An icon (偶像) from my childhood, Linda Ronstadt announced this week that she has Parkinson’s disease and has lost her ability to sing. One of her songs that I was singing for a long time without realizing it was, “Poor, poor, poor, me, poor, poor, pitiful me.” However, she is doing anything but saying, poor me. She is embracing (欣然接受) her accomplishments and bringing enlightenment (启迪) to the world by sharing her journey. It is wonderful that they are recording her voice via interviews for the generations to come, as she will more than likely lose her ability to speak clearly. I have enjoyed listening to these interviews.
As a young girl, I had dreams about being a journalist one day. I put those dreams away with reality, along with my writing. I was singing poor, poor, poor me for a long, long time. Once I changed my song, opened myself up to the world and allowed things to flow my way... I continue to be constantly amazed.
People actually notice what I have to say. Yes, I have found my voice...and I like it! I am overjoyed each week when over 700 followers of The Year of the Cicadas blog read what I have floating around in my head. If you are reading this blog, thank you. It really does matter to me.
Last week I was asked to submit a blog for consideration to the Huffington Post. Do you know they have over 43,240,000 readers every month?! I have no idea if it will be accepted or not, that is not the point. The point is that I was asked and they wrote me back and said,“Perfect. Thank you so much for doing the work. It was worth it.”Wow, this is a big moment for me, and for that young girl who one day long ago dreamed about writing an article that would be published.
1. How does the author begin the text?| A．By providing an example. | B．By conveying an opinion. |
| C．By introducing a conclusion. | D．By describing a saying. |
| A．Her dream changed. | B．She had many readers. |
| C．Her mental state changed. | D．She began to learn singing. |
| A．Her article got recognized. | B．Her blog was extremely popular. |
| C．Her opinion received support. | D．Her work was published. |
| A．It is the first step that costs. |
| B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Things come true to those who dream. |
| D．The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill. |
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【推荐1】After eleven months of unemployment, Dad gathered our family in the living room one December night and said, “I accepted a new job in Austin, Texas.” I would start over in a new high school. My crying continued well into the night.
While my sister and I were allowed six months to finish the school year and to sabotage my relationships with people who cared about me, I withdrew into myself to make leaving seem painless. However, gradually I found myself counting down my days before the beginning.
Suddenly I decided to add some certainty to my unclear future. I diligently researched highschools and neighborhoods, and in turn my parents gave me a say in where we would begin the search for our new home in Austin. Once we purchased our new house, I could see my future unfold before me. With knowledge comes power, I’d use my circumstance as a chance for self-improvement.
I emailed the tennis coach at my new high school about trying out for the team, which turned into a conversation as he said that the team looked forward to having me. He went on to inform the team of my arrival. For the first time I felt like I could take the role of the confident girl I wanted to be.
I successfully threw myself into everything I could, enjoying the process of uncovering what I liked. At my old school I would never have given math club a second thought, though I was skilled at it. But in the new school, I decided to challenge myself and join Mu Alpha Theta, a mathematics honor society. Shocking as it may be, I actually enjoyed being a “mathlete”, but even more shocking was the fact that no one teased me for my decision.
It was then that I realized the courage and confidence I had sought had been waiting beneath my insecurities to finally surface when the time was right. While every new beginning contains an element of fear, it also contains an element of promise.
1. How did the author react to her father’s getting a new job?| A．She felt excited. | B．She remained unconcerned. |
| C．She was sorrowful. | D．She was confused. |
| A．Strengthen. | B．Establish. |
| C．Accompany. | D．End. |
| A．She wanted to challenge herself. |
| B．She could make friends in the club. |
| C．It was her dream to join a math club. |
| D．It was a chance to become an athlete. |
| A．Good endings promise good beginnings. |
| B．All new beginnings have promise in them. |
| C．Challenging oneself can boost confidence. |
| D．Moving to a new school has positive effects. |
【推荐2】If I could give today’s young people three wishes, they would be: more hugs, more time outside in nature, more belief in their own power to change the world. The third one leaves some people wondering why young people’s belief in their own power is so essential.
Let’s start with the idea that all of us – especially young people – need heroes. Our modern society is terribly confused about the difference between a celebrity and a hero. A celebrity is all about fame – temporary, superficial fame, usually for qualities that are easy to see: a pretty face, a great dance move, etc. A hero, by contrast, is about character- qualities under the surface that aren’t seen until they take action.
Heroes are all around us. They truly hold our world together, through their unselfish devotion to helping others, teaching children, and protecting the environment. They don’t want fame, or glory; they just want to help. In so many ways, these unsung heroes pilot the boat in which all of us sail.
Yet, young people hear a lot more about celebrities than about heroes in the media. The hidden message they get from all this is that their self-worth comes from what they buy – which shoes, which cell phone – not who they are down inside. What gets lost in this? Young people’s sense of their own potential for heroic qualities – their own power to – make a positive difference in the world. Truth is, there is a potential hero, a future difference maker, in every young person.
How do we help young people believe in their own power? The best way is simply to share examples of other young people who have made a difference.
Barbara grew up on a farm in Texas. When she realized that local farmers were pouring their used motor oil into rivers, causing pollution, she organised the creation of a recycling centre for crude oil (原油). Her project has grown to include 18 recycling centres in Texas.
The list could continue. These are but a few examples of young people who have discovered that they can build on their own energy to do something great.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing Paragraph 2?| A．To give examples of celebrities and heroes around us. |
| B．To discuss the distinctions between celebrities and heroes. |
| C．To illustrate the details about being celebrities and heroes. |
| D．To explain the meanings of the words “celebrity” and “hero”. |
| A．Heroes only help specific groups of people. |
| B．Heroes want to be recognised for their work. |
| C．Heroes play a vital role in keeping the world running. |
| D．Heroes enjoy piloting boats to reach their destination. |
| A．Heroes and celebrities are both valued today. |
| B．Society doesn’t support the development of heroes. |
| C．The media turns ordinary celebrities into real heroes. |
| D．Young people don’t have the belief in their own strength. |
| A．By explaining the qualities that make a young person a hero. |
| B．By comparing the achievements made by different young people. |
| C．By giving examples of young people who show the qualities of a hero. |
| D．By providing examples of qualities that have made young people famous. |
| A．More heroes are needed in the world. |
| B．Celebrities are reported too much in the media. |
| C．Adults should become role models for young people. |
| D．Young people should believe in their ability to make a difference. |
【推荐3】Now, I’ve talked much about education. I’ve talked about teacher’s responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn. I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you act correctly, and you get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV. I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most committed teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in (投入) the hard work that leads us to succeed. That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.
I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something that you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
And no matter what you want to do with your life. I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.
That’s okay. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. J. K. Rowling’s who wrote Harry Potter- her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed.”
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don’t ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
1. The passage is probably a ________.| A．travel journal | B．science fiction |
| C．speech manuscript | D．fairy tale |
| A．devoted | B．confused | C．frightened | D．embarrassed |
| A．Speak often, ask seldom. |
| B．Spare the rod, spoil the child. |
| C．Never put off until tomorrow what may be done today in our daily life. |
| D．Move ahead and fulfill our own educational responsibilities by studying hard. |
| A．Keep on going and never give up. |
| B．Action speaks louder than words. |
| C．Nobody knows his own advantages. |
| D．Love of and devotion to one’s country is the most significant. |
【推荐1】My father was attached to gardening by birth. One of my earliest memories is following Dad barefoot around in the garden with both hands blackened from digging in the soil. The garden is a wonderland full of possibilities.
As Dad grew older, he still loved gardening. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still planted all sorts of plants. Sometimes, I would come over to visit, and we would walk together in the garden. But then, something changed. Like the weeds that took over his garden, the cancer grew rapidly in Dad. I stayed with Dad twenty-four hours a day and I found myself in all kinds of uncomfortable situations with Dad until I promised to care for the garden.
Though I had heard the words of the doctor, what really made me believe that Dad was dying was the state of his garden. That year, he only planted tomatoes. Too tired to weed them, he simply tied them with strong strings to the fence and let them be. It made me sad to see them ignored, so I would come over and water them once in a while, and remove the weeds. I still remember the day I picked the last tomato from the vine(藤). That day was one of the saddest I had ever experienced in my life.
Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden. I decided I would start out with just a few tomatoes. That morning when I moved to the garden, something caught the corner of my eyes and I had to smile. It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, standing barefoot in the soil, happily playing in the soil.
1. Why did the author like his father’s garden when he was a child?| A．It was a field that produced much food. |
| B．It was a piece of land covered with black soil. |
| C．It was a place where he got educated. |
| D．It was a fantastic place with unexpected surprise. |
| A．His garden. | B．His illness. | C．His son. | D．His grandson. |
| A．The words of the doctor. |
| B．The condition of his father. |
| C．His communication with his father. |
| D．That the garden wasn’t taken good care of by his father. |
| A．He remembered his father. | B．His son showed interest in the garden. |
| C．He thought of the food he would get. | D．He could take care of his own garden. |
【推荐2】At the start of my first lesson in Chinese calligraphy, my teacher told me to write my name. After I put it down, he said, plainly: “Now I will teach you how to make it beautiful.” I felt my breath catch.
Growing up in Singapore, I had an uneasy relationship with my Chinese name. My parents are ethnically Chinese but they didn’t speak Mandarin. Unfamiliar with Chinese characters, they used fortune tellers to decide my name based on the ideal number of strokes (笔画) for each character, which was calculated for the best fortune. Chinese names can be truly poetic. Not mine. Embarrassingly, the characters for my Chinese name mean, roughly, “old,” “barley” and “warm.” My personal and cultural histories were messy knots.
When I arrived in America for college at 18, I embraced critical analysis and creative expression. It felt like a way to abandon the strict formalities that defined my early years in Singapore’s high-pressure education system, and with it, perhaps, parts of my identity. Suddenly, I felt the need to present myself in a way that Americans would accept. I put on an American accent and set aside my Chinese name. Ultimately, after 14 years in the States, I decided to learn calligraphy. Why not get back in touch with my heritage? I thought.
In calligraphy, the idea is to replicate (复制) the old masters’ techniques, thereby enhancing your own. Every week, my teacher would evaluate my writing. “You need to be braver,” he once observed. “Your challenge is in producing a bold stroke.” For years, I had prided myself on developing an image of integration and confidence despite deep insecurities, but my writing betrayed me.
I had been learning calligraphy to try to get in touch with my cultural roots, but what I was really seeking was a return to myself. That first lesson came with the terrific promise that what had been shameful in myself could be made beautiful—and that I could be the one to do that work. I know now that what calligraphy teaches me is not the value of replication but the possibility that I could know myself more fully.
1. What criterion guided the selection of the author’s Chinese name?| A．Poetic sound patterns. | B．Ideal symbolic images. |
| C．Favorable stroke counts. | D．Positive literal meanings. |
| A．To break with tradition. | B．To fit into the community. |
| C．To achieve academic success. | D．To facilitate language learning. |
| A．It revealed her inner self. | B．It improved her public image. |
| C．It presented no challenge to her. | D．It enhanced her replication skills. |
| A．Fortune favors the bold. | B．Embrace who you truly are. |
| C．Our roots define our identity. | D．Planning is good, but doing is better. |
【推荐3】I loved sports and I dreamed of being a star athlete in high school. However, something happened on one winter morning when I was playing a basketball game for my rural league team.
I was having a pretty good game. But then I remembered falling and screaming for help. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I looked at my leg and it seemed as if I broke it. I was taken to the hospital immediately in an ambulance and then was diagnosed with a dislocated patella (膝盖骨脱臼).
My patella was not put back into place for a few hours because the doctors needed to make sure nothing else was damaged. For a 16-year-old boy, it was a lot to take in. I kept asking different questions, like “How does this heal?” “Will I need surgery?”. I headed home later with some medicine to relieve my pain and an appointment to see a doctor.
Through my doctor’s visit, I learned that it was the way my own body was built that caused my patella to dislocate. A combination of things like the angles of my body, ligaments (韧带) that were too tight in some places and too loose in others, and the fact there was no groove (凹槽) for my patella to sit in. I needed a series of surgeries and 6-month physical treatment to recover. I kept going and eventually I went back to playing sports with a brace (支架) on.
Today, I am feeling much better and both of my knees have remained healthy. I have to continue to keep them strong, though, in order for the surgeries to continue working properly. I can’t say that my confidence is totally back because I will always have the fear of something happening. But I am ready to face difficulties or challenges in the future.
1. What happened to the author when he was playing basketball?| A．He broke his left leg. | B．His patella was out of place. |
| C．His teammate fell to the ground. | D．He heard a scream from his teammates. |
| A．His intense sports activity. | B．His physical disadvantage. |
| C．His careless behavior. | D．His tight ligaments. |
| A．Careful. | B．Hopeful. | C．Curious. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．An adventurous sporting career | B．Enthusiasm for playing sports. |
| C．A lesson from playing sports. | D．An incident of playing sports. |
【推荐1】My Week Without Plastic
Like many people, I have a conflicted relationship with plastic. I try to avoid it as much as possible, but it’s so ubiquitous(无处不在的) that I don’t always have the energy to fight against the endless tide of wrappers, bottles and bags. I wanted to make some changes, so I decided to set a challenge for myself not to use plastic for a week.
Sunday
My challenge started with a trip to the supermarket to pick up a few essentials. I got one carrot, one bunch of kale(羽衣甘蓝), and three rolls of toilet paper in paper packaging. Celery(芹菜) was wrapped in soft plastic, so I went to two supermarkets but neither sold it plastic-free. I gave in and bought a bunch. It was a false start, but I promised to do better for the rest of the week.
Tuesday
When I went for coffee, I took my mug. After work, I went to the supermarket to pick up ingredients for a curry(咖喱菜), where I faced my next challenge: spinach(菠菜). I filled up a plastic bag with the vegetable and took it to the counter. Then I emptied the loose leaves into my canvas bag(帆布包), and put the plastic bag back on the shelf. My quick thinking didn’t help when it came to yogurt. After going to three stores to find yogurt in a plastic-free container, I had to leave without it.
Thursday
On my way home, I grabbed two bread rolls without a shred of plastic. Then I headed to the dairy section, where I opted for milk in cartons(硬纸盒) rather than plastic bottles. I headed home feeling good about myself, before quickly remembering that liquid packaging boards also have plastic in them. You just can’t win.
Saturday
I was making a tomato sauce and wanted some cheese, and I remembered I could buy it in wax paper(蜡纸) at the local deli(熟食店). I must have been looking away when I ordered—I realized when I was back home that the cheese was in a plastic bag inside the wax paper. Foiled again.
The challenge has been completed. I didn’t end up cutting out plastic completely, but it has made a difference to my life. I put a cloth bag in my backpack, reuse plastic bags as much as possible, and set up a dedicated(专用的) bin for soft plastics. Using less plastic doesn’t require complete changes, but it does take willpower, energy and time.
1. According to the article, the author managed to be plastic-free only on _________.| A．Sunday | B．Tuesday |
| C．Thursday | D．Saturday |
①not buying a takeaway coffee
②bringing spinach home in his canvas bag
③giving up yogurt sold in plastic containers
④buying cheese at the local deli
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ |
| C．①③④ | D．②③④ |
| A．preferred eating out to making food at home |
| B．did not take the plastic-free challenge seriously |
| C．was able to live without plastic after taking the plastic-free challenge |
| D．was an environmentalist before taking the plastic-free challenge |
【推荐2】Matly Gregg, a 40-year-old former Apple engineer, needed a change in his life. So, he decided he would run across the country.
Gregg wants to run for office in 2022 in New Hampshire and hopes to get in touch with the “real America” by running 5,075 miles across the country before he does so. He is also trying to raise $ 1 million for Firefighter Cancer Support Network. “It’s a great conversation starter with complete strangers,” Gregg said. “I think we can raise $ 1 million, and I also think our firefighters are worth it, especially in light of what’s happening now in California.”
Gregg stated his run on November 6. So far, he has been averaging about 25 miles a day and has made stops in Santa Cruz and Salinas, California. “I’ve had this goal for a very long time, ever since the Terry Fox Story. That movie inspired me to start running as a kid, and running across the country. I always felt it would be something that would change my life.” Gregg said. “My family loves it. We’re all a little ambitious. My coworkers mostly think I’m crazy. My friends love that I’m taking a different path to my life knowing that I was very comfortable at Apple,” Gregg said. “But I see real places in this world where I can make a larger impact, and I need to get out there and learn more before I can help.”
Gregg recently purchased his childhood home on his 40th birthday — the house had been off the market for 20 years. “The idea that I’m running back to it keeps me motivated every day. My father passed away when I was young, and he built that house,” Gregg said. “I’ve only spent two days in it (I haven’t slept in it yet), and I can say nothing will make me more thrilled than the moment when I am to go back to it to explore.”
1. Why does Gregg want to run across the country?| A．To prove his ability. | B．To raise money. |
| C．To improve his health. | D．To meet strangers. |
| A．A movie. | B．A change. | C．A fire. | D．A feeling. |
| A．He begins his run al the speed of 25 miles. |
| B．He needs more help in the course of running. |
| C．His family members are in support of him. |
| D．He takes a different path to reach the destination. |
| A．Upset. | B．Exhausted. | C．Curious. | D．Excited. |
【推荐3】There was a time in my life when I lost everything. My physical health was the first thing to go. I lost the ability to walk and ended up in a wheelchair. I couldn’t go places and do the things I used to do.
After that, I lost everything else. I lost friends who grew tired and weary of waiting for a recovery that might never come. I lost my career, which I had worked for decades to build- my source of independent income. There went my sense of purpose, too. I lost my house. I had nowhere to live and had to move back in with my parents.
With no job, health, friends, or house to come home to, most people would fall into a deep despair. And I did experience depression. But it was my family that gave me faith. I think it was my ability to keep the faith that allowed the faith to be rewarded in the end.
My health returned slowly but surely. I no longer neglected myself and then put my body last. I was grateful that I could now see how necessary my health was, and that it was okay to prioritize myself over a paycheck. For me, health was more important than any other things and should be dealt with first.
New friends entered my life—people with authentic hearts and kind understanding. I was grateful that I lost people along the way to make room for the people who were supposed to be there all along. A new job presented itself as well. I was so grateful that I lost my old job so that one better suited to my hobbies could unfold before my eyes.
When bad things happen, it doesn’t mean that better things aren’t down the line. We just need the strength to hold on to hope. Yes, there was a time in my life when I lost everything—everything except my faith. But the new perspective that I gained was more important than anything that I lost.
1. Why did the author’s friends leave after she was sick?| A．They lost patience. | B．They were deeply in debt. |
| C．They minded their business. | D．They found themselves helpless. |
| A．New friendship. | B．Pursuit of career. | C．Desire for fame. | D．Family support. |
| A．She regards herself as a total failure. | B．She has got back what she once had. |
| C．She views things from a different aspect. | D．She has experienced a lot of tough days. |
| A．Everything comes to those who wait. | B．When one door closes, another opens. |
| C．History is a mirror reflecting reality. | D．Action is worry’s worst enemy. |
