1 . George Headley would have been a dentist in the USA rather than one of the greatest cricketers (板球运动员) if he had got his papers from Panama on time. The Indian legend was born in Colón, Panama and a period of unemployment in Jamaica caused him to begin the process of seeking a career elsewhere.

The delay, however, gave Headley time to make his first-class debut (首次亮相) for Jamaica against the visiting Lord Tennyson’s XI from England. These were his scores in the three first-class games in the series: 16, 40, and 71. The rest, as they say, is history. Yet, consider what might have occurred if his documents had arrived on time and he had migrated to America. There would have been a missing chapter in cricket.

Headley’s ta le brings to the fore the role that happenstance (偶然情况) plays in life. In the song A Different Comer, George Michael lamented (哀叹) that a romantic union went wrong and suggested that it might have been better if circumstances had worked to prevent their first meeting: “Take me back in time; maybe I can forget. Turn a different corner and we never would have met.”

Our lives are the result of much planning and deliberate action. But they are the result of chance as well. “The harder I practice, the luckier I get” is a quote normally used by sportsmen to discount the occurrence or consequence of luck. Athletes like to think that whatever success they’ve had is only down to them. To admit otherwise is to devalue the skills and efforts.

The changes in luck are a large part of why we watch sports. It fosters uncertainty, which, in turn. enhances interest in the process and the result. On any given day, the underdog can be at the champion. Whenever that occurs, luck is likely to have played some significant part, and sport is better for it.

1. What decision did George Headley make before getting his papers?

A．To complete his official documents in Panama.	B．To sharpen his cricket skills in Jamaica.
C．To get a degree in medicine in the USA.	D．To work as a dentist in the USA.

2. What can we say about the delay of Headley’s papers?

A．It affected his debut performance.	B．It became a turning point in his life.
C．It benefited the England cricket team.	D．It led to a missing chapter in cricket.

3. Why did the author mention the song A Different Corner?

A．To stress the importance of chance.

B．To explain the necessity of planning ahead.

C．To show the significance of the first impressions.

D．To illustrate a love-hate relationship with friends.

4. What does George Headley’s career story mainly tell us?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Little people can make a big difference.
C．Efforts and chances are equally important.	D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

2 . Want to know how you can win a camera of your choosing - either a Sony A7 Ⅲ , a Canon EOS R, or a Nikon Z6? Well, come and join in our contest! It’s easy! All you have to do is to share your favorite memory from Photoshop World with us on Instagram. Whether you attended last year, 7 years ago, or even 20 years ago, we want to know what made the event special to you.

How do you enter?

※ Go to Instagram.

※ Upload your Photoshop World photo and tell us about your favorite Photoshop World experience.

※ Include the hashtag #MyPhotoshopWorld in your post.

※ Publish the post.

※ The post must be made after 12:00 p. m. on July 8 and before 11:59 p. m. on July 28, otherwise it will be counted as an invalid entry.

That’s it! No detailed form to fill out. No email sign-up needed. Simply post and cross your fingers for a chance to win a camera in our My Photoshop World Experience Contest.

Register for Photoshop World.

There’s still time to sign up for Photoshop World, so don’t miss your chance to experience this fantastic event! We’ve got 20 world-class instructors coming to each show to tell their best tips and tricks to anyone looking to apply themselves to the photography world. With over 100 classes and live shoots, there’s a little something for everyone!

1. What should you share to join in the contest?

A．Your experiences of using cameras.	B．Your memories of Photoshop World.
C．Your unforgettable travel experiences.	D．Your images processed with Photoshop.

2. Which of the following will be considered as an invalid entry?

A．Posts made on Instagram.	B．Posts uploaded at 10 a. m. on July 8.
C．Posts with the hashtag #MyPhotoshopWorld.	D．Posts of years-old memories of Photoshop World.

3. What is Photoshop World most likely to be?

A．A photography event.	B．A photography program.
C．A piece of photography advice.	D．A piece of photography software.

3 . The world is experiencing a major health crisis. As the new coronavirus spreads, many countries are limiting their citizens’ activities. Travel has been ________ . Many schools are closed. In major cities around the world, restaurants and other businesses are shut down.

Public emergencies ________ a certain type of person—the panic shopper. Some people fear not being able to find basic needs for survival. ________ , they buy everything off supermarket shelves in preparation for the days to come. Bread is often among the first products to disappear in emergency situations.

So, if you have never made bread, now may be a good time to learn. Bread making is a ________ skill. With very few simple things—such as flour, salt and yeast—you can ________ a fresh loaf of bread for your family, neighbours or coworkers.

Baking is not just a useful survival skill. It can make you feel better at ________ times. ________ , baking and cooking have been used to treat people with mental health issues.

Julie Ohana is a(n) ________ worker. She offers what she calls culinary therapy to her patients in New York City. “I say’ therapy’ because to me cooking is so therapeutic. And ‘therapeutic’ really means something that makes you feel ________ , something that is helpful and beneficial to the person doing it.” Julie Ohana uses culinary therapy to help people overcome many kinds of issues. She explains that culinary therapy ________ on many levels.

Baking requires mindfulness. “So when you’re in the kitchen —whether you’re cooking or you’re baking—it really requires a certain level of mindfulness, of being ________ in the moment. Specifically, when you’ re baking. And baking really requires step-by-step, following a ________ , being more precise. Kneading the dough or rolling something out, you really get the full benefit of being present in the moment and being able to relax and ________ all the other thoughts and just focus on the here-and-now. And there really are very strong benefits of being able to do that, to be able to relax, to decompress, destress, and really ________ one’s level of life satisfaction.”

Baking is a labour of love. Ohana also says baking is a process filled with love. It not only makes you feel good, it produces something tangible—something you can touch and eat!

Baking is emotional. Often our food experiences are ________ to family memories and stories. We remember meals our grandmothers made. We teach our children important recipes for family favourites.

Ohana says something that all bakers know—giving delicious, baked goods makes the giver feel as good as the receiver. So, she calls baking a win-win.

1.

A．promoted

B．restricted

C．abandoned

D．recognized

2.

A．bring out

B．bring up

C．bring down

D．bring about

3.

A．Besides

B．However

C．Otherwise

D．Therefore

4.

A．management

B．survival

C．medical

D．communicative

5.

A．buy

B．sacrifice

C．bake

D．consume

6.

A．stressful

B．crucial

C．optimistic

D．miserable

7.

A．In addition

B．As a result

C．By contrast

D．In fact

8.

A．office

B．social

C．rescue

D．research

9.

A．anxious

B．depressed

C．good

D．committed

10.

A．works

B．adopts

C．lacks

D．affects

11.

A．absent

B．present

C．greedy

D．recognized

12.

A．recipe

B．rule

C．theory

D．composition

13.

A．put on

B．put up

C．put aside

D．put off

14.

A．reduce

B．decrease

C．release

D．increase

15.

A．connected

B．associated

C．tied

D．drawn

4 . When we want to communicate with another person, we generally use our voice, such as speaking or shouting. They are great ways to communicate, but they have some drawbacks.

For instance, if you live on a mountainside and your friend lives on another mountainside, shouting to each other isn’t always that effective. Shouting creates lots of echoes (回声) among the corners and holes of mountains, and the average outdoor range of an understandable human voice is only about 180 meters. Unless you walk over to where your friend lives to carry on a conversation at a reasonable speaking distance, or communicate by some sort of visual technique like smoke signals, there’s not much to be done except whistle (吹口哨).

Whistling is the product of air being forced through a small hole made by your lips. A whistle is different from your voice because it’s clear, and the frequency is high. The sound of a whistle can carry for over 8 kilometers and it holds its form, while a shout can become a mess because of the echoes.

For thousands of years, humans have relied on spoken language to accomplish daily, face-to-face communication most of the time. And in recent years, the coming of text messaging has also made whistled languages take a dive worldwide. Luckily, there are still over 70 groups around the world that engage in special whistled languages.

They’re most commonly found in mountainous regions where farmers need to pass messages around without walking up and down hills, and whistles are also used to communicate through the thick Amazon rainforest and are useful to Inuit at sea as well. Hunters can use whistling to communicate with each other in a way that doesn’t alarm their targets as the voice-produced language might.

Whistled languages are unique to a certain area and they are not distinct from spoken language. However, whistled language speakers around the world are found to be able to understand about 90 percent of what’s communicated. When whistled languages are still present, it signals that traditional activities are still commonly practiced and therefore the cultures behind them have been maintained.

1. What does the author want to express in the first two paragraphs?

A．Reasons for producing echoes outdoors.

B．The difficulty of living on the mountainside.

C．The necessity of adopting face-to-face communication.

D．Limitations of communicating by speaking or shouting.

2. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Stay adaptable.	B．Become influential.
C．Get an improvement.	D．Experience a decline.

3. How does the author prove whistled languages useful?

A．By providing research results.	B．By listing the statistic data.
C．By giving examples.	D．By doing some questionnaires.

4. What can be learned about whistled languages?

A．They will disappear gradually.

B．They could help keep traditional cultures alive.

C．They are independent of the local spoken language.

D．They become much more complex as time goes by.

5 . The hustle and bustle(喧嚣)of life, walking back and forth from the ideal to reality, and the inner confusion hidden behind a social mask-these daily experiences are recorded by Chinese youths in lines of poetry online. Recently, 124 Bilibili internet users shared their works in a poem collection.

One blogger on Xiaohongshu who goes by the nickname Gehuaren is one such poetry lover. The twenty-something girl not only writes poems as a form of entertainment in her spare time, but also improvises(即兴创作)poems for others at night markets in Yunnan. As a street-stall poet, Gehuaren often writes pieces of poetry quickly based on themes from customers. Once the poem has been completed, she refuses to change her work because she feels her poems reflect her first reaction. For her, everything in the world, no matter trivial or significant, can serve as her poetic inspiration. “A glass, a tree in the dawn or a person who once talked with me…these all could become themes for my poems,” said Gehuaren.

With free writing with a regular rhythm and broad themes, her poems strike a chord with many young people online, helping her gain over 190, 000 followers. Many have made comments “I feel healed by your poems because I can find beauty from unnoticeable things and in turn, slow down to reflect on my life.”

Apart from poetry, various means such as vlogging and photosharing can be used to record moments of daily life. But young people consider poetry to be the best way to express them. “Taking photos or vlogging can just show the object or emotions in real life. Yet poetry, which can be used to excite the imagination, shows the beauty of daily life, ”an 18-year-old said. So when he is inspired by the beauty of daily life, the boy writes it down into lines of poetry and then shares them with his friends on his WeChat Moments.

No matter why young people write their unique brand of poems, they are attempting to take every moment in lives seriously, face their lives bravely and actively express themselves.

1. How does Gehuaren find inspiration for her poems?

A．By referring to traditional Chinese poems.

B．By attending various online poetry lectures.

C．By exploring great moments in life.

D．By observing everyday life.

2. Why are Gehuaren’s poems so popular with her followers?

A．They are original and full of imagination.

B．They have a strong sense of rhythm.

C．They record the beauty of small and ordinary things.

D．They reflect the differences between the ideal and reality.

3. What’s the 18-year-old’s attitude towards poetry?

A．Positive.

B．Neutral.

C．Cautious.

D．Objective.

4. What can we infer about the young poets in the last paragraph?

A．They hope to avoid challenges.

B．They intend to impress their peers.

C．They try to escape from the busy life.

D．They make their thoughts known bravely.

6 . For those who are deaf or have hearing loss, making and enjoying music can be a challenge. However, that hasn’t stopped Dame Evelyn Glennie from achieving success.

Scottish-born Dame Evelyn Glennie is one of the world’s most recognized percussionists (打击乐器乐手). However, she started going deaf at the age of eight due to a nerve disease. At 12, she totally lost her hearing.

At first, Glennie was desperate. But her percussion teacher at school taught her to feel particular notes. For example, she had to place her hands on a wall, and he would play two notes on two timpani. He would then ask her which was the higher note and where she felt the vibration. Through trials and errors, she managed to distinguish the pitch of notes by associating where on her body she feels the sound. Thanks to her perfect pitch and the fact that she performs barefoot, Evelyn “hears” the sound. Together with her lip-reading skills, and amazing musicianship, she has conquered any troubles and inconvenience caused by her impairment.

Till now, Glennie has performed with almost all the major orchestras (管弦乐队) globally. Besides classical music, she is famous for partnerships with pop and rock artists like Sting and Bjork. Glennie’s works has earned her over 100 music awards, including two Grammys. She even led 1,000 drummers in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

At the age of 58 this year, Glennie’s mission now is to “teach the world to listen” to improve communication by encouraging everyone to discover a new way of listening. “It’s important to grab on to any opportunity that comes your way, but you also need to create your own opportunities,” says Evelyn. “It’s a personal time to reflect on the impact you might have on other people as well. I don’t know if age plays a part in it, because I feel as though I haven’t really achieved very much and there’s still so much to do!”

1. How could Glennie identify different notes as a deaf person?

A．By reading her teacher’s lips.	B．By putting her hands on a wall.
C．By applying her amazing musicianship.	D．By feeling the vibration through her body.

2. What does the underlined word “impairment” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Sorrow.

B．Mismatch.

C．Abnormality.

D．Fear.

3. Which of the following best describes Glennie’s character?

A．faithful and tolerant	B．cheerful and practical
C．determined and kind	D．considerate and dutiful

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Dream Pursued by Evelyn Glennie	B．A Deaf Musician Heard by the World
C．Evelyn Glennie: Teach the World to Listen	D．Talented Percussionist: Say “No” to Age

7 . Ten years after dropping out, Brian a Ma this, a 30- year-old mother of two, went back to Wallace Community College.

She was recruited(录取) back to the _______ in Do than, A lab a ma, by the staff at a new student support center. The same adviser has kept her on track by helping her apply for a financial aid(助学金) and checking in regularly on her progress. “I _______ need the help. I want to attend college but it’s an impossible _______ without the support.” Ma this said.

Two-year community colleges, which _______ many of the students who badly need the support, have the lowest completion races of any kind of university or college. The advisers are a _______ factor in who succeeds.

The _______ supported by the local government has _______ reach out to students who are in need of extra support. “We _______ a lot of students because they don’t think they can _______ their problems,” said Alisha Miles, who is in charge of the project.

Cortez Rawlins, a college freshman, said he was __________ in one of his course until an adviser helped him __________ a detailed study plan.

The goal is for advisers to stick with students until they get a job after __________ Miles admitted: “We’re trying to __________ the goal, but it’s still a __________ task because we’re fighting against a lot of things. Sometimes they’re __________ things, like a lack of push, and sometimes they could be a lack of family support.”

1.

A．family

B．company

C．stage

D．school

2.

A．hardly

B．definitely

C．secretly

D．kindly

3.

A．score

B．payment

C．dream

D．position

4.

A．serve

B．praise

C．refuse

D．protect

5.

A．replace able

B．common

C．relaxing

D．deciding

6.

A．community

B．market

C．program

D．tradition

7.

A．officials

B．advisers

C．winners

D．supporters

8.

A．fail

B．beat

C．join

D．lose

9.

A．solve

B．choose

C．pass

D．cause

10.

A．advancing

B．struggling

C．regretting

D．smiling

11.

A．give up

B．take back

C．work out

D．fight for

12.

A．graduation

B．examination

C．dinner

D．speech

13.

A．change

B．achieve

C．escape

D．respect

14.

A．small

B．creative

C．difficult

D．joyous

15.

A．amazing

B．public

C．scary

D．personal

8 . An embroidered (刺绣的) butterfly made by Liang Zhongmei is so lifelike that it could easily be mistaken for the real thing. It looks as if it could flap its colorful wings and fly free from its white cloth background.

This 55-year-old embroiderer from Guizhou Province was born in a closed and underdeveloped village deep in the mountains, where most residents live by farming or as migrant workers. Losing her left arm at a very young age meant she could not feed herself, but she refused to become downhearted, and learned embroidery from her mother diligently and determinedly.

After producing several works featuring butterflies and goldfish, she won many national professional skills awards in 2011 among people with disabilities. In 2012, she opened her workshop, with embroiderers putting their designs on the shelves to sell to locals, but business was poor.

However, Liang’s career prospered after an online commercial order. Now, clothes, ties, paintings and handicrafts produced by the workshop are sold to consumers worldwide via e-commerce platforms, with profit reaching from 300,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan annually.

As the number of orders rose, Liang employed more workers, offering jobs to more than 100 female embroiderers in the neighborhood. She has also organized training courses for jobless women. “Thanks to the online buyers, our products sell well, which has changed our lives and brought us income and dignity,” Liang said.

Wang Danqing, an online seller, has worked with Liang’s team since 2015. She said, “Many young consumers prefer products with cultural elements and personal appeal. Only by combining embroidered designs with modern life can cultural heritage be seen, loved, protected and passed down.”

1. What do we know about Liang Zhongmei?

A．She made a fortune when her business began.

B．She became world-famous after winning awards.

C．She was strong-willed while learning embroidery.

D．She was brought up in a well-off environment.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word in paragraph 4?

A．took off.	B．went wrong.
C．held steady.	D．broke down.

3. What can we learn from Wang Danqing’s words?

A．New designs need to be integrated into the products.

B．Expanding the range of product sales online is crucial.

C．It is Liang’s duty to pass on the embroidered technique.

D．Products with personal elements are favored by the youth.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Online shopping gains popularity in China.

B．Young people take a great interest in embroidery.

C．Liang became an expert in embroidery despite her disability.

D．Disabled Liang achieved success by trading embroidery online.

9 . One morning soon, you’ll get on your bike and ride from one end of America to the other, because the Great American Rail Trail is 53% complete, making a cross-country bike ride closer to a reality.

The idea of a bike trail(小路) made up of scenic paths, trails and former rail lines from Washington DC to Washington State has been 30 years in the making. Now, with more than 50% of the trail up and running, the project, run by the Rails to Trails in cooperation with local authorities, is building up, with hundreds of miles of trails in development now. Though not entirely complete, the rail trail has drawn people of all types.

Last August, Ryan Gardill and a colleague biked 350 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. Their travels took them through some beautiful and historical parts of the American East. “The trail connected me to our revolutionary and industrial history. Most of the towns on the trail were once important to America.”

The major goal of the trail is to provide the American public with the opportunity to explore their beautiful country, without getting in their car. A secondary objective is to bring prosperity(繁荣) back to the small towns and cities that once prospered along the country’s now diminished rail system, according to National Geographic.

One of these is Muncie, Indiana, a city located on a former rail system and a part of the Rail Trail. The city is already seeing the economic benefits of the trail. “A large majority of our customers are local, but the Rail Trail could help grow tourism,” said Jason Allardt, owner of the historic Kirk’s Bike Shop.

This is the hope for many once-prosperous towns and cities all throughout America, though it may take nearly 20 years to get the entire trail up and running.

1. What has made the trail attractive to people?

A．It’s a bike trail with good scenery.	B．It’s a rail line across the country.
C．It offers good adventurous paths.	D．Its construction lasted 30 years.

2. What can be inferred about most towns along the trail?

A．They were the basic part of the U.S. railways.

B．They are mostly located in the mountains.

C．They enjoy great popularity as destinations.

D．They’re no longer important towns in America.

3. What does the underlined word “diminished” mean in Para. 4?

A．Enlarged.

B．Protected.

C．Decreased.

D．Destroyed.

4. What can we learn about the city Muncie?

A．The Trail will link its scenery to the outside.	B．The Trail will help its economic recovery.
C．It has bike paths designed for local citizens.	D．The railway has brought about its prosperity.

10 . How important has Internet become in our lives? The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to celebrate the Web’s 25th birthday. The researchers were greatly heartened by what they found.

“In 2006, only 14 percent of American adults used Internet. Today, it’s 87 percent,” said Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project. “It is what has impressed us the most.”

The survey also showed that 70 percent of the Internet users have been treated kindly or generously online, while 25 percent of respondents said they have been treated unkindly. More than half—56 percent—of users said they’ve seen an online community come together to help someone solve a problem. 25 percent said they’ve left an online group because members were too unpleasant.

When Pew asked questions about whether being online has enriched people’s relationships—or not—the results were very positive: 67 percent of Internet users said their online communication with family and friends has generally strengthened those relationships. Only 18 percent said it has generally weakened those relationships.

According to the survey, 53 percent of Internet users said Internet has become the hardest tech tool to give up. It is 15 percent higher than the result of a similar survey conducted in 2006. In fact, more people said they would have a harder time stopping using Internet than giving up TV. (These days, so much great television streams across the Internet that it makes sense.)

“In our survey, we have found that the Web makes a few people very unhappy. There’s strong evidence pointing to the fact that Internet users tend to compare their daily lives with the ‘highlight moments’ of their friends’ lives,” said Lee Rainie. “It’s really silly.”

1. Which is the most impressive result of the latest survey?

A．Users’ dependence on Internet.	B．The fast growth of Internet users.
C．The kindness of online communities.	D．The strengthened family relationships.

2. How many participants found it the hardest to give up Internet in 2006?

A．15%.

B．38%.

C．53%.

D．68%.

3. What message does Lee Rainie seem to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Online depression cannot be avoided.	B．Don’t show off in online communities.
C．Don’t make unnecessary comparison.	D．Copy your friends’ wonderful lifestyles.

4. How do the researchers feel about the results of the survey?

A．Optimistic.

B．Worried.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Doubtful.