1 . Creating opportunities
Don’t allow your excuses to prevent you from following your dreams. “I really want to, but I can’t because...” It hurts every time I hear someone say it. I see it for what it is — an excuse. Every one of us has hopes, dreams and goals. We talk about how we will achieve them, but when it’s time to do them, we use that sentence.
During my teen years, I felt stuck. I wanted to learn so many things and achieve my wildest dreams, yet I couldn’t. Living in an underdeveloped country, we suffer from a lack of water, electricity, security and opportunities. And, we don’t have training courses, libraries or clubs, and the internet is slower than a snail crawling (爬行) through peanut butter.
One day, I had had enough. I decided to use the resources I had to create the future I dreamed of. I set my mind on getting the Japanese Monbusho Scholarship. I found articles and books online to become fluent in Japanese. In a few months, I was able to hold a simple conversation in Japanese.
I realized that I would need money. I set out to build a hedgehog(刺猬) care website. Every day, after school, I would research hedgehogs and write detailed articles about them. I studied Japanese and wrote about hedgehogs for three years.
I’m sure you’re expecting a spirit-lifting ending where I travel to Japan and live off my website. That’s not how this story ends. The fact is, I didn’t even get the chance to apply for the scholarship. I failed. Unwilling to accept the facts, I started an online university the next year. And the hedgehog website made me a total of $60.
I can tell you that I tried, but it didn’t work out. It did — just not the way I expected.
I’m not in Japan, but I know how to speak Japanese and have met many interesting people along the way. My hedgehog website didn’t succeed, but I created a new one that’s even better with the experience I gained.
I didn’t let my difficulties stand in my way, and I created my own opportunities. Anyone can embrace (欣然接受) the cards they’ve been dealt (发牌) and create their own way to make them into a winning hand.
1. Why does the author mention the underlined sentence at the beginning of the text?| A．To explain how it hurt her. |
| B．To show she disagrees with it. |
| C．To show how often people say it. |
| D．To explain when people usually say it. |
| A．Her lack of aim in life. |
| B．Her unrealistic dreams. |
| C．Her lack of interest in studying. |
| D．The shortage of educational resources. |
| A．She won a scholarship to study in Japan |
| B．She kept trying even though she failed. |
| C．Her website earned her a lot of money. |
| D．She didn’t go to a university in the end. |
| A．Opportunity seldom knocks twice. |
| B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．The weak wait for opportunities, the strong create them. |
| D．The more you expect, the more disappointed you will be. |
| A．Hopeful and Hardworking. |
| B．Anxious and Enthusiastic. |
| C．Patient and Pessimistic. |
| D．Nervous and embarrassed. |
2 . Cold winter coming
Big snowstorms and cold air swept across northern China in the first week of November. Many people trembled in the freezing cold. At the same time, a global meeting on climate change—COP 26—was held in Glasgow, Scotland. There, leaders from around the world tried to deal with global warming.
Why are we experiencing such a cold winter on a warming planet? The cold winter and global warming, two seemingly opposite facts, are not contradictory. Global warming does not happen evenly(均衡地) on Earth, and it causes more extreme heat and cold.
Because of the warming climate, China has seen a growing average temperature in winter. It has increased by 0.41 C every ten years since 1961. But in some cases, the country has also seen freezing cold—for example, the icy weather in early 2008.
Global warming has changed Earth’s air circulation(循环), affecting the local weather through sea-air or land-air interaction. For example, in October, La Nina affected China. It is a weather pattern caused by strong winds above the Pacific Ocean. It brought more cold air to China.
Another reason for the cold weather is the warming Arctic. It is warming almost three times as fast as any other place on Earth. The polar vortex(极地涡旋)—a rotating pool of cold air—becomes unstable as the temperature increases there. So, lots of cold Arctic air then goes southward.
Will this winter be much colder? The official forecast said a cold winter is likely. Northern China will probably see more snow than average, and southern China less rainfall than average.
1. The underlined word “contradictory” probably means ________.| A．opposite | B．common | C．similar | D．false |
| A．global warming is not as serious as we thought |
| B．global warming can cause extra rain |
| C．global warming doesn’t happen |
| D．global warming can also cause extreme cold |
| A．A rise in temperature. | B．Less rainfall. |
| C．Colder winters. | D．Big storms. |
| A．there will be lots of snow in southern China this winter |
| B．northern China will probably see a cold winter |
| C．southern China will be warmer and wetter this winter |
| D．this winter will not be as cold as usual |
| A．To explain the connection between the cold snap and global warming |
| B．To describe the phenomenon and causes of La Nina. |
| C．To predict if this winter will be particularly cold. |
| D．To discuss the importance of stopping global warming. |
3 . Called the “Iron Hammer” in her playing days, Lang Ping is considered as one of the biggest heroes of Chinese sports.
At the 1981 World Cup in Japan, the Chinese women’s team showed the world their speed and power for the first time. Playing outside hitter, Lang helped the team take home its first major title. Thanks to teamwork and their strong spirit, they achieved a record of five world titles in a row, which include two World Cups, two World Championships and a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Despite a lot of victories, after eight years of hard training and fighting, Lang retired as a player in 1986. But she never said goodbye to her favorite sport. In 1995, Lang became the head coach of the Chinese national team and led China to silver medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic and the 1998 World Championships in Japan.
Though she left the job in 1999 to coach an Italian club, in 2013 she returned to coach the young national team. In 2016, her team took home the gold medal at the Rio Olympics, making her the first person to win an Olympic gold for volleyball both as a player and a coach. The team was listed fourth after the preliminary competition. But Lang said in a public interview, “Sometimes you know you may not win, but you still have to pull out all the stops.”
Lang plays an important role in the creation and passing on of an honorable tradition of fighting and teamwork. “The spirit of Chinese women’s volleyball team is never to give up. My duty as the coach is to guide this young team to carry on this spirit,” said Lang. The spirit is about more than sport; it is an important source of spiritual strength for the country to draw on in its effort to press ahead.
1. When did Lang win her first world champion?| A．In 1981. | B．In 1984. | C．In 1986. | D．In 1995. |
| A．They won the first prize. |
| B．They had a good start. |
| C．They won all the games. |
| D．They didn’t enter the final. |
| A．Put you on the spot. | B．End up with the game. |
| C．Go all out. | D．Catch your eye. |
| A．We have to do sports every day. |
| B．We should keep fighting to the end. |
| C．We should try our best to be a coach. |
| D．We must spend time learning volleyball. |
| A．Lang Ping, a very strict coach |
| B．Lang Ping, a hero of Chinese sports |
| C．The Chinese people’s love for volleyball |
| D．The spirit of Chinese women’s volleyball team |
4 . Once again. Myra sat alone on the bus. Even after two weeks at her new school, Myra had not made any friends. At recess between classes, she played alone. In
One day, as Myra sat alone on the way to school, she looked at the seat
But what if the girl didn’t want to be her friend? Maybe she already had a lot of friends. What if the girl
The girl’s smile
| A．art | B．history | C．PE | D．music |
| A．on her way | B．to her delight | C．in her favour | D．on her own |
| A．rule out | B．carry out | C．figure out | D．put out |
| A．none | B．neither | C．all | D．either |
| A．stomach | B．head | C．face | D．back |
| A．below | B．above | C．across | D．within |
| A．friendly | B．lovely | C．lively | D．lonely |
| A．resisted | B．ignored | C．greeted | D．amused |
| A．look | B．rest | C．breath | D．break |
| A．grew | B．disappeared | C．stopped | D．appeared |
| A．break | B．dawn | C．course | D．dusk |
| A．lift | B．track | C．route | D．ride |
| A．book | B．pick | C．save | D．search |
| A．appealed | B．spread | C．contributed | D．added |
| A．eventually | B．hardly | C．obviously | D．gradually |
5 . Language is in a constant state of change. British English shows this clearly. Take the word “Cheerio!” for example. It has been a British way to say goodbye for more than a century, but it’s dying out as the English language evolves. These days, many young people simply say “laters”. Or take the word “marvelous”. At one time it was a common British word meaning “wonderful”, but over the last ten years it’s been overtaken by the American word “awesome”.
So how and why do words come into and fall out of fashion? The influence of US culture is only one explanation for why popular words in British English may change or even stop being used over time. “Awesome” is a good example, but also “fortnight”, a term not used in the US, is now falling out of fashion in British English, and in some cases has been replaced by “two weeks”.
New inventions also bring in new words. As old inventions are replaced by new ones, the words which described them also disappear and are replaced. So it’s out with the “Walkman” (a cassette player from the 80s) and in with MP4 players!
Then there’s the influence of social media. Text messages and emails have reduced words for convenience, with something like ICYMI (“in case you missed it”) becoming words in their own right. Where “friend” was once a noun, we now “friend someone on Facebook” and where we used to “love” something, now we’re “loving it”!
1. In what situation do the British use “Cheerio!”?| A．When they give thanks. |
| B．When they ask for help. |
| C．When they say goodbye. |
| D．When they meet new friends. |
| A．Returns. | B．Develops. | C．Follows. | D．Falls. |
| A．Awesome. | B．Laters. | C．Impressive. | D．Fortnight. |
| A．To explain how some words are replaced. |
| B．To show its importance. |
| C．To talk about its history. |
| D．To describe how it came into being. |
| A．It is changing the way that words are used. |
| B．It is making meanings clearer. |
| C．It is bringing in many long words |
| D．It is making language difficult to learn. |
6 . Practice Tai Chi & Feel Better
| Free Open House See a demo of tai chi and try a free class, all welcome! Saturday Feb 2 Level 1,566 Lutwyche Rd 1:00 pm-2:30 pm Saturday Jan 19 Mermaid Beach Community Center, 2439 Gold Coast Highway 11:00 am-1:00 pm |
| New Weekly Beginners’ Classes Buranda Primary School, 24 Cowley St, Woolloongabba STARTS Thu Mar 7 6:30 pm-8:00 pm Holland Park St Joachim’s Hall, 24 Crown St STARTS Tue Mar 5 5:30 pm-7:00 pm You can choose one of them. |
| Health Recovery Classes Health recovery classes are for people with chronic (慢性的) illnesses, or who are recovering from illnesses, to work on tai chi at their own speed. You can start anytime, and start to feel the benefits. Level 1,566 Lutwyche Rd STARTS anytime Thursday 11:00 am-12:30 pm |
| Short Courses Are you short of time? In just one afternoon or a weekend you can get a quick introduction to tai chi. SAT APRIL 27 to SUN APRIL 28 2:00 pm-4:00 pm Introduction to tai chi(weekend) Room 502, Building 13, St Peter’s College For more information, visit the Short Courses page on our website. |
 Bookings are important. Call 3357 5600 or email brisbane@taichi.org. |
| A．Mermaid Beach Community Center. |
| B．Buranda Primary School. |
| C．Holland Park. |
| D．St Peter’s College. |
| A．Every day. | B．Once a week. |
| C．Twice a week. | D．Once a month. |
| A．6:30 pm-8:00 pm | B．5:30 pm-7:00 pm |
| C．11:00 am-12:30 pm | D．2:00 pm-4:00 pm |
| A．Free Open House. |
| B．New Weekly Beginners’ Classes. |
| C．Health Recovery Classes. |
| D．Short Courses. |
| A．Make a booking. |
| B．Build a website. |
| C．Become an active person. |
| D．Learn a lot about tai chi. |
7 . Ten years ago I adopted my dog Rudy from a shelter just days before they were going to euthanize(使安乐死) him. We’ve had a special
I’ve found his
I was considering taking him to obedience(驯服) school when I suddenly
I’m feeling much better now but the doctors said if I’d
| A．exercise | B．connection | C．task | D．communication |
| A．company | B．trust | C．support | D．comfort |
| A．gave up | B．fell sick | C．left | D．changed |
| A．happy | B．worried | C．mad | D．sad |
| A．remembered | B．realized | C．guessed | D．imagined |
| A．unusual | B．interesting | C．impossible | D．natural |
| A．friend | B．dentist | C．doctor | D．manager |
| A．experiments | B．tests | C．treatment | D．research |
| A．waited | B．continued | C．refused | D．thought |
| A．lost | B．fallen | C．failed | D．died |
8 . At the beginning of my senior year in high school, I began applying to the University of Connecticut. But what I didn’t realize was how expensive my dream was. I came from a middle-class family, and it seemed as though we’d always struggled to make ends meet.
I wasn’t the smartest person in my class, not even close; but my heart was in the right place, and I was determined. I applied for every scholarship I could. And then my guidance counselor told me about the financial aid system. I applied, but I didn’t think I would qualify for that either.
After the holidays, my friends started receiving their acceptance letters from colleges, and I eagerly expected mine. Finally, a letter arrived from the University of Connecticut. Feelings of fear and joy overwhelmed me when I opened the envelope with trembling hands. I had done it! I cried for a while, feeling both extremely excited and afraid. I had been working a full-time job, but that wasn’t enough to pay for tuition, and it was impossible for my parents to pay for my education.
Months went by before a letter from the financial aid office arrived. I opened it eagerly, but it was only a letter requesting more information to process my application. This happened over and over, and my hopes kept getting shot down. Finally, an envelope arrived, the one that would determine whether I could attend college. Not only was financial aid (助学金) going to help me out with my expenses, but also I won two of the scholarships I had applied for! I had actually made my dream come true.
I am now a junior at the University of Connecticut, pursuing a degree in English.
1. What was the author’s main trouble in realizing her dream?| A．She lacked determination. |
| B．Her family was short of money. |
| C．She didn’t know which university to apply to. |
| D．Her parents disapproved of her attending university. |
| A．By taking up part-time jobs. |
| B．By receiving her parents’ support. |
| C．By turning to her guidance counselor for help. |
| D．By applying for scholarships and financial aid. |
| A．To test her determination. |
| B．To inform her of their refusal. |
| C．To ask for supplemental information. |
| D．To check the process of her application. |
| A．Affected strongly. |
| B．Defeated completely. |
| C．Covered completely. |
| D．Overcame easily. |
| A．Never say never. |
| B．More haste, less speed. |
| C．Aiming higher, achieving more. |
| D．Pride hurts, modesty benefits. |
9 . New York City is home to some of the tallest buildings on Earth. Recently, a new skyscraper joined them. This time it’s the thinnest in the world.
After years of development, Steinway Tower is now complete. The height of the building is 435 meters. But it’s just 18 meters wide. The width-to-height ratio is 1:24. That makes the building look very thin, like a chopstick sticking up from the ground. For context (供参考), CITIC Tower, known as China Zun Tower in Beijing, stands at 528 meters, but is 84 meters wide.
You don’t need to worry that the building may break in half during a storm. According to SHoP Architects, the designer of the building, it was made with the world’s strongest concrete . However, the building may still move in strong winds. That would cause loud noises, and people inside may feel dizzy (晕眩的).
Many modern tall buildings have a secret tool inside to help them stand still. It’s called a damper (风阻尼器), usually a huge steel ball that weighs hundreds of tons. For example, the Steinway Tower has a damper of 800 tons. It swings back and forth inside the building to balance the force of the wind.
There are many people living and working in New York City. Land there is very expensive. Skyscrapers are a great choice for saving land. Meanwhile, designers wanted to make the Steinway Tower a landmark. Part of the building is the 96-year-old historic site of Steinway Hall. It was famous for concerts in the 20th century. The special design of the skyscraper may help people remember the past glory (辉煌) of Steinway Hall.
1. What do we know about the Steinway Tower?| A．It is the world’s tallest building. | B．It is a little wider than China Zun Tower. |
| C．The building work started this year. | D．No other building is as thin as it. |
| A．The breaking of the building. | B．The swinging of the building. |
| C．The sounds of strong wind. | D．The falling of the strongest concrete. |
| A．Standing near other tall buildings. | B．Weighing hundreds of tons. |
| C．Having a big steel ball inside. | D．Swinging slowly in the wind. |
| A．To save land. | B．To show off their skills. |
| C．To welcome more people. | D．To make space for landmarks. |
| A．It is a common way to build theaters. |
| B．It is partly in memory of a famous old building. |
| C．It is the same as the design of Steinway Hall. |
| D．The historic style made it famous in the 20th century. |
10 . Often called “the universal language”, music can be powerful. Concerts combine music with performance, visual arts and sometimes social causes. The Guardian listed 50 concerts that changed modern music history. Let’s look at some of them.
● Bob Dylan: Newport Folk Festival
Rhode Island, US,
July 25, 1965
Bob Dylan is famous for his poetic guitar ballads (民谣). Many of his famous songs were about improving the rights of black Americans and protesting the Vietnam War.
However, in this 1965 concert, Dylan challenged his audience — he took out an electric guitar and made a sharp sound. Many fans felt that Dylan “betrayed (背叛)” them and his style. The Guardian said this is when folk rock was born.
● Live Aid
London, UK,
July 13, 1985
As its name suggests, Live Aid was for helping people. It raised $245 million to fight famine (饥荒) in Ethiopia. It’s often seen as the first benefit concert of its kind.
The show lasted 16 hours and was broadcast live in more than 140 countries. It had nearly 1.5 billion TV viewers. More than 100 rockstars from around the world participated.
● Beyonce: Coachella Music Festival
California, US,
April 14, 2018
There is now a rule of show business: A Beyonce performance will steal the show. Her powerful voice, energetic dance moves and creative outfits together give her a unique style.
At the Coachella Music Festival, Beyonce had an all-black dancer and backing vocals lineup. The concert, which fans call “Beychella” on Twitter, took 100 backup (支持性的) performers and three months of rehearsals.
The Guardian called it a combination of “ancestral spirit (先祖之魂), modern entertainment and personal will”. Beyonce is like “a goddess of war”.
1. What were Bob Dylan’s songs in the concert like?| A．They were soft just like poets and ballads. |
| B．They betrayed Dylan and his fans. |
| C．They were sharp folk rock. |
| D．They were about black people’s rights. |
| A．To improve relationships among different countries. |
| B．To find talented singers. |
| C．To promote rock music. |
| D．To fight famine in Ethiopia. |
| A．The specially designed stage at the Coachella Music Festival. |
| B．Her all-star lineup of dancers. |
| C．Her voice, energetic dance moves and creative outfits. |
| D．The themes of her songs. |
| A．Newport Folk Festival. |
| B．Live Aid. |
| C．Coachella Music Festival. |
| D．None of them. |
| A．Greatest concerts. | B．Greatest singers. |
| C．Music and Singers. | D．Universal language. |
