1 . When Antonio Gwynn Jr. saw the rubbish from a parade (巡游) in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, he picked up a broom, bought some trash bags and started cleaning the streets by himself.
Gwynn is an 18-year-old high school senior. He started at 2 a.m. on Monday and didn’t stop cleaning for the next 10 hours. He told CNN that he “knew people needed to use that street to get to work in the morning.”
When word spread of how Gwynn single-handedly took action, his community responded. Matt Block saw Gwynn’s story on the news and decided to give him his 2004 red Mustang convertible (敞篷汽车). Block, 27, said the car is one he wanted since he was a child, but these days he is only using it occasionally. He saw Gwynn ask for some car buying advice on Facebook, and Matt decided to offer up his sports car.
It turns out that gift has more meaning than Block ever imagined. Gwynn’s mother, who passed away last year, also drove a red Mustang. When he realized the coincidence, Gwynn says that he was so shocked he “didn’t have any words.”
After high school, Gwynn had planned to go to trade school while saving up to go to college. Upon hearing Gwynn’s story, Medaille College in Buffalo offered him a full scholarship where he plans to study business starting this fall. One of his many goals is to open a cleaning business.
This is the first time Gwynn received this type of recognition for his good deeds, but this is not the first time he stepped up to help others. He is a member of Kappa Phi where he enjoys doing community service, and he helps out at churches.
Gwynn is thankful for the community response, saying, “I appreciate everything everyone is doing for me.”
1. Why did Gwynn clean the street?| A．He dropped a lot of rubbish there. | B．He liked to help people. |
| C．He wanted to get paid by cleaning. | D．He had a cleaning business. |
| A．From social media. | B．By asking him directly. |
| C．From his own experience. | D．By reading the news. |
| A．Stubborn. | B．Honest. | C．Generous. | D．Warm-hearted. |
| A．A good beginning is half done. | B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．A good turn deserves another. | D．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
2 . Trainers and parents saw children play sports at a young age and then saw them become professional. Many correlated the training to success. Competitive sports are good for young children because they teach children life skills, provide health benefits, and offer special opportunities.
To begin with, sports teach children life skills. A formal athlete stated, “I played soccer in high school and college and found team sports weren’t just about winning, but also about developing a solid ethic(行为准则), and learning why that’s important.” In short, playing highly competitive sports teaches kids many life skills like teamwork. People will have to use teamwork for the rest of their life, and sports can help them improve that skill. Taking part in sports can help develop a positive attitude towards life, which will help in the long run.
Sports are also good for kids because they provide health benefits. It is healthier for a kid to play a sport competitively than to waste time playing video games all day. Furthermore, a research group of University of California said, “96 percent of the participants(参与者) said they enjoy their sports. They’re all loving life.” That is to say, kids playing highly competitive sports tend to enjoy life instead of doing something else like watching TV.
On the other hand, some people might argue that competitive sports are bad for young children because they are so time-consuming. However, the time spent is not “robbing” kids of their childhood, but offers unique opportunities. Athletes can get success to live their dream life by playing sports. Even though sports are time-consuming, they offer distinctive opportunities.
In conclusion, competitive sports are good for children because they can provide wholesome benefits, create new experiences, and build skills that will last a lifetime.
1. Why is the formal athlete mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To show a reason | B．To give an example. |
| C．To list a background. | D．To draw out a new point. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Uncertain. | C．Uncaring. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Common | B．Unreasonable | C．Unique. | D．Frequent. |
| A．The ways to play sports. |
| B．The reasons for playing sports. |
| C．The problems of kids’ playing sports. |
| D．The benefits of kids’ playing sports. |
3 . Most of us would like to be more creative, but we assume there is little we can do about it. Psychology professor K. Anders Ericsson claims that with enough practice, any of us can become experts. However, he is quick to add that this requires a specific kind of practice that Ericsson calls ‘deliberate practice’: that is, pushing beyond one’s comfort zone and setting goals that are above one’s current level of performance. He says he has yet to find the limits on being successful and he doesn’t believe them to be real.
Ericsson has looked primarily at artistic and athletic skills, but can these findings apply to creativity? Most experts agree that even if most people cannot hope to become creative geniuses, they can learn to become more creative through practice. Psychologists claim that there are actually two levels of creativity, which they refer to as’Big C’ and ‘small c’. Big C creativity applies to breakthrough ideas, ones that may change the course of a field or even history. Small c creativity refers to everyday creative problem solving, like creating a new recipe or improving a process, which psychologists subdivide further into similar and different thinking. Similar thinking involves examining all the facts and arriving at a single solution. In contrast, different thinking involves coming up with many possible solutions. What most people think of as creativity generally involves different thinking and can be taught, practised and learnt.
Even with practice, different thinking alone cannot make one creative, however. Scott Barry Kaufman, a cognitive psychologist, says that most creative people share one personality quality: openness to new experience. Since this quality and these processes have been identified, less creative people can try to emulate them. Normally, we tend to reproduce what we already know because creative ideas move us into unfamiliar territory involving risks and following the usual behaviors is comfortable.
Moving outside of our comfort zone, engaging indeliberate practice and tolerating contradictory ideas, risk and failure are all things we can learn to do better. It is unlikely that doing so will transform any of us into creative geniuses, but it does have the potential to increase our level of creativity.
1. Why does Ericsson think he can’t find the limits?| A．No restrictions exist. | B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Each one can succeed. | D．The goal is ambitious. |
| A．Settling in outer space. |
| B．Building a plastic doghouse. |
| C．Developing robots to look after the old. |
| D．Explaining the theory of evolution in class. |
| A．Justify. | B．Limit. | C．Copy. | D．Assess. |
| A．We can learn to be more creative. |
| B．Life is full of various challenges. |
| C．It’s better to take deliberate practice. |
| D．Most can become creative geniuses. |
4 . It was a typical summer day in my small town, with the sun shining and the sky clear. I was sitting on my porch, enjoying the peaceful view of the rolling hills and the calm lake, when suddenly a strong wind blew in from the west. The peaceful sky turned dark as a storm approached.
I went inside, grabbing my raincoat and heading to the barn to secure the animals. The cows were nervous, sensing the approaching storm. I quickly tied them up and ran back to the house, just as the rain started to pour down. The wind was howling and the rain was pounding against the windows. Lightning and thunder followed, making the atmosphere even more electric. I sat by the window, watching the raging storm and praying that everything would be okay.
After what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes, the storm passed. The clouds moved away, revealing a bright and sunny sky. I walked outside, taking in the fresh air and surveying the damage. The trees were bent over and some branches had been blown off. Our vegetable garden was flooded, but other than that, everything seemed to be fine. I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that no serious damage had been done.
That evening, as I sat by the fireplace with a cup of hot coffee, I reflected on the experience. It reminded me that nature can be both powerful and unpredictable, but that we must persevere and adapt to whatever it throws at us. The next morning, as I watched the sun rise over the now-calm landscape, I felt a sense of pride knowing that my family and I had weathered the storm together.
1. What does the word “weathered” mean in the last paragraph?| A．enjoyed | B．survived | C．forecasted | D．changed |
| A．Angry | B．Relieved | C．Scared | D．Sad |
| A．Problem and solution | B．Cause and effect |
| C．in order time | D．by Comparison |
| A．The author explains how to prepare for and cope with a storm. |
| B．The author describes how a storm ruined his day and his garden. |
| C．The author compares and contrasts the different weather conditions in his town. |
| D．The author recounts how he and his family withstood a sudden storm and learned a lesson from it. |
5 . Since September I’ve been living in a hall, just a stone’s throw from the Thames. Campus is a 25-minute walk from my hall, which is across the river and down Fleet Street. There, in The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), I take courses in social policy, philosophy and public policy, public management and behavioural economics.
In the first few weeks we covered how to measure well-being, how to distribute health care resources, and the origins of the welfare state, to name only a few. I’ve had great support from my academic adviser, who I was told is really somebody and highly respected in the field of social policy.
I learn loads of things each day and more importantly, what I learn feels relevant. Looking back, I can better understand the work I did in the government, and how the approaches I’ve learned work in some situations or fail in other situations. After one term, I can feel my viewpoint change from 50 feet to 50,000 feet.
Probably the most difficult part of attending graduate school overseas isn’t the education itself but rather the act of “putting the previous life on hold”. I think this is especially true for students who have already started their professional life or are a couple of years senior.
But there are plenty of benefits, and I feel that time at LSE passes faster than I realize. Already, I’ve made friends with students from dozens of other countries, which brings great advantages and fun. Perhaps what unites us is the great British tradition of meeting each other at the end of the week for entertainment at the cafe. In fact, I’m about to make my way there now.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．He majors in political science. |
| B．He walks to campus every day. |
| C．He has a tight study schedule. |
| D．His adviser enjoys a good reputation. |
| A．He stands higher and sees farther. |
| B．He can handle various situations. |
| C．His life attitude has varied with time. |
| D．His mind has been greatly broadened. |
| A．Dealing with the heavy study load. |
| B．Adapting to the local educational system. |
| C．Leaving one’s former life behind for now. |
| D．Gaining a deep understanding of British traditions. |
| A．He isn’t aware he’ll graduate soon. |
| B．He will attend a get-together at the cafe. |
| C．He intends to make friends with more students. |
| D．He has a strong preference for British traditions. |
6 . That dinosaurs ate the mammals (哺乳动物) that ran beneath their feet is not in doubt. Now an extraordinary fossil newly described in Scientific Reports, unearthed by a team led by Gang Han at Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology in China, shows that sometimes the tables were turned.
The fossil -dated to about 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period-was formed when a flow of boiling volcanic mud swallowed two animals seemingly locked in a life-and-death fight. The one on top is a mammal. This animal is a herbivorous species closely related to the Triceratops (三角恐龙). Animal interactions such as this are exceptionally cam e in the fossil record.
One possibility is that the mammal was eating something already dead, other than hunting live prey. These days it is uncommon for small mammals to attack much larger animals. But it is not unheard of. And Dr. Han and his colleagues point out that those mammals which eat dead bodies typically leave tooth marks all over the bones of the animals. The dinosaur’s remains show no such marks. There is also a chance the fossil could be a fake. More and more convincing fake s have emerged, as this one did -though Dr. Han and his colleagues argue that the complexly connected nature of the skeletons (骨骼) makes that unlikely, too.
Assuming it is genuine, the discovery serves as a reminder that not all dinosaurs were enormous during the Cretaceous and not all mammals were tiny. From nose to tail, the dinosaur is just 1.2 meters long. The mammal is a bit under half a meter in length. Despite being half the size, the mammal has one paw firmly wrapped around one of its prey’s limbs, and another pulling on its jaw. It is biting down on the dinosaur’s chest, and has ripped off two of its ribs. Before they were interrupted, it seems that the mammal was winning.
1. Which idiom is closest in meaning to underlined part “the tables were turned” in paragraph 1?| A．The fittest survives. | B．The hunters become hunted. |
| C．Fortune always favors the brave. | D．The truth will always come to light. |
| A．To prove the fossil was fake. | B．To show the forming of the fossil. |
| C．To illustrate the process of hunting. | D．To suggest the dinosaur was hunted alive. |
| A．The size of the fossil. | B．The absence of fake fossils. |
| C．The complexity of the skeletons. | D．The consistency of the opinions. |
| A．It offers a cause. | B．It highlights a solution. |
| C．It justifies the conclusion. | D．It provides a new discovery. |
7 . Jenny married Steven in 1950. They loved each other but Steven had bad tempers. As a new bride(新娘), Jenny moved into Steven’s house on his farm. She took a shoe box with her and put it in her closet (壁橱). She asked Steven not to open the box. Thinking that everyone has his/her secret that he/she never wanted others to know, Steven accepted it.
For 50 years, Steven left the box alone, even without touching it. Finally, Jenny was ill and dying. Steven thought the box must hold something very important and it was time to open it, so he asked Jenny whether he could open the box. Jenny said yes.
Opening the box, Steven found two doilies(装饰小垫) and $82,500. He took the things to Jenny and asked where this came from.
“Well, my mother gave me the box the day we got married,” she explained, “She said that love needed understanding, so did life. She knew you had bad tempers, so she told me to make a doily whenever I felt hurt and frustrated(沮丧), so that I wouldn’t get mad at you.” Steven was glad that in the past 50 years Jenny had made only two doilies. Then he asked about the money.
“In fact, after having made too many doilies, I began to sell them. Each brought us $50. That’s the money I’ve made by selling the doilies.”
Hearing this, Steven couldn’t help crying…
Everyone gets three presents in life. Life is the first one; love is the second and understanding is the third. It is love that gives us lives and understanding, while understanding keeps love.
1. After reading the passage, we know that .| A．the wife made a living by making and selling doilies |
| B．the wife often hid her own money into the shoe box |
| C．the husband thought there were just shoes in the box |
| D．the husband had often made the wife sad in the past |
| A．1652. | B．1650. | C．50. | D．2. |
| A．Jenny had even worse tempers |
| B．Making doilies is the best way to make money |
| C．Steven didn’t break his promise |
| D．Shoe boxes were always used to hold money |
| A．beautiful and funny | B．kind and wise |
| C．brave and smart | D．Honest and loyal |
8 . During my university years in the early 2000s, I worked part-time with kids at a neighborhood YMCA, which mainly focused on child care. Each year, we hosted a Christmas party for the community.
Most of the people working there were women, so we had to search for a male volunteer to play Santa Claus. We didn’t have many choices. John was a tall, twentyish man who was much too thin to be Santa Claus. No amount of stuffing (填充物) could possibly make him look like a common Santa Claus. He was, however, available.
On the day of the party, John put on his costume (戏装) and waited for the children. Many of the children who knew John said, “It’s just you, John.” If they didn’t know him, they said, “You’re too thin to be Santa.” We thought it might be a bad decision, but then everyone seemed to enjoy their time there, so it didn’t really matter.
Then, a lovely little girl entered the room. She was dressed beautifully to see Santa and seemed a little shy. Her mother brought her up to our Santa. “She’s deaf,” the mother explained. “If she could just sit on your lap (大腿) and have her picture taken, she would be happy.” John, the skinny Santa, smiled at the little girl, and she sat on his lap.
Then, the skinny Santa began using hand gestures to communicate with the girl fluently, and the little girl smiled happily and answered him quickly with her hands. Their conversation lasted quite a while. When I looked at the mother, I saw that she was crying. In fact, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. Santa Claus really was there.
There was so much we didn’t know about what was happening. This girl had never met John before, and few of us were aware that he knew how to sign — it all added up to a magical surprise.
1. Why was John chosen to play Santa Claus?| A．He was tall. | B．He was male. | C．He was young. | D．He was popular. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Interesting. | C．Surprising. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．She was talkative and lively. | B．She often came to the child care. |
| C．She was friendly to other children. | D．She expected to take pictures with Santa. |
| A．The little girl has a nice character. | B．John’s knowledge of sign language. |
| C．The warm and friendly environment. | D．The participation of the little girl’s mother. |
9 . Humans have long known that being in nature is good for the mind and body. From indigenous (本土的) adolescents completing the adult ceremony in the wild to modern East Asian cultures taking “forest baths”, many have looked to nature as a place for healing and personal growth. But the question still remains. How can nature make it?
There is no doubt that being in nature reduces the physiological symptoms of stress in our bodies. What this means is that we are less likely to be anxious and fearful in nature, and therefore we can be more open to other people and creative patterns of thought. Also, nature often leads to awe, wonder and respect, all these emotions facilitating everything from physical to mental health. There is also some evidence that exposure to nature impacts the brain. Viewing natural beauty makes specific reward circuits in the brain associated with dopamine release, a chemical that gives us a sense of purpose, joy and energy to pursue our goals.
But, regrettably, people seem to be spending less time outdoors and less time in nature than before. It is also clear that, in the past 30 years, people’s levels of stress and sense of “busyness” have risen dramatically. These joint forces have led environmental writer Richard Louv to coin the term “Nature Deficit Disorder”—a form of suffering that comes from a sense of disconnection from nature and its powers.
Perhaps we should take note and try a course corrective. The 19th century philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote about nature, “There I feel that nothing can befall me in life—no disgrace, no calamity.” The science speaks to Emerson’s intuition. It’s time to realize that nature is more than just a material resource. It’s also a pathway to human health and happiness.
1. Why are “indigenous adolescents” and “modern East Asian cultures” mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To clarify a viewpoint. | B．To answer the question below. |
| C．To present the natural scenery. | D．To show the cultural differences. |
| A．Restricting. | B．Exposing. | C．Promoting. | D．Covering. |
| A．Uneasy. | B．Indifferent. | C．Humorous. | D．Proud. |
| A．Is It Time to Challenge Yourself in Nature? |
| B．Do You Know Nature Is a Material Resource? |
| C．Why Do We Care about the Natural Environment? |
| D．What Can Happen When We Connect with Nature? |
10 . Boston University (BU) is test-optional for first-year international applicants applying for fall 2023.
Students will be required to submit the TOEFL, IELTS or DET test scores as the primary means for evaluating English language capacity. High school records, teacher evaluation and your financial documents shall also be included in applicant checklist. Applicants must decide for themselves whether to include standardized test scores with their BU application.
Standardized Test Scores
BU accepts self-reported standardized test scores on your application. You may also submit your official test scores by the testing agency, or through the self-report form on the My BU Applicant Portal.
Please note: If you submit self-reported standardized test scores, an official score report from the testing agency will be required before registering at BU. If the scores on those differ even slightly from the scores you self-reported earlier, your application will most likely be disqualified.
High School Reports
Official copies of your high school reports must be submitted by a school official. If you are admitted in an international course with national exams, please see our High School Credentials (资格证书) page for how to submit these official results.
For most BU programs, the recommended high school courses are as follows: 4 years of English, 3—4 years of mathematics, 3—4 years of laboratory science, 3—4 years of history and/or social science.
1. Which are optional in applying to BU?| A．Financial documents. | B．High school records. |
| C．Standardized test scores. | D．Teacher evaluation reports. |
| A．Updating applicant information. |
| B．Submitting inconsistent test results. |
| C．Taking different English language tests. |
| D．Reporting scores on the My BU Applicant Portal. |
| A．Test organizers. | B．Primary students. |
| C．College professors. | D．International applicants. |
