.Richard is keen on public welfare and charity. |
D.Richard has an inspiration when he fails. |
7 . In the calm and traditional world of classical music, composer Tan Dun is something of a rock star. Born in 1957 in a village near Changsha, Tan Dun worked as a rice planter in his early years. While music was strongly discouraged within the rice-planting communities, Tan learnt to play traditional Chinese stringed instruments with his friends and eventually joined a local band.
But the transition from hobby to career came about through a tragic (不幸的) tum of events. After several members of a Peking Opera troupe (剧团) drowned in a boat accident, Tan was hired to work as an arranger and violinist. The time at the troupe proved successful and Tan got the attention of Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) where he was accepted as a student in 1977. Years later, he further studied at New York’s Columbia University.
Under the teaching of famous composers around the word, Tan launched his international career through a series of modern operas. With the knowledge of eastern and western classical music, he composed Marco Polo, an abstract retelling of the 13th-century Venetian explorer’s life through eastern and western instruments.
Tan has composed symphonies and operas that have been performed in some of the world’s most famous theaters. He has also contributed the scores (配乐) to six films, including 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as several experimental multimedia projects. Such achievements have brought him great rewards, including Oscar, Grammy and Bafta awards, as well as the honor of Composer of Year, presented by classical music magazine Musical America.
1. What was Tan Dun’s job in his early years?A.Farmer. | B.Arranger. | C.Violinist. | D.Composer. |
A.His study in New York. | B.His success in the troupe. |
C.His achievement in scores. | D.His experience in Changsha. |
A.By making comparison. | B.By making classification. |
C.By following the order of space. | D.By following the order of time. |
A.He contributed scores to four films. |
B.He directed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. |
C.He combined Eastern and Western musical styles. |
D.He launched his international career through symphonies. |
If you’re into ancient Chinese architecture, check out 73-year-old Wang Yongxian on Douyin,
A.Tim Berners-Lee. | B.Stephen Hawking. | C.Steve Jobs. |
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. |