I became a magician by accident. When I was nine years old, I learned how to make a coin disappear. I’d read The Lord of the Rings and gone into the adult section of the library to be buried in fantasy literature but young enough to still hold out hope that you might find a book of real, actual magic in the library. The book I found taught basic techniques, and I tried to practice.
At first the magic wasn’t any good. It was just a trick — a bad trick. I spent hours each day running through the secret moves in front of the mirror. I dropped the coin over and over, a thousand times in a day, and after two weeks my mom got a carpet and placed it under the mirror to muffle (消音) the sound of the coin falling again and again.
One day I made the coin disappear on the playground. We had been playing football and were standing in the field behind the school. A dozen people were watching. I showed the coin to everyone. Then it disappeared. The kids screamed.
A few years later, I staged an underwater escape in the river that flowed through the middle of the campus of the University of Iowa, where I went to school. I stood on a boat in the middle of the river wearing nothing but hiking shorts. The sky was dead and gray, and the water was cold at the surface, and colder in the depths below.
Technically, I succeeded. I jumped into the water, sank to the bottom, and escaped from the locks and chains before swimming to the surface. But it didn’t feel like a success.
1. Why did the author’s mother bring a carpet home?| A．To encourage him to clean the house. |
| B．To make the sounds less noisy than before. |
| C．To have guests clean their shoes on entering the house. |
| D．To decrease the number of cleaning the house. |
| A．By playing football with them. | B．By making the showed coin disappear. |
| C．By praictising his techniques more frequently. | D．By providing hands-on practice. |
| A．The Magic Trick that Changed My Life. | B．A Nineteen-year-old Magician |
| C．What Can Give You a Magic Life. | D．A Brief Introduction to a Magician’s Life |
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【推荐1】Dreams are powerful. They can drive you to work harder and become better. President Xi Jinping said that realizing the great rejuvenation (复兴) of the Chinese nation is China’s greatest dream, which is known as the “Chinese dream”. The Chinese dream means not only a higher GDP, but also a happier life for Chinese people. Many people have already worked on the Chinese dream while realizing their own dreams. Here are some of their stories.
Su Bingtian, 32
Su Bingtian, a sprinter who was born in 1989, made history in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Tough, determined and hard-working, Su became the first Chinese athlete to qualify for the men’s 100-meter sprint final at an Olympics, setting a new Asian record along the way. Besides his incredible accomplishment, what impresses everyone is his devotion to giving inspiring lessons to school students. “I’m willing to devote my youth to the career that I love and to my homeland,” Su said.
Hu Weiwei, 39
Hu Weiwei is the founder of Mobike, China’s first smart bike-sharing company. Her dream was to create a great company that could “change people’s lifestyles and shape the future of cities”. And that is what Mobike is doing. Hu achieved personal success while helping society at the same time.
Wu Guanghui, 61
China has always dreamed of having its own large passenger airplanes, and so has Wu Guanghui. As a chief designer, Wu designed the C919, which was China’s first homemade large passenger plane. Large airplanes are a symbol of how well a country’s science and technology are doing. Daring the seven years he spent working on C919. Wu worked seven days a week, 11 hours a day. “My country needs me. I just did what I was supposed to do,” Wu said.
1. What does the “Chinese dream” exactly refer to?| A．A higher GDP. | B．The development of science. |
| C．A happier life for Chinese people. | D．The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. |
| A．Wu Guanghui. | B．Hu Weiwei. | C．Su Bingtian. | D．President Xi. |
| A．Inspiring students to exercise more. | B．Having contributed to the Chinese dream. |
| C．Changing people’s lifestyles successfully. | D．Helping with China’s science and technology. |
【推荐2】Ali Coletta always wanted someone to share her adventures. Then she met her husband Nick, and things seemed perfect — for a while. But she knew there was still something, or someone, missing.
“I knew we needed an addition to our family to share our passion for adventure together,”Ali said.“I even created a PowerPoint slideshow on why we needed a sweet golden retriever (金毛猎犬) in our lives.”
In 2016, Stella joined the family and the Colettas finally found the perfect pet to make them feel complete.“Stella’s personality is lovely and contradictory. One minute she’s sitting at the kitchen table as if it’s no big deal, and the next minute she’s bossing us around,”Ali said.“She loves swimming, hiking and recently snowboarding.”
The fearless pup loves following Nick around wherever he goes and is always up for an adventure. This was never more apparent than when the family went on a recent ski trip. Their vacation was cut short due to COVID-19, but on their last day, the family hiked up a mountain park. Of course, they brought Stella along for the journey so she, too, could enjoy the snow. Then something unexpected happened — as Nick began snowboarding downhill, the faithful Stella refused to be left behind. She bounded happily through the snow, following Nick’s every move. “We knew she would love the hike in the snow,” Ali said.“But we honestly had no idea she would love running down just as much.”
Stella has always loved the cold, and now it’s clear that she’s finally found her calling.
Regardless of what Stella does, the Colettas couldn’t be happier to have such a special pup in their lives. “She truly completes our family and is the best companion one could ask for,” Ali said.
1. What do the first two paragraphs imply?| A．Things have been perfect before Ali’s marriage. |
| B．Ali and Nick met in a mountain adventure in 2017. |
| C．Ali and her husband are both crazy about adventures. |
| D．The dog is always necessary for guarding adventurers. |
| A．She is gentle and obedient. | B．She has a changeable character. |
| C．She loves following Ali around. | D．She has joined the family for a year. |
| A．Found something really desirable for her. | B．Figured out her permanent home. |
| C．Realized the cold of the snow. | D．Learned a new skill. |
| A．Stella’s love for snowboarding. |
| B．Advice on finding a perfect pet. |
| C．Ali and her husband’s hiking adventures. |
| D．The story of the Colettas and their golden retriever. |
【推荐3】At first glance, l5-year-old Kenan Pala seems like a typical high school student. He runs cross-country and plays video games with his friends. But he founded Kids4Community, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that offers volunteer projects and encourages kids to participate, when he was just 12 years old.
The idea for Kids4Community came out of his family’s experience. Pala’s parents came to the US from Turkey in 1998 and founded Confirm BioSciences, a company that produces and delivers drug-testing kits. Their journey was filled with hardship, but the kindness of others, in the forms of both emotional and financial support, left an unforgettable mark.
“We started with very little money in our journey here, but we got so much help along the way and we’ve always felt very grateful,” said Zeynep Ilgaz, Pala’s mother. “If it wasn’t for the help we got along the way, we would not be here today where we are.” The Palas wanted to instill (灌输) this lesson in their children, so they encouraged them to give back to the community. Pala said, “My parents really wanted me to understand how lucky I was to have the life I had and they did that in having me give back while I was growing up.”
Pala’s organization aims to boost young people’s involvement in community efforts because many organizations don’t let children volunteer. Now， Kids4Community regularly organizes initiatives (新方案) to help people who are homeless, including the dinner service at homeless shelters and this year’ s Christmas gift bag drive. In addition to meeting physical needs, the initiatives are designed to give people a sense of dignity and hope.
1. In which aspect is Kenan Pala different from those of his age group?| A．His interest in outdoor sports. | B．His ambition to be a volunteer. |
| C．His passion for the nonprofit cause. | D．His talent for playing video games. |
| A．The requirement from his high school. | B．The suggestion from his online friends. |
| C．The success of his family’s company. | D．The family move from Turkey to the US. |
| A．Thankful. | B．Generous. | C．Self-centred. | D．Traditional. |
| A．Health. | B．Entertainment. | C．People. | D．Culture. |
【推荐1】Years ago, I appeared on stage with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir in the Town Hall. There I was, my feet in plain shoes, sweat dirtying my clean white shirt, singing my heart out in front of the big organ. I still have a tape recording of that performance somewhere, where I swear I can hear myself singing, high and thin and possibly off-key.
But life got in the way and I stopped singing. Then, in the summer of 2019, I found myself facing some gloom in my own life. It felt as if it had been a long time between songs, as if there was something unsung, some absent music in my ears. I began to fear I might be making myself ill and unable to breathe in a normal way.
Could singing help me reclaim my voice and calm my fast-beating heart? Research from the Royal Society noted that “group singing can improve physical and mental health, as well as promote social bonds”. So, rather than letting my unsung tunes strangle (扼杀) me, I decided to take on a new choral experience, one being in the Big Feminist Sing, a community choir.
“If you don’t know what to sing,” the choir director said, “find someone who looks confident and go and stand next to them.” Find a friend if you’re in trouble; take a risk; use your voice; be part of something bigger than yourself. I’ve been singing in the choir ever since, because group singing gives me a sense of safety — and each rehearsal (排练) is a lifeline, a connected thread, an intake of air working toward a collective voice. It doesn’t matter if I am a bit off-key to start with. Decades of unsung situations have changed, and I have flown.
1. How did the author feel during her performance in the Town Hall?| A．Excited. | B．Relaxed. | C．Nervous. | D．Curious. |
| A．Something unsung in the author’s life. |
| B．Some difficulty in the author’s life. |
| C．Some disease that stopped the author singing. |
| D．Something affecting the author’s voice. |
| A．Finding a true friend is never easy. |
| B．The choir director’s position counts. |
| C．Teamwork has benefited her a lot. |
| D．Singing alone improves her health. |
| A．To get a sense of safety out of singing. |
| B．To make changes from stage experiences. |
| C．To taste music in a choir. |
| D．To enjoy the amazing power of group singing. |
We already know the fastest,least expensive way to slow down climate change:use less energy.With a little effort,and not much money,most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.
Not long ago,my wife,PJ,and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change.Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago,and that the consequences(后果)could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emission(排放)of carbon dioxide(CO2)and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.
We decided to try an experiment.For one month we recorded our personal emission of CO2.We wanted to see how much we could cut back,so we went on a strict diet.The average US household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing common things like turning on air conditioning or driving cars.That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average,mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses.But how much should we try to reduce?
For an answer,I checked with Tim Flannery,author of The Weather Makers:How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth.In his book,he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emission to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points,such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica.“To stay below that point,we need to reduce CO2 emission by 80 percent,”he said.
Good advice,I thought.I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind.We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock.I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened.We should not let this happen again.It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary.
1. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?
| A．To take special kinds of food. |
| B．To respond to climate change. |
| C．To lose weight. |
| D．To improve their health. |
| A．freezing points | B．burning points |
| C．melting points | D．boiling points |
| A．made deep cuts in his personal emission of CO2 |
| B．wrote a book about the climate changes |
| C．succeeded in reducing CO2 emission by 80 percent |
| D．was an author popular among readers |
| A．Saving Energy Starts at Home |
| B．Changing Our Habits Begins at Work |
| C．Changing Climate Sounds Reasonable |
| D．Reducing Emission of CO2 Proves Difficult |
【推荐3】In my early teens, I was once given a film camera as a gift. On receiving it, I jumped on my bike, headed to Wimbledon Common and took photos, just for me: photos of trees and wildlife. I was out all day. On my way home I spotted a tree lit up by street lighting and tried to capture its splendour. Rushing home, I popped the spent film in a special little envelope and sent it off to a photography store, desperate to see how it came out. I took many photos then and loved the fact that when you processed your film you got back colour photos which froze the precious moments, gently encouraging the hobby and the payments for processing.
As I grew into adulthood, that simple, deep happiness gradually faded away. One weekend when I was busy answering the work calls, my eyes caught a box in the corner of the room. I suddenly felt a sense of sadness. The stress growing over these years had pushed the camera from beside my pillow to the box in the corner. I thought I needed a change.
I took out the camera and dusted it down. It was a great joy that it still worked. I bought new film and took the camera everywhere I went. Now it is always on hand to accompany me on journeys, to allow me time to myself. Even if the day is full and busy, I can seize some moments for myself to take photos, to observe the world around me.
The wall of my room now holds all my camera equipment along with photos I’ve taken. To me, the room represents how I’ve found happiness: by reconnecting to the younger part of myself I laid aside, by allowing room in my life for pleasure to exist, and by creating an environment that allows opportunities for delight.
1. What did the author think of taking photos as a young boy?| A．Inspiring and practical. | B．Troublesome yet delightful. |
| C．Complicated yet engaging. | D．Thrilling and rewarding. |
| A．He was struck by sudden sorrow. |
| B．He was faced with increasing pressure. |
| C．He intended to focus on his work |
| D．He attempted to behave like an adult. |
| A．More enjoyment in the daily routine. | B．New journeys in the wild. |
| C．Better skills of observation. | D．Different styles of photography. |
| A．Revisiting Lost Childhood Memories |
| B．Appreciating Beauty Behind the Lens |
| C．Regaining Pleasure Through Photography |
| D．Escaping Teenage Sadness with Camera |
【推荐1】During my university years in the early 2000s, I worked part-time with kids at a neighborhood YMCA, which mainly focused on child care. Each year, we hosted a Christmas party for the community.
Most of the people working there were women, so we had to search for a male volunteer to play Santa Claus. We didn’t have many choices. John was a tall, twentyish man who was much too thin to be Santa Claus. No amount of stuffing (填充物) could possibly make him look like a common Santa Claus. He was, however, available.
On the day of the party, John put on his costume (戏装) and waited for the children. Many of the children who knew John said, “It’s just you, John.” If they didn’t know him, they said, “You’re too thin to be Santa.” We thought it might be a bad decision, but then everyone seemed to enjoy their time there, so it didn’t really matter.
Then, a lovely little girl entered the room. She was dressed beautifully to see Santa and seemed a little shy. Her mother brought her up to our Santa. “She’s deaf,” the mother explained. “If she could just sit on your lap (大腿) and have her picture taken, she would be happy.” John, the skinny Santa, smiled at the little girl, and she sat on his lap.
Then, the skinny Santa began using hand gestures to communicate with the girl fluently, and the little girl smiled happily and answered him quickly with her hands. Their conversation lasted quite a while. When I looked at the mother, I saw that she was crying. In fact, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. Santa Claus really was there.
There was so much we didn’t know about what was happening. This girl had never met John before, and few of us were aware that he knew how to sign — it all added up to a magical surprise.
1. Why was John chosen to play Santa Claus?| A．He was tall. | B．He was male. | C．He was young. | D．He was popular. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Interesting. | C．Surprising. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．She was talkative and lively. | B．She often came to the child care. |
| C．She was friendly to other children. | D．She expected to take pictures with Santa. |
| A．The little girl has a nice character. | B．John’s knowledge of sign language. |
| C．The warm and friendly environment. | D．The participation of the little girl’s mother. |
【推荐2】Jose Alberto Cutierrea’s life would never be the same again after finding a copy of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy in the garbage 20 years ago. It happened while he was driving his garbage truck through wealthier neighborhoods at night and seeing deserted books. It sparked his desire to start rescuing books from the garbage. He took home between 50 and 60 books every morning after his nine-hour shift. Eventually, he turned his book collection into a community library.
Colombia’s capital city of Bogota has 13 million residents and 19 public libraries. However, these libraries tend to be far away from where rural and poorer communities live. The option of buying new books is non-existent for families struggling to make ends meet. Having access to a library of books and being taken away to another world while immersed in a book is a luxury for the kids who visit Gutierrez’s library.
Gutierrez grew up poor, and his family could not afford to educate him beyond primary school. Nevertheless, his mother was a keen reader and read stories to him every night. Her love for books left a deep impression on Gutierrez, who never let a lack of formal education stop him from reading classics by the likes of Victor Hugo, Mario Vargas Llosa and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Today, his community library, called “The Strength of Words”, occupies most of his home and is piled from floor to ceiling with fiction and non-fiction titles. Everything from school textbooks to story books can be found in his collection of more than 20,000 books!
The Strength of Words library opens every weekend. It is not just school-going children who are enjoying the benefits of The Strength of Words library. Adults are also welcome to expand their horizons and develop new skills to build a better life for themselves.
Despite having done so much for his community, Gutierrez is not yet content to call it a day. He continues to search through bins for reading material and has even travelled to book fairs in Mexico and Chile to sell his idea of building library from unwanted books.
1. What is Gutierrez’s source of inspiration to build a community library?| A．A book in the trash. |
| B．The miserable childhood. |
| C．The desire to collect books. |
| D．A journey through wealthier neighborhoods. |
| A．She was born into a poor family. | B．She influenced Gutierrez greatly. |
| C．She bought Gutierrez many books. | D．She enjoyed reading Hugo’s works. |
| A．Generous and brave. | B．Ambitious and curious. |
| C．Determined and sympathetic. | D．Creative and productive. |
| A．The power of love is infinite. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．Turn trash into treasure to help others. |
| D．Books are the ladder of human progress. |
【推荐3】My son wants to be as funny as his father, but a lof of jokes he told are full of meanness and disrespect. Could I, as the responsible, supportive, and patient parent, find just the right book for my son? A book encourages my son to tell a joke that won’t demand having his mouth washed out with soap? I have to admit that I wasn’t confident.
Now, I have a book Jake the Fake Keeps It Real at hand. In fact, Jake is not a perfect kid. The first book in the series opens with Jake at first explaining how he cheated in an interview into a selective school and cheated on the academic admission marks.
The book is so funny and Jake’s behaviour attracts my son. As a matter of fact, my son thinks the entirety of the book is strangely mad. The book makes my boy forget his joke for a while and he begins to do the same thing as Jake. He chews the same piece of gum for six hours and writes a play about it, instead of turning the sprayer (喷雾器) on family members.
Though Jake looks like a bad boy, he is afraid of being the lonely weirdo, thinks he’s not good enough, and feels bad about cheating. His inner thoughts are not the same with his action. At the end of the book, Jake, with no talent, has to perform in the school talent show which is a final project and is worth a lot of credits. If he blows it, he has to quit the school and work on a fishing boat. Jake has nothing and knows he is a failure. Finally he looks into the blinding light and stands up from the piano.
The book taught my son a lot. He realized his problems. So I succeeded in one thing: Finding a funny role model for my son.
1. What did the author think of her son’s humour?| A．Boring. | B．Impolite. | C．Interesting. | D．Frightening. |
| A．A gifted kid. | B．An honest boy. |
| C．The author’s friend. | D．A character in a novel. |
| A．He was less naughty. | B．He was more creative. |
| C．He began to study performance. | D．He played tricks on his mother. |
| A．He would be a good fisher. |
| B．He would devote himself to music. |
| C．He might be punished for his mistake. |
| D．He might ask his teacher to forgive him. |
