When she worked in banking, Irini Tzortzoglou’s idea of cooking was to pick up a ready meal from Marks &Spencer on her way home, and put it in the oven (烤箱). But now, since winning the BBC cooking competition Master Chef at the age of 60, with menus inspired by her Greek heritage (遗产), food has become her life and new career.
She had not been overly interested in cooking, though as a child, food was an important part of her life. Tzortzoglou, 64, was born in Greece, where her grandparents’ house was always open, and her grandmother would often be cooking for dozens of people. Tzortzoglou would help out: “I loved the smells. I loved the processes.”
Tzortzoglou felt very bored after retiring. Then one day her husband said, “Why don’t you try Master Chef because you always love watching it.”
She was a reasonably good cook, who loved entertaining and could put together a decent dinner party menu but competing on the show demanded a whole new skill level. “I didn’t want to embarrass myself by leaving in round one, so I trained myself for a year,” she said.
She put in time, effort and money. She went to Athens to see what was happening with Greek food today. She ate at Michelin-star restaurants to see what Greek Master Chef and the young chefs were doing. And then she started practicing. She also started physical training because she could see how tough it was to run around the kitchen while filming, or stand for hours.
Since her win, Tzortzoglou has become immersed in (沉浸于) Greek food, and has written a cookery book, Under the Olive Tree. “I don’t have free time, but I love it,” she said. “I feel like a child let loose in a sweet shop.”
1. What was Tzortzoglou like as a child?| A．She liked watching BBC programs. | B．She studied hard to become a banker. |
| C．She showed some interest in cooking. | D．She had to cook for the whole family. |
| A．To pursue a new career. | B．To experience a decent party. |
| C．To have a full life. | D．To preserve the heritage of her homeland. |
| A．Tzortzoglou’s love for Greek food. | B．Tzortzoglou’s effort to win the competition. |
| C．Tzortzoglou’s desire to go back to Athens. | D．Tzortzoglou’s performance at the competition. |
| A．Confident and outgoing. | B．Literary and childlike. |
| C．Generous and creative. | D．Active and inspiring. |
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【推荐1】Paris is the city of dreams. If you plan to head to Paris for a study period, then perhaps a little reality check is in order. But my experience was a romantic one.
I paved my path to Paris through an exchange program. On arrival in Paris, I was constantly reminded of the official processes I had to complete — forms to be filled in, meetings to attend, the list seemed endless.
Then the real work began. Once classes were underway, I found myself volunteering to do oral presentations and assignments first, rather than last. This method proved to be very helpful.
Once I had finished class for the week, I had an ever-increasing list of museums to visit, neighborhoods to explore, and cafes to sit in. Read books about Paris. Talk to locals and other foreigners living there. But the one thing that reading a book or talking to someone cannot do is to provide you with the experience of wandering Paris on foot. The people watching, the sounds of the city, the colors as the seasons change, they all add to the ecstasy that I experience in Paris as an exchange student.
After spending five months wandering through the charming neighborhoods, I fell in love with the atmosphere that came out from every open door, and with every spoken word. There is something comforting about walking to the market each Sunday to enjoy the beautiful display of fruits, vegetables and dairy products. There is warmth in saying bon jour to the passers-by.
On my last day in Paris, I confidently said, " Bonjour Monsieur," as I passed the little store down the street. I guess the best part about going on exchange in Paris is falling in love with the city in your own way. And I know mine is unique and special to me, my own little pieces of Paris.
1. What does the underlined word "ecstasy" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?| A．Courage. | B．Happiness. | C．Imagination. | D．Reputation. |
| A．A traveling experience. | B．An exchange program |
| C．Charming neighborhoods. | D．An exchange student's life. |
| A．Hanging around in Paris. | B．Buying vegetables in the market |
| C．Enjoying coffee in his spare time. | D．Greeting people in French in the street. |
| A．The presentations he did in class. | B．The friendly people he met in Paris. |
| C．The special culture he experienced in the city. | D．The academic achievement he made in his study. |
【推荐2】Gerhard and Toni Goldschlag welcomed their daughter Stella on July 10, 1922. Gerhard—a former soldier in the German Imperial Army—was a musician devoted to German music. He was employed as a composer(作曲家)by the Kulturbund. Both Toni and Gerhard were particularly devoted to their only child: they loved her dearly, gave her everything they had, and taught her what was to be admired.
The World War II broke out. Gerhard was out of work, finances were non-existent, and they were unable to secure a way out of Germany. When Stella’s school offered her the chance to head to Britain on a school trip (and then stay there), her parents said no. They weren’t separating the family, so they had no choice but to stay in a country that was getting increasingly dangerous.
At first, Traces of War says that Stella Goldschlag enjoyed a certain amount of freedom. She went to college, studied fashion, and joined a jazz band as a singer. It was there that she met and married her first husband, Manfred Kubler.
Her luck didn’t last long, though. Her husband wasn’t so fortunate. He was arrested and forced to leave for Auschwitz on May 3, 1943. He died there just two days later, just 20 years old.
Stella and her mother continued to work in factories while trying to avoid arrest. However, they weren’t the only ones who tried to survive the war by hiding right in the open. Around 7, 000 managed to hold onto their freedom, and in the slang(俚语)terms of the time, they were called “U-boats”, as they were hiding just under the surface.
1. What prevented Stella from going to England?| A．The loss of her father’s job. | B．The danger of going abroad. |
| C．Her parents’ objection to that. | D．The limitation of her freedom. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Jazz. | C．Politics. | D．Composition. |
| A．About 10 years old. | B．About 17 years old. |
| C．About 20 years old. | D．About 21 years old. |
| A．They were living by rowing boats. |
| B．They often hid their identities during the war. |
| C．They often fought against enemies by boat. |
| D．They were working in factories for making boats. |
【推荐3】Yesterday, after a day of Zoom (视频会议软件) meetings in my living room, I stepped out for a walk leaving my teen son bored on the couch. Bleecker Street, usually packed with people, was sprinkled with only the occasional pedestrians. Bars and restaurants lining the street were dark. Stores with bright neon lights, doors open, beckoned for the rare passers-by to enter. After just a week of the Covid-19 pandemic, an afternoon walk in Greenwich Village neighborhood felt surreal.
But then I noticed a row of daffodils(水仙)reaching for the sun in the small triangle-shaped park by Minetta Lane. On the windows of a locked restaurant, in bright yellow paint, were the words “We love you, West Village. Take care of each other. ” My phone buzzed—a colleague sent a picture of her newborn baby just home from the hospital. I arrived home to find my son animated on the couch playing a video game virtually with his friends. Life, love, play, and human connection persist, even though our world has been tuned upside down.
In my welcome note to the new students in the Fall, I wrote that this year is about our college’s core values of inclusion, innovation, and impact and emphasized the power of interconnection. Today, these core values persist, with interconnection taking on even greater significance. Our collaborative spirit has always given us an advantage—academically, creatively, culturally, and now, remotely.
A wise person once told me that getting through a crisis is like being given a new hand of cards in the middle of a game. We are halfway through the semester, with new hands to play, but the game hasn’t changed. We will find new ways to continue to work, teach, create and learn. Let’s also continue the informal interactions that make us a community—the study groups, coffee dates, drop-ins just to say hello. In doing so, we will remain connected.
We will come together, from spaces around the world, to meet this new reality. This is who we are. Nothing—not space, nor time—can keep us from moving forward, together.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?| A．The Covid-19 pandemic is unstoppable. |
| B．The effects of the pandemic could be easily felt. |
| C．Nothing is the same except that the business goes slow as usual. |
| D．People have every reason to be worried about the future. |
| A．Daily routines that seemed insignificant. |
| B．Reminders that the world has been changed. |
| C．Events that people can do during the pandemic. |
| D．Things or people that carry symbolic meanings. |
| A．Cooperative. | B．Pioneering. | C．Independent. | D．Adventurous. |
| A．To express wisdom gained from previous experience. |
| B．To give people some tips on how to handle a crisis. |
| C．To deliver an uplifting message over the pandemic. |
| D．To encourage people to enjoy the great outdoors. |
【推荐1】When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied (欺凌) at school. I felt completely alone in my small town.
But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. The more positive energy I shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received. I realized that my purpose in life would be to reach out to people, specifically teenagers, and help them feel less alone.
Books were my true friends back then. I was so thankful that the authors wrote those books. The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me.
After surviving terrible experiences at school and at home, I made a choice to take the optimistic, positive road in the next steps of my journey. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now. I have been a full-time author of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach out to readers every single day.
Kindness saved me when I needed help the most. Even small acts of kindness can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.
1. What was the author’s life like when he was 12?| A．Boring. | B．Peaceful. | C．Painful. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．It made him popular in his town. | B．It helped him find the meaning of life. |
| C．It helped him understand others’ lives better. | D．It helped to shape his dream career. |
| A．He was inspired by his teacher. | B．He could pass positive energy to readers. |
| C．He wanted to share his school experiences. | D．He found he had a talent for writing. |
| A．Say “no” to bullies bravely. | B．Make positive changes in their lives. |
| C．Treat others with kindness in daily life. | D．Learn to care more about others’ feelings. |
【推荐2】A Letter that Changed My Life
I was about 30 years old and was working as a firefighter in the South Bronx’s Engine Co. 82. It was a restful Sunday and between alarms I rushed to the office to read a copy of the New York Times. I read an article on the Book Review section which openly stated what I took to be a calumny—that William Butler Yeats had gone beyond his Irishness and was forever to be known as a universal poet. As I read it, my blood began to boil.
There were few things I was more proud of than my Irish heritage, and ever since I first picked up a book of his poems from a shelf when I was in the military, Yeats had been my favorite Irish writer, followed by Scan O’Casey and James Joyce.
I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out a letter of anger to the editor. Throughout Yeats’ poetry, his view of the world and the people in it was basically Irish. He had lived his life and written his poetry through the very essence of his Irish sensibility. It was offensive to think Irishness was something to be gone beyond.
I don’t know why I felt it my duty to safeguard the reputation of the world’s greatest poet. I just knew that I had to write that letter.
After my letter got published. I received a letter from The New Yorker, asking for an interview. When my article—“Fireman Smith” appeared in that magazine, the editor of a large publishing firm called me, asking if I was interested in writing a book about my life. I had little confidence to write a whole book, though the subject was worthy. I wrote Report From Engine Co. 82 in six months, and it sold really well. In the years that followed, I wrote three more best-sellers.
Being a writer had been far from my expectations. How had it happened? I often found myself thinking about it, and my thoughts always came back to that letter to the New York Times. For me, the writing was a natural consequence of the passion I felt and the subjects represented the great values burning within me as I wrote.
Over the years, my five children have come to me with one dilemma or another. My answer is always the same. Think about what you’re feeling and measure the heat of the fire in your heart, for that is your passion. Your education and your experience will guide you toward making a right decision, but your passion will enable you to make a difference in whatever you do. That’s what I learned the day I stood up for Ireland’s greatest poet.
1. The underlined words “a calumny” in Paragraph probably mean ______.| A．a true story | B．a positive comment |
| C．a false statement | D．an inaccurate figure |
| A．To present his love for literature. | B．To spread Irish culture to the world. |
| C．To prove he has brilliant writing skills. | D．To defend the reputation of an Irish poet. |
| A．His passion in writing. | B．His skills in arguing. |
| C．His educational background. | D．His experience as a firefighter. |
【推荐3】I knew I would not see an actual person named Ellie’s at Ellie’s Eatery because, like most new restaurants these days, Ellie’s is a robo-restaurant.
When I walked in, a cute little manager robot appeared, looking rather like a toaster with lively blue eyes. It showed me to a nice table in the back. The menu monitor popped out of my table and showed me pictures of my dining options. I tapped my choices and clicked OK, and the screen slid back down.
I watched as full plates rode the conveyer belts that moved along each aisle (过道) of tables. In just a few minutes, my appetizer stopped at my table, and I took it from the belt. Later, I placed my empty plate back on the conveyer belt, and it was taken away into the kitchen to be cleaned.
I watched the little toaster showing customers to tables while I ate my main course. The food was tasty, but I was starting to feel annoyed because dealing with robots always makes me feel inhuman. Pretty soon, I wanted to talk to someone real, even if it was just a few sentences.
So when my dessert arrived, I took action. I dropped my plate on the floor with a satisfying crash. I was so happy when I saw the manager toaster’s shining red eyes — at last, a real live person would arrive!
But instead, a crew of two robots quickly appeared. A robot broom rushed over and started to sweep the piece of the broken plate into a robot garbage can. They finished and moved back into the kitchen. My plan to get a little reality into Ellie’s Eatery failed sadly. I hope the restaurant trend ends soon. I want to deal with people again!
1. What happened right after the author finished the first dish?| A．Two robots cleaned up the dish. |
| B．The manager robot’s eyes blinked red. |
| C．The robot manager showed the main course. |
| D．The empty plate was sent back to the kitchen by the belt. |
| A．To try to get human service. |
| B．To attract attention from the robots. |
| C．To show that the food did not taste good. |
| D．To put an end to the robo-restaurant trend. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Guilty. | C．Shocked. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Science fiction. | B．Children’s literature. |
| C．A restaurant review. | D．A science report. |
