1 . Standing on the shore of a lake. I can’t help but marvel at the tens or hundreds of thousands of small rocks that surround my boots. They were all created from hard surfaces, their edges softening over time.
And I wonder, can we learn from a pile of rocks?
Even the tallest mountains have worn down; none are as tall as they were 1.000 years ago. And much like a rock, I’ve found my attitude has softened and my desire to better understand others has expanded with each trip around the sun.
Once I too was a sharp rock covered in pointy edges. Today, after decades of the waters of life coursing over me, my edges are softer and more understanding. I’m less likely to judge and more interested in learning how we can exist together.
But I’m not a rock. I’m a human being filled with all the drama built into my DNA.
Two years ago, while traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I watched a restaurant owner ask several people to leave for not wearing masks. Not forceful and not rude. On the door read a sign: “Please wear a mask before entering our restaurant. We don’t like it either, but let’s all do what we can to get through this together.”
The group of young men wished to argue about the note.
I sat watching, understanding both sides. I’ve been those guys before, using my youthful edges to chip away at the world. What I lost, however, was the ability to grow from experiences by looking through the eyes of others. In learning to be more open, I’ve also found more happiness and success.
You can fit more rounded rocks in a jar than those with sharp edges. The former look for ways to adjust and make room for others; the latter never give an inch to accommodate others.
Time, like the waters rolling against once sharp stones, changes us by washing away our resistance to seeing the world from another’s point of view.
I placed a rounded stone into my jacket pocket. Mother Nature is holding class again.
1. What does the author compare the rocks to?A.People’s abilities. | B.People’s personalities. |
C.What nature offers us. | D.Challenges we come across. |
A.They were dissatisfied with the owner’s attitude to them. |
B.They were unwilling to do what the owner wished them to. |
C.They intended to skip out on the bill due to the poor service. |
D.They were not allowed to leave the restaurant for their rudeness. |
A.We should adjust to new conditions. |
B.Be brave when in the face of difficulties in life. |
C.It’s necessary to consider the feelings of others. |
D.Being open and understanding brings you more happiness. |
A.Changing with Time | B.Learning from Nature |
C.Growing from Experiences | D.Seeing from a Different Angle |
2 . Kristin Schell is the founder of The Turquoise Table, a movement of ordinary people who want to create community right in their own front yards. Ten years ago, she and her family moved to a new home in Austin, Texas.
One day, Kristin tried to connect with her new neighbors by hosting a party. She bought a few picnic tables but the delivery driver set one table down in her front yard by mistake. “After the party, I painted the table turquoise—my favorite color—and put it in the front yard, just a few feet from the sidewalk,” she says.
That turquoise table became the place where Kristin and her kids hung out. They played games, did crafts and ate snacks. “We got intentional about where we spent our time,” Kristin says. “We became ‘front yard people’.”
Neighbors began to stop by to introduce themselves and sit down for a chat. Kristin invited people to join her at the table for coffee or iced tea. Then neighbors asked Kristin if their family could put a picnic table in their front yard too. A movement was born. “It was a simple way to slow down and connect with others,” she says. The turquoise table was inviting and had a shared feel.
People often hesitate to invite others into their homes. They think their house is too messy, it’s not big enough or they don’t have enough time. “Our perfectionism can cause us to miss out on the joy of connecting with others,” Kristin says. Her picnic table takes away the excuses—and the pressure.
She likes how it enables her to take a small step toward easing loneliness and building relationships in her community. “People’s greatest need is to know that they are loved and that they belong,” she says.
A decade after their Texas beginnings, thousands of Turquoise Tables exist in all 50 states and in 13 countries around the world. Not all of them are actually turquoise. “No matter what color it is, it’s a friendship table,” Kristin says.
1. Why did Kristin Schell start the movement?A.To host more parties in her front yard. | B.To entertain her friends and neighbors. |
C.To engage with people in the neighbourhood. | D.To create harmonious communities worldwide. |
A.Creative and sociable. | B.Friendly and humorous. |
C.Generous and ambitious. | D.Cautious and responsible. |
A.People don’t like others to step into their houses. |
B.The campaign has a big impact at home and abroad. |
C.Kristin Schell bought the turquoise table to host a party. |
D.People feel unwilling to join in the front ya rd chat at first. |
A.Love Your Neighbors | B.An Amazing Woman |
C.Happy Front Yard Time | D.Tables Where All Are Welcome |
3 . Spending time outdoors has long been linked (联系) to better health. Gardening goes beyond just beautifying outdoor spaces—it can have a deep effect on our physical and mental (身心上的) health.
Gardening involves physical activity that works all the main muscle (肌肉) groups, which is helpful for overall health. “Activities such as digging, planting, weeding and harvesting require movement and can help to improve strength,” said Clayton, CEO of an online lawn care company. “Performing these activities regularly can help burn calories, and keep a healthy weight.”
Beyond burning calories and building muscle, lots of studies have shown that gardening can improve the immune system (免疫系统). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, and gardening is listed as a suitable activity. Doing garden work for that time each week can reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, spending time outdoors makes us get close to natural sunlight, which is important for vitamin D synth.
Gardening provides a chance for social connection, too. It can be a shared activity among family members, friends or neighbors, building relationships and a sense of belonging.
Gardening also offers cognitive (认知的) benefits. It excites the senses, improves focus and encourages problem-solving and creativity. It provides a chance to learn about plants, ecosystems and the environment, developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for nature.
1. What is Clayton’s attitude towards gardening?A.Supportive. | B.Doubtful. | C.Unclear | D.Uncaring. |
A.It improves focus. | B.It is a waste of time. |
C.It can keep a body in shape. | D.It helps to reduce the risk of diseases. |
A.It contributes to creativity. | B.It encourages problem-solving. |
C.It builds relationships between people. | D.It improves people’s awareness of safety. |
A.How to Start a Garden | B.Choose a Garden or Not |
C.What Plants Grow Best in a Garden | D.Start Gardening and Get the Health Benefits |
4 . A small accident led to profound changes in the life of Yang Li, an artisan (手艺人), who is from the Miao ethnic group. In 201l, Yang, from Tongren city in Guizhou province, created leaf vein (脉络) embroidery (刺绣) three months after a leaf cut her hand.
The work is a perfect combination of traditional embroidery patterns and the natural textures (纹理) of the leaves. It has a unique aesthetic appeal of traditional embroidery matched with the characteristics of contemporary craftsmanship.
As a native Miao woman with an inborn love of embroidery, Yang opened a folk culture products shop with her sister in 2011. “People are becoming less familiar with traditional handicrafts, and I want to contribute all I can to change this situation,” Yang says. At first, the small shop did not earn a significant income as there were many similar products on the market. She gradually realized that it was important to establish her own brand and launch products with distinct features.
That’s when she was inspired by the cut. In July 2011, Yang accidentally cut her hand on a thorny leaf when she was hiking in Fanjing Mountain. A bold idea came into her head: “There are leaf-vein bookmarks and leaf-vein paintings. Why has nobody created leaf-vein embroider yet?”
Obviously, the reason behind this is that embroidering on leaves requires delicate skills that few possess. The biggest technical challenge Yang faced was improving the flexibility of the leaves and making them as soft as cloth. On Oct 16, a day she will never forget, Yang finally created a shiny, thin and unbreakable piece of leaf vein. Her idea of leaf-vein embroidery came to completion after hundreds of experiments.
Two years later, Yang opened an embroidery processing factory and offered jobs to more than 500 laid-off female workers, rural women and people with disabilities. “I will keep doing the leaf vein embroidery for the rest of my life because it is meaningful,” she says.
1. What do we know about Yang Li’s folk culture products shop?A.It was inspired by a cut by a leaf in her hand. |
B.It was a failure before she began to sell similar products. |
C.It was intended to preserve traditional Chinese handicrafts. |
D.It perfectly combined traditional Chinese books and drawings. |
A.Finding cloth with vein-like texture. |
B.Creating a new embroidery pattern. |
C.Changing leaves into unbreakable cloth. |
D.Softening up leaves for better flexibility. |
A.Ambitious and innovative. | B.Caring and patient. |
C.Persistent and demanding. | D.Humorous and optimistic. |
A.An embroidery skill. | B.A promising career. |
C.A cultural shop. | D.An admirable artisan. |
5 . Children may learn new words better when they learn them in the context of other words they are just learning—according to a new research from the University of East Anglia.
Researchers investigated how 18–24-month-olds learn new words—in the context of words they already know well and those they don’t. The findings help explain how children learn new words and suggest a new way that parents and carers could help boost language development.
Previous research suggests that when children hear a word they do not know and see an object they have never seen in the context of some objects that they can already name, such as a toy or a ball, they guess that the new word refers to the new thing.
Dr. Larissa Samuelson from the university wanted to know if the strength of a child’s knowledge of familiar things—how well they know what “cars” or “balls” are, for example—mattered for learning new words and remembering them. They asked 82 children to take part in the study and carry out two experiments among them. And then they got some really surprising findings.
“We had expected that a stronger knowledge of familiar words would be better for learning new words, but we found the opposite was true.” Dr Samuelson said. “This new study suggests another way we might be able to help boost children’s ability to remember new word-object links – by teaching them in the context of other things that they are just learning.”
It seems counterintuitive, but it is perhaps because the less well-known items don’t compete with the new words as much. If they learn new words in the context of playing with well-known items such as a ball or book, they don’t process the new word as much.
1. What is the purpose of the new research?A.To challenge the findings of previous studies. | B.To observe the process of children’s learning. |
C.To better understand children’s word learning. | D.To compare children’s different learning styles. |
A.Their findings are out of expectation. | B.Their research should focus on children. |
C.We should be more patient with children. | D.We need to provide guidance on learning. |
A.Consistent. | B.Encouraging. | C.Impractical. | D.Unreasonable. |
A.Less familiar words help children learn better. |
B.Word-object links contribute to better learning. |
C.New research finds the secrets of raising children. |
D.Children learn better with the help of their parents. |
6 . The Seychelles — that remote island chain off the coast of northern Africa is heaven for scuba divers (水肺潜水). With more than 100 islands, most of which are uninhabited, and a relatively small amount of tourists impacting the oceans and beaches, the Seychelles has some truly best scuba diving.
Fisherman’s Cove Reef
If you’re a beginner diver who loves gentle drop-offs and sea turtles, make sure Fisherman’s Cove Reef is on your scuba diving radar. The site is very popular as there’s rarely a current, it’s very shallow, and has a colorful reef with everything from eagle rays to small leaf fish, which can be very difficult to find against the seagrass and coral.
Ennerdale Wreck
If you love wreck diving, head right for the Ennerdale, a British oil tanker that accidentally sunk in 1970. Because of the medium-to-strong current and depth, it’s for divers with advanced open water cert. They’ll be able to swim around the wreck’s propellers, penetrate the frame, and likely see reef sharks and the occasional bull shark.
Baie Ternay Marine Park
The shallow, protected area of ocean has healthy and varied coral, and a lively reef. Both snorkelers and beginner divers are likely to see sea turtles grazing on the seagrass, coaching reef fish, and small eels poking out of the sandy ocean floor.
Aldabra Atoll
It doesn’t get much more remote than the Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO site. The coral reef continues underwater, which makes all the island’s dive sites stunning. Advanced divers can do drift dives in a channel with a chance of seeing sharks, while beginners can stay closer to the reefs, checking the various species of marine life in the Indian Ocean off their must-see list. The island is home to nearly 100,000 giant tortoises, as well as several other rare species
1. Why is the Seychelles known as heaven for scuba divers?A.Its close distance to northern Africa. | B.The high chance to spot the fish in the region. |
C.Its relatively small number of inhabited islands. | D.The effect of the oceans and beaches on tourism. |
A.The chance to see a sunken ship under the ocean. | B.The numerous sharks and large marine creatures. |
C.Its remote location away from the main islands. | D.Its attraction to both snorkelers and divers. |
A.Aldabra Atoll. | B.Ennerdale Wreck. |
C.Fisherman’s Cove Reef. | D.Baie Ternay Marine Park. |
7 . Tom’s father is a lawyer. In his spare time, he likes to go out in the country and take some pictures of animals.
For a long time, Tom had wanted to go with his father on one of his
Tom and his father drove to the farm which
It was still dark when Tom heard the alarm clock the next morning. He wondered why it was running so early. He couldn’t remember
He ran downstairs. The others were already in the
They ate breakfast quickly. They didn’t talk
A.trips | B.buses | C.shows | D.mountains |
A.after | B.when | C.until | D.unless |
A.led | B.stuck | C.got | D.belonged |
A.cost | B.spent | C.slept | D.took |
A.where | B.how | C.who | D.what |
A.happily | B.sleepily | C.quietly | D.suddenly |
A.imagined | B.pronounced | C.forgot | D.remembered |
A.valley | B.town | C.farm | D.station |
A.dressed | B.ordered | C.eaten | D.prepared |
A.bathroom | B.kitchen | C.dining-room | D.sitting-room |
A.seemed | B.felt | C.tasted | D.smelled |
A.lonely | B.soundly | C.much | D.highly |
A.wake | B.go | C.put | D.come |
A.of | B.with | C.in | D.by |
A.before | B.what | C.after | D.that |
8 . You should see the photo. I’m sitting in red dirt,
It was a strange choice for a holiday. I like sitting by the pool with a cola, not flies and frogs. I like being
But here’s the thing about that photo: I am smiling!
The trip sounded good when I
In Darwin we got onto a bus. It quickly became tiresome. The kids were
But later when I looked out at the large empty land, I was surprised at and moved by its
Finally we reached our
It didn’t matter. The next nine days were
On our last night, a water pipe (管子)
Indeed, it was
Yes, the coffee was bad, but I was too focused on keeping crickets off my face.
I love that photo of me in the dirt. I look messy but happy. Sometimes it’s another way of traveling. There is beautiful
A.washing | B.wearing | C.waving | D.watching |
A.noisy | B.busy | C.alone | D.shy |
A.shortly | B.cautiously | C.freshly | D.clearly |
A.signed up | B.showed up | C.stood up | D.woke up |
A.guide | B.business | C.culture | D.resource |
A.silent | B.encouraged | C.moody | D.excited |
A.coldness | B.beauty | C.enthusiasm | D.emptiness |
A.goal | B.agreement | C.destination | D.decision |
A.killed | B.packed | C.wasted | D.booked |
A.cut | B.expanded | C.shortened | D.broke |
A.scared | B.complained | C.laughed | D.saddened |
A.normal | B.strange | C.unbelievable | D.perfect |
A.impossible | B.probable | C.easy | D.important |
A.tested | B.stored | C.valued | D.experienced |
A.dress | B.weather | C.scenery | D.room |
9 . Helping Your Kids to Be Interested in Sports
Being active and moving is something that is so important for us all, especially for children.
It is such a good idea to lead by example when you are a parent. This is true for a variety of aspects, but especially forgetting children involved in sport.
If something is dull, it will be hard for children to be enthusiastic about it. This will make them resent(讨厌) it, which is not a good thing for later in life. If they show particular skill and learn to play sport, then more practice and training can come in.
Whatever sport your child chooses to play, encourage them and make it fun, and then it will be something that they will want to carry on doing as they go about the rest of their lives.
A.They won’t be interested in sports if you’re not. |
B.here are some other tips that you would share with them. |
C.Share your enthusiasm and it will help to lighten a passion. |
D.So think about ways that can get them to be active in the sports. |
E.How active a child is will impact their overall health and learning. |
F.Apart from leading by example, you could also share your favorite team. |
G.However, the main message forgetting children into sport is to keep it fun. |
10 . Desperate to help his 96-year-old mother to speak her mother tongue again, Keith McDermott made an appeal on social media and was met with a flood of kind responses. The old lady, Ray, was moved to tears after talking on the phone with one of the enthusiastic respondents in Welsh.
Ray moved to America after meeting her husband when she was only 18, hence waving goodbye to her life in Wales. She continued to speak Welsh with her mum-keeping a little bit of home. But she lost her beloved mum four decades ago and hadn't spoken Welsh ever since.
Despite suffering from short-term memory loss and sometimes not remembering what she has done recently, Ray's childhood memories in Wales remain clear. “She wants to return but I know, given her age, such long-distance travel is out of the question.” said Keith, “Once she mentioned ‘I wish I could speak Welsh again but I suppose I never will.’ It was then that I thought I should make her wish happen.”
So Keith, 70, posted on social media in the New York Welsh area asking for any Welsh speakers that could speak Welsh with his mum. And he was touched, as well as a little shocked, to receive over 30 responses within half an hour. Keith thanked everyone and eventually asked Melisa to give his mum a phone call. “Speaking with Melisa, her (Ray's) Welsh was a little rusty. A few more Welsh conversations and I think she'd be fluent again,” added Keith.
“When you have a parent in their nineties, you will find you two have something in common: you're both old, so I am very sympathetic to my mother's feelings of loneliness and isolation (孤立). I'm feeling it myself.” Keith hopes to set up more Welsh phone conversations for his mum and Melisa has promised to send Ray some short stories in Welsh to remind her of her life in Wales.
1. Why did Keith post a message on social media?A.To gather American Welsh speakers. |
B.To help his mum speak Welsh again. |
C.To slow down his mum's memory loss. |
D.To track down his family's Welsh origin. |
A.Surprised and moved. | B.Concerned and thankful. |
C.Sympathetic and excited. | D.Astonished and isolated. |
A.Social media contribute to closer family ties. |
B.Mother tongue means more than a language. |
C.Childhood experiences shape one's later life. |
D.One will be more sensitive when getting older. |
A.A community noticeboard. |
B.A health magazine. |
C.A language-learning website. |
D.A local newspaper. |