You are about to hear a strange but true story. Legend has it that, Harry Houdini, the master magician, once claimed that he could break out of any jail cell in the world. All he had to do was walk into that jail cell with his street clothes on. 'I will be out of there in one hour. No problem!' He said. A very old jail down South heard about Houdini's claims and they accepted the challenge. On the day of the event, many people gathered outside. Very confidently, Houdini walked into the jail and into the cell and they shut the metal door behind him.
The first thing Houdini did was to take off his coat. Then, very strangely, he took off his belt. Secretly hidden in Houdini's belt, was a ten-inch piece of steel; very tough and very flexible and Houdini started working.
In about 30 minutes, that confident expression Houdini had when he walked in disappeared. In one hour, he was bathed in sweat. And at the end of two hours, Houdini in defeat, collapsed against the door, which then opened. It opened because you see, that door had never been locked. But that's not entirely true is it? That door was locked. It was firmly and thoroughly locked in Houdini's mind, which meant it was locked as if the best locksmith in the world had put his lock on it.
The mind is powerful. How many doors in your life do you think are locked but aren't? how many times have you been stuck in the mental prison of over thinking something that really had a simple solution. There is an ancient African proverb that says when there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm.
Your mind is the most powerful force you will ever face. It will tell you lies. It will tell you can't do that. You're not meant for that. You're not good enough for that. You can't go on anymore. You don't have the energy. You must thank it for its opinion and carry on. Because as Houdini showed us the only locked doors that exist are in your own mind. The doors in reality are open and all you have to do is walk through.
1. Why couldn't Harry Houdini open the door within two hours?| A．Because he didn't open the door with his mind. |
| B．Because the door was locked by the best locksmith. |
| C．Because he had thought the door was locked. |
| D．Because he overestimated his own ability to open the door. |
| A．Bring the painted dragon to life by putting in the pupils of its eyes. |
| B．One tends to stand still and refuse to make progress. |
| C．The donkey has exhausted its skills against the tiger. |
| D．Lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen. |
| A．The biggest enemy in your life is in fact the enemy in your mind. |
| B．If you walk through the door in mind, your potential will be unlimited. |
| C．Unless you defeat the enemy outside, you will not defeat your enemy inside. |
| D．Life is really simple, but we insist on making it rigid and complicated. |
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【推荐1】Two Chinese police officers were sitting in the car at Guilin Highway. Suddenly a cute dog appeared by their window, seemingly asking for help. According to the media, a cute golden retriever (寻回猎犬) sought the help of the two police officers. Obviously, the dog was lost and his owner was nowhere near the neighborhood.
One of the police officers said that it was already 1 a.m. when the dog approached them with his leash (狗链) in its mouth. The dog even followed them while they worked, but because people might get frightened and for the dog's own safety, the two decided to just take the dog to the police station. There, they gave him food and water to drink.
The dog stayed in the police station until the policemen came back at 8 in the morning. To their surprise, the dog quickly jumped inside the police car after they got ready to work that day. He just sat there as if asking the two officers to help him find his way back to his owner. Touched by the dog's friendly behavior, the officers decided to ask the public to help them find the owner.
A couple of hours later, the dog's owner was informed and quickly rushed to the police station. The owner said that his 2-year-old golden retriever had a habit of hunting for mice and must have wandered far from home and got lost. He said that his dog was trained for a short while at a Nanning police base.
1. What happened to the dog?| A．It couldn't find its owner. | B．It was driven away by its owner. |
| C．It escaped from hunters. | D．It was terribly frightened. |
| A．The trouble brought by the dog. | B．The pressure from the public. |
| C．The dog's friendly behavior. | D．The dog's strange behavior. |
| A．It stayed at the station for over a day. |
| B．It didn't want to go home. |
| C．It likes eating mice. |
| D．It was once trained by the police. |
The clerk, a friendly man with a beautiful smile, explained that there were three conferences in town. “All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said, “but I can't send a nice couple like you into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not a suite(套房), but it will be good enough to make you comfortable for the night.” The couple agreed.
As the elderly man paid the bill the next morning, he told the clerk, “You are the kind of person who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’ll build one for you.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the elderly man, asking the clerk to pay him a visit. The elderly man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of the Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a reddish stone one with watchtowers(塔楼) thrusting up to the sky, and told the clerk that it was the hotel he had just built for him。
That wonderful building was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. And this young clerk whose names was George C. Boldt never foresaw the return of events that would lead him into the manager of one of the world's most attractive hotels.
1. When the elderly couple left the hotel, they_____.
| A．tried to make the clerk pleased |
| B．wanted to build the same hotel in the future |
| C．hoped that the clerk would replace the boss of the hotel |
| D．thought the clerk was talented in managing hotels |
| A．He was grateful to the clerk. | B．They had a bet(打赌) at first. |
| C．He wanted to fool the clerk. | D．He wanted to sell the hotel. |
| A．helped the couple because he thought they were poor |
| B．hoped that the old couple could give him a large amount of money |
| C．didn't expect to receive things in return from the old couple |
| D．became rich, thanks to his own efforts |
| A．anybody can be a successful manager | B．old people are always very rich |
| C．good luck is always waiting for lucky people | D．kindness can bring a good return |
| A．He was willing to help. | B．He was very attractive. |
| C．He tried to make money for his hotel． | D．He liked making friends |
【推荐3】All Luciano Faggiano wanted when he purchased the seemingly unremarkable building was to open a restaurant. The only problem was the toilet. Sewage (污物) kept backing up. So Mr. Faggiano asked his two sons to help him dig a trench (沟) and uncover the problem. He predicted the job would take about a week. “We found some underground rooms, so we kept digging,” said Mr. Faggiano, 60.
One week quickly passed, as the father and sons discovered a tomb of the Messapians, who lived centuries ago. Soon, the family discovered a room used to store grain by the ancient Romans.
Mr. Faggiano did not initially tell his wife about the extent of the work. His wife soon became suspicious (怀疑的).“We had all these dirty clothes, every day,” she said. “I didn't understand what was going on.”
After watching the Faggiano men pull away debris (碎片) in the back seat of the family car, neighbors also became suspicious and informed the authorities. Officials arrived and stopped the digging, warning Mr. Faggiano against operating an unapproved archaeological (考古的) work site. Mr. Faggiano responded that he was just looking for a sewage pipe.
A year passed. Finally, Mr. Faggiano was allowed to continue his search for the sewage pipe on condition that officials observed the work. An underground treasure house came into view, as the family uncovered ancient vases, an ancient ring with symbols and more. Today, the building is the Faggiano Museum, an independent archaeological museum authorized by the government.
Mr. Faggiano is now satisfied with his museum, but he has not forgotten about the restaurant. A few years later, he finally found his sewage pipe. It was, indeed, broken. He has since bought another building and is again planning for a restaurant. “I still want it,” he said of the restaurant. “I'm very stubborn.”
1. Why did Faggiano dig the trench?| A．To repair the toilet. | B．To lay a sewage pipe. |
| C．To find ancient treasure. | D．To bury some dirty clothes. |
| A．Groundwater. | B．A rough shelter. |
| C．An ancient tomb. | D．An old Roman city. |
| A．His wife didn't allow him to do it. |
| B．He was unsatisfied with his sons' work. |
| C．He didn't get permission from the government. |
| D．His neighbors were annoyed about the noise pollution. |
| A．He sold it. | B．He repaired it. |
| C．He donated it to a charity. | D．He changed it into a museum. |
【推荐1】Nearly five years ago, I booked a retreat (僻静处) to work on my book, Tracking Wonder. I knew I worked best with limited distraction, but when I finally was able to carve time away from the world to do this creative work, I found it very difficult to focus.
Ⅰ. Reboot(重启) your mental health.
Just as our muscles need rest days between workouts to grow stronger, our minds need periods of idleness to process the world around us.
Innovators in times of crisis and adversity actually grant themselves space to be bored and daydream deliberately. This kind of daydreaming can lead to positive mental feelings of hope, renewal, and forward motion, but it requires boredom and space.
Ⅱ.
The capacity to be bored and the capacity to be creative go hand in hand. Want to increase your creativity?
Ⅲ. Reconnect with what matters to you.
These days, current events—and the resulting analysis, opinions, and Twitter hot takes—come at us so quickly that it’s difficult to process one issue before the next takes its place.
| A．Become more creative. |
| B．I completely lacked creativity. |
| C．Here are three ways to release your creativity. |
| D．The answer may not be more stimulation, but less. |
| E．Reach for our phones to check a fact during a conversation. |
| F．Learning to let yourself be bored can have three surprising benefits. |
| G．But to truly be an informed citizen, you need to allow time for idleness. |
【推荐2】Whatever life threw at us each year, our family had one tradition at Christmas: our dog Pepper opened our presents for us.
Last year, everyone made it home for a Christmas get-together. However, it couldn’t feel perfect because Pepper’s health was becoming worse. Her life had already been longer than we expected—she was fourteen and yet her mind was still sharp. Her love for life made us feel better. But her body could not keep up with her mind.
Probably it was Pepper’s last Christmas, so we decided to make sure she would enjoy it. On Christmas Eve, we each prepared presents for her.
Soon, Pepper selected her first Christmas gift. She turned the present, just as she was a young dog once more. She pulled the paper off the dog treat before she chewed (咀嚼) it slowly. Our family was so happy.
Pepper saw the remaining three presents, and then turned to mom as if asking, “May I open another?”
“Go ahead, girl!” Mom encouraged.
For the next few minutes, Pepper opened each of her Christmas presents. While she did, she reminded us of the joy of being together. Our family felt as a whole-not because we were in the same room or city, but because our love brought us together.
Pepper passed away after Christmas. Her peaceful passing made us tearful. Her passing was also a celebration of life, because she gave my family so much love and 
laughter.
I still treasure Pepper’s final Christmas gift. She taught me that no matter where we each spend the holidays, the smallest act of sincere giving can unite our family through our love. For me, that knowledge is the longest-lasting gift of all.
1. Why did the author think the Christmas wasn’t perfect last year?| A．Pepper was in poor health. |
| B．Pepper died on Christmas Eve. |
| C．The family members didn’t get together. |
| D．Peper’s life wasn’t longer than we expected. |
| A．One. | B．Three. |
| C．Two. | D．Four. |
| A．The life lesson the author learned from Pepper. |
| B．The Christmas present for the dog. |
| C．The holiday spent with family. |
| D．The friendship with the dog. |
| A．The Power of Love |
| B．The Importance of Helping Others |
| C．Celebrating Christmas |
| D．Enjoying the Happiness of Making Friends |
Then their good relationship broke. It began with a small thing, then bitter words, and then weeks of silence. One morning Farmer John woke up to find a stream between the two farms. “It must be Bob,” John thought.
Then one day there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a carpenter(木匠) standing at the doorway.
“I’m looking for a few days’ work,” the carpenter said.
“I do have a job for you,” John said. “Look across the stream at that farm. That’s my neighbour Bob. He dug a stream between the two farms. I want you to build a fence—an 8-foot fence. I don’t want to see his place or his face any more. I don’t have such a neighbour!”
The carpenter said, “I think I know what to do, sir, and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”
Farmer John helped the carpenter get the materials(材料) ready and then he was off for the day.
About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide. There was no fence there at all!
It was a bridge! And the neighbour, Bob, was coming across, with his hand outstretched(伸出). “Hi, John!
Then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hands. “I’m terribly sorry for what I have said and done. We should be good to each other.” said Farmer Bob.
Then they turned to see the carpenter, who was ready to go. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I have a lot of other jobs for you,” said Farmer John. “I’d love to stay,” the carpenter said, “but I have more bridges to build.”
1. Just before the carpenter came, John and Bob each other.
| A．didn’t speak to | B．were friendly to |
| C．often fought with | D．never had bitter words with |
| A．he wanted to protect his farm | B．he didn’t want to do it himself |
| C．he wouldn’t like to see Bob | D．he wanted to find him something to do |
| A．John was great to build this bridge. |
| B．John was not good at building bridges. |
| C．John was foolish to build such a bridge. |
| D．John should build the bridge earlier. |
| A．What a Big Fence! | B．A Strong Bridge |
| C．Three Kind Men | D．A Fence or a Bridge? |
【推荐1】Before my first hike to the Rocky Mountains, I was a homebody. I had friends to hang out with, several hobbies, and I felt comfortable spending weeks or even months in my hometown without going anywhere. I thought there was no difference between seeing something on TV and seeing something with one’s own eyes.
The situation changed one day when Adam, my best friend, came to my room. He succeeded in persuading me to join him on his trip to the Rocky Mountains.
This was my first time in the mountains, so I was turning my head in all directions. Unluckily, the weather was foggy most of the time, and the higher we climbed the mountains, the less we could see. But I still enjoyed the hike. I walked fast, and because of that I ran out of energy long before we got to the top. Adam knew how to save energy.
When we finally got to the top, nothing had really changed. The same fog was covering everything. I felt disappointed, as I expected to see the view from above and take some photos. We spent a couple of hours on the top, and decided to turn back. Then the wind suddenly cleared the clouds and the sun came out. It wasn’t until then that I knew how beautiful the mountains looked. And for some moments I couldn’t believe my eyes.
This experience inspired me to break through my limitations and accept new challenges. I realized that I wouldn’t be able to live a life without visiting the mountains at least twice a year.
1. What a person did the author use to be before his first hike to the Rocky Mountains?| A．One enjoyed hiking in the mountains. | B．One felt comfortable in his hometown. |
| C．One liked persuading others. | D．One was good at talking with others. |
| A．Feeling tired during the hike. | B．Not taking a camera with him. |
| C．Having to climb for a long time. | D．The heavy fog covering everything. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Comfortable. | C．Encouraged. | D．Confused. |
| A．The scenery of the Rocky Mountains. |
| B．The author’s best friend Adam. |
| C．The change of the author’s attitude towards traveling. |
| D．The author’s habit of hiking in the mountains. |
【推荐2】“Tell me the story of me, Momma,” my daughter Sophie always asks when we sit on my grandmother’s rocking chair at the end of the day. “The first time I saw your beautiful face, it was nearly covered by a blue-and-white hat. You were surrounded by a soft blue blanket (毛毯). All I could see was a rosy face.” “And I looked like a tiny fairy baby?” she asks. “You did, and you weren’t older than a minute,” I always answer. “The nurse handed a tiny little girl to me, and I was so surprised because you felt so light. I thought if I threw off the blanket, I’d find no baby there at all, only air.”
From that moment, I became a mother. But that moment was just special and magical as if she’d come from my body directly into my arms. From that day on, she was my daughter in every way that mattered.
It’s easy sometimes to forget there was another mother out there with whom I share my title. Sophie’s birth mother, who was also my friend, lost her life to cancer not long after giving birth to Sophie. And I’ll never forget that it was her difficult decision — her tears and her pain — that made me a mom.
As my daughter grows, she will understand that sometimes life is a relay race (接力赛), and you never know who in this world will hand you your baton (接力棒). It could be someone you know for years, or it could be someone who you even never meet, someone you will never be able to repay for giving you the life you always wanted.
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By remembering her grandmother. |
| B．By asking her daughter questions. |
| C．By describing her past life. |
| D．By showing a conversation. |
| A．She was given up by her birth mother. |
| B．She and the author aren’t related by blood. |
| C．She had a hard time growing up. |
| D．She hated her birth mother. |
| A．Disappointed. |
| B．Worried. |
| C．Thankful. |
| D．Surprised. |
【推荐3】One day, just as the teacher was coming into the classroom, one of the boys, Bill, said loudly, “The teacher is a real fool.”
To their surprise，the teacher pretended not to have heard this. He paid no attention to anyone and said nothing. He just went up to the teacher’s desk and began the class. He said. “Today we are going to study punctuation (标点符号). Punctuation in sentences is very important. Look at the sentence, please, boys and girls.“
He picked up a piece of chalk and wrote the following sentence on the blackboard: Bill says the teacher is a real fool.
The class laughed at once.
“Now,” the teacher went on, “with two commas I can change the meaning of the sentence and it reads: Bill, says the teacher, is a real fool.”
1. What happened at the beginning of the class?| A．One of the boys made much noise. |
| B．One of the boys told the class why their teacher was a fool. |
| C．One of the boys said something bad about the teacher. |
| D．One of the boys was fooled by the teacher. |
| A．He asked a student to read a sentence. |
| B．He told the students that punctuation was very important to a sentence. |
| C．He told the students not to be a fool. |
| D．He asked the students to change a sentence. |
| A．He wrote it on the blackboard. |
| B．He read the sentence again and again. |
| C．He put in two commas in the sentence. |
| D．He explained the sentence twice. |
| A．It’s very important to use punctuation correctly. |
| B．The teacher must be strict in his work. |
| C．The teacher is a foolish man. |
| D．The teacher was satisfied with what Bill had said. |
【推荐1】Throughout history, people have been interested in knowing how languages first began, but no one knows exactly where or how this happened. However, we do know a lot about languages, the languages of today and also the languages of earlier times. There are probably about 3,000 languages in the world today. Chinese is the language with the most speakers. English, Russian and Spanish are also spoken by many millions of people. On the other hand, some languages in the world have less than one hundred speakers.
There are several important families of languages in the world. For example, most of the languages of Europe are in one large family called Indo-European. The original (最初的) language of this family was spoken about 4,500 years ago. Many of the present day languages of Europe and India are modern forms of the language of 4,500 years ago.
Languages are always changing. The English of today is very different from the English of 500 years ago. In time some even died out completely. About 1,000 years ago, English was a little-known relative of German spoken on one of the borders of Europe.
If a language has a large number of speakers or if it is very old, there may be differences in the way it is spoken in different areas. That is, the language may have several dialects. Chinese is a good example of dialect differences. Chinese has been spoken for thousands of years by many millions of speakers. The differences between the dialects of Chinese are so great that speakers of Chinese from some parts of China can’t understand speakers from other parts.
1. The first paragraph mainly tells us that ____ .| A．most people in the world speak Chinese |
| B．there are thousands of languages in the world today |
| C．man has much knowledge about languages |
| D．some people know several languages |
| A．will soon die out completely | B．were once a relative of English |
| C．are no longer spoken | D．come from the same family |
| A．Chinese | B．English | C．Spanish | D．German |
| A．German | B．English | C．Spanish | D．Chinese |
| A．a special language spoken by Chinese |
| B．the sign used by the Chinese people in a special area |
| C．the difference between the old and today’s Chinese |
| D．the form of a language used in one part of the country |
1. How did Adam feel about senior high school life?
| A．Exciting | B．Interesting |
| C．Challenging | D．Disappointing |
| A．Maths | B．English |
| C．chemistry | D．Physics |
| A．He is good at Chinese and can speak it fluently now. |
| B．He will give up playing football. |
| C．Adam has no difficulty in getting used to the new life in senior high school. |
| D．He hope to improve his football playing skills to make the next year. |
| A．Kind and intelligent |
| B．Ambitious and diligent |
| C．Hardworking and friendly |
| D．Warm-hearted and positive |
【推荐3】Cambridge Arts Theatre has a diverse range of shows which will supplement and support the national school curriculum(课程). We offer a variety of activities and materials to support the performances, so the experience doesn’t end with the final curtain.
FLARE PATH
28 September-3 October
Celebrating the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), Terence Rattigan’s classic play will help students connect with World War II. Set in 1942, Flare Path paints a portrait(描绘)of life in wartime Britain for the Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots and their wives and sweethearts who were left awaiting their return. Suitable for ages 12+
AN INSPECTOR CALLS
6-10 October
Stephen Daldry’s multi-award winning play, written at the end of the Second World War and set before the First, An Inspector Calls is a great detective thriller, perfect for students of English. An in-depth resource pack(资料包)will improve understanding of this brilliant play. Suitable for ages 12+
HORRIBLE HISTORIES
27-31 October
It’s time to prepare yourselves for Horrible Histories live on stage. Using actors and 3D special effects, these two world premieres(首次公演)of Groovy Greeks and Incredible Invaders are guaranteed to thrill you and your children. Historical figures and events will come alive on stage. Activity packs are accessible to further your half-term fun (and secret learning)! Suitable for ages 7+
THE GRUFFALO
10-15 November
Join Mouse on an adventurous journey through the deep, dark wood in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of The Gruffalo, based on the award-winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Online activities are accessible to continue the adventures! Suitable for ages 3+ (and their grown-ups)
1. What is Flare Path mainly about?| A．A portrait lost in Britain. | B．A celebration of VE Day. |
| C．RAF pilots’ life in World War II. | D．The RAF’s achievement in the war. |
| A．Axel Scheffler. | B．Julia Donaldson. | C．Terence Rattigan. | D．Stephen Daldry. |
| A．Flare Path. | B．The Gruffalo. |
| C．Horrible Histories. | D．An Inspector Calls. |
