Yu Rong, a Chinese artist, thinks of a new way to introduce
Hua Mulan,
To better tell the story, Yu Rong takes inspiration from her several
2 . Sara Hinesley, who is 10, doesn’t understand why it is so remarkable that she won a national handwriting competition.
Sara, a third-grade student at St. John Regional Catholie School in Frederick, Maryland, won the 2019 Nicholas Maxim award for her cursive (草书的) handwriting.
She paints and draws, and sculpts clay. She can write in English and some Chinese. When she learnt to write in cursive this year, Sara said, she thought it was “kind of easy”. This is all despite the fact that Sara was born without hands.
To write, Sara holds her pencil between her arms and then focuses on the shapes of letters, each point and curve. “Writing in cursive feels like creating art work,” Sara said. “I like the way the letters are formed. It’s kind of art.”
Sara has never worn a prosthesis (artificial arms), and when she is offered help or a tool that might ease some tasks — such as cutting paper with scissors — she rejects it, said her mother, Cathryn Hinesley She has this independent trend where she just knows that she can do it and she'll figure out her own way. She is beautiful and strong and mighty just the way she is, and she just lives that way. She really does. She moves through life in this way that you never really see her as having a disability because she has a “can do, I-can-solve-anything attitude”
“Sara is an evidence of strong will and the human spirit,” Cathryn said. “Every day I am amazed at the things she is capable to do and that she chooses to do. She doesn't attempt to find her way to avoid s difficulty. She finds a way to finish the task.”
Sara received her national award — a medal — at an award ceremony on June 13, where she was also given a $500 prize. She is the first student from St. John’s to ever receive the Nicholas Maxim award.
1. We can infer from the first sentence that .A.Sara makes every effort to win the award |
B.Sara considers it easy to win the award |
C.Sara doesn’t take the award seriously |
D.Sara is excited at winning the award |
A.Brave. | B.Intelligent. | C.Generous. | D.Strong-minded. |
A.She expects Sara to be independent. | B.She is greatly proud of Sara. |
C.She doesn’t think Sara has a disability. | D.She is concerned about Sara's future. |
A.Health. | B.Education. | C.Science. | D.Entertainment. |
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 U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 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 white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott.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 famous 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.The discrimination against women. |
C.Her little work experience in court. | D.The poor financial conditions. |
A.Jane Addams. | B.Rachel Carson. |
C.Sandra Day O’Connor. | D.Rosa Parks. |
4 . Isabel Crook was born into a Canadian family in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province in 1915.While her parents were engaged in setting up schools and education organizations in Southwest China, Isabel herself was more interested in anthropology (人类学) and the ethnic minorities in China. As a foreign girl born in an Asian country that was undergoing great changes, she had every reason to be curious about what was going on around her.
At the age of 23, Isabel graduated from a Canadian college with a master’s degree and began carrying out field research in Sichuan Province. In 1947, Isabel and her husband David Crook were warmly welcomed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to observe and study the revolutionary land reform taking place in China. In 1948 the couple accepted the invitation from a CPC representative to teach at a newly-built foreign affairs school. The school was the forerunner (前身) of today’s Beijing Foreign Studies University(BFSU). As a teacher at BFSU she laid the foundation for foreign language education in China.
As two of the first three foreign teachers at the school, Isabel and her husband brought new Western teaching methods to the classroom. Michael Crook, Isabel’s second son, noted that since some students were extremely poor during the 1950s and 1960s, his parents were especially sensitive to their situation and did what they could to help them while protecting their self-esteem. For example, they would bring food such as eggs and bread for picnics and share them with students who brought steamed bread of corn.
According to the younger Crook, because of his parents’ belief in communism, they chose to use political texts as their teaching materials, such as works once admired by Karl Marx. Understanding that the students would become diplomats (外交官) representing China, his parents tried to help students gain knowledge in different fields to better prepare them for communicating with foreigners in English.
On December 15th 2018, Isabel got the award of “The Most Influential Foreign Expat during 40 Years of China’s Reform and Opening up” from the Chinese government. On September 17, 2019, Isabel was awarded the Friendship Medal — the highest honor in China for foreigners — for her lifetime of devotion to China.
1. What did Isabel independently do according to the text?A.She did field research. |
B.She helped the poor students. |
C.She was invited to teach English in China. |
D.She introduced teaching methods of Western countries to China. |
A.Isabel and her husband were rich at that time. |
B.In the 1950s, Isabel’s husband worked as a reporter in China. |
C.Isabel made great contributions to China’s foreign language education. |
D.Isabel and her husband taught students only in Western ways of teaching. |
A.They believed in communism. |
B.They were crazy about Chinese politics. |
C.They wanted to spread the spirits of Karl Marx. |
D.They had to teach many subjects including politics. |
A.Patient. | B.Caring. | C.Strict. | D.Romantic. |
5 . China’s Most Mysterious Internet Celebrity(网红)
Her life looks like one straight out of a fairy tale (童话). Li Ziqi impresses millions of people with her videos, where she makes seemingly everything with her own two hands, from dyeing a dress with fresh grape skin to fashioning traditional lipstick from roses in her garden.
She has millions of fans at home and overseas, but she remains a mystery to many of them. She barely speaks in her videos, and she rarely gives interviews. But now, she’s ready to open up to us.
To find Li, we had to travel to rural Sichuan Province in southwestern China, where she grew up. Li grew up with her grandparents there. But they were poor, so when she turned 14, Li went to work in the city. In 2012, she decided to return to the countryside to take care of her grandmother.
Four years later, she started filming her life there. Whatever she makes, she leaves no stone unturned, going as far as raising baby ducklings just to make a sauce out of salted duck eggs.
Apart from food, she’s also known for her videos presenting traditional crafts, like building a bamboo furniture set, which she says was inspired by one of her grandfather’s old benches. Li’s stylized presentation of rural life stands out in China’s extremely competitive field of online videos.
Today, four years after she first picked up the camera, Li is one of China’s most successful online video makers.
1. How does Li Ziqi impress millions of people with her videos?A.She makes seemingly everything with her own two hands. |
B.She returned to the countryside to take care of her grandmother. |
C.She grew up with her grandparents in rural Sichuan Province. |
D.She has been filming her life where she grew up. |
A.She lives a rural life far away from them. |
B.She barely speaks in her videos, and rarely gives interviews. |
C.They don’t know about the things that she makes. |
D.They don’t understand how she becomes so successful. |
A.She goes past many stones. |
B.She turns every stone. |
C.She thinks the opposite. |
D.She searches thoroughly. |
A.Humorous. | B.Objective. | C.Approving. | D.Negative. |
6 . On September 8th, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch in history, died aged 96. Buckingham Palace announced her death on Thursday, Her son, Prince Charles, has now become Britain’s new king.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” it added.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” King Charles said in a statement, “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” Britain’s Prime Minister Liz Truss said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Buckingham Palace said the monarch was under medical supervision due to doctors’ concerns over her health. The royal family members soon rushed to Scotland to be at her side following the announcement.
In the evening, royal staff hung obituaries(讣告)on railings in front of Buckingham Palace. Crowds braved the rain to pay their respects and many laid flowers outside Windsor Castle.
Queen Elizabeth II has significantly reduced her public engagements since the death of her husband Prince Philip in April last year, and canceled or postponed many official engagements after being hospitalized in October last year. She was diagnosed with the coronavirus in February.
Born on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth II was announced Queen after the death of her father, King George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952. She was formally crowned(加冕)the monarch of the United Kingdom on June 2, 1953.
1. How long was Elizabeth queen of Britain?A.70 years. | B.96 years. | C.69 years. | D.68 years. |
A.She is the greatest queen in the history of Britain. |
B.She is a beloved mother. |
C.She plays an important role in the modern history of Britain. |
D.She is a popular queen respected by her people. |
A.Because her husband died and her health was in bad condition. |
B.Because she got tired of fame and wealth. |
C.Because she wished a quieter life when she was old. |
D.Because she would like Prince Charles to appear in public more. |
A.Farewell to Queen Elizabeth II |
B.Queen Elizabeth II: a Beloved Mother |
C.The Wonderful Life of Queen Elizabeth II |
D.A Highly Honored Queen |
Mark Twain was born in Florida on November 30th, 1835.He
The play The Million Pound Bank Note has attracted the attention of a great number of readers. It was the summer of 1903, when two
8 . Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England on 8th January,1942.He went to school in St. Albans-a small city near London. Although he did well, he was never top of his class. After leaving school, Hawking went first to Oxford University where he studied physics, and then he went to Cambridge University where he studied cosmology(宇宙学). As he himself admitted he wasn’t very serious about studying. He was a very lazy student, and did very little work. However, he still achieved extremely good marks.
Hawking first noticed something was wrong with him at the age of 20. He started to bump into things, and often fell over for no reason. When he visited his family at Christmas time, his father was so worried that he was sent to hospital for a test. Finally, the result came back. Hawking had motor neurone disease(运动神经元病), an incurable illness which causes the muscles of the body to waste away. Doctors said he would die before he was 23.
At first, Hawking became extremely depressed. After a while, though, he began to see his life in a different way. As he later wrote, “Before my illness had been diagnosed(诊断),there had not seemed to be anything worth doing. But shortly after I came out of hospital, I suddenly realized that there were a lot of worthwhile things I could do.” Hawking married, found a job at Cambridge University, where he worked all his life, and had three children. He also went to do some of the most important scientific research ever carried out.
His story shows that nobody, however bad their situation is, should lose hope. “Life is not fair,” he once said.“You just have to do the best you can in your own situation.”
1. As a university student, Stephen Hawking _________.A.worked extremely hard | B.studied maths and chemistry |
C.was lazy and did very little work | D.only achieved average marks |
A.he visited his family at Christmas time one year |
B.he was 20 |
C.his father made him see a doctor |
D.he was sent to hospital for a test |
A.Never lose hope even if it is a bad situation. |
B.No pain, no gain. |
C.You never know what will happen in life. |
D.Life is full of challenges. |
A.A Lazy Boy | B.Life Is Fair |
C.Motor Neurone Disease | D.Professor Stephen Hawking |
9 .
The documentary displays Lang’s inspiring journey from her gold medal victory as a volleyball player in the 1984 Olympics to her amazing career as a successful coach for both Team USA from 2005 to 2008 and China since 2013. She was the first person to win Olympic volleyball gold as a player and coach. Lang Ping revealed the secret to such remarkable achievements in the documentary. As she said, “
But illness is certainly not the only difficulty Lang has faced. In 2005, she struggled with balancing raising her daughter Lydia Bai Lang, who lived in the US, and her coaching career. She eventually decided to work for USA Volleyball that year.
There is no doubt that Lang is one of the greatest players and coaches in history. As an American athlete commented in the documentary,
A.Who is Lang Ping? |
B.Lang is the hardest to defeat. |
C.I believe volleyball was my life. |
D.What makes one a great person? |
E.Glory and challenges go hand in hand. |
F.Lang Ping is like Michael Jordan in our minds. |
G.This decision aroused a lot of negative comments in China. |
10 . What’s the meaning of the “dark horse”? It is someone who wins when no one expect it.
Han Xiaopeng took China’s first gold on snow. He became an Olympic “dark horse” by winning the gold medal in men’s freestyle skiing aerials (自由式滑雪空中技巧) at Turin in Italy. He made two almost perfect jumps for the highest score. Han had never won a world gold medal before, let alone in the Olympics!
“I never thought this would happen,” said Han Xiaopeng, “I feel like I’m in a dream.” It’s China’s second gold medal at the Turin Olympic Winter Games. But more important, Han’s gold was the country’s first ever in a snow sport. In 2002, China’s Yang Yang won the gold for speed skating at the Winter Olympic in Salt Lake City, US.
That Han’s win was unexpected doesn’t mean that he didn’t work hard.
Han grew up in Jiangsu Province. Before he started his training on snow, he used to be an acrobat (杂技演员) at a circus. In 1995, a coach found his talent. The coach, Yang Er’qi, said Han had the agility (灵活性) and courage to be a ski jumper. When Yang first took the 12-year-old boy to northern China, he couldn’t swim, skate or ski. But he wasn’t afraid of the high platform and kept on training.
Han almost left the sport after hurting his knee months before the Salt Lake Games. In that Olympics he only got 24th. “I was hopeless at that time, but my family and the coach stood behind me, helping me through,” he recalled.
Han Xiaopeng worked so hard that he won the gold medal in the Olympics at last. Because of his success, more and more people in China are becoming interested in skiing. We are proud of him.
1. What does the “dark horse” mean?A.Someone who is unexpected to win. |
B.A horse which dark. |
C.A horse which likes the dark. |
D.Someone whose win is expected. |
A.In China. | B.In America. |
C.In Australia. | D.In Italy. |
A.He had enough courage though he was only 13 years old. |
B.He was born in the south of China and liked sports on snow. |
C.He had the agility and wasn’t afraid of the high platform. |
D.He had the talent and he had won a world gold medal before. |
A.A wonderful Match |
B.A Dark Horse at the Winter Olympic |
C.A Hopeful Snow Game |
D.An Exciting Skiing Race |