1 . Boredom is a common human experience. It’s almost impossible to fully avoid it, especially when you’re living a fast-paced life. You may be bored from time to time and feel like you need something new or exciting in your life. It’s perfectly natural to feel this way from time to time, but feeling bored often can also mean that your present life isn’t satisfying you as much as it could.
When you feel bored, think about what activities bring you joy and happiness. Perhaps you find that hobbies are what help improve your spirits when life feels standstill. After all, having interests and pursuing (追求) them often can have a great effect on the quality of your life and how satisfied you feel. If this sounds like something that would benefit your life, we have some great ideas for hobbies to pursue when you’re bored!
One of the easiest and most effective ways to relieve (缓解) boredom is to take exercise. Exercise is not only good for your body but also your mind. When your body is moving, it releases (释放) certain chemicals that make you feel good. Learning a new language is another way to challenge yourself and become more creative. It can also open up a whole new culture and way of thinking for you! Many people find that learning a new language gives them a sense of achievement that they don’t get from other hobbies.
Furthermore, reading is a hobby that can be enjoyed by almost anyone. It’s inexpensive, easy to fit into your plan and can be done just about anywhere. It doesn’t require special equipment or supplies, and you can do it alone or with others. The last way to avoid feeling bored inside is to spend time outdoors. Find a place to go where you can get away from the noise and other troubles. You may find that being outside offers a sense of peace and calmness.
Boredom is a common part of life, so we shouldn’t try to avoid it completely. Boredom can be a sign that you need a change in your daily life and something new to try. If you find yourself feeling bored, use these ideas to find new hobbies. After all, hobbies can greatly enrich your life and help you feel more satisfied!
1. When will we get bored according to the text?| A．When our present life doesn’t make us satisfied. |
| B．When we live a peaceful and happy life. |
| C．When we don’t have a fast-paced life. |
| D．When our life is exciting. |
| A．Most people feel satisfied with life all the time. |
| B．Reading a book requires special equipment and supplies. |
| C．Taking exercise is an effective way to keep off boredom. |
| D．All of us should try our best to avoid boredom completely. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Boredom is possible to avoid |
| B．Several activities can help relieve boredom |
| C．Learning a new language makes us more creative |
| D．Our body can release chemicals when we are moving |
2 . Classroom Activities for Students
Think, Pair and ShareTime—30 minutes
Description—You can create questions based on a particular topic taught in the class. You can pair up your students for this activity. Give them enough time to think and come up with solutions. They will be able to discuss on those particular topics.
Benefits—With this task, students can get into conversation with partners and develop their confidence and communication skills.
Group DiscussionTime—30 minutes
Description—Divide the class into two to three groups with equal participants (参与者) focused on a single topic. Each group has to share their ideas and thoughts on the same topic.
Benefits—In class discussions, there are interaction (互动) and teamwork among the students. Here students are learning from each other.
QuizTime—20 minutes
Description—You can divide the class into two groups, and ask questions related to the subject to each group. Each question is made up of four choices from which they have to choose the right answer. The group with the correct answer will get the points.
Benefits—This activity helps the students get knowledge and teamwork and improves memory.
PictionaryTime—5 minutes
Description—Students are always excited to take part in this activity. You can divide the class into two groups and ask one of the students to pick up a word and draw a picture describing it. The opposite group is supposed to guess the word, and if they correctly guess the word, they will get to draw next.
Benefits—This helps students in improving concentration, focus and communication skills.
1. What can the students do in group discussion?| A．Write down some words. |
| B．Create some questions on historical topic. |
| C．Compete with others in choosing topics. |
| D．Exchange thoughts and ideas among groups. |
| A．Think, pair and share. | B．Group discussion. |
| C．Quiz. | D．Pictionary. |
| A．A textbook. | B．An education magazine. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A research report. |
3 . When the host announce that my choir (合唱队) won the second place of the World Choir Game, I couldn’ believe what I heard. All the
In the semi-finals, we were supposed to sing four songs. When we played the third song, I suddenly heard an unexpected
After the song the smile on Mrs Lee’s face froze and some of our members turned and tried to find the person who first got
After the competition, I was
Never blame a person when she makes a mistake, but help her to solve the problem when you are struggling toward the same goal. No matter what you will experience with others in the future, successes or failures, laughter or tears, these will surely become your precious treasure and
| A．promises | B．efforts | C．requirements | D．differences |
| A．contributed | B．attempted | C．learned | D．challenged |
| A．Instruction | B．girl | C．voice | D．song |
| A．driven away | B．led away | C．given away | D．turned away |
| A．similarly | B．gracefully | C．regretfully | D．immediately |
| A．failed | B．quit | C．lost | D．struck |
| A．sick | B．wrong | C．unique | D．slow |
| A．arrange | B．stop | C．complete | D．concentrate |
| A．conductor | B．singer | C．dancer | D．teacher |
| A．same | B．only | C．first | D．last |
| A．disappointed | B．embarrassed | C．excited | D．impressed |
| A．blamed | B．attacked | C．called | D．alarmed |
| A．Otherwise | B．Therefore | C．Instead | D．Additionally |
| A．creative | B．classic | C．perfect | D．advanced |
| A．strengths | B．surprise | C．sadness | D．memory |
4 . It was a lovely spring morning in the mountains of my hometown. The sky was blue, the sun was out, and the
When my children were younger we used to walk a graveled trail (碎石路)around the lake near our home. One spring day my daughter and I
Tired but happy, we put the bag in an empty rubbish can. We stopped before we
| A．tree | B．road | C．grass | D．air |
| A．giving out | B．picking up | C．taking back | D．turning to |
| A．walked | B．prevented | C．smiled | D．waved |
| A．went | B．explained | C．changed | D．gave |
| A．regarded | B．noticed | C．reminded | D．imagined |
| A．sent | B．brought | C．borrowed | D．colored |
| A．packages | B．notes | C．signs | D．posters |
| A．stopped | B．left | C．rested | D．waited |
| A．saved | B．raised | C．burned | D．fished |
| A．reached | B．designed | C．circled | D．filled |
| A．escaped | B．headed | C．quitted | D．arrived |
| A．duty | B．step | C．lesson | D．look |
| A．beautiful | B．common | C．crowded | D．interesting |
| A．examining | B．sharing | C．observing | D．hiding |
| A．decide | B．beg | C．wonder | D．refuse |
5 . In January 2020, over a bottle of wine, Tulane University students Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz were sharing their disappointment about having no glass recycling(回收利用) in New Orleans. They wanted to create a system that would recycle glass into something useful. With that, their grassroots glass recycling organization, Glass Half Full, was born.
In a period of a global sand shortage, Glass Half Full is creating a way to compete with sand digging and mining, which disturb ecosystems, damage coastlines, and cost millions of dollars. Louisiana, where the organization is based, loses on average a football field of coastal wetlands an hour. Glass Half Full creates sand that, among other things, is used to rebuild coastlines and prevent floods.
Glass and drink bottles are collected through a system of free drop-off collecting stations and roadside pickup. The glass is pulverized (粉碎), separated and recollected for use in varieties of projects. The sand and glass pieces are used for disaster prevention, coastal rebuild, eco-construction, and new glass products.
Founders Trautmann and Steitz also hope their project will make people think that they have the power to work to protect the environment as individuals(个人)and as a community. Trautmann said, “We always hear, ‘Oh, we can’t do anything about global warming. We can’t do anything about the environment. It’s all the big companies and the government. It’s up to them. ‘But when you collect glass over one year, you will know individuals can do something. All those little things add up to something much bigger. ”
Glass Half Full’s work is supported by a team of volunteers and crowdfunding efforts, making it truly a community effort. A successful one, too—in their very first year, they helped to recycle over 650, 000 pounds of glass.
1. What is the idea behind Glass Half Full?| A．Selling more recyclable glass. |
| B．Recycling glass into something useful. |
| C．Founding a grassroots organization. |
| D．Raising money to protect the environment. |
| A．Improve. | B．Punish. | C．Break. | D．Repair, |
| A．The result of glass recycling. | B．The reason for glass recycling. |
| C．The future of glass recycling. | D．The way of glass recycling. |
| A．Individuals can make a difference. |
| B．Global warming affects governments. |
| C．Big companies can deal with global warming. |
| D．We can do nothing about environmental protection. |
6 . Before arriving in China in 2017, I had read various books relating to China, and the seeds of my fascination were sown.
Therefore, when I arrived, I couldn’t have been more excited to be living in this huge historically and culturally rich country. The food, the landmarks, the mega cities and everyday life — I couldn’t wait to explore.
Yet despite my enthusiasm, learning Chinese hadn’t even entered my mind. This wasn’t ignorance or laziness, but rather fear at the prospect of attempting to learn what is regarded as the most difficult language in the world. Besides this, I was living in Shanghai, an international city, with many people speaking English as a second language — I decided English would suffice.
However, after a year in China I began to observe that while many expats did not speak Chinese, there were plenty who did. Perhaps it was achievable after all? In addition I felt uncomfortable with how many Chinese people could speak English and yet I couldn’t even speak the most basic Chinese. With these factors in mind and a thirst for a new challenge I decided to begin my language journey and my only regret is that I didn’t start earlier.
Learning to speak Chinese isn’t as insurmountable as I once assumed. When I speak to native Chinese speakers in Chinese, they almost always understand me, I have also not found it too difficult to remember characters and I am now even able to write over 400 characters. The thing I find most challenging is listening since native speakers talk at such a speed. I can’t always understand what’s been said.
My biggest takeaway from learning Chinese is that it’s not only doable but can also be enjoyable. Learning Chinese not only helped me in day-to-day life, but deepened my cultural understanding of such a diverse and fascinating country. So, to all my non-Chinese friends I say this, embrace the challenge and take the leap of faith.
1. Why didn’t the author learn Chinese when he arrived in China in 2017?| A．He showed no enthusiasm for China. | B．He was unwilling to make the effort. |
| C．He resisted learning a second language. | D．He avoided doing something difficult. |
| A．His regret about starting learning late. | B．Support from many expats around him. |
| C．Eagerness to rise to the challenge. | D．A thirst to prove his gift for language. |
| A．Valueless. | B．Difficult. | C．Unnecessary. | D．Unacceptable. |
| A．Love breaks down barriers. | B．Hard work pays off. |
| C．Persistence is the key to success. | D．Bravery opens up a new world. |
7 . A few weeks ago, my teenage daughter Lisa failed a test. The grade might stop her from qualifying for the next class she wants to take. There were tears and some complaints for a few minutes. Then I saw something interesting. She made a joke, expressed gratitude that she didn’t have bigger problems, and finally made a plan on how to make improvements.
She was never the same as she was one year ago. That one was unwilling to take responsibility. That one stayed in anger and blamed others. We expect our kids to learn and grow. We hope for it. However, most of us grow through adversity (逆境), even trauma (精神创伤). It happened to Lisa last year repeatedly. She searched for ways to get her bearings and equip herself when everything around her was changing by the day. Psychologists call it post-traumatic growth.
Trauma refers to an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, attack, natural disaster, or other life-changing happenings. The growth after trauma doesn’t mean we get through challenges uninjured. It’s been a scary and painful time, for everyone, in one way or another. We may experience disbelief, depression, and even denial. As time moves on, people who have experienced trauma may have headaches or other physical symptoms, emotional ups and downs, and even relationship problems. Trauma does leave its irremovable marks.
However, in one study, researchers surveyed nearly 385 people who experienced financial difficulty during the pandemic. 88 percent of the people surveyed say they also have experienced some positive outcomes—They now have stronger family relationships and a greater appreciation of life.
1. What is Lisa like now when she fails?| A．She tries to cover it. |
| B．She is positive and adult. |
| C．She acts unconcerned. |
| D．She wants to make excuses. |
| A．There is no sweet without sweat. |
| B．Experience is the father of wisdom. |
| C．Difficult situations are likely to make one stronger. |
| D．Responsibility is often more important than ability. |
| A．By analyzing existing data. |
| B．By quoting a psychologist. |
| C．By contrasting a person’s constant changes. |
| D．By giving examples together with study results. |
| A．It usually comes at a high price. |
| B．It produces little negative feelings. |
| C．It is one of the fastest ways to make improvements. |
| D．It is growth that does both good and harm. |
8 . For visitors who are on a short weekend visit to the island Bali, here is a tip of how to get the most out of their 48 hours visit.
Friday
3 pm—There is nothing like a good meal. La Lucciola at Seminyak is the place to be, with its good food, great service and a beautiful view of the sea.
5 pm—About an hour away from La Lucciola is Uluwatu. This southern tip of the island is famous for its famous temple that stands on the edge, high above the sea. The fire dance, is performed here daily at sunset.
8 pm—To finish off the evening, head to Jimbaran Bay where restaurants offer candles, local dances and a moving band of boys singing songs on request. Kick off your shoes, feel the sand, and enjoy the fresh seafood.
Saturday
9:30 am—Start the day with another experience of Balinese culture by heading for a dance performance.
12 pm—Kintamani, a favourite with tourists for the panoramic (全景的) view of active volcano Mt. Batur and neighbouring crater lake. It’s a good idea to reach Kintamani early as it tends to get cloudy after 3 pm. Have lunch at a local restaurant with a view of Mt. Batur and the lake. Tourists can catch the sunrise at the Mt. Batur peak.
2:30 pm—Head back to Ubud, the seat of Bali’s fine arts, dance and music, and spend the rest of your afternoon strolling through its streets.
Sunday
6 am—It’s time for a reduce in the sea—and don’t forget the camera.
10:30 am—It’s another half-day trip to two of the most famous temples in Bali. Drive down to the Taman Ayun temple at Mengwi.
12 pm—Next up is the Tanah Lot temple, perhaps the most famous of them all. Built on a rock that gets cut off from the mainland during high tide, the temple is best seen in the afternoon when it is silhouetted (显出轮廓) against the sun or at sunset.
1. From the passage, we know that the fire dance is performed .| A．in Ubud | B．every day | C．on the sea | D．only on weekends |
| A．Because the view of sunrise is better than that of sunset. |
| B．Because the volcano there is not active in the afternoon. |
| C．Because the restaurants there close early in the afternoon. |
| D．Because the weather there is not so good after mid-afternoon. |
| A．La Lucciola. | B．Mengwi. | C．Jimbaran Bay. | D．Puri Saraswati. |
9 . The story of a 92-year-old book lover in a village of Chongqing has touched many recently, Sun Shiquan has collected more than 7,000 books over the past years and has offered a free local library to people there for years.
He was born in Pipa Village in Xiuqi Town of Chongqing’s Chengkou County. Being a bookworm as a child, he read all kinds of ancient books including the Four Books and the Five Classics. In the 1950s, he became one of only a handful of local college graduates and later served as a middle school teacher in the county.
He started to collect books in 1983 and gradually built a collection of many kinds over more than 40 years. Among his holdings is a precious set known as the Si Ku Quan Shu, dating back to Qing Dynasty. It is one of the only seven copies in the country.
Wearing glasses, Sun reads for more than three hours every day. Now he has finished reading most of his collections. Speaking of her father, Sun Ziyu, said, “My father has a habit of making notes on each book. He makes a mark whenever he stops reading so that he can carry on reading from where he left off.”
Village official Liu Jiao said, “Many children in the village love to visit Sun and listen to his stories.” She said the elderly man has earned respect from the whole village. People call him “Teacher Sun” and children call him “great-grandfather”.
Sun Ziyu said her father also writes poems and prose(散文) in his spare time and enjoys reading his works to the family. She said under her father’s influence, family members take the time to read together and exchange views. “That’s their favorite part,” she said.
“My father has loved reading for a lifetime,” Sun Ziyu said. “Reading is his meat and drink.”
1. What can we know from the first two paragraphs?| A．Mr Sun was born in a rich family. |
| B．There was only one free library in Xiuqi Town. |
| C．Mr Sun has been a book lover since childhood. |
| D．It was easy for children to get educated in the 1950s. |
| A．Colorful. | B．Valuable. | C．Demanding. | D．Enormous. |
| A．Mr Sun’s reading habit. | B．Mr Sun’s life experiences. |
| C．Mr Sun’s writing hobby. | D．Mr Sun’s book collections. |
| A．A person with talent. | B．A person worthy of pity. |
| C．A person with disability. | D．A person worthy of respect. |
10 . Four Most Famous Paintings in the World
The Starry NightArtist: Vincent Willem van Gogh
Where to see it: the Museum of Modern Art (New York, US)
Being treated for mental illness in hospital and inspired by the view from the window of his room, Van Gogh painted The Starry Night. The painting is famous for Van Gogh’s creative use of thick brushstrokes (笔画). The painting’s striking blues and yellows and the dreamy atmosphere have attracted art lovers for decades.
The ScreamArtist: Edvard Munch
Where to see it: the National Museum and the Munch Museum (Oslo, Norway)
The Scream is not a single work of art. According to a British museum’s blog, there are two paintings, two pastels (彩粉画) and a number of prints, The paintings are in the National Museum and the Munch Museum, and in 2012, one of the pastels was sold for almost 120 million.
Mona LisaArtist: Leonardo da Vinci
Where to see it: the Louvre Museum (Paris. France)
It should come as no surprise that one of the most famous paintings in the world is a woman with a mysterious smile. It is the earliest known Italian painting to focus closely on the sitter in a half-length portrait (像) , according to the Louvre, where it was first exhibited in 1804.
The Last SupperArtist: Leonardo da Vinci
Where to see it: Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan, Italy)
Leonardo is the only artist to appear on this list twice. The Last Supper is about the last time Jesus had dinner with his followers. The painting is actually a huge wall painting-4. 6 meters high and 8. 8 meters wide, which makes for a memorable viewing experience.
1. Where is The Starry Night exhibited?| A．In the Louvre Museum. |
| B．In the Munch Museum. |
| C．In the Museum of Modern Art. |
| D．In Santa Maria delle Grazie. |
| A．It is exhibited in three museums. |
| B．It includes a series of works of art. |
| C．It is famous for a smile in the painting. |
| D．It was painted in a mental hospital. |
| A．They feature religious figures. |
| B．They both belong to wall paintings. |
| C．They are exhibited in the National Museum. |
| D．They were painted by Leonardo da Vinci. |
