1 . My husband came across the program from my father-in-law’s high school graduation, 90 years ago. It was the class of 1928 and their class motto (格言) was “Build for character, not for fame.”
I’m pretty sure society has done a full reverse on that one.
These days, we have people who are famous for simply being famous. They haven’t done anything particularly impressive, but they do take great selfies.
We are all obsessed with fame these days, mainly thanks to social media. All we want is for people to follow us, friend us, like us, or share our posts. We are nearly desperate for fame.
“Build for character, not for fame,” is based on the assumption that one is looking up and ahead. That’s an encouraging idea, especially today, when most of us have our heads down, looking at the screens of our smartphones. Looking ahead and building for character takes thought and intentionality (意向性).
One can be intentional in building for fame as well, but fame often relies heavily on the right timing and connections, as well as the creation of a base of fans and supporters.
Character isn’t subject to the ideas of others. Character is built with self-discipline (自律), and a willingness to learn from difficulties. Character grows internally (内在地) and needs no applause.
Fame depends on people looking at you, while character is who you are when no one is looking.
Fame often comes with jealousy (嫉妒); a feeling that time is running out or that someone better than you is coming to steal your fans.
Character is marked by feeling content and being generous. There is satisfaction that comes with the reward of achievements, but at the same time, good character willingly holds the door open for others who are also hoping to achieve.
This commencement (毕业典礼) season, speakers will tell new graduates to get out there and build a better world.
The best way to build a better world is to build character, the kind that runs deep and can carry you through life’s storms.
Build character with courage, justice (公正) and strength. Build character by respecting yourself and respecting others. Build character with kindness, hope and love. Build for character and you will build a better world.
1. The underlined phrase “has done a full reverse on” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.| A．has taken full advantage of |
| B．has done the complete opposite to |
| C．has made a good practice of |
| D．has paid a lot of attention to |
| A．the rise of social media |
| B．the impact of well-known stars |
| C．their intention to make a difference |
| D．their satisfaction with their achievements |
| A．mind their behavior when being looked at |
| B．connect with others at the right time |
| C．look ahead and gladly accept other people’s advice |
| D．behave themselves and readily learn from hardships |
| A．It inspires people to achieve more. |
| B．It honors her family’s memory. |
| C．It enables us to build a better world. |
| D．It helps us gain respect from other people. |
2 . The number one thing you'll probably do is book your flight if you want to travel to another country. But in some countries, you won't be able to fly directly.
Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, as a 109-acre area in the middle of Rome, doesn't have its own airport, but visitors can easily get there via Italy's capital.
Similarly, San Marino, the fifth smallest country in the world, is also surrounded by Italian land. It has a population of a little more than 33,000 and sits just nine miles from Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini, Italy.
The second-smallest country in the world is Monaco, with a population of more than 38, 500. To get there, you'll have to go through France's Nice Cote d' Azur Airport, which is just a 25-minute car ride away from Monaco. Perhaps that's why developers didn't bother creating anything like a short flight.
Interestingly enough, the third and fourth smallest countries, Nauru and Tuvalu have their own airports, but the fifth and sixth smallest don't We already mentioned San Marino, and to get to Liechtenstein, you'll have to go through Switzerland's St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport, 24 miles away from the capital.
No such luck trying to fly into Andorra, which only requires a 25-mile drive to get from one end of the country to the other. Situated in a mountain range valley, Andorra has too much difficulty in building an airport runway. But for visitors there is no difficulty in going Andorra. Both Spain and France have access to Andorra. The closest way to Andorra's capital is Girona-Costa Brava Airport in Spain.
1. How many countries or regions introduced in the passage don't have their own airport?| A．Five. | B．Sⅸ. | C．Seven. | D．Eight. |
| A．Monaco. | B．Marino. | C．Liechtenstein. | D．Andorra. |
| A．Visitors can easily get to Vatican City via Switzerland's capital. |
| B．The fifth smallest country in the world has a little less than 33, 000 residents. |
| C．To get to Liechtenstein, you'll have to go through Italy's airport. |
| D．Visitors can arrive at Andorra through Spain or France. |
| A．It is difficult to build an airport in a mountain range valley. |
| B．It only requires a 25-mile drive to get from one end of the country to the other. |
| C．The closest option to Andorra’s capital is Girona-Costa Brava Airport in Spain. |
| D．Developers didn't bother creating anything like that. |
3 . People in the US have been encouraged for decades to eat various kinds of food, as the variety of food helps to
The advice to
But things may be different considering today's environment
Experts
Greater dietary variety is also associated with a(n)
But Dr Otto said people should worry
| A．ensure | B．make | C．provide | D．prove |
| A．dish | B．meal | C．diet | D．food |
| A．decision | B．research | C．recommendation | D．study |
| A．cook | B．consume | C．find | D．take |
| A．rarely | B．nearly | C．hardly | D．largely |
| A．recent | B．latest | C．previous | D．scientific |
| A．cure | B．stop | C．protect | D．prevent |
| A．why | B．where | C．when | D．what |
| A．opposite | B．positive | C．same | D．convincing |
| A．carried | B．did | C．examined | D．left |
| A．held | B．gave out | C．released | D．came out |
| A．such as | B．for example | C．in case | D．as long as |
| A．Although | B．Even if | C．However | D．But |
| A．healthy | B．junk | C．nutritious | D．high-fat |
| A．higher | B．medium | C．lower | D．average |
| A．narrow | B．limited | C．deficient | D．wider |
| A．reduce | B．digest | C．increase | D．consume |
| A．in general | B．in other words | C．in short | D．in particular |
| A．more | B．less | C．higher | D．lower |
| A．cares | B．helps | C．works | D．matters |
4 . In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The problem is that countries around the world have growing mountains of
How did we
Another cause is our
Our appetite for new products also
All around the world. we can see the
Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions
| A．gifts | B．rubbish | C．debt | D．products |
| A．face | B．become | C．observe | D．change |
| A．hide | B．control | C．replace | D．withdraw |
| A．safe | B．funny | C．cheap | D．powerful |
| A．love | B．lack | C．prevention | D．division |
| A．ways | B．places | C．jobs | D．friends |
| A．adapts | B．returns | C．responds | D．contributes |
| A．tired of | B．addicted to | C．worried about | D．ashamed for |
| A．newer | B．stronger | C．higher | D．larger |
| A．pick up | B．pay for | C．hold onto | D．throw away |
| A．advantages | B．purposes | C．functions | D．consequences |
| A．show | B．record | C．decrease | D．measure |
| A．However | B．Otherwise | C．Therefore | D．Meanwhile |
| A．by | B．in favour of | C．after | D．instead of |
| A．taking | B．collecting | C．repairing | D．advertising |
5 . Now distance is no longer a problem for travellers around the world. For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the countries into villages. It seems that the distances between them appear no greater than from village to village in the past. Planes fly people from one end of the Earth to the other, providing a freedom of movement not dreamt of a hundred years ago.
However, not everyone is pleased with the high speed. Though we have conquered (征服) time and distance, there is a great loss.Travel is something to be enjoyed, not endured (忍受). The ship offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever-changing sights and sounds of a journey. During a journey by train, lakes, forests and wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and distance mean nothing. But if you board a plane, you can just see the blank blue of the sky filling the narrow window of the aeroplane, and the hours progress slowly.
What's more, there is the time spent being "processed"at a modern airport. People are transported like robots along walkways; luggage is weighed: tickets are produced, examined and produced yet again before the passengers move to another waiting area. Of course, journeys by rail and sea take longer, but the hours devoted to being"processed"at departure and arrival are luckily shorter. No wonder, then, that the modern high-speed trains are winning back passengers from the airlines.
Yet it is impossible for us to turn our back on the aeroplane. The working lives of too many people depend upon it; too many industries have been built around its design and operation And too many holiday takers, with limited time to spend, patiently endure the busy airports and limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours. Speed controls people's life today, saving time, in work or play, is the important thing—or so we are told. Perhaps those first horsemen, riding freely across the wild, open plains, were enjoying a better world than the ones we know today. They could travel at will, and the clock was not their master.
1. What does the author try to express in paragraph 1?| A．Travel by plane has speeded up the growth of villages. |
| B．The speed of modern travel has made distances relatively shorter. |
| C．The freedom of movement has helped people realise their dreams. |
| D．Man has been fond of travelling rather than staying in one place |
| A．By giving instructions. | B．By analysing cause and effect. |
| C．By following the order of time. | D．By giving examples. |
| A．They could enjoy free and relaxing travel. | B．They needed the clock to tell the time. |
| C．They preferred travelling on horseback. | D．They could travel with their master. |
6 . Are you preparing for a big test? If so, you may want to play some basketball in between hitting the books. Doctors are starting to find more and more information that suggests a connection between exercise and brain development. Judy Cameron, a scientist at Oregon Health and Oregon Health and Science University, studies brain development. According to her research, it seems that exercise can make blood vessels(管), including those in the brain, stronger and more fully developed. Dr. Cameron claims this allows people who exercise to concentrate better. As she says, "While we already know that exercise is good for the heart, exercise can really cause physical changes in the brain."
The effects of exercise on brain development can even be seen in babies. Babies who do activities that require a lot of movement and physical activity show greater brain development than babies who are less physically active. With babies, even a little movement can show big results. Margaret Barnes, a pediatrician(儿科医生), believes in the importance of exercise. She thinks that many learning disabilities that children have in elementary school or high school can be traced back to a lack of movement as babies. "Babies need movement that stimulates their five senses. They need to establish a connection between motion and memory. In this way, as they get older, children will begin to associate physical activity with higher learning," says Margaret.
Older people can beef up their brains as well. Scientists from 11 universities studied a group of seniors ranging in age from seventy to seventy-nine. Their study showed a short-term memory increase of up to 40 percent after exercising just three hours a week. The exercise does not have to be very difficult, but it does have to increase the heart rate. Also, just like the motion for infants (婴儿), exercise for older people should involve some complexity. Learning some new skills or motions, such as with yoga or tai-chi, helps to open up memory paths in the brain that may not have been used for a long time.
For most people, any type of physical activity that increases the heart rate is helpful. The main goal is to increase the brain's flow of blood. And your brain can benefit from as little as three hours of exercise a week.
1. What is the best title of this passage?| A．How to exercise |
| B．How exercise helps the brain |
| C．How to get good scores on a test |
| D．How the brain can change |
| A．Exercise makes us stupid. |
| B．The brain needs special mental exercise. |
| C．The more exercise, the bigger the brain. |
| D．Physical exercise helps us think better. |
| A．three hours per week |
| B．40hours per week |
| C．three hours per day |
| D．40hours per month. |
| A．It is easy to learn. |
| B．It can be done in groups. |
| C．It does not increase the heart rate. |
| D．It includes learning new motions. |
7 . WE COMBAT ANIMAL DISEASES TOGETHER!
We want to prevent serious animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever and African swine fever from spreading to Finland. These and other animal diseases can be transmitted from one country to another by animals or by meat and dairy products even if they are packed for personal consumption or intended as gifts. Travelers like you play an important role in preventing the spread of animal diseases.
Don’t bring meat, meat products, milk and dairy products from non-EU countries to Finland!
A ban on personal imports applies to meat and dairy products brought into Finland by travelers or ordered and sent through the post. The ban applies to food stuffs intended for personal consumption or as gifts and to pet food. If you have food products of animal origin with you, throw them in a waste container in the point of entry or contact Customs!
Bringing meat-containing products as presents and for personal use from an EU country to Finland
At the moment, there are EU countries with cases of African swine fever. In those countries there are restriction areas and, as a rule, pork and wild bear meat or products containing these meats may not be imported from these areas into Finland. Import is allowed only under very strict criteria controlled by local authorities. However, the sales of these meat products within the country may be allowed. In the EU, the disease has been detected in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Belgium and Italy (Sardinia), for instance. It is difficult for travelers to know and prove from which area meat products originate and whether the products on sale meet all criteria. This is the reason why we recommend that people avoid importing any meat products containing pork or wild bear meat as presents or for personal use from countries with African swine fever.
PLEASE NOTE! Never leave any food waste or leftover in the environment or places where they may be eaten by wildlife. Never give food waste or leftover to production animals or to pet pigs.
Thank you for helping us to prevent the spread of animal diseases. We wish you a pleasant journey!
| A．Food importers in Finland. | B．Travelers to Finland. |
| C．Citizens in EU countries. | D．Medical staff from non-EU countries. |
| A．To protect endangered wildlife. | B．To secure the domestic economy. |
| C．To promote vegetarian lifestyle. | D．To prevent the infectious diseases. |
| A．A Russian official threw a beef burger in a dustbin at the Finnish airport. |
| B．A Finnish girl fed milk to pigeon at the park in her neighborhood. |
| C．A Japanese traveler bought some Hungarian homemade sausages in Finland. |
| D．A German brought German cheeses to his Finnish girlfriend as a gift. |
8 . In the future, we will be competing against medically-enhanced workers who can work longer and harder than us. Artificial intelligence will make it easier to monitor our every move in the office. This may sound like science fiction, but it’s a likely
The report, which
According to PwC, these forces will result in four potential futures: one where “humans come first,” one where “innovation
In the future world where corporations reign, PwC states that “human effort is
This is a world where performance is everything, and workers will need to create every
Seventy percent of the workers surveyed said that they would undergo
To visualize this
But you don’t need a fake news report to see this future; real news reports about augmented bodies in the office have existed for some time. Companies in the U.S. and Europe are already offering microchip implants to workers, so they can enter company buildings and get their chips from the vending machine with the
PwC predicts that the idea of a cyborg workforce will go from science fiction novelty to mainstream in the next few decades.
“So implants at work are already possible and happening and people will use it
| A．dimension | B．vision | C．integrity | D．reality |
| A．drew upon | B．counted on | C．signed in | D．made up |
| A．availability | B．scarcity | C．rivalry | D．privatization |
| A．demolish | B．induce | C．alter | D．shape |
| A．exceeds | B．offsets | C．rules | D．withdraws |
| A．dwarfed | B．maximized | C．converted | D．marginalized |
| A．wellbeing | B．priority | C．emotions | D．ideology |
| A．fantasy | B．interference | C．advantage | D．expertise |
| A．resented | B．welcomed | C．ventured | D．overcame |
| A．reassurance | B．violation | C．reformation | D．treatments |
| A．dream | B．expectation | C．responsibility | D．perspective |
| A．corporate-dominated | B．career-oriented | C．human-centered | D．cognitive-enhanced |
| A．wave | B．pulse | C．check | D．strike |
| A．urgently | B．socially | C．privately | D．solely |
| A．farther | B．closer | C．longer | D．shorter |
9 . I believe even the smartest people have to work hard to achieve success. People make themselves into winners by their own
Many years ago, I took the head
I started doing anything I could to help them build a little
Six months after our defeat, we won our first game and our second, and continued to
| A．tests | B．luck | C．efforts | D．nature |
| A．operating | B．editing | C．consulting | D．coaching |
| A．new | B．excellent | C．strong | D．successful |
| A．cheer for | B．prepare for | C．help with | D．finish with |
| A．realize | B．claim | C．permit | D．demand |
| A．decision | B．attitude | C．conclusion | D．intention |
| A．pride | B．culture | C．fortune | D．relationship |
| A．leaders | B．partners | C．winners | D．learners |
| A．risked | B．missed | C．considered | D．practiced |
| A．expand | B．improve | C．relax | D．defend |
| A．shame | B．burden | C．victory | D．favor |
| A．chance | B．joy | C．concern | D．offer |
| A．surprise | B．relate | C．interest | D．affect |
| A．encouraged | B．observed | C．protected | D．impressed |
| A．naturally | B．individually | C．calmly | D．differently |
10 . By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.
At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms (海洋微生物) called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean’s appearance.
Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.
Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT’s Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model thatprojectschanges to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 39C, it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener.” Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing,” she said, “but the type of phytoplankton is changing.”
And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean, Dutkiewicz said, “it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive.” Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.
Whatever colour changes the ocean experiences in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. “It’ll be a while before we can statistically show that the changes are happening because of climate change,” Dutkiewicz said, “ but the change in the colour of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have changed our planet.”
1. What directly makes the change of the ocean’s appearance?| A．The increase of phytoplankton. |
| B．The way light reflects off the organisms. |
| C．The type and concentration of phytoplankton. |
| D．The decline of phytoplankton. |
| A．Control. | B．Use. |
| C．Predict. | D．Discover. |
| A．Phytoplankton are sensitive to the ocean’s warming trend. |
| B．Phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide at the bottom of the ocean. |
| C．Oceans with more phytoplankton may appear bluer |
| D．Data have been found to show the change in the colour of the ocean |
| A．To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton. |
| B．To explain the effect of climate change on oceans. |
| C．To analyze the consequences of ocean colour changes. |
| D．To analyze the composition of the ocean food chain. |
