1 . At 6 feet, 7 inches, Will Allen was a natural at basketball. He received scholarship offers from more than a hundred colleges. He finally chose the University of Miami.
Going away to college meant leaving the family farm. He remembered how hard that life on the farm had been. Now that his life was full of possibilities, he swore he would never go back to farming.
After college, Allen began a pro-basketball career in Belgium, where, ironically (讽刺地), he rediscovered farming. He found the farmers there farmed the way his parents had back home, caring for the land without using chemicals and fertilizers.
Allen and his family moved back to the United States in 1977 after he retired from basketball. They settled in Milwaukee, where his wife’s family owned a farm. In 1993, Allen bought the last remaining farm in the city of Milwaukee, where he began his career as an urban farmer. Later he formed his own organization Growing Power, one of the world’s top urban agricultural organizations.
Allen also travelled across the United States, Africa, and Central Asia to help people grow food more efficiently in ways that fit in with their own culture. “Food is in short supply all over the world right now,” he says. “A lot of people are hungry. We need to grow food everywhere we can—in backyards and side yards, on rooftops, and even in buildings.”
He has spoken about urban agriculture around the world and is currently designing a vertical farm which is a new way to help feed more people in cities. “My main mission is to bring food into people’s lives and train people how to grow food. That continues to be important to me. ” said Allen. He said so, and he did so.
“Growing food is powerful,” Allen says. “It can change the world!”
1. What do we know about Will Allen?| A．He wished to get away from his family. | B．He had a talent for playing basketball. |
| C．He got used to the hard life on the farm. | D．He was admitted to only several universities. |
| A．Grow what is right. | B．Everyone should take action. |
| C．Focus on environment. | D．Plant wherever possible. |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Fortunate. |
| C．Traditional. | D．Adventurous. |
| A．Childhood Dream Leads to Future Career | B．Urban Agriculture Holds Great Promise |
| C．Give up Basketball and Take up Farming | D．Return to Farming and Grow Food in the City |
2 . One of the sailors who sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World was a man named Juan Ponce de Leon. This voyage changed his life.
He decided to stay when Columbus returned. Ponce was named governor of Puerto Rico (then called Boriquien) in 1508.
While there, he heard many stories of a magical water source. People called it the Fountain of Youth and said that drinking its water kept you young.
For the next few years, Ponce tried to find out where the Fountain of Youth was. He asked permission from Spain’s King Charles V to go in search of it. The king consented, as long as Ponce paid for the ships and crew himself.
The young explorer did so readily, and they set off. It was March 1513. They sailed for days but didn’t see the fountain. On March 27, he came within sight of the Florida coast. On April 2, he landed at what he named St. Augustine. This was the first Spanish settlement on the mainland of North America.
He had several adventures along the way. He did not, however, find the Fountain of Youth. He returned to Boriquien.
He continued to govern the island, and he continued to hear stories of the Fountain of Youth. Finally, in 1521, he set out again.
This time, he landed on the Florida coast again. While he and his men were building houses for a new settlement, they were attacked by native tribesmen (部落成员). Many of his men died, but Ponce escaped, although he was injured. He reached Cuba and entered a hospital, where he died of wounds from the attack in Florida. Juan Ponce de Leon never found the Fountain of Youth. Neither did anyone else, at least as far as we know.
1. Ponce’s voyage to the New World with Columbus ____.| A．affected his future life greatly |
| B．made him forget the way back |
| C．was supported by Charles V financially |
| D．was to find the Fountain of Youth |
| A．agreed | B．opposed |
| C．doubted | D．succeeded |
| A．became governor of Boriquien in 1513 |
| B．found the Fountain of Youth in 1521 |
| C．arrived in Florida twice |
| D．didn’t show much interest in the Fountain of Youth |
| A．Ponce managed to escape from native tribesmen’s attack without any injury |
| B．Ponce died in Florida in 1521 |
| C．his men weren’t well received by native tribesmen in Florida |
| D．people found the Fountain of Youth after Ponce’s death |
3 . In 1963, at age 65, my grandfather decided to build a new house on his farm. In order to save money, he hired a bulldozer (推土机) to
We moved in the farm two years after my father passed away. When my wife took one look at the
I walked into the woods where the old house sat. Most of the windows were
As I left the old house that day, I took one last
| A．construct | B．break | C．push | D．repair |
| A．grass | B．woods | C．stream | D．hill |
| A．lost | B．abandoned | C．big | D．familiar |
| A．forbade | B．appreciated | C．proposed | D．imagined |
| A．impossible | B．interesting | C．strange | D．necessary |
| A．left behind | B．passed down | C．taken in | D．put up |
| A．cheap | B．gone | C．empty | D．large |
| A．book | B．wallet | C．umbrella | D．envelope |
| A．letters | B．lines | C．texts | D．pieces |
| A．excited | B．nervous | C．weak | D．homesick |
| A．bottom | B．title | C．back | D．surface |
| A．burned | B．hurt | C．covered | D．protected |
| A．calmly | B．proudly | C．carefully | D．politely |
| A．breath | B．photo | C．note | D．glance |
| A．promise | B．hope | C．guess | D．decide |
4 . The baguette, a long, thin French bread, is being added to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH,非物质文化遗产) list. UNESCO experts gathering in Morocco this week decided that the simple French bread — made only of flour, water, salt, and yeast — was worth U.N. recognition, after France’s culture ministry warned of a “continuous drop” in the number of traditional bakeries (烘焙坊), with some 400 closing every year over the past half century.
The UN cultural agency’s chief, Audrey Azoulay said, “The decision honors more than just bread; it recognizes the ‘graceful skills of bakers’ and ‘a daily ritual (仪式)’.” Azoulay added, “It is important that such baking knowledge and social practices can continue to exist in the future.”
With the bread’s new status (地位), the French government said it planned to create a baguette day, called the “Open Bake house Day”, to connect the French better with their heritage. Bakers in France seemed proud, if unsurprised. “Of course, it should be on the list because the baguette symbolizes the world. It’s universal,” said Asma Farhat, a baker at Julien’s Bakery. “If there’s no baguette, you can’t have a proper meal. In the morning you can toast it, for lunch it’s a sandwich, and then it accompanies dinner.”
Despite the decline in traditional bakery numbers, France’s 67 million people still buy baguettes at a variety of sales points, including in supermarkets. According to France’s “Bread Observatory”, the French eat 320 baguettes of one form or another every second. The problem is, observers say, that they can often be poor in quality. “It’s very easy to get bad baguette in France. It’s the traditional baguette from the traditional bakery that is in danger. It’s about quality not quantity,” said one local resident, Marine Fourchier.
1. Why did UNESCO’s decide to add the French bread to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list?| A．Because it has a long history. | B．Because it is made of simple materials. |
| C．Because it is in danger of disappearing. | D．Because it is made in traditional bakeries. |
| A．He felt honored. | B．His attitude was unclear. |
| C．He thought it was embarrassing. | D．He thought it was meaningful. |
| A．Baguettes should be served all the day. | B．Baguettes are common in the French diet. |
| C．Baguettes should have been put on the list earlier. | D．Baguettes and sandwiches are equally important. |
| A．The baguette — a cultural heritage that is of poor quality. |
| B．Protecting the baguette — everyone can make a difference. |
| C．Protecting the baguette — quality is more important than quantity. |
| D．The baguette — a new comer on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. |
5 . With the rapid development, the city of Chongqing is becoming more and more attractive to outsiders, including foreigners. For 26-year-old Moldovan Gabriela Cojocaru, who has the Chinese nickname Li Xiaoxiao, Chongqing is the beginning of a dream.
In September 2014, Xiaoxiao, who has studied ethnic dance and ballet since childhood, graduated from the Moldovan National Dance Academy, and several classmates joined her on a trip to China. However, she did not know any Chinese or even English. She made many friends from China, which gradually solved her obstacles in language communication and made herself better adapted to life in China.
“I think as a foreigner, first you have to learn Chinese,” she said. “Then you can go to better understand the culture and the Chinese people.” But after learning what she thought was Chinese, she discovered that the language she had spent two years learning is actually the Chongqing dialect. Such is her delivery that even a Chongqing local would be hard to tell that she is a foreigner by just hearing her voice. As Xiaoxiao thought Chongqing dialect was standard Chinese, she took considerable efforts to be good at it. This “mistake” has turned out to be a lucky strike.
But she is more interested in doing something that helps the two countries understand each other. As such, she introduced Chinese food or Chongqing food, and stories about China to her friends in Moldova. She plans to introduce the history and specialties of Moldova, such as Moldo van wine, to the Chinese. She hopes to let more people know that this country actually has a rich history of more than 5,000 years of wine-making.
“I’d love to do it,” she said. “I will continue to strengthen the culture of the two countries and hope that the two countries will become better and better.”
1. Why does Xiaoxiao make Chinese friends?| A．To study more about ethnic dance. |
| B．To appreciate more about new cultures. |
| C．To learn more local dialects. |
| D．To communicate with others more easily. |
| A．Dialect. | B．Ballet. | C．Dream. | D．Mistake. |
| A．Cautious and smart. | B．Humorous and creative. |
| C．Friendly and optimistic. | D．Hardworking and responsible. |
| A．In a biography. | B．In a culture magazine. |
| C．In a history book. | D．In a novel. |
6 . In November 2020, a polar bear named Suka gave birth to several little ones, including Laerke. Laerke and her brothers and sisters were the first polar bears successfully born and
Days after her
Without having any other polar bear who would
After some time, Jebbie and Laerke became best
“We’re excited that we are able to give Jebbie a home and
| A．found | B．hurt | C．raised | D．caught |
| A．birth | B．survival | C．escape | D．return |
| A．anxious | B．weak | C．big | D．excited |
| A．entertainment | B．development | C．experiment | D．treatment |
| A．understood | B．recognized | C．forgave | D．scared |
| A．accept | B．teach | C．depend on | D．believe in |
| A．companion | B．meal | C．room | D．toy |
| A．Generally | B．Sadly | C．Honestly | D．Luckily |
| A．crying | B．wandering | C．hunting | D．playing |
| A．beaten | B．examined | C．rescued | D．shot |
| A．examples | B．friends | C．models | D．witnesses |
| A．lonely | B．careful | C．lovely | D．fearful |
| A．crazily | B．regretfully | C．happily | D．hopefully |
| A．provide | B．recover | C．visit | D．protect |
| A．impossible | B．dangerous | C．strange | D．important |
7 . The Amazon Rainforest, often called the “lungs of the Earth”, has always mesmerized me with its biodiversity (生物多样性) and local tribes (部落). When I had the chance to join a research expedition, I took it, excited about the adventure ahead. I didn’t know it would be a great experience.
The journey into the rainforest was tough, such as the dense leaves, endless rain and the sound of insects and animals. However, the beauty of the rainforest was amazing.
One of the most exciting parts of the trip was meeting a local tribe. Their way of life, so connected to nature, was different from our urban lives. Learning about their customs and understanding their relationship with the rainforest was a special experience. It made me realize how separated from nature we have become in the technological advancement.
The trip was not without challenges. Walking in the forest, dealing with the bad weather and dealing with the fear of the unknown tested our willpower. However, every challenge we overcame brought a sense of achievement and strengthened our team bond. It taught me the importance of teamwork and adaptability.
As we left the rainforest, I recalled the impact the trip had on me. It was not just an adventure but a journey of self-discovery.
My trip to the Amazon rainforest was a meaningful experience. It was a journey that pushed my boundaries(边界) taught me valuable lessons and left me with unforgettable memories. It was not just a trip, but an exploration of the unknown and a reminder of our responsibility towards our planet. The adventure may have ended, but the journey continues, as I carry the lessons and memories with me, influencing my life and choices.
1. Which of the following best explains “mesmerized” underlined in paragraph 1?| A．Puzzled. | B．Moved. | C．Attracted. | D．Defeated. |
| A．Exciting. | B．Close. | C．Relaxing. | D．Separated. |
| A．It’s dangerous and meaningless. | B．It’s fanny but unbearable. |
| C．It’s important and interesting. | D．It’s challenging but worthwhile. |
| A．The meaning of the trip. | B．The experience of the trip. |
| C．The memory of the trip. | D．The purpose of the trip. |
8 . In his 1936 work How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote: “I have come to the conclusion that there is only one way to get the best of an argument — and that is to avoid it.” This distaste for arguments is common, but it depends on a mistaken view of arguments that causes problems for our personal and social lives — and in many ways misses the point of arguing in the first place.
Carnegie would be right if arguments were fights, which is how we often think of them. Like physical fights, verbal (言语的) fights can leave both sides bloodied. Even when you win, you end up no better off. You would be feeling almost as bad if arguments were even just competitions — like, say, tennis tournaments. Pairs of opponents hit the ball back and forth until one winner comes out from all who entered. Everybody else loses. This kind of thinking explains why so many people try to avoid arguments.
However, there are ways to win an argument every time. When you state your position, formulate (阐述) an argument for what you claim and honestly ask yourself whether your argument is any good. When you talk with someone who takes a stand, ask them to give you a reason for their view and spell out their argument fully. Assess its strength and weakness. Raise objections (异议) and listen carefully to their replies. This method will require effort, but practice will make you better at it.
These tools can help you win every argument — not in the unhelpful sense of beating your opponents but in the better sense of learning about what divides people, learning why they disagree with us and learning to talk and work together with them. If we readjust our view of arguments — from a verbal fight or tennis game to a reasoned exchange through which we all gain respect and understanding from each other — then we change the very nature of what it means to “win” an argument.
1. What is the author’s attitude toward Carnegie’s understanding of argument?| A．Critical. | B．Supportive. | C．Tolerant. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．They lack debating skills. | B．They may feel bad even if they win. |
| C．They fear being ignored. | D．They are not confident in themselves. |
| A．Defend. | B．Explain. | C．Conclude. | D．Repeat. |
| A．Sense of logic. | B．Solid supporting evidence. |
| C．Proper manners. | D．Understanding from both sides. |
9 . For lots of kids, toddlerhood (幼儿期) is an important time for friendship. Studies show that the earlier kids learn to form positive relationships, the better they are at relating to others as teenagers and adults. Playing together also helps these kids practice social behaviors, such as kindness, sharing, and cooperation.
Even so, how quickly your child develops into a social creature may also depend on his temperament(性格). Some toddler s are very social, but others are shy. In addition, the way that toddlers demonstrate that they like other children is markedly different from what adults think of as expressions of friendship. Research at Ohio State University in Columbus found that a toddler’s way of saying “I like you” during play is likely to come in the form of copying a friend’s behavior.
This seemingly unusual way of demonstrating fondness can result in unpleasant behavior. Regardless of how much they like a playmate, they may still grab his toys, refuse to share, and get bossy. But experts say that this is a normal and necessary part of friendship for kids this age. Through play experiences, toddlers learn social rules. That’s why it’s so important to take an active role in your toddler’s social encounters by setting limits and offering frequent reminders of what they are. When you establish these guidelines, explain the reasons behind them.
Begin by helping your child learn sympathy (“Ben is crying. What’s making him so sad?”), then suggest how he could resolve the problem (“Maybe he would feel better if you let him play the ball.”). When your child shares or shows empathy(同理心) toward a friend, praise him (“Ben stopped crying! You made him feel better.”).
Another way to encourage healthy social interaction is by encouraging kids to use words- not fists-to express how they feel. It’s also important to be mindful of how your child’s personality affects playtime. Kids are easy to get angry when they’re sleepy or hungry, so schedule playtime when they’re refreshed.
1. What does it indicate when toddlers copy their playmates’ behavior?| A．They are interested in acting. | B．They are shy with the strangers. |
| C．They are fond of their playmates. | D．They are tired of playing games. |
| A．Design games for them. | B．Find them suitable playmates. |
| C．Play together with them. | D．Help them understand social rules. |
| A．Giving examples. | B．Explaining concepts. |
| C．Providing evidence. | D．Making comparisons. |
| A．How Children Adapt to Changes | B．How to Be a Role Model for Children |
| C．How Your Baby Learns to Love | D．How to Communicate with Your Kid |
10 . As you read this, pause to reflect on your recent interactions. As a politician, husband, and father, I encounter various spoken language styles: analytical or chatty, formal or informal, pointed or gentle, cooperative or decisive. Talk is the currency of politics. It is our way of negotiating, debating, and persuading. Talk is also the currency of learning-how we develop our ideas, deepen our thinking and share our feelings.
That’s why I want speaking skills, sometimes called “oracy”, to play an important part in Labor’s plans for a reformed school curriculum (课程).
Employers value speaking skills equally with reading and writing. The ability to speak well and express yourself should be something every child should master. But the curriculum doesn’t allow us to provide this. This is short-sighted. An inability to express your thoughts fluently is a key barrier to getting on and doing well in life.
Oracy is in part about good public speaking and debating skills, but in reality, it’s about teaching young people to make strong arguments, choose wise words, understand their audience, form meaningful social connections, and use facial expressions and body language to convey their message. Above all else it’s about finding your voice. To work out who you are and what you believe. If reading opens up a world of imagination and possibility, then speaking and listening opens up a lifetime of empowerment-a chance for those who feel invisible in their own country to be heard. It is about the confidence to speak out, to call out injustice or harm.
And the other side of speaking is listening, which can also be taught. Listening, truly listening, develops tolerance and understanding. And as parents we can play our part. We’ve all been there, at mealtimes, silent as we all stare at our devices. Our job, all of ours, is to get off our screens and give young people, and adults, the gift of listening.
So, oracy―speaking and listening―needs to be placed firmly at the heart of school life.
1. How does talk help a politician?| A．It deepens his wishful thinking. |
| B．It enhances his analytical skills. |
| C．It strengthens persuasive power. |
| D．It provides emotional support. |
| A．Employers underestimate the value of speaking. |
| B．Academic pressure makes students poor-sighted. |
| C．Spoken language is regarded as least important. |
| D．Oracy should deserve more attention at school. |
| A．By sharing different opinions. |
| B．By clarifying the definition. |
| C．By describing personal experiences. |
| D．By employing the concept. |
| A．Set a good example for their children. |
| B．Balance screen time and mealtime. |
| C．Have oral face-to-face communication. |
| D．Disconnect from the virtual world. |
