A nine-year-old child will become the youngest ever person to complete a university degree.
This December, Laurent Simons will gain his electrical engineering bachelor's degree (学士学位) from Eindhoven University of Technology, a challenging course even for 18-year-olds. It has taken Laurent only 9 months to complete what should be a four-year course. Laurent's teacher said, “He is three times smarter than the best student I have met in my long working experiences. He achieves what many adult students never reach.” The young gifted child finished easily the entire primary school courses in only 12 months and then took just 18 months to complete his secondary school studies. Laurent comes from a family of doctors, and his parents cannot offer any explanation as to why their son is so academically gifted. Every time he can pass every test effortlessly with flying colors.
While Laurent is clearly able to learn faster than most, his parents are being careful to let him enjoy himself too. His father said, “We don't want him to get too serious. He does whatever he likes. We need to find a balance between being a child and his talents.” Laurent enjoyed playing with his dog Sammy and playing on his phone, like many young people.
1. How many months did Laurent spend completing his courses in primary and secondary schools?| A．18. | B．12. | C．30. | D．9. |
| A．A little nervously. | B．Very hurriedly. | C．Very successfully. | D．A little satisfactorily. |
| A．Laurent always wants to get too serious in his study. |
| B．Laurent hardly balances between being a child and his talents. |
| C．Laurent's parents are careful to let him express himself. |
| D．Laurent's parents pay great attention to his growth as a child. |
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【推荐1】Some people were eating and drinking in a coffee house. A young woman was sitting alone at a table. She was wearing a beautiful diamond necklace. There was an ugly man at a table not far from her. He was looking at her necklace all the time.
Suddenly the lights went out. The coffee house was in darkness. The woman started to shout. She was very frightened. A few minutes later the lights came on again. The woman was crying. Her necklace was missing.
The manager quickly closed all the doors. He telephoned the police. No one could get out of the coffee house. The policemen soon came. The police inspector told his men to search everyone. The necklace was not on anyone. They then searched the whole coffee house. The necklace couldn’t be found.
The police inspector then looked at the faces of all the people in the coffee house. He saw the ugly man and looked at the man carefully. He went up to the man and picked up the bowl of soup that was on his table. He then poured the soup into a glass. The necklace fell out. The policemen caught hold of the man and took him away. The young woman was happy to get back her necklace.
1. A young woman lost her necklace in _____.| A．a coffee house |
| B．a shop |
| C．a hospital |
| D．a restaurant |
| A．searched everyone in the coffee house |
| B．searched the whole coffee house |
| C．looked at all the people in the coffee house |
| D．telephoned the police |
| A．a bowl of soup |
| B．a bowl of rice |
| C．a glass of milk |
| D．a cup of coffee |
| A．a beautiful girl |
| B．an old woman |
| C．a young student |
| D．an ugly man |
【推荐2】Ray Tokuda, a 54-year-old Japanese American, is proud of the title his school has given him. He is a shifu, a Chinese word meaning a master of martial arts.
He has been involved with Chinese martial arts for over four decades. After leaning them at the martial arts school in US New Mexico State, today he is among the most experienced kung fu teachers of the school.
Founded by a Chinese American in 1974, the training center accepts only those with stunning kung fu skills and a profound understanding of martial arts as its masters according to Shanti Thomas, general manager of the school.
Practicing martial arts two to three hours and helping students improve their skills have become Tokuda’s daily routine. Tokuda is teaching and learning at the same time now. He spends around 15 to 20 hours a week honing his skills and is also working on standardizing the Tai Chi curriculum for the training center.
He was sent to the martial arts school at 10, but he was unwilling in the beginning. His father had always wanted to learn Chinese martial arts but never got the chance, so he put him in.
He was afraid at that time because he thought kung fu was all about punching and kicking. But things changed after he learned that martial arts were more than that. “One of the things martial arts teach you is overcoming adversity (逆境),” Tokuda said. “As a little kid, my first lesson was that I could overcome it by diligence, perseverance and dedication.”
Learning Chinese martial arts was also an eye-opening experience because he could hear many ancient Chinese kung fu-related stories to better understand the essence of martial arts, Tokuda joined a China tour organized by his school in 2002. He described it as a martial arts pilgrimage (朝圣). “We went to Shaolin and Wudang and exchanged views and skills with kung fu masters there,” he said, fired by excitement while talking about the experience.
1. According to Shanti Thomas, who can be a master of the martial arts school?| A．One experienced in wushu and understanding its essence. |
| B．Those gifted and interested in martial arts. |
| C．Those having a good knowledge of martial arts. |
| D．One who knows many ancient martial arts stories. |
| A．Introducing. | B．Improving. |
| C．Advertising. | D．Displaying |
| A．The martial arts school was founded by Shanti Thomas in 1974. |
| B．Tokuda paid a visit to Shaolin and Wudang by himself in 2002. |
| C．Tokuda spends about 15 to 20 hours a week training students. |
| D．Martial arts can teach one to overcome challenges. |
| A．Because he was crazy about Chinese culture. |
| B．Because he wanted to be a martial arts master. |
| C．Because his father had wanted to learn but could not. |
| D．Because his parents wanted to better understand Chinese culture. |
【推荐3】We were on our way home from Houston one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local gas station to get coffee and something to snack on since it was a good hour and a half before we got home.
When we were done, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a man standing outside in front of the building. He was a homeless man with worn clothes and it looked like he had gone in and gotten himself some coffee or something warm to drink since it was cold this time of the year. He must have not had enough money to get something to eat.
Then a dog walked up to the front of the building. I could tell she was a “she”, because you could tell that she had baby dogs. She was terribly in need of something to eat and I felt so bad for her. I knew if she didn’t eat soon, she and her baby dogs would not make it.
I and my wife sat there and looked at her. We noticed that people walked by and didn’t even pet her, like most people do when they walk by an animal in front of a store. We still did not do anything. But the homeless man, who I thought did not buy himself anything to eat, went back into the store. And what he did brought tears to me and my wife. He had gone into the store and with what money he may have had, bought a can of dog food and fed that dog.
This story plays a great part in our lives. You see, that was Mother’s Day weekend. And a lot of people forget that some animals are parents too.
It took a homeless man, to show me what I should have done. He made me a better man that day.
1. The homeless man only had something to drink because ________.| A．he felt cold that day | B．he was thirsty only |
| C．the store only provided drinks | D．he didn’t have enough money for food |
| A．were puzzled | B．were indifferent |
| C．were greatly moved | D．regretted they hadn’t done anything |
| A．not have to die | B．not survive |
| C．have to attack people | D．lose their homes |
| A．Animals Are Parents Too. | B．A Lucky Mother Dog. |
| C．Mother’s Day Weekend. | D．A kind Homeless Man. |
【推荐1】My sister Jeanne and I were born only 14 months apart, but by the time we were teenagers we had lost touch. By age 19, I had moved away from our home in Wisconsin to live on my father's horse farm in Virginia. Jeanne got married at 18 and moved to Chicago. We lived separate lives, and our connection somehow ended.
Fast-forward about five years. I was 24 and on a trip with my fiancé to New York City, a place I had never been. It was overwhelming. I was used to riding my horse to the comer store where everyone knew everyone and everything going on in the quiet little town of Driver, Virginia. We went to Little Italy, the Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, and several Manhattan clubs. I had never seen so many taxicabs in one spot in my life.
During a day of sightseeing, we were crossing a very busy street loaded with people. Everyone was in a hurry, hustling and bustling. I had laughed at something my fiancé said, and I suddenly heard my name yelled from somewhere behind me: “Cheryl!” I froze in my steps in the middle of the road. Tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes. I knew without a doubt that it was my sister Jeanne. I yelled back before even turning to look, “Jeanne?”
It was her. “Oh my God!” I screamed, and I began pushing people out of my way to get to her. The crowd started to part—even by New York standards, we must have seemed crazy. And there we were, standing in the middle of a Manhattan street, facing each other and smiling.
I later asked how she'd known it was me—she never saw me! She said it was my laugh. I wouldn't say my laugh is all that unusual, but I guess to a family member it's infectious. It hits your heart and echoes in your mind.
Since that time, my sister and I have never been separated. We both moved back to Wisconsin. We talk daily. Many years have passed, and we are now in our 50s. Our meeting by chance wasn't just a sign. I see it as more of a lesson, a reminder not to lose touch with loved ones.
1. What can we infer about the author according to Paragraph 2?| A．Riding was her favorite way of travelling. |
| B．She was shocked to see the scenes in New York. |
| C．She was a big figure in the little town of Driver. |
| D．The sightseeing didn't leave her a deep impression. |
| A．compare different people's reactions | B．emphasize how excited they were then |
| C．show how crazy people are in New York | D．state she has known more about the city life |
| A．Because the street was quiet enough. | B．Because it had some particular features. |
| C．Because it stayed in her sister's memory. | D．Because they were apart for only 14 months. |
| A．Life: A Journey Full of Wonders | B．Family: A Source of Happiness |
| C．Laugh: The Most Familiar Sound | D．Hometown: The Destination of Our Life |
【推荐2】The Memory Box is my fifth book, which begins the story with a simple image of an old lady, Jenny, celebrating her 100 birthday in the care home where she lives. However, instead of being with friends and family, she’s in the company of strangers. Jenny has outlived everybody she has ever loved and it is to her young carer, Candice, that she turns when going through her memory box. As Jenny gently touches the smooth stone, picked up off a faraway beach a lifetime ago, she realizes there is one last journey she must make. She knows it will be painful but if she can talk Candice into accompanying her, she will get through it.
As a writer, I try to keep to a writing routine (常规；惯例) similar to the common working week and am always at my desk by ten at the latest. I know this is not everybody’s idea of an early start. Then, I will go through the various writing work, followed by reading and editing what I wrote the day before. I set myself a target (目标) of 1,000 words a day and, while some days I may achieve many more than this, on other days it’s a right old slog and I can hardly pass the 200 mark.
Many moons ago, I attended a wing group. There, I got the best piece of writing advice from my teacher. She told us to employ the BOSHOK method, which stands for Bum On Seat, Hands On Keyboard. Or in my case, often, Bum On Set, Head On Knees. It basally means, just get on with it. She would always say, “The best advice I can offer to those who want to be writers is a quote from Elmore Leonard, ‘Try not to write the parts people tend to skip (跳过).’ Say it all really.”
1. What is the first Paragraph mainly about?| A．A review of The Memory Box. | B．An introduction to The Memory Box. |
| C．The last journey of old lady Jenny. | D．A life story about old lady Jenny. |
| A．Simple but boring work. | B．Easy and time-saving work. |
| C．Demanding but interesting work. | D．Challenging and effort-taking work. |
| A．Reading lovers. | B．Young carers. | C．Writing strugglers. | D．Group leaders. |
【推荐3】I’ve recently become aware of dry texting: the short, single-word replies (Yes, No, OK, Lol) to chatty messages that are viewed as unsatisfactory or hurtful.
Our family chat is dull, an absolute Atacama Desert. Most messages are “k” or “OK”. Interesting news sent by those of us eager to keep a little connection go uncommented on; often unopened. My husband recently sent a link to a news article about the local repair cafe where he volunteers, which, surprisingly, issued a picture of him failing to repair a woman’s pot and telling her “I am sorry for your loss”; neither of our sons reacted.
I can be a dry texter myself, simple in reply to friends who send three-paragraph, multi-message poems. It’s partly a shortage of mental brainpower for more writing outside the day job: a “no words just feelings” means, except “haha” and “great” for feelings. If I could bring myself to get into emoji’s-I can’t-I would absolutely be the “single thumbs-up” kind of texter. The other reason I dry text is I can’t write anything without horribly damaging my typing and being upset by correcting errors. When I try to fix it, I end up hitting the M rather than delete, so most of my messages read: “We we’re mmmmmmmm”. I could change my keyboard settings, but it’s easier to go silent.
Anyway, to me, there’s an economical, haiku-like poem to dry texting. My last four messages from my stepfather are “Yes”, “OK”, “Good” and “OK”. The link between me and my husband is mainly “Dog?”, “T’es où” (where are you), “Kfé?” (coffee) and “Yep”. He used a single emoji back in January and I’m still getting over it. It makes the more expansive (健谈的) messages extra special, too, for example, when my husband naturally says he’s missing me. Those in textual relationships with more talkative types will never know that amazement.
1. Why does the author mention her husband in paragraph 2?| A．To define a rule. |
| B．To present a fact. |
| C．To prove a point. |
| D．To introduce a topic. |
| A．She is poor in typing. |
| B．She is busy with work. |
| C．She is eager for silence. |
| D．She is addicted to emoji’s. |
| A．Remove. | B．Confirm. | C．Exit | D．Click. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uninterested. | D．Unclear. |
【推荐1】China will soon issue licenses for the commercialization (商业化 ) of 5G, as the country has already established (建立) a competitive advantage in the superfast wireless technology.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said 5G is entering a critical period of commercial deployment (部署)globally and China's 5G industry has established a competitive advantage through a combination of innovation(创新) and open cooperation.
Many foreign companies including Nokia and Intel, have participated in China's technical 5G tests. These foreign companies have already participated in three phases of tests organized by China to get their 5G products and solutions ready for commercial use in the country.
“With joint efforts of all parties, China has built a foundation for commercialization of 5G,” the ministry said, adding it will issue commercial 5G licenses in the near future, a clear sign that China will soon officially enter the first year of 5G.
China's big three telecom carriers are forecast to spend 900 billion to 1.5 trillion yuan ($ 134 billion to $ 223 billion) in total on 5G network construction from 2020 to 2025, according to a report from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. In comparison, Chinese telecom operators spent 720 billion yuan on 4G network construction from 2014 to 2018.
In 2019, China Mobile plans to build 30,000 to 50,000 5G base stations, while China Telecom is looking to have 20,000.
1. What does the phrase "participate in" in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．take part in | B．take control of |
| C．be grateful for | D．do an activity regularly |
| A．223 billion yuan. | B．720 billion yuan. |
| C．900 billion yuan. | D．1.5 trillion yuan. |
| A．Nokia. | B．Intel. |
| C．China Mobile. | D．China Telecom. |
| A．A brief introduction of 5G |
| B．The advantage of 5G network |
| C．The cost of China's 5G network construction |
| D．The development of China’s 5G Commercialization |
【推荐2】A group of Dutch high school students with little sailing experience completed a five-week trip across the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. The students, aged 14 to 17, were joined by 12 experienced crew members and three teachers. They had been taking part in an educational voyage of the Caribbean when the extreme weather forced them to greatly change the way they returned home.
Instead of flying back home from Cuba as they had planned, the crew members and students gathered supplies and warm clothes. Then, they set sail for the Dutch port city of Harlingen, 7,000 kilometers away. Their boat, the Wylde Swan, arrived at Harlingen late Sunday morning. Observers gathered at a sea wall to watch the arrival.
As they arrived, the students hung up a self-made sign on the boat that read “Bucket List”. It showed they had completed activities that included crossing the Atlantic Ocean, mid-ocean swimming and surviving the Bermuda Triangle, an area in the Atlantic where some people declare ships and planes have mysteriously disappeared. The students’ family members were waiting for them at the port.
Masterskip, the company that organized the boat trip, runs five educational voyages for about 150 students each year. Crossing the Atlantic is nothing new for the Wylde Swan, which has made the trip about 20 times. The company’s director, Christophe Meijer, said he was pleased the students had adapted to life on the boat and had kept up their education on the long trip. “They are actually far ahead now of their Dutch school students,” Meijer said, “They have made us very proud.”
1. Why didn’t the group return home as planned?| A．They were inexperienced travelers. |
| B．They did not have enough supplies. |
| C．Their flight home had been cancelled. |
| D．The bad weather changed their plan. |
| A．For about 4 years. | B．For about 5 years. |
| C．For about 14 years. | D．For about 20 years. |
| A．Adventurous. | B．Tiresome. | C．Worthwhile. | D．Amusing. |
| A．Teenagers survived mysterious Bermuda Triangle. |
| B．Dutch students completed a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. |
| C．Masterskip organized educational voyages for students. |
| D．Dutch students experienced a new way of entertainment. |
【推荐3】We know that smartphone addiction is real, and that it can affect lives in negative ways. While some people have tried going cold turkey (快速戒掉坏习惯)or even punishing themselves for using their mobile phones, an app is made available in the UK that rewards people for staying away from their devices.
The app, called Hold, was created by Norwegians Maths Mathisen, Florian Winder, and Vinoth Vinaya while they are studying at Copenhagen's Business school to help break fellow students' attachments to their devices.
The three college students found that positive reinforcement (强化)was the best way of beating smartphone addiction. Hold allows students to collect points for staying off their devices between the hours of 7 am and 11 pm; they get 10 points for every 20 minutes.
Through partnerships with universities and businesses, points can be used for discounts on everything from cinema tickets to Amazon goods to cafe food and drink. A half price cinema ticket, for example, costs 60 points, or 2 hours away from a phone. And a £ 5 ( $6. 88 ) Amazon voucher (代金券)needs 1 ,000 points, or 33 hours off your smartphone.
Students can also use their points to buy school books and stationery (文具),which are then donated to schools partnered with children's charity Unicef.
Over 120,000 people use the app in Scandinavia, including 40 percent of higher education students in Norway, where Hold first came onto market in February 2016. It's now available to students from over 170 universities in the UK.
A 2017 University of Texas study claimed that merely placing a smartphone in someone's line of sight slowed down their productivity, response time, and reduced their grades. An earlier study from the London School of Economics found students who didn't use smartphones on school grounds saw their test scores increase 6. 4 percent.
1. The app Hold was created mainly to .| A．promote online sales of goods. | B．earn discounts on goods or services . |
| C．find new uses of mobile phone. | D．help students put down their smartphones. |
| A．6 hours. | B．10 hours. | C．15 hours. | D．30 hours. |
| A．To tell the story of Hold creation | B．To present people's opinions of Hold |
| C．To give a brief introduction of Hold | D．To attract potential customers to Hold |
| A．A newspaper advertisement | B．A computer textbook |
| C．A science magazine | D．An official document |
【推荐1】Recently, I experienced a wonderful lesson in how little things still mean a lot. My brother, mother and I live in Hawaii. Our farm is at least a dozen miles from even the most basic of services. Therefore, I take weekly trips to the shop to get supplies. About a month ago, I finished loading up the car and was about to leave, when a piece of paper on the ground caught my eye. I picked it up and read it carefully.
It was a receipt from the State Motor Vehicle Division, recording the owners payment of her Vehicles Registration fees. At first I thought that I could find the owner. So I waited there for about an hour. Although the receipt had been borne on the wind, where in the busy, crowded parking lot would I find the owner? I looked over the receipt for contact or any personal data, perhaps a license tag (牌照) or telephone number. I checked the date, the fees paid, noted the name of the owner and pocketed the paper. I concluded that the best and easiest step to take was to put the receipt in an envelope and send it to the owner first the next morning.
By the end of the week, I received a beautiful "thank you " letter from a woman containing a handwritten message and a card. In the letter, the woman explained how the wind snatched (夺去) her receipt from a pocket in her car’s passenger door. She had searched everywhere for quite some time before giving up.
It felt great to know I had helped someone avoid a loss by doing something that at first glance(一瞥) seemed little and unimportant.
1. What can be the best title for the text?| A．A Lesson I Will Never Forget | B．Never Lose Heart or Give up |
| C．Little Things Still Mean a Lot | D．Think Carefully Before You Act |
| A．He lives downtown in Hawaii. |
| B．He goes to the shop to get supplies once a week on foot. |
| C．He is too poor to have basic supplies for his family. |
| D．He is patient and willing to help others. |
| A．the receipt | B．the license tag |
| C．the telephone number | D．the personal data |
| A．Proud | B．Disappointed |
| C．Appreciated | D．Angry. |
| A．She forgot where she had put it. | B．A strong wind blew it away. |
| C．A thief took it away. | D．She left it in the parking lot |
【推荐2】Cory Nichol's whole life changed after he watched the documentary (纪录片) Hard Times. Lost on Long Island. This documentary follows four different families over six months as they struggle with unemployment. Cory knew he had to help any way that he could.
He founded an organization named “C the Difference”. The first step of his charity was to advertise. Using his own money, Cory had orange bracelets (手链) made. Now, he has sold the bracelets. A lot of people who are willing to donate bought them. “We've gotten donations from $5 to $500,” Cory said. “Every dollar really helps.”
Since founding the organization “C the Difference”, Cory has gotten the word out through e-mail and social media He has managed to get upwards of 7,500 and the amount will keep ring each month For Cox, his work is truly rewarding and he loves knowing that poll fortunate than him are really benefiting tom al the donations Once he said, “I was in the pantry (食品室) one time when a woman was taking food, and she was grateful for what I was doing That made me feel great.”
Cory's work has been truly remarkable. These past years he was recognized for “C the Difference” and was a recipient (获得者) of the New York State Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Cory was honored when he found out the news, and even more shocked When he found out that he was one of the only 102 winners out of the 28.000 applicants, As a recipient Cory got to travel to Washington D.C. with the other winners.
There are bright things in Cory's future. First, he wants to keep doing well in school. “I think school is really important to be successful in life.” In addition, Cory wants to keep “C the Difference” going through high school. “I am continuing to get donations, and to get younger kids and my peers involved to help each month”.
1. After watching the documentary, Cory _______.| A．set up a charity organization | B．found a job in Long Island |
| C．donated money immediately | D．felt the documentary interesting |
| A．wearing a ring and a bracelet | B．spreading the word out |
| C．phoning to his friends | D．collecting from his classmates |
| A．proud and surprised | B．interested and delighted |
| C．embarrassed and puzzled | D．ashamed and frightened |
| A．travel in Long Island alone | B．stop raising money |
| C．study in Washington | D．go on his charity |
【推荐3】When I was a kid in Minnesota, watermelon was a delicacy(美味). One of my father's buddies, Bernie, was a successful fruit-and-vegetable wholesaler, who operated a warehouse in St. Paul.
Every summer, when the first watermelons rolled in, Bernie would call. Dad and I would go to Bernie's warehouse and take up our positions. We'd sit on the edge of the dock, feet dangling（摇晃）, and lean over, minimizing the volume of juice we were about to spill on ourselves.
Bernie would take his machete（刀）, crack our first watermelon, hand us both a big piece and sit down next to us. Then we'd bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart - the reddest, juiciest, firmest, most seed-free, most perfect part - and throw away the rest.
Bernie was my father's idea of a rich man. I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman. Years later, I realized that what my father admired about Bernie's wealth was less its substance than its application. Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon.
What I learned from Bernie is that being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to eat only the heart of the watermelon. Others are rich without ever being more than a paycheck ahead.
If you don't take the time to dangle your feet over the dock and chomp into life's small pleasures, your career is probably overwhelming your life.
For many years, I forgot that lesson I'd learned as a kid on the loading dock. I was too busy making all the money I could.
Well, I've relearned it. I hope I have time left to enjoy the accomplishments of others and to take pleasure in the day. That's the heart of the watermelon. I have learned again to throw the rest away.
Finally, I am rich.
1. Why did the author's father think Bernie was a rich man?| A．Because Bernie was a successful businessman. |
| B．Because his father admired Bernie's wealth. |
| C．Because Bernie was good at making friends. |
| D．Because Bernie knew how to fully enjoy life. |
| A．Being free is what he pursues. |
| B．Being rich is a state of mind. |
| C．A lot of money makes him happy. |
| D．He likes paying all the bills. |
| A．Making a lot of money. |
| B．Having more watermelons. |
| C．Being a wholesaler. |
| D．Enjoying every day. |
| A．To introduce a successful person in business. |
| B．To warn us of the hardships of becoming rich. |
| C．To remind us of the true meaning of richness. |
| D．To give tips on how to work with others. |
