1 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．It focuses on education. | B．It is highly praised. |
| C．It has earned a lot of money. | D．It has created many jobs. |
| A．Helpful and serious. | B．Selfless and honest. |
| C．Thoughtful and strict. | D．Caring and creative. |
2 . I was ten years old when I started watching lawn tennis. Having developed interest in tennis, I started following and gaining knowledge about the game. The play of the 100th seed was the best according to me until I asked my father who is the number 1 ranked player in the world, to which he replied — Roger Federer.
That was it! I watched his play at Wimbledon and really couldn’t stop admiring this personality. His silky smooth movement, flawless serve, unreachable powerful forehand, amazing footwork—all of it was pretty amazing. I started playing tennis because of him; he was undoubtedly my role model. I followed his career off the tennis court and learned things about him that really made me a better person in life.
There is a feeling of joy in each stroke that Federer plays and a feeling of excitement in each thing he does whether it is giving an interview, doing a press conference, practicing on court or mere signing the tennis balls for fans. There is never a dull moment when he is around, which inspires everyone to be happy and joyous in life in whatever they do. One of the most important things about him which inspires me is his sense of humor.
Federer first congratulates his opponents and never shies from telling them they played wonderfully well, and that luck was on his side today or that he had a good day, instead of attributing the victory to his hours of hard work and training. He always looks for opportunities to praise others.
Another admirable thing about Federer is his love for the game. It teaches me that it’s great to do what you love. You can excel in any profession if you love it from your heart; it then becomes no more a profession but a thing of joy from which you can get satisfaction and fulfilment each day you practice it. It is no more a duty but a sense of fulfilment（成就）.
He is the most respected player in the game and everyone feels privileged to play against him, and some don’t even mind losing to him! This kind of respect is not gained in a few days but in many years by achieving perfectionism both on and off the court, by inspiring and motivating generations to come and becoming a part of history, by not just getting awards on the court but also by being a good man. Federer’s energy motivates me to keep moving on and on in my life, fighting difficulties with a smile and cherishing good moments as well as not so good.
1. How did the author initially know Federer?| A．By watching the play of the 100th seed player. |
| B．By following a Wimbledon tournament. |
| C．By participating in a tennis camp. |
| D．By requiring his father. |
| A．Federer’s optimistic and humorous features. |
| B．How Federer reacted when being interviewed. |
| C．The influence Federer has on his fans. |
| D．How Federer achieved victories through hard exercise. |
| A．We should never cares about losing a game. |
| B．We’d better keep a good relationship with anyone. |
| C．We should treasure both good and not-so-good moments in life. |
| D．We can learn to handle challenges brought by our opponents. |
| A．The Significance of Following a Model | B．An Inspiring Legend: Roger Federer |
| C．The Way to Gain the Sense of Fulfilment | D．The Privilege of Being a Tennis Star |
3 . A woman in a cap wanders calmly along. Except for the lava (熔岩) erupting behind her, she could be walking in the park. The woman turns to watch the molten rock flow for a moment then walks calmly toward the camera. The footage(镜头) is from Werner Herzog’s book to volcanoes and volcano hunters, Into the Inferno, and the woman pictured is perhaps one of the most important volcanologists of all time, Katia Krafft.
Born in France, in 1942, Katia developed an interest in volcanoes at an early age. Later, she met Maurice Krafft. The pair bonded over their shared love of volcanoes before marrying in 1970. The Kraffts wrote about 20 books on volcanoes across the globe.
Katia and her husband made great progress in educating the general public in volcanology. Their footage had more than scientific value. For instance, when Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines began to show signs of an eruption in 1991, the Kraffts were able to present Philippine President Cory Aquino with video footage of the effects of the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia, asking him to call for an evacuation of those in the danger zone.
In 1969, Katia was awarded the prize of the Vocation Foundation for her work on active volcanic sites.
The couple lost their lives, along with more than 40 others during the eruption of Mount Unzen in Japan on June 3.1991. when they were caught in a flow of rock, gas and ash moving at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, with temperatures of more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Katia was 49; Maurice, 45.
Katia’s impact on volcanology has reached far beyond her death and has encouraged many young women to study our restless planet. “Katia Krafft is definitely the reason why I’m doing this job,” says Carla Tiraboschi, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minster, Germany. Carla first saw Katia in a documentary when she was just six or seven years old and has been crazy about volcanoes ever since.
1. What can we infer from the book Into the Inferno?| A．Its author is Katia Krafft. | B．It’s a biography of Katia Krafft. |
| C．It calls on protecting the environment. | D．It focuses on volcanoes and their explorers. |
| A．They prevented a natural disaster. |
| B．They served as a warning in Japan. |
| C．They helped spread volcano science. |
| D．They covered Mount Pinatubo’s eruption. |
| A．Substance. | B．Departure. | C．Occupation. | D．Intervention. |
| A．Katia’s death made her restless. | B．Katia helped her with her research. |
| C．Katia taught her to make a documentary. | D．Katia’s deeds inspired her career choice. |
4 . Mattel has announced the latest release in its “Inspiring Women” series, releasing a doll on Tuesday dedicated to conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall. Goodall, 88, began her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in East Africa more than 60 years ago.
“My entire career, I’ve wanted to help inspire kids to be curious and explore the world around them,” Goodall said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to partner with Barbie and encourage young children to learn from their environment and feel a sense that they can make a difference.”
The new doll’s launch coincides with the 62nd anniversary of Goodall’s first visit to Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, where she conducted ground-breaking research on wild chimpanzees. It also comes just ahead of World Chimpanzee Day on July 14.
Her figurine (小雕像) wears a khaki shirt and shorts, a pair of binoculars and holds a notebook. It also comes with a miniature replica of David Greybeard, the first ma le chimp Dr. Goodall named and discovered making tools out of sticks. Goodall’s doll is made from ocean-bound plastic and is part of Mattel’s Inspiring Women Series, which pays tribute (致敬) to courageous and risk-taking women. Prior dolls in the collection include Ida B. Wells, Dr. Maya Angelou and Eleanor Roosevelt.
“Kids need more role models like Dr. Jane Goodall, because imagining they can be anything is just the beginning — seeing it makes all the difference,” Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie and Mattel dolls, said in a statement. Barbie has also teamed up with the Jane Goodall Institute to launch its 2022 Barbie Career of the Year Eco-Leadership Team, a line of dolls with “green careers” such as a Chief Sustainability Officer and Renewable Energy Engineer. The company hopes the collection can inspire kids to learn more about green careers.
1. When did Goodall begin research on chimpanzees?| A．In her twenties. | B．In her forties. | C．In her sixties. | D．In her eighties. |
| A．To increase its sale of Barbie. |
| B．To collect money for national parks. |
| C．To give young people role models. |
| D．To raise people’s awareness of wild life protection. |
| A．Kind and creative. | B．Brave and strong-willed. |
| C．Friendly and kind. | D．Generous and hard-working. |
| A．Jane Goodall Was Highly Respected |
| B．Jane Goodall Is an Influential Researcher |
| C．Kids Need Great People to Inspire Them |
| D．Mattel Released a Barbie Toll of Jane Goodall |
5 . Paul Durietz is a 76-year-old social studies teacher from Illinois. On September 1, 2023, he set a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest teaching career.
Paul has known since he was young that he wanted to be a social studies teacher. Social studies is the study of history, and how people, countries, and cultures are connected. He became interested in history after hearing stories from his father. On his mother’s side of the family, he had connections to a famous person from English history, which aroused his interest in studying the Middle Ages. At the age of 11, after many conversations with his father, Paul was certain social studies would be his field of study.
Paul began teaching at Woodland Middle School in Gurnee, Illinois in 1970. Ever since then, he’s been teaching social studies at the same school.
Things have changed a lot since he began all those years ago. When he started, Richard Nixon was President of the United States, and the Beatles were still together. This rock band was formed in Liverpool, England in 1960. At that time, the only way to make copies was with a “ditto machine (复印机)”, which used a purple ink.
There’re many activities in his teaching to help his students learn. For example, he has organized virtual field trips, geography contests, and special days about the US Civil War. He has even organized mock (模拟的) elections at school to help his students learn about politics. For much of his 53 years as a teacher, Paul has been in charge of the social studies program at Woodland. He’s helped to guide over 20 other social studies teachers at the school. “We should be full of freshness in things and stick to learning continuously,” says Paul, who is extremely proud that some of his students have become history teachers because of him.
Paul has no plans to retire any time soon. “Keep working on what you love to do in life,” he says.
1. What played an important role in Paul’s career planning?| A．His father’s influence. | B．His mother’s encouragement. |
| C．His view of teaching history. | D．His understanding of social studies. |
| A．To stress Paul’s long teaching career. | B．To highlight Paul likes music as well. |
| C．To say Paul contributes a lot to music. | D．To indicate Paul once taught music. |
| A．Demanding. | B．Creative. | C．Academic. | D．Conservative. |
| A．It is never too late to teach. | B．Education is the key to success. |
| C．Positive thinking results in victory. | D．Curious minds don’t feel contented. |
6 . Charles Darwin was born in 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. His father, a doctor, had high hopes that his son would earn a medical degree at Edinburgh University in Scotland, where he was admitted at the age of sixteen. It turned out that Darwin was more interested in natural history than medicine. While he continued his studies at Cambridge, it was his focus on natural history that became his passion.
In 1831, Darwin set out on a voyage as a naturalist aboard a ship of the British Royal Navy, the HMS Beagle. The main purpose of the trip was to survey the coastline of South America and chart its harbors to make better maps of the region.
Darwin spent much of the trip on land collecting samples of plants, animals, rocks, and fossils. He explored regions in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and remote islands such as the Gal á pagos. He packed all of his samples into large wooden containers and sent them back to England aboard other large ships.
Upon his return to England in 1836, Darwin’s work continued. Studies of his samples and notes from the trip led to groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Fossils he collected led to advances in the understanding of the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. Darwin’s analysis of the plants and animals he gathered led him to question how species form and change over time. This work convinced him of the insight that he is most famous for — natural selection. The theory of natural selection says that individuals of a species are more likely to survive in their environment and pass on their genes to the next generation when they inherit traits from their parents that are best suited for that specific environment. In this way, such traits become more widespread in the species and can lead eventually to the development of a new species.
In 1859, Darwin published his thoughts about evolution and natural selection in On the Origin of Species. The book convinced many people that species change over time — a lot of time — suggesting that the planet was much older than what was commonly believed at the time: six thousand years.
Charles Darwin died in 1882 at the age of seventy-three. He is buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England.
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To show his educational level. |
| B．To stress his father’s influence on him. |
| C．To pave the way for his future study of nature. |
| D．To introduce his family background. |
| A．Boring. | B．Enthusiastic. | C．Unclear. | D．Disappointing. |
| A．An animal that can pass on its genes to the next generation. |
| B．An animal that can lead to the development of a new kind of species. |
| C．An animal that receives its parents’ features fit for the specific environment. |
| D．An animal whose parents teach it to survive from the specific environment. |
| A．The process of Darwin’s voyage. |
| B．All the research results in Darwin’s life. |
| C．The birth of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. |
| D．Darwin’s talent for studying natural history. |
Chinese wushu athlete Cao Maoyuan outperformed all others in men’s Nanquan,
Cao, 25, a student from Chengdu Sport University,
“I was a little nervous and excited in
Wushu, or kung fu,
8 . Chinese social media was a buzz with praise for war correspondent Chen Huihui who reported from the front lines of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As one of the first journalists to arrive at the scene, Chen has been reporting live from the battlefield since October 9th.
Chen’s reports have provided a realistic and complex view of the conflict, earning her widespread respect and admiration from netizens on Weibo. Many compared her deed to a “heroic act” for fearlessly facing the situation.
One netizen expressed admiration for war reporters covering the Israel-Palestine conflict, stating: “I admire the war reporters covering the Israel-Palestine conflict; truly admirable, they are reporting and directing the gunfire and bombardment every day. Salute!”
As the Israeli army entered Gaza and began ground battle, Chen Huihui shared her firsthand accounts of the situation. On November 11th, an emotional video emerged of a father crying out in sorrow after his three children were killed by Israel ’ s bombardment. This heart-broken image led netizens to express their sympathy for the people affected by the conflict.
The Weibo netizens remained great support and respect for journalists like Chen Huihui who are putting their lives on the line to report from the front lines. As a Spanish parliamentarian named Mayster condemned Israel for committing war crimes, Chinese social media users praised journalists who bring attention to the realities and cruelty of war.
As another netizen put it: “War correspondents are often not individuals but representatives of national images. Only when reporters are closer to the guns can they feel more deeply the cruelty of war, know true casualties, and understand the distinction between justice and injustice.”
Chen Huihui’s courageous reporting from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has earned her widespread praise on Chinese social media. Her bravery and devotion to providing realistic coverage of the complex situation have inspired admiration among netizens who value journalists like her who are committed to throwing light on important global issues.
1. What is one of the reasons for Chen Huihui’s great praise on Chinese social media?| A．Her courage and bravery in the face of danger. |
| B．She was the first journalist to arrive at the scene. |
| C．She reported live from the battlefield since last October. |
| D．Her sympathy towards the people affected by the conflict |
| A．They blamed Israel for the tragedy. |
| B．They expressed their pities for the victims. |
| C．They praised the father’s bravery in the face of danger. |
| D．They remained calm and did not comment on the video. |
| A．Because Chen Huihui reported on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. |
| B．Because netizens praised journalists who bring attention to the realities and cruelty of war. |
| C．Because the Israeli army entered Gaza and began cold-blooding killing to the common people. |
| D．Because Chen Huihui shared an emotional video of a father grieving for his children. |
| A．By reporting from a safe distance. |
| B．By witnessing the heroism of soldiers. |
| C．By getting close to the battlefield. |
| D．By understanding the distinction between justice and injustice. |
The underwater photography exhibition titled “Chasing Dreams in Dark Blue”is
As an enterpriser, Yue is deeply passionate about both the ocean
1. Why did the lady want the pianist to sing?
| A．She knew he could sing well. |
| B．She was tired of listening to the piano. |
| C．She wanted to make him famous. |
| A．That night after his first singing. |
| B．Long before he played the piano in the bar. |
| C．After he became a famous pianist. |
| A．He had his own piano bar. |
| B．He continued to play the piano in the bar. |
| C．He became a well-known singer in America. |
| A．Everyone should make full use of his talent. |
| B．Few people have real talent. |
| C．People will succeed if they have talent. |
