1 . Travel all around the world and back again. That’s the goal of Hudson and Emily Crider of Lancaster, Pennsylvania — who are aiming to complete this challenge in the year 2024. The couple has so far visited about 120 countries since they began traveling internationally in 2020.
When Hudson’s father suddenly passed away from a heart attack, the pair felt more encouraged than ever to set out on a cross-country journey in January 2017. “My dad was a huge supporter of our trip,” said Hudson. “And that just made us realize how short life is and we want to make the most of each day. So we decided to do what we want at once.”
Despite there being a lot of work ahead, the couple is still really excited about the journey. Seeing each country has been fun, but meeting people and recognizing the kindness of others all around the world has been Emily’s biggest takeaway. “There are ups and downs, but we’ve found people are kind and caring no matter where we’ve gone,” Emily said. She told the story of an Uber driver in Saudi Arabia who kept saying sorry for not presenting them with a gift upon their arrival in his country.
The couple has been able to make their world travels possible by saving for four years before the trip. They’ve also made money for their trip by teaching English online and creating their own content to cover flights. “The most helpful thing about keeping costs low is planning everything out ahead of time, as well as staying in cheap hotels, eating street food and using public transportation,” said Hudson.
For others who are looking to see the world, Emily suggested starting small and enjoying different places in your home country. “Think of the stories you want to tell someday — and then go out and live them,” Emily said.
1. What did the loss of Hudson’s father influence Hudson and Emily to do?| A．Accept the job offer in a foreign country. |
| B．Take action to achieve their dreams. |
| C．Invite more people to join their trip. |
| D．Take enough exercise to keep fit. |
| A．Having chances to attend meaningful cultural events. |
| B．Enjoying the beauty of natural landscapes. |
| C．Listening to foreigners’ moving stories. |
| D．Experiencing different people’s goodwill. |
| A．How the couple affords their journey. |
| B．The importance of leading a simple lifestyle. |
| C．The couple’s tips on saving money in daily life. |
| D．How the couple stays safe while traveling abroad. |
| A．Great hopes make great men. | B．Learn to walk before you run. |
| C．Traveling light makes you travel far. | D．All good things come to those who wait. |
2 . Life’s challenges are stepping stones to joy.
I was in the first grade when my teacher
It isn’t lost on me that a(n)
And then I need only to feel my finger and
If every challenge carries a comparable or greater
| A．stuck | B．pointed | C．attended | D．applied |
| A．understand | B．care | C．mention | D．admit |
| A．carefully | B．proudly | C．calmly | D．nervously |
| A．imagine | B．appreciate | C．prove | D．defeat |
| A．discovery | B．goal | C．achievement | D．weakness |
| A．large | B．dry | C．thick | D．fresh |
| A．memory | B．schedule | C．moment | D．career |
| A．filled | B．decorated | C．noticed | D．observed |
| A．energy | B．doubt | C．discussion | D．desire |
| A．compete with | B．deal with | C．make up | D．think about |
| A．recognize | B．repeat | C．expect | D．manage |
| A．exchange | B．benefit | C．lesson | D．action |
| A．records | B．requirements | C．struggles | D．passions |
| A．promise | B．bear | C．excuse | D．borrow |
| A．inspiration | B．safety | C．challenge | D．patience |
3 . When Aiden invited me to go on a camping trip to the mountains, I agreed with
Before hiking, Lebron explained some
“No time to
Just as quickly as the storm came, it died down,
| A．pride | B．regret | C．excitement | D．doubt |
| A．lowered | B．noticed | C．explained | D．forgotten |
| A．fell over | B．ran away | C．checked in | D．showed up |
| A．challenge | B．competition | C．award | D．failure |
| A．discoveries | B．mistakes | C．records | D．rules |
| A．difficult | B．smooth | C．strange | D．quiet |
| A．focus on | B．fix up | C．pull off | D．get to |
| A．healthy | B．thin | C．aching | D．powerful |
| A．rest | B．train | C．worry | D．prepare |
| A．helplessly | B．secretly | C．expertly | D．differently |
| A．disappeared | B．slowed | C．returned | D．continued |
| A．comfortable | B．scared | C．thankful | D．careless |
| A．forcing | B．warning | C．requiring | D．allowing |
| A．purpose | B．community | C．satisfaction | D．loss |
| A．simple | B．uncertain | C．busy | D．meaningful |
4 . You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression — this was the theme of this year’s International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC), held in London from May 11 to 12. Thirty-three young speakers aged 16 to 20 from around the world gathered at The English Speaking Union to tell their stories, including Wu Dongxu, 19, a student from China. To him, the event wasn’t just about giving a speech on first impressions. It also made a strong impression on him.
“Rather than a competition, the experience was more like an inspiring research trip to me, a trip that allowed me to see firsthand the differences and similarities between Chinese and foreign cultures,” said Wu.
Apart from the obvious differences in food, transportation and climate, what impressed Wu most was the different styles of Chinese and foreign public speaking.
Although still a teen, Wu is no stranger to the public speaking podium (讲台). He has participated in many speaking competitions since 2017. But on the stage of the IPSC, speakers had no podium to stand behind. They just had to face the audience.
“This was the first time that I gave a speech without a podium, which made me realize how important eye contact and body language are,” said Wu. “It also gave me more freedom to convey more information with my body language instead of just with words.”
Another difference that caught Wu’s attention was the evaluation criteria (评价标准). According to him, in every speaking competition he had participated in in China, things like pronunciation, fluency and quality of language are always important. But to his surprise, in the IPSC accents and grammatical mistakes are not considered in the evaluation process. It is the story itself that matters most.
“Audiences are eager to hear powerful stories, no matter where they are from. That’s because the emotions expressed in them are shared by all human beings although there are the cultural differences.” said Wu. “Diversity, respect, tolerance and understanding — these are what the IPSC really wants to stress and spread.”
1. What is the topic of this year’s IPSC?| A．Cultural difference. | B．First impression. |
| C．Body language. | D．English education. |
| A．The food culture. | B．The transportation means. |
| C．The climate. | D．The public speaking style. |
| A．Speakers are allowed to use podiums. |
| B．Body language plays an important part. |
| C．Pronunciation and fluency matter a lot. |
| D．Language quality is considered the most important. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Opposed. |
5 . Like most of his classmates, Zhang Yixuan is facing academic pressure as he is preparing to attend the national college entrance examination, or gaokao, next year. However, compared with playing smartphones and games, Zhang Yixuan prefers spending his summer vacation walking in wild nature, meeting little creatures like crabs. His bedroom is packed with dozens of “living treasures” that he has collected from the outdoors, including insects, fish, and crabs.
It is the microscope that his father bought him that makes the bedroom look more like a mini-biology lab than anything else and it’s a place where Zhang can devote himself to identifying or observing crabs day and
Last year, a group of crabs caught Zhang’s attention since they looked unusual compared with the commonly seen ones in Rongxian county, where he lives. He decided to take seven of them home. After much observation and lots
The hardworking and gifted teenager is very grateful to his parents for their understanding and support. His father Zhang Lefei, who was born in a rural area, loved catching fish and crabs himself at an early age. So he and his wife would take their son out into nature to explore as much as possible and would allow him to observe crabs quietly without any disturbs.
They say interest is the best teacher. And so are parents, it seems.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us about Zhang Yixuan?| A．His hobbies. | B．His character. |
| C．His academic pressure. | D．His relationship with others. |
| A．In the wild. | B．In his school. |
| C．In his bedroom. | D．In a biology lab. |
| A．Showed. | B．Inferred. |
| C．Argued. | D．Suggested. |
| A．To share their interest. | B．To show their support. |
| C．To indicate their effort. | D．To reveal their background. |
6 . The way you learn most effectively will impact many different aspects of your life. Visual (视觉的) learners process information best when it’s presented with images drawn on a whiteboard, charts or graphs. Visual learners usually process pictures before they read printed text and are also able to visualize concepts quickly. People who are visual learners would prefer it if instruction is printed rather than given verbally (口头地), and may often write or draw when attempting to make sense of a new topic. Many visual learners remember something better once they’ve written it down or drawn it out.
Auditory (听觉的) learners process information best when it’s said out loud, such as in a lecture setting or spoken presentation. This type of learners can easily recall what others say and prefer to talk through topics they find complex or difficult to understand. People who are auditory learners prefer verbal directions and may use repetition or repeat things aloud to memorize things. They may ask questions to understand the subject matter better and may need to hear something repeated more than once before they fully comprehend. Auditory learners also often benefit from listening to recordings as a method of absorbing new concepts.
Kinesthetic (动觉的) learners process information through experience rather than by being shown or told. This type of learners prefer to do things that are more “handson”. They prefer to touch and feel items and can easily recall things they’ve done. People who are kinesthetic learners like to make and create things using their hands, and remember information best when they are physically involved. Kinesthetic learners like to participate in the process by shadowing or assisting others, and prefer to practice or rehearse concepts as a way to absorb new information.
Take time to consider how you prefer to take in new information. Think about the last time how you worked to ensure you retained the information. The answers to these questions will help you discover which learning style works best for you.
1. What do visual learners do to form an idea in mind?| A．Visualize or read something. | B．Process or present something. |
| C．Recall or speak. | D．Write or draw. |
| A．Visual learners. | B．Auditory learners. |
| C．Kinesthetic learners. | D．Lifelong learners. |
| A．Reflecting perfectly. | B．Watching closely. |
| C．Memorizing carefully. | D．Asking constantly. |
| A．To help readers explore learning styles. |
| B．To introduce effective learning methods. |
| C．To arouse readers’ curiosity about learning. |
| D．To inform readers of a new scientific study about learning. |
7 . A small study out of Skidmore College examined the advantages of morning vs, evening exercise for both women and men. Paul, professor for health at Skidmore, led the study.
“We had the groups divided into evening and morning groups,” he says. “We found women and men answered differently to different types of exercise depending on the time of the day, which surprised us.”
The study showed that for women who want to lower blood pressure (血压), the risk of heart disease or reduce fat, morning exercise works best. Those women hoping for upper body muscle (肌肉) gains or mood (心情) improvement should consider evening exercise. For the men, the findings were somewhat different: Evening exercise lowers blood pressure, the risk of heart disease, and feelings of tiredness. But similar to women, they burn more fat with morning exercise.
“For many people, the best time to exercise will depend on their chronotype,” says Heisz, author of Move the Body, Heal the Mind.
“Chronotype is your body’s natural habit to sleep at a certain time—it’s what decides whether you’re a night owl or an early bird. For the 25% of the population that considers themselves a night owl, getting both enough sleep and enough exercise can be difficult,” adds Heisz.
He continues, “Sleep—which provides your body the necessary time to recover (恢复) and make gains from exercise—should always be the first choice. When it comes to exercise, regardless of research on the advantages of certain exercises at particular times of the day, your results will not be good if it doesn’t allow enough time for sleep.”
1. What can women get by doing evening exercise according to the study?| A．A fat loss. |
| B．A good mood. |
| C．A lower blood pressure. |
| D．A smaller risk of heart disease. |
| A．Give an example. | B．Tell the difference. |
| C．Do an experiment. | D．Explain a term. |
| A．Enough sleep. | B．Low-fat food. |
| C．Plenty of water. | D．Lots of exercise. |
| A．A Night Owl or An Early Bird |
| B．Why Fitness Plan Being Important |
| C．How to Change Your Exercise Time |
| D．The Best Time of a Day to Exercise |
8 . City: Hangzhou
Launched: 2008
Size: 2,965 stations/ 69,750 bikes
Price: $28.59 deposit(押金) + time charge
While taking a look at this city, you may see the best bike sharing in the world. As the second on the planet by size, the Hangzhou Public Bicycle System is one of the most common and useful shares, largely because it’s combined with public transportation: a single card can be used in subway, bus, taxi and bike sharing. Residents and tourists can put down a deposit of 200 Chinese Yuan (about $29) and ride for an hour for free in this scenic city. Each additional hour costs only $0.15. It was also the first new-generation bike-sharing system in China.
City: Barcelona
Launched: 2007
Size: 420 stations/6,000 bikes
Price: $61.93 per year
Barcelona’s Bicycling Program developed Spain’s bike-sharing business in a big way. This program took off like wildfire on wheels, and because four times bigger in one year. It inspired different copycat programs all over the country. Today, Spain has 132 bike-sharing systems. The program is one of the world’s most respected and popular shares. But it is only open to residents and tourists are not allowed to use them.
City: Paris
Launched: 2007
Size: l,751 stations/23,900 bikes
Price: $38. 52 per year/ $2.26 per day
Bike sharing in Paris is the star of the world. Launched in 2007, it is the world’s largest outside of China. Cheap by American standards, you can ride around Paris on a $1.7 day pass—the first half hour of each trip is free. Because this system covers the city with an average of 50 stations per square mile, it’s a favourite with both locals and tourists.
1. What do we know about Barcelona’s Bicycling Program?| A．It has driven the development of Spain’s bike sharing. |
| B．It has once been ruined by fire accidents. |
| C．It is popular among travellers. |
| D．It consists of 175,000 bikes. |
| A．Nothing for an hour. | B．$61.93 per year. | C．$2.26 per day. | D．$1.7 per day. |
| A．They are open to both locals and tourists. | B．They have the same amount of stations. |
| C．They were founded in the same year. | D．They require a deposit of over $30. |
9 . A waterworks maintenance team discovered a possible one-of-a-kind Roman road in a field in Worcestershire that may date back 2,000 years.
If asked to name a place where you might make a once-in-a-lifetime archaeological (考古的) discovery, your mind may go to the pyramids of Egypt or the peaks of the Andes...not a field in Worcestershire. But a field in Worcestershire is exactly where workmen recently discovered what is thought to be a Roman road up to 2,000 years old！
The road was discovered during routine (常规的) waterworks maintenance by Severn Trent. Archaeological experts from Wychavon District Council were called to the scene and immediately recognised the find’s significance.
Wychavon District Council’s archaeology officer Aidan Smyth said, “When I first saw it, it took my breath away. If proven to be from the first century AD, it would be beyond rare.”
Experts say it is constructed in a traditional Roman technique, with similar roads only being found in Rome and Pompeii. Ruts (车辙) in the stones show that it was used by carts for a long time. A team from Historic England is expected to investigate further to determine the exact origin of the structure.
This is actually not the first significant historical discovery in Worcestershire. A number of possible forts have been suggested in Worcestershire since the 1950s, and Worcestershire is thought to possibly have been the site for the Roman town of Vertis.
It is too early to say without 100 per cent certainty that the road is Roman, but even if it is a road in the Middle Ages, it will still be a nationally significant discovery. If it is indeed a first-century Roman road, then it is the only one of its kind in Britain.
1. Why does the author mention the pyramids of Egypt?| A．To make a comparison with the Andes. |
| B．To identify the importance of pyramids. |
| C．To show the find in Worcestershire is rare. |
| D．To prove the archaeological discovery is true. |
| A．Long expected archaeology news. |
| B．The result of a careful exploration. |
| C．The effort of world archaeologists. |
| D．An unexpected result of a repair service. |
| A．Excited. | B．Confused. | C．Annoyed. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．A once-in-a-lifetime archaeological literature. |
| B．An unfortunate waterworks maintenance team. |
| C．A nationally significant event in ancient Rome. |
| D．A possible Roman road discovered in a field in Britain. |
10 . When Sugar arrived at the Exploits Valley SPCA in July, he had a disease related to breathing that required medication. Therefore, he needed to stay at the shelter a bit longer than other animals before he could be adopted.
While Sugar recovered, he developed a close relationship with all of the shelter staff members and volunteers, and loved showing off what a sweet little kitten he was. “He was extremely popular from the beginning,” Sarah, a worker of the Exploits Valley SPCA said.
One of the volunteers who Sugar saw a lot was Glen. Glen has been volunteering at the shelter for the past 30 years and really loved it. He was often arranged to clean the room where Sugar was staying, and every time Sugar saw Glen, he got so excited. “Sugar would shout loudly at Glen to make him stop doing his work,” Sarah said. Every time Glen passed by Sugar, Sugar would meow endlessly until Glen finally gave him some love and attention.
Over the past 30 years, Glen had fallen in love with countless cats, but still managed to see them off to their forever homes. Something about Sugar was different, though. The relationship between Glen and Sugar was clearly special. Glen certainly hadn’t had any plans to adopt a kitten. After a while, though, it became clear that Sugar wasn’t going to be happy unless he was always by Glen’s side. He knew what he had to do.
Sugar has now settled into his new home and loving life. Every time Glen wakes up and sees Sugar, he knows he made the right decision.
1. What can we know about Sugar at the shelter?| A．He failed to find an owner. |
| B．He came with a badly hurt body. |
| C．He had to live there to receive treatment. |
| D．He liked making fun of the workers there. |
| A．Friendly and sociable. | B．Hardworking and careful. |
| C．Talented and confident. | D．Thoughtful and helpful. |
| A．To push Glen to clean his room quickly. | B．To hope for Glen’s attention and care. |
| C．To remind Glen of the danger. | D．To try to cheer Glen up. |
| A．Help Sugar get a trustful owner. | B．Adopt many cats from the shelter. |
| C．Make Sugar a member of his family. | D．Look after Sugar carefully at the shelter. |
