1 . I sat in the corner of my favorite Boston bookstore, opened my laptop and wrote. Ten minutes ago I ordered coffee. The server—a young woman with a broad smile—paused and quietly said, “I just want to tell you how much your TED talk meant to me—how much it inspired me. A couple of years ago my professor showed us the video in a class. Now I’m applying to medical school, and I just want you to know I stood in the bathroom like Wonder Woman before I took my MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), and it really helped. So I just want to say thanks.”
Tears in my eyes, I asked, “What’s your name?” “Fetaine,” she said.
This kind of interaction happens far more frequently than I’d ever have imagined: a stranger warmly greets me, shares a personal story about successfully dealing with a big challenge, and then simply thanks me for my part in it. They’re women and men, old and young, struggling and wealthy. But something connects them: all have felt powerless in the face of great pressure and anxiety, and all have discovered a remarkably simple way to release themselves from that feeling of powerlessness.
For most authors, the book comes first, then the responses. For me, it was the other way around. First, I wrote some scholarly articles, which no one ever read; they inspired a talk I delivered at the TED Global Conference in 2012. In it, I discussed research I had done that yielded an odd and unexpected finding about how our bodies influence our brains. As a result of this research, I was able to describe a technique—that Wonder Woman-in-the-bathroom thing Fetaine mentioned...that can quickly increase our confidence and decrease our anxiety in challenging situations. Immediately after the 21-minute video of the talk was posted on the Internet, I began hearing from people who had seen it.
Of course, my speech didn’t magically give Fetaine the knowledge she needed to do well on the MCAT. But it may have released her from the fear that could have prevented her from expressing the things she knew.
1. What happened in the Boston bookstore?A.The author encountered a friend. |
B.A server inspired the author’s TED talk. |
C.A waitress expressed her gratitude to the author. |
D.The author waited for the server to share her story. |
A.They were losers in life. |
B.They once faced problems and felt helpless. |
C.They shared stories of many strangers. |
D.They looked forward to interacting with others. |
A.How to increase confidence. | B.How to overcome speech anxiety. |
C.How to find unexpected things in life. | D.How to conduct scientific experiments. |
A.She advised Fetaine to take the MCAT. |
B.She gave Fetaine the knowledge she needed. |
C.She freed Fetaine from the fear of telling the truth. |
D.She helped Fetaine gather the courage to present herself. |
2 . When I was a little boy growing up, my Mom, Dad, brothers and I lived in my Nana’s old house. It was surrounded by four huge vegetable gardens. And around the house so many flowers were planted. It was so beautiful there in the spring and summer. That wasn’t all, though. On the back porch Nana had dozens of potted plants hanging on hooks. She watered them, talked to them and nurtured them. And in the winter she would carry them all inside and set them on shelves near the windows of our enclosed front porch. There with a little water and a lot of love she kept them alive, green, and growing even during the coldest, darkest months.
As a boy I was puzzled by all the effort she put into them. I understood the vegetable gardens. They helped to feed the family all winter long. I even understood the flowers around the house. They were pretty and smelled so sweet in the summer months. The reason she put so much effort into caring for those potted plants, however, eluded me. They didn’t give us any food and they rarely had any flowers on them. They remained a mystery to my child’s mind.
Now as I’ve grown older I am beginning to understand why my Nana had those potted plants. It is the same reason I have so many pictures of sunrises and forests hanging in my home. They remind me during the dark, cold, winter months full of bare trees and yellow grass that light, love, and growth still exist. They remind me that Spring will come again. They remind me that God loves us and is still with us even when the earth doesn’t show it.
Today I see Nana’s potted plants in a new light. They are worth every bit of the love and care she put into them. But what tells me most about light and love is Nana herself. She is light to my soul even in my darkest times. And her love lives on in my heart even if she is in Heaven. May we all learn to love as she loved, shine as she shined, and live as she lived.
1. Which of the following is close in meaning to the underlined word “eluded” in paragraph 2?A.Upset. | B.Misguided. | C.Confused. | D.Distracted. |
A.They were a sign of hope. | B.They resembled sunrise and forests. |
C.They constantly kept Nana company. | D.They were portable and easy to nurture. |
A.To advocate growing potted plants. | B.To sing the praise of Nana’s spirit and love. |
C.To stress the benefits of a positive lifestyle. | D.To recall beautiful memories spent with Nana. |
A.A non-fiction. | B.A book review. |
C.An agricultural leaflet. | D.A celebrity biography. |
3 . I was surfing the Internet, planning for our 15th-anniversary trip when a perfect spot attracted me: The Shire of Montana, a “hobbit house”, which Jim my husband had dreamed about. I knew he’d be impressed. And our six-year-old daughter, Aurora, would like it, too. I was about to book our reservation when I saw a note on the website: No kids allowed. That ruined everything!
Luckily, there was an email address on the site. I plucked up the courage to contact the owner. Soon, a reply arrived, saying, “If you promise that your daughter is responsible and will not touch, she can come.” I was relieved, thinking Aurora was a good kid. “This will be okay,” I wrote back.
The day finally arrived. We piled into the car. I couldn’t help being excited, imagining Jim and Aurora’s reactions. We passed a sign that read, “The adventure begins …” Turning onto the Hobbit Lane, I felt a pan g of anxiety. As soon as we got out of the car, I pulled Aurora aside. “Children aren’t usually allowed here,” I said. “So you have to be very, very careful. You can look at everything, but don’t touch.” I explained the rule and how terrible it would be to damage anything. Aurora’s eyes widened at my no-nonsense tone. “I promise, Mom,” she said.
Obviously, my concern was superfluous. We spent several days at The Shire. Aurora was delighted at each discovery but she never disturbed a thing. She took her responsibility to protect the owner’s work seriously. It turned out that respecting boundaries didn’t take away the beauty and wonder, it allowed The Shire to remain beautiful and wonderful into the future.
Not so different from a marriage, I thought. Now I understood why we went to this place to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary. Jim and I moved through life side by side as a couple, and we’d learned to accept each other’s individuality and boundaries as well. Marriage is full of surprises, challenges and adventures. The key to making it work is respecting each other.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?A.The author met a problem while planning a trip. |
B.The author and her husband had been married for 6 years. |
C.Aurora didn’t want to take a trip to The Shire of Montana. |
D.The trip was ruined because the author didn’t reserve a room. |
A.She felt it a burden to take care of her daughter. |
B.She doubted if her daughter would behave well. |
C.She worried her daughter wouldn’t be admitted. |
D.She wasn’t sure whether her husband would like the place. |
A.considerable | B.important | C.unnecessary | D.common |
A.Don’t give up until you try your best. |
B.Good role models are essential for teaching kids. |
C.Respect contributes to a happy and lasting marriage. |
D.Obeying the rules is important when dealing with people. |
4 . I am employed in an educational institution. Each day, following the
Last week, she seemed unlike her
Eager to surprise her, I placed them in an elegant bag and
She penned a note expressing her
A.queue | B.exit | C.guidance | D.plan |
A.wait | B.work | C.think | D.remain |
A.conversations | B.jobs | C.trips | D.arrangements |
A.regular | B.usual | C.unusual | D.calm |
A.fired | B.blamed | C.rewarded | D.comforted |
A.stability | B.manner | C.method | D.support |
A.checking out | B.putting aside | C.trying on | D.taking up |
A.ambition | B.reflection | C.conclusion | D.decision |
A.Satisfied | B.Bored | C.Familiar | D.Careful |
A.occasionally | B.cautiously | C.accurately | D.secretly |
A.achieved | B.approached | C.found | D.removed |
A.covering | B.hiding | C.spotting | D.receiving |
A.maintained | B.struck | C.lifted | D.restored |
A.gratitude | B.comment | C.preparation | D.apology |
A.doubt | B.imagine | C.admit | D.anticipate |
5 . In today’s classroom, homework is completed not only with the pen and paper, but also with computers and cell phones. How to make the best use of such digital products is an important question for teachers and students. The following top digital portfolio platforms (作品集平台) offer a broad range of functions. Most importantly, they provide a way to share students’ work with pride.
Google SitesCreating a digital portfolio could not be any easier than Google Sites makes it. It lets students quickly put in contents, such as text, images, videos, maps, and much more. Use one of the provided six themes or create a custom one, and then publish it as a public or restricted-view (限制浏览的) site.
Seesaw for SchoolsDesigned for education, Seesaw for Schools provides a platform through which students complete and share school projects. By recording the process of gradually improving their schoolwork, kids gain a sense of master y and pride, so it is popular among them. Plus, parents can be involved too—just download the Seesaw Family app.
ArtsoniaArtsonia is like a dream come true for art-minded students: a free, safe, educational space through which students show their digital creativity. Friends and family can view, comment on and buy objects. The site also provides a complete teachers’ guide. Just celebrate the artistic skills with Artsonia!
EdublogsOne of the oldest and best-known web platforms for education, Edublogs makes it easy for teachers and students to start building a free WordPress platform. The free plan offers 1 GB of storage space, class management tools, and no advertising. A set of educator guides and community participation is another big plus for Edublogs.
1. What is special about Google Sites?A.It lets students learn from others’ work. |
B.It is controlled by educators for safety. |
C.It offers students online publishing rights for free. |
D.It allows students to create contents in different forms. |
A.It helps check their school work. |
B.It can track their progress. |
C.It requires teamwork with parents. |
D.It protects their personal information well. |
A.They offer professional advice. |
B.They require support from teachers and parents. |
C.They remind students to hand in homework on time. |
D.They can store large amounts of information. |
6 . In a fascinating discovery, western lowland gorillas (大猩猩) at Zoo Atlanta have been caught summoning their keepers using a strange cough-sneeze mixture, which researchers have called a “snough”. Only two other species have displayed this ability to create new vocalizations to attract our attention: zoo-housed chimpanzees and orangutans. Now, we can add gorillas to that list.
As many of us know, Koko put a spotlight on gorilla intelligence in the 1980s and 1990s with her incredible ability to communicate with humans using sign language. She was trained and worked hard at it, but now it seems gorillas have taken it upon themselves to establish unique communication with us in their own way.
Roberta Salmi, a biological anthropologist at the University of Georgia, and colleagues ran an experiment to confirm the purpose of the “snough”, by placing eight of the zoo’s gorillas in three different situations. In the first, only the keeper was present; in the second only the food was present; in the final one, the keeper was holding the food. The food and keeper were in sight but out of reach. The gorillas involved used the “snough” vocalization most when there was a human present with food, indicating the call is likely an attempt to get the keeper’s attention.
This complex vocal learning — the ability to produce unique calls — is rare in the animal kingdom and confirmed only in some species of birds, bats and elephants. But they all do so by imitating. The analysis showed the gorilla’s “snough” is a unique sound, not an imitation — although they are certainly capable of imitating us in other ways.
“These results demonstrate that gorillas can change their calls to produce a novel sound and furthermore confirm that they can produce their calls and gestures intentionally to change the attention state of their caregiver,” the team concluded in their paper. We’ve clearly long underestimated these clever souls.
1. Which of the following can replace “summoning” underlined in paragraph 1?A.pleasing | B.calling | C.finding | D.warning |
A.By ordering the gorillas to make the “snough” vocalization. |
B.By training the gorillas to attract their keepers’ attention. |
C.By comparing the gorillas’ reactions in different situations. |
D.By gathering information about the gorillas from their keepers. |
A.To illustrate gorillas can imitate humans in other ways. |
B.To confirm only gorillas have the ability to produce unique calls. |
C.To prove the animals can produce unique calls through imitation. |
D.To show gorillas’ ability to invent the new vocalization is uncommon. |
A.Some animals have the ability to make new sounds. |
B.Gorillas can create a new sound to draw zookeepers’ attention. |
C.Some intelligent animals try to attract attention by imitating. |
D.Gorillas are able to communicate with humans using unique gestures. |
7 . I’m not a good traveler. Without curiosity to get out and
It would be kind to say that I have a low sense of
South Africa was the biggest surprise. I had never really
Once I was
I’ve always been a very
A.exercise | B.experiment | C.explore | D.research |
A.dangerous | B.painful | C.suitable | D.enjoyable |
A.nervous | B.happy | C.angry | D.curious |
A.humor | B.adventure | C.direction | D.responsibility |
A.excited | B.serious | C.disturbed | D.hesitant |
A.plans | B.dates | C.boundaries | D.projects |
A.surprise | B.introduce | C.express | D.teach |
A.refused | B.failed | C.feared | D.wanted |
A.actually | B.usually | C.mainly | D.hardly |
A.respect | B.appetite | C.passion | D.understanding |
A.attracted | B.encountered | C.missed | D.helped |
A.patient | B.brave | C.shy | D.generous |
A.wonderful | B.tiring | C.boring | D.different |
A.build up | B.brush off | C.catch sight of | D.run away from |
A.accept | B.develop | C.find | D.lose |
8 . Every April 22 people come together to take action that will protect the environment. One theme of Earth Day is “Invest (投资) In Our Planet”. So how is investment in eco-innovation helping to deliver a more sustainable future?
When it comes to the environment, it can be argued that the technology industry is both the problem and the solution. Tech is responsible for between 3.5% and 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions (排放物). And the EU believes the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is responsible for10% of all electricity consumption. On the other hand, we all want a sustainable future for the planet. Yet we also want the convenience and fun of modern living. Obviously, only eco-innovation can deliver the solutions.
Eco-innovation is the key to doing more with less. All over the world, and across many different industries, innovators are working to reduce the human footprint while improving productivity. Innovative farming is a good example.
Until recently, most agricultural improvements focused on the development of machines. Now digital tools are causing a new wave of efficiency. Innovative farming companies look to increase farm efficiency and reduce input waste through farming techniques. And they are using real-time devices located in the field or in equipment. The data collected by these devices help farmers make better decisions about where to provide effort and resources while reducing the environmental footprint.
As people’s awareness of environmental protection continues to increase, the tech industry needs to keep working on the inventions like those described above. These breakthroughs will help us all to do more with less. Also, tech companies are facing calls to keep their own houses in order. Lawmakers and consumers want them to use fewer materials in the production process and rethink their approach to recycling and waste. The good news is that governments and eco-innovative companies have already carried out a major clean-up mission.
1. What can we learn about the technology industry according to paragraph 2?A.It contributes to saving electricity. |
B.It will change our traditional way of life. |
C.It benefits and damages the environment. |
D.It is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. |
A.The use of digital equipment. | B.The training of farmers. |
C.The collection of resources. | D.The invention of machines. |
A.Build more greenhouses. | B.Meet the market requirements. |
C.Watch their environmental behavior. | D.Change their management style. |
A.The long-term goal of Earth Day |
B.Modern farming and technological change |
C.The key to the development of technology industry |
D.Eco-innovation and environmental protection |
9 . The age-old chore of dusting could soon be a thing of the past. Scientists are developing “self-cleaning” surfaces that make dust particles unable to stick to them. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin say the particles instead stick to each other and simply roll off the surfaces with nothing more than the assistance of gravity.
The scientists altered the geometry (几何构造) of flat surfaces at a level invisible to human eyes. The team made a tightly-packed nanoscale (纳米级) network of pyramid-shaped structures on the surfaces which made it difficult for dust particles to stick to the material. Instead, the particles stick to each other before rolling off the material due to gravity.
The study, funded by a grant (拨款) from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, tested the material by piling lunar dust on their engineered surfaces before turning them on their sides. The team found that just two percent of the surface remained dusty, compared with more than 35 percent of an unaltered smooth surface. The new surface could provide a passive solution to removing dust, as opposed to more active methods like using wipers and fluid to clear dust from a car windscreen.
“What we’ve demonstrated here is a surface that can clean itself,” says lead study author Chih-Hao Chang. “Particulates aren’t able to stick to the surface, so they come off using just the force of gravity.”
Study authors hope the material provides a solution to space dust, which can be extremely harmful in such a high-risk environment and is almost impossible to clean out. Space dust has previously caused great damage to NASA’s human spaceflight Apollo missions and has even caused rovers on Mars to malfunction and fail. “There’s not much you can do about lunar dust in space—it sticks to everything and there’s no real way to wipe it off,” says Samuel Lee, a lead author of the study. “Dust on solar panels of Mars rovers can cause them to fail.”
However, the researchers also believe the discovery could prove useful on Earth, preventing solar panels from collecting dust and losing efficiency. These surfaces may even protect our screens and windows from irritating dust.
1. How did the scientists alter the flat surfaces?A.By putting thin paint on them. | B.By creating a special network on them. |
C.By making particles stick to each other. | D.By making them invisible to human eyes. |
A.Over 35% of the surfaces were dusty. |
B.Just two percent of the surfaces remained dusty. |
C.The surfaces still needed to be cleaned with wipers and fluid. |
D.The surfaces attracted more dust particles than common ones. |
A.To show the material can be very helpful. | B.To prove irritating dust exists everywhere. |
C.To show the importance of space exploration. | D.To explain why NASA supported the research. |
A.Dust threatened missions in space. | B.Scientists developed self-cleaning surfaces. |
C.Self-cleaning surfaces proved useful on Earth. | D.Scientists developed a material for rovers on Mars. |
10 . It was Christmas Day. For Antony, this was another day spent in a white-walled
About fifty years ago, Antony was born in a little village in Northern Greece, where traditions ran deep and religious festivities were
Antony further revealed that his parents’ inability to afford gifts unintentionally
Instead of toys, Antony found
Antony’s story serves as a
A.restaurant | B.cinema | C.supermarket | D.hospital |
A.concept | B.prospect | C.delight | D.blessing |
A.awarded | B.observed | C.expected | D.presented |
A.hated | B.awaited | C.admired | D.declined |
A.accumulate | B.infect | C.convey | D.cover |
A.eased | B.fueled | C.restored | D.restricted |
A.attractive | B.aggressive | C.awful | D.ambitious |
A.revived | B.remained | C.faded | D.emerged |
A.comfort | B.breakthrough | C.identity | D.sign |
A.required | B.persuaded | C.forced | D.inspired |
A.tirelessly | B.tightly | C.urgently | D.literally |
A.trying out | B.drawing out | C.giving out | D.selling out |
A.assumption | B.response | C.motivation | D.reminder |
A.estimate | B.define | C.occupy | D.sustain |
A.humble | B.awkward | C.crucial | D.noble |