1 . A character in one of Shakespeare’s plays once said, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Any of these could apply to the modern-day sportsmen. Many still argue about the nature of talent. Some claim that people are born to be sportsmen, while others say it is only through devotion and hard work that they achieve their abilities. Arguably though, it is not until their talents are recognized by the public that they truly have greatness fallen upon them.
With this acknowledgement of their “greatness” come all the trappings of modern-day celebrity: money, power, influence and responsibility. For better or for worse, like it or hate it, modern sportsmen are the role models of children everywhere. These children will grow up admiring their heroes, devoting their lives to copying their every move, and wanting above all to be like them. Due to this fascination, particularly with the great influence of the media, it is more important than ever for these sportsmen to shoulder their responsibility.
In the past few months alone, there have been many examples of questionable behaviors from sports icons. Sport stars of the present day are often mirroring the very worst aspects of society, a fact that the self-righteous (自以为是的) anger of the modern press has been quick to point out. It would be wrong for us to expect sportsmen to be saints. It would also be wrong for us to think that their behavior is clearly different from the sportsmen they grew up watching, but with the all-seeing eye of modern media, it is a different world, and different standards must be expected.
Of course, there is no duty for sportsmen to be good role models. There are no prison sentences, no fines, no community service—unless their behaviors are illegal. Unless they break the law, it is entirely up to them as to whether or not they think their behavior isproper. Furthermore, measuring the true influence their decisions have on their followers is absolutely impossible. Some will rise against their idols, seeing them in a new light and not accepting their actions. Others may copy their heroes’ actions, using them as a shield when accused of (控告) the same crimes.
It is undeniable that the actions of sportsmen will influence the lives of those who worship them. Modern-day sportsmen are almost ideals of today’s world, and their actions are watched carefully by millions all over the world. Some may complain against it, denying their influence on these children’s lives. Others may be aware of it but not respect it, while many may both be aware of it and respect it. In a word, you do not choose whether you are a role model. All you can do is to decide how to act when greatness is thrust upon you.
1. In Paragraph 1, the author tries to stress ________.| A．the core characteristic to become great sportsmen nowadays |
| B．sportsmen become great when their gifts are recognized by people |
| C．different ways for sportsmen to achieve success and greatness |
| D．sportsmen achieve greatness through their devotion and efforts |
| A．role models usually have positive influence on their fans |
| B．sportsmen have the right to behave freely within the law |
| C．all the fans will follow their heroes’ actions |
| D．no duty is given to sportsmen |
| A．forced on | B．removed from | C．related to | D．pulled off |
| A．To advise the media to choose proper events to report. |
| B．To inform the public that sportsmen are no role models. |
| C．To argue that sportsmen should not be expected as heroes. |
| D．To remind the sportsmen of their social responsibilities. |
Lie down, but don’t be beaten down.
“Tang ping”, or “lie down”, has become a buzzword among young Chinese people recently. It is used to describe youngsters who give up all ambitions of achieving worldly success in life, and instead do the least to get by. Such people prefer to lie down, lower their desire for buying new things, and keep themselves far away from competition for fame and money.
Many say such people don’t want to work hard for a better life. Others say those who “lie down” decide to avoid the unreasonable fierce competition at school and work, looking for new ways of developing their career and leading a meaningful life.
It’s no good criticizing the young generation for “lying down” before finding out why they choose to do so.
The fierce competition for a good college, the tiring 996 work schedule（working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week）, and the skyrocketing house prices frustrate（使挫败）many young people. Some even believe no matter how hard they try, they will fail. In this case, why not lie down in the first place?
Instead of taking part in “involution”（内卷）, which gives people a burned-out feeling and makes individual efforts less worthwhile in involuntary （不自愿的）competitions, these young people would rather live a different life, focusing more on their personal development than success.
This trend of “lying down” requires attention but there is no need to panic. On the one hand, it serves as a warning to prevent the country from sliding into a low-desire society, as happened in Japan, where an aging population and a large number of young people who have lost their passion are destroying the economy. On the other hand, the phrase serves more as self-mockery（自嘲）, and thus serious criticism is not necessary. Young people also like to call themselves “corporate slaves”（社畜）though they mean no harm to the company. These fun terms help them find people alike and feel better.
Luckily, the government and more companies are seeking solutions to ease the pressure of the young. For instance, Bye-Dance Technology made new rules last November to discourage staff from working overtime. The company told its employees not to work beyond 7 pm. In recent years, the government is also putting growing efforts into lowering housing prices and providing public rental housing.
Success shouldn’t be measured by fame and money only. People from all walks of life deserve equal respect. For young people, what they really desire is being seen. Actually, Chinese young people are fulfilling their duties well. The average age of more than 67,000 scientists and engineers who devote themselves to China’s aerospace cause is only 36 years old. And many excel in ordinary jobs. They live on their own, support their families, and contribute to the society with their work. They may lie down for a while when they are tired, but they will never be beaten down.
1. The underlined word “burned-out” in Paragraph 5 probably means “________”.| A．exhausted | B．scared | C．worried | D．shocked |
| A．It prevents the country from sliding into a low-desire society. |
| B．It started in Japan, where “involution” destroyed the economy. |
| C．It happens in big cities because work hours are long and house prices are high. |
| D．It requires little serious criticism as young people use it to make fun of themselves. |
| A．What society has done to help young people. |
| B．How Chinese young people ease their pressure. |
| C．How companies stop young people from “lying down”. |
| D．What responsibilities the society has for young people. |
| A．it is necessary to respect people who refuse to “lie down” |
| B．some young people “lie down” to get ready for future life |
| C．the people who excel in ordinary jobs should be better paid |
| D．it is fine for some people to lie down as long as they succeed |
3 . Friends are important in our life, because no one wants to be lonely. However, some people have difficulty in making friends and they often feel lonely. Do you also feel in that way? What’s the reason behind that? According to a new study from Chicago University, the reason is that you have brain different from common people. And you often feel unsafe when facing strangers.
Does that mean you have no way to become happy again? Don’t worry. Scientists of this study have thought up ways to help you deal with your loneliness. They provided four steps for getting out of loneliness.
The first step is to accept social (社交性质的) invitations although you don’t want to go. “It’s not enough for people just to get in touch with others online. That’s because most people don’t show their true selves there,” said Dr. Cacioppo, one of this study’s scientists. Another step is to make an action plan. As “Actions speak louder than words”, you need to be active to communicate with others. You also need to meet people with the same interests. Also, you should be positive, and always think the best from each activity.
After all, “tomorrow is another day”. Who knows what good things are waiting for us?
1. According to the new study, people find it hard to make friends because ______.| A．people around them are mean | B．their brains are different | C．they always have strange ideas | D．they like to be alone |
| A．Ways to stop feeling lonely. | B．Actions speak louder than words. | C．Reasons for people to feel lonely. | D．Importance of socializing. |
| A．It’s really difficult for us to get rid of loneliness. |
| B．We can only meet people with the same interests. |
| C．It’s better for us to get in touch with people in real life. |
| D．We need to take the first step to talk with others. |
| A．People who are good at making friends. |
| B．Scientists who study friendship among people. |
| C．Students who are going to a new school. |
| D．People who have trouble in making friends. |
Do you know the proverb “no pains, no gains”? It gives the impression that we ought to be suffering while we study. It seems that the only way to know if we’re putting in enough work is how much hardship we bear. We are totally taken up with study, shutting ourselves away for a big exam. Is that necessarily true?
When we haven’t taken the time to come up with another idea, we just shut ourselves in a room with a book. It’s no surprise that we find revision boring and difficult. Just as children learn from playing, we can learn from doing, or at least from study techniques that interest us, rather than make us switch off. Shutting ourselves away can make us learn to hate studying, leading to a situation where, instead of being able to concentrate on our work, we are troubled by how unfair it is that we must study. This can be part of a vicious(恶性的) cycle that traps us into ineffective revision, or poor progress fueling(增加) further annoyance.
Thankfully, working in the company of other people really helps fight against that. We just need to learn how to deal with distractions(分心). It’s not necessary to avoid all company, just lazy company. They constantly try to keep others in conversation. While studying in the same room with someone who is ironing or working out is perfectly possible. Of course, it’s also a good idea to avoid the company of people involved in activities where you would rather be playing than studying. Working while sitting next to someone playing video games is most likely to end with a new high score game rather than productive revision.
If being around others means working in a noisy environment, a pair of headphones and some background music can block out noises. They also act as a psychological barrier, so that people think twice before interrupting you. Besides, we should know friends and family can lessen feelings of isolation. And connecting with other people makes us happy, so it’s important not to give that up and to make sure that we take the time to socialize.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．Good ideas are needed in terms of progress. |
| B．Ways that interest us can lead to effective revision. |
| C．Shutting ourselves away can help concentrate on work. |
| D．Revision is interesting and easy with study techniques for certain. |
| A．one should learn from certain activities that interest us |
| B．playing video games is helpful for an effective study |
| C．one shouldn’t study with the company of a video player |
| D．the more time one spends in playing games, the higher test scores one will get |
| A．spend no time socializing | B．give up others’ company at once |
| C．give signs of not wanting to be interrupted | D．force yourself to be used to the environment |
| A．To introduce an effective studying means. | B．To encourage us to work as hard as possible. |
| C．To remind us to balance activities and study. | D．To discuss the importance of family company. |
Imagine you are ordering for your roommates. You remember Laura prefers banana ice cream to chocolate. It could be a fact for it was proved by observing her behavior. However, the ice cream preference could be an opinion that shows her personal choice. While it’s nice to think the world is clearly divided into matters of fact and matters of opinion, it’s not always the case.
What we think are facts — those things we think are true — can end up being wrong. Calling something a fact is not a promise of infallibility (无误). The famous writer, Asimov expressed this in his article The Relativity of Wrong. For him, the person who thinks the Earth is flat is wrong, and so is the person who thinks the Earth is a sphere. A fact is usually used to represent the best knowledge we have at a certain time.
Then again, calling something an opinion doesn't mean an escape to the fairyland of wishful thinking. If we think of an opinion as one person’s view on a subject, then many opinions can be solid. For example, it’s my opinion that science provides us with a powerful tool to help understand our place in the universe. It’s not a fact that science does so, but it works for me.
But we can be much clearer in our meaning if we divide things into matters of fact and matters of opinion. Matters of fact are limited to empirical statements (实证表达), such as what the boiling point of water is. Matters of opinion are non-empirical statements, which include questions of value and of personal preference such as whether it's better to eat more vegetables than meat.
Matters of opinion can be informed by matters of fact (for example, finding out that vegetables are rich in vitamins can change my food preference), but finally they are not answered by matters of fact (why does it matter to me that vegetables are rich in vitamins?)
Opinions are not just pale shadows (影子) of facts. They are judgements and conclusions. They can be the result of careful consideration in areas for which empirical research is not enough or ill-suited.
Facts and opinions shouldn’t be put in opposition to each other, as they can both play a necessary role in our decision-making. But that’s just my opinion, not a fact.
1. The writer mentions Asimov’s article in Paragraph 2 to show ________.| A．different opinions result in heated arguments |
| B．repeating facts can make others agree with us |
| C．what we take as facts may turn out to be wrong |
| D．it is difficult to predict how facts change over time |
| A．influenced | B．questioned | C．replaced | D．proved |
| A．opinions are more important than facts |
| B．facts and opinions are not against each other |
| C．opinions can be the results of wishful thinking |
| D．facts play an important role in scientific research |
6 . Feeling tired is very common among teens. What can we do about it? Experts give us some advice.
Learn to relax. Overwork is the main reason why so many students feel tired. Cut down some of the jobs you need to do each day so that you only do the most important things well. Leave time for activities that are relaxing and fun. This might mean reading a good book, listening to the music, going for a walk or taking a relaxing bath. You will feel very good.
Get a good night’s sleep. Getting enough sleep helps you keep your body and mind in the best form. If you stay up late and need to get up early the next day, you may not be able to pay attention to the things you need to do. You also feel tired.
Exercise regularly and eat well. Don’t rush through your meals. Eat less junk food or fast food. Eat healthy food instead. Fruits and vegetables are necessary.
Get to know pleasant people. Some people are optimistic, while others are not. Choose people who are always full of hope as your friends and spend more time with them and you’ll be as happy as them. You’ll see everything with the optimism.
Have a happy attitude (态度). Your attitude decides the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty?
1. What is the main reason why many students feel tired?| A．Not enough sleep. | B．Too much work. | C．Too much junk food. | D．Little exercise. |
| A．It’s necessary to have enough sleep to keep us good in body and mind. |
| B．We should try to do as many things as possible each day. |
| C．We should not spend time on things like eating and sleeping. |
| D．We should make friends with all kinds of people. |
| A．fear | B．interest | C．hope | D．choice |
| A．a cup | B．half full | C．empty | D．half empty |
7 . Perfectly Imperfect
The artist Leonardo da Vinci, perhaps best known for painting the Mona Lisa, produced a drawing called the Vitruvian Man. In it, da Vinci showed his idea of the perfectly sized male body. But is this really what a perfect body looks like?
An imperfect man
Consider Michael Phelps.The winningest swimmer of all time, Phelps earned 28 Olympic medals. His body does not look like the Vitruvian Man. In fact, Phelps’ body is quite unusual. The best swimmers tend to have long torsos （躯干） and short legs. Phelps is 6 feet 4 inches tall, but his torso is as long as what you would expect to see in a man who is 6 feet 8 inches tall. His legs are the length typical of a man who is 5 feet 10 inches. Phelps has long arms too. Like the Vitruvian Man, most people have a wingspan roughly the same as their height. Phelps’ wingspan is 6 feet 7 inches, three inches longer than his height.
His ankles are extremely flexible and his feet are big. So Phelps’ legs act like flippers（脚蹼）when he swims.
No one could argue that Phelps has a perfect body in da Vinci’s sense. But is it correct to say it is imperfect? What does “perfection” mean when we are talking about human biology? Does it even exist?
What is physical perfection?
Maybe perfection has more to do with how a body works than how it looks. How we work actually depends upon how well we fit into our environment.
Here’s an example from the animal kingdom. Imagine brown rabbits and white rabbits in a snowy field. Under these conditions, predators （捕食者） are less likely to see and catch the white rabbits. In a summertime field—all brown soil and green and golden plants—white rabbits are more visible （可见的） and easier to catch. Neither white nor brown fur is perfect for rabbit survival. Rabbits need different bodies for different seasons. And in fact, in some types of rabbits, fur color changes with the seasons. Like rabbits, all living things adapt to their environments. They need some changes to help thrive （茁壮成长） in their specific environments. But evolution （演变） isn’t engineering. Often, imperfections that don’t affect survival too badly get passed down through the generations.
Variation （变化） as a way to success.
Michael Phelps’ body is not perfectly symmetrical （对称的）or balanced. His physical variations, however, may have given him the advantages to be a close-to-perfect swimmer. Phelps’ case is not the only one; top athletes show great variability that provides them with the physical characteristics to approach perfection in action. Usain Bolt, an Olympic sprinter （短跑运动员）, has legs so long that it takes him four to five fewer steps to complete a 100-meter race than his competitors.
Simone Biles, another Olympic gold medalist, is both strong and small. It is perfect for her sport of gymnastics.She may also have a better-than-average ability to sense where her body is in space, perhaps making jumps easier than it would be for an average person. No athlete is born with the skills to win gold medals, though. Those achievements require years of effort.
Using variation to your advantage
Da Vinci’s drawing of the Vitruvian Man put maths and art together. To da Vinci, the Vitruvian Man showed perfect proportions （比例）. It was his image of the perfectly formed man. Da Vinci is a time-honored artist, but is there really such a thing as a perfect body?
No.
In biology, there is no such thing as one perfect body. In fact, variation in all living things, including us, is the rule. This variation is important for our life. Human variation has allowed us to live in wildly different environments—the tropics, deserts, and the Arctic—and to develop many different physical, mental, and emotional talents. Not only is there no perfect human body, but also our species thrives because we are different from one another, each of us suited to our own way of living.
1. In the first paragraph, the Vitruvian Man is mentioned to ________.| A．introduce the topic of a perfect body |
| B．explain the value of a famous drawing |
| C．explore how to draw a picture like this |
| D．discuss whether the man drawn in it is perfect |
| A．To explain what makes a perfect swimmer. |
| B．To describe the rules in the swimming world. |
| C．To introduce a perfect body in da Vinci’s sense. |
| D．To compare it with the perfection that was shown in the drawing by da Vinci. |
| A．Physical imperfections influence the process of evolution. |
| B．Rabbits learn to change their fur color to avoid predators. |
| C．Evolution only chooses for physical perfections in living things. |
| D．Physical perfection in one situation can be imperfect in another. |
| A．born talents of several famous athletes |
| B．applications of physical variations in the athletic field |
| C．physical differences between male and female athletes |
| D．the importance of physical variations to athletic success |
| A．explain the influence of da Vinci |
| B．argue that there is no perfect physical form |
| C．discuss whether some athletes are physically perfect |
| D．teach readers how to tell physical perfection from imperfection |
8 . We learn many things at school, but most of us don’t learn how to make the most of the time we have. However, reaching a school-life balance (平衡) is one of the most important things for students like you to understand.
As many of you hurriedly do your best to earn (获得) as many volunteer hours or work experience as possible, do sports and other activities outside the classroom, it’s hard not to let those things impact (影响) your grades.
Let me introduce you to a way I call “Value-Based Time Blocking”. The most important thing is to discover what your core (核心) values are and make sure that your timetable shows that. The key isn’t to spend most of your time on what you personally value as most important — instead, think how much time you need to spend in each area of your life to keep a school-life balance.
Here’s an example: let’s say that you need volunteer experience in a field. Try not to start the volunteer work too quickly without thinking about whether you enjoy the experience or not, think about how often and for how long you want to be volunteering. You may realize that volunteering a few hours once a week is enough for you to get the experience you need, and a few hours’ work will not impact your grades. To get started, write down as many of your personal values onto a piece of paper as you can. Once you have at least 20, underline your top 5. Next, think about all the things you would like to finish. In comparing what you’d like to do and your top 5 values, scratch out (划掉) anything that doesn’t go with most of these values. Finally, think about how much time you want to spend on each task as it connects to your values.
How we use our time is a choice. You don’t have to do all the things, especially not all at once. You can choose to do only a few things. If you make the decision to try your best and to enjoy the time you spend on them, you can still get competitive grades and have a satisfying life outside the classroom, but it has to be a choice.
1. According to “Value-Based Time Blocking”, students should ________.| A．do the activities that they would like to do |
| B．decide how much time to spend in each area of life |
| C．discover in what area they spend most of their time |
| D．spend most of their time on what they personally value most |
| A．Students are not clear about what their core values are. |
| B．Students need to find the connection between school and life. |
| C．Students should spend time on what connects with their values. |
| D．Students need little volunteer experience when they are at school. |
| A．To suggest a way of finding a school-life balance. |
| B．To tell the importance of reaching a school-life balance. |
| C．To explain why students enjoy life outside the classroom. |
| D．To show how activities outside the classroom impact grades. |
9 . If you’re working to become better or hoping to make a change, you’ll probably hear your family and friends say “go big or go home”. But sometimes big goals can shoot you in the foot. So, is it good to set high expectations?
Having high expectations could be beneficial. It can motivate (激励) you and increase your productivity. When you have high expectations for something, you’ll probably behave in ways which can help make your expectations come true. For example, if you believe that you’re able to score an A in a test, you will probably spend a lot of time working on it. And when you have to complete a written task before the deadline, having expectations on yourself can motivate you to keep on going. Another benefit of setting high expectations is that as you start meeting your expectations, you’ll be even more motivated to set higher goals for yourself. In addition, having high expectations on yourself doesn’t only benefit you. You’re likely to encourage others to be more productive! While there’s plenty of good that comes from setting high expectations, going overboard and being unrealistic in expectations can be detrimental.
Having high expectations sometimes can cause psychological (心理的) problems, such as worry and unhappiness. The findings of a study showed that a group of students who were expected to do perfectly by their parents experienced serious stress and anxiety (焦虑). Great expectations can also lead to great disappointment. This is especially true when you set expectations on other people whose actions you cannot control. For example, if you’re feeling alone and you call up your friends, you surely expect them to make you feel better. When this fails to happen, you will feel disappointed and displeased with your friends. To avoid this situation, you should accept your friends for who they are and set your expectations around reality.
It is hard to manage expectations, but the main goal is to find the perfect balance in setting a more realistic and achievable expectation. Learn to let go of things, especially when they don’t turn out the way you hoped. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to celebrate your victories no matter how small they are.
1. If you have a high expectation on yourself, you will probably _________.| A．discourage others | B．work hard to realize it |
| C．be more confident than before | D．have high expectations on others |
| A．harmful | B．unusual | C．disappointing | D．impossible |
| A．it’s wise to ask your friends to help you set expectations |
| B．stress is very likely to help you achieve your expectations |
| C．parents should avoid setting expectations on their children |
| D．we should set expectations on others according to the reality |
| A．To offer advice on how to realize expectations. |
| B．To explain why people like to set high expectations. |
| C．To lead people to take a right attitude towards expectations. |
| D．To encourage people to set high expectations for themselves. |
Visit a middle or large size of company these days, and you’re likely to find the staff (全体职工) members sharing a large, open space. Instead of having personal offices with doors and walls, most workers sit in cubicles that are half open. Whenever workers talk on the phone, other members of staff nearby can’t simply shut their doors. In fact, sometimes they can’t help but overhear everything that’s said. At times, the best way to focus in this type of office is to reach for one’s headphones and listen to music.
The open office idea is not new. It was created by a team of consultants (顾问) from Hamburg, Germany, in the 1950s. Called the office landscape (景观) plan, the idea was created to improve communication and the exchange of ideas. The design also encouraged managers and their teams to work near each other, making it easier for managers to guide projects. Now, the open office idea is often used as an excuse for companies to save money on building costs, paying no attention to the effect on working performance.
Many start-ups have a great interest in the open office idea. Take Chartbeat for example, the company’s 50-plus staff members get to choose their desk and chair styles, and everyone shares an open space with the CEO sitting in the middle. The office space has both single workstations and informal meeting areas where workers can relax themselves on sofas. While this design may be perfect for workers in start-ups, it may not be convenient for workers who have a great need of personal space.
In 2011 Matthew Davis, an organizational psychologist (心理学家), checked over a hundred studies about office environments. He found that, to staff in open offices, it was harder to stay focused and more likely to get higher stress than those working in traditional offices. What’s worse, a study in Denmark found that workers in open offices took more sick days than those working in traditional offices.
Even though open office plans present hidden problems on worker health and personal needs, businesses probably won’t return to traditional offices. Modern office workers tend (倾向) to need both time to focus and time to work together with others. So designing offices that account for both needs may be the best way forward.
1. What is mainly discussed about the open office in paragraph 1?| A．The benefit. | B．The problem. | C．The history. | D．The management. |
| A．To save space. | B．To reduce cost. |
| C．To improve working conditions. | D．To encourage communication. |
| A．Include. | B．Record. | C．Forget. | D．Translate. |
| A．Working in open offices can reduce higher stress. |
| B．The writer suggests working in traditional offices. |
| C．Staff members like wearing headphones to listen to music in the open offices. |
| D．The open offices are good for managers to guide projects and work with the staff. |
