1 . Have you ever thought how good it would be if an unfinished handwork project, which stopped because the owner passed away, could be lovingly completed?
Friends and knitters (编织者) Jennifer Simonic and Masey Kaplan started the Loose Ends Project in September 2022. The pair match “volunteer finishers” with unfinished projects online so they can carefully complete them and then return them to the people they were being made for.
It all started when founders, Simonic and Kaplan, realized that they had both been asked by friends to finish knitting hats, sweaters or other unfinished projects by their moms. When more friends asked them for help, they felt it would be a good idea to “have strangers be able to finish things for each other”.
Helping strangers this way, which also assists (帮助) them to get through their grieving process, was something that the two had happily agreed to do, understanding how wonderful it feels to be dressed in something a loved one has created.
Adding a moving couple of extra steps, once the finishers receive the project, they may highlight (突出) the last stitch (针) worked by the dead maker in a special way before they restart the work.
In just a few months, Loose Ends has built up a global team of over 7, 000 volunteers. New volunteers are asked to share their skill sets and interests. When Loose Ends receives a project, the founders determine a good fit based on these skills. The Loose Ends team will let the volunteers try the work to “check if they’re feeling it too”, as Simonic and Kaplan never want the work to be a boring task.
Volunteers do not charge for their work, while families are only asked to cover the delivery costs. The group tries to match projects to volunteers living nearby to reduce the delivery costs to the lowest.
1. What is the goal of the Loose Ends Project?| A．To promote handwork art. | B．To sell handwork products online. |
| C．To complete unfinished handwork projects. | D．To recycle good handwork projects. |
| A．Touching | B．Amazing | C．Unforgettable | D．Painful |
| A．They may make a special design for the last stitch. |
| B．They may mark the original maker’s last stitch. |
| C．They may add receivers’ information on them. |
| D．They may sign their names on the works. |
| A．Quick | B．Tiring | C．Safe | D．Thoughtful |
2 . This is the last Christmas that Faye and Matthew have spent in their house, which has already been sold. Faye and Matthew Gooding and their five young sons appear to have perfect lives. For the couple themselves, however, this “materially perfect world” was lacking in something—so now they are giving up all their possessions to travel around the world with their children. Most of their belongings have been given to their neighbors. Faye said, “It is a relief to get rid of so many possessions. Thankfully, our parents understand and support us.”
“I hesitated for a while because some friends think Faye and I are mad to give up so much. When we told the older boys, they were so excited that they were going to have so much time as a family. It made me realize the amount of toys or material possessions can’t replace time spent with our children. They’ve had to give away so many toys, bikes and books. My wife Faye was so determined to keep to our plan,” said Matthew.
They will leave this month and plan to start their travels in Sweden where they have friends. Faye said, “My older boys plot where we go next but we hope to see Europe and over two years travel as far as Japan, America, Bali and Thailand. We don’t plan to hire any tour guides. We just depend on a compass and local people to move in the right direction.”
Faye, who posts on Instagram as a mother of five boys, added, “It is a risk because we are giving up so much. I, however, even plan to quit my job after the travel. We can’t wait to spend more time with our sons without the stresses of everyday routines. We don’t know what will happen, but we do know if we didn’t do this we would always regret it.”
1. How will Faye and Matthew cover the travel costs?| A．By selling their house. | B．By doing part-time jobs. |
| C．By asking parents for help. | D．By borrowing from neighbors. |
| A．Worried | B．Excited | C．Uncertain | D．Firm |
| A．Faye | B．Matthew | C．The children | D．The tour guide |
| A．A travel guidebook | B．A life journal | C．A paper | D．A diary |
3 . Many high school students look forward to volunteering abroad. Here are some programs that such students can consider.
Spring Break Voluntary Service
Through this program, you’ll volunteer to build schools and community centers in the Dominican Republic, and help with reforestation (重新造林) or water purification (净化) projects. You’ll also have the chance to spend some free time on beaches, and explore freshwater lakes and underwater caves. This eight-day program costs $1,899.
Tanzania Expedition
Raleigh International’s Tanzania Expedition includes an adventurous hike in the Southern Highlands, through which you can help out with some environmental projects, and also pick up wildness survival skills. Except for these, volunteer work includes planting trees, improving access to clean water, and helping with hygiene (卫生) awareness events. This expedition lasts five, seven, or ten weeks, starting at $2,595.
Volunteer in Sri Lanka
Plan My Gap Year (PMGY) is offering a Sri Lanka volunteering experience to travelers aged 16 and 17. For two weeks, you’ll explore and volunteer, with activities including visiting an elephant center, watching animals at Yala National Park, relaxing on the beach and volunteering for different projects which mainly focus on English teaching, elephants, and sea turtles. The cost starts at $1,599.
Volunteer in Morocco
Another volunteer opportunity perfect for teens is the Morocco program provided by Cross-Cultural Solutions, where you will be able to travel across this beautiful country for two or four weeks and help with education, health, technology, or sports leadership activities. The cost (including housing and meals, in-country transport handbooks, and more) starts at $750, plus a $249 registration fee (注册费).
1. What is special about Tanzania expedition?| A．It includes a trip to a national park. |
| B．It puts volunteering and adventure together. |
| C．It aims to raise locals’ environmental awareness. |
| D．It requires volunteers to be equipped with first aid skills. |
| A．They are of the same lasting time. | B．They are for teens aged 16 and 17. |
| C．They both stress environmental protection. | D．They offer volunteers chances to visit beaches. |
| A．Pay a registration fee. | B．Work out an activity plan. |
| C．Make a booking online. | D．Join Cross-Cultural Solutions. |
4 . Fall is finally here! This is the most glorious time of the year. Leaves are turning yellow, and the weather is cool enough to wear your favorite sweaters. But for some, the changing of the seasons is vexing, and can lead to a sudden dip in energy, making many people wonder why they get more tired in the fall.
Many studies show that some viruses causing the common cold are more active in cooler weather, which may further lead to fall fatigue (疲劳).
However, the cold weather isn’t the only reason you may be feeling run-down this fall. The lack of sunlight can also have a significant impact on how energetic we feel. “There’s a special circuit from your eyeballs that goes directly to your brain that picks up sunlight, and the most important signal is sunlight in the morning. That sunlight in the morning helps wake you up, and also helps keep you awake all day long.” said Dr. Michael Howell, a sleep specialist. So, sleepiness is unavoidable in a season without much sunlight. When people’s exposure to sunlight is increasingly limited, some people may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. Too often, SAD is treated as a punchline, but for the estimated 10 million Americans who suffer from it, it’s not a joke. SAD is a form of depression that is related to the change in seasons, which makes people feel tired easily. Symptoms can include high pressure, feelings of depression and a heavy feeling in arms and legs, etc. And most people experience them during the fall and winter.
While the fall is a beautiful season, the disorder it can bring to your body and mind is no joke. Be sure to put your health and wellness first as you head into fall. It’s an ideal time to cook soup and stew, clean out your room, take a walk outside, or relax with a good book. Sleep tight, my friends.
1. What does the underlined word “vexing” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Annoying | B．Shocking. | C．Enjoyable. | D．Important. |
| A．Creating more energy. | B．Keeping people awake. |
| C．Helping people sleep tight. | D．Showing the change of seasons. |
| A．It depends on temperatures. |
| B．It strikes people in sunny seasons. |
| C．It is clearly understood by most people. |
| D．It has both physical and mental impacts. |
| A．How you keep awake in the fall? |
| B．Why you are more tired in the fall? |
| C．What you should do to stay energetic in the fall? |
| D．Who you can turn to for tips on SAD in the fall? |
5 . Peter, 60, loved his job as a bus driver. He had been one almost all his life, loving the company of the little children who rode his bus daily. It made him feel younger and more energetic. His record was clean, without one accident during his duty, which made him a trustworthy driver.
However, Mr. Clark, Peter’s boss, was concerned and thought that it was time for him to retire. “You don’t have a choice here, Peter,” he said seriously. “We don’t want to invite any risk to the children who take your bus every day. We need a replacement at this stage.”
“But I have a perfect record,”argued Peter. “You know, for an elderly man like me, my job is the only thing that keeps me alive. I want to keep my job.”
“Would you take responsibility if something bad happened to those children?” Mr. Clark said.
Peter thought it over, and very reluctantly, he gave in to Mr. Clark’s request. Peter decided to retire a week later.
His retirement day approached pretty soon. The day before his last day, Peter was dropping off the kids at his first stop when he looked out of the window and saw a lady on the road who had fainted (昏厥). He asked the kids not to leave the bus and got off to help the woman.
Just when he finished, he heard screams behind him. The children were looking out of the window and screaming. “Fire! Fire! Help!” “How could that have happened?” Peter was shaking in fear. With trembling hands, Peter dialed 911 and rushed to help the children. Peter covered himself with his jacket and burst into the flaming bus. He took the children out of the burning bus one by one. Thankfully, the firefighters arrived soon and helped Peter, saving all students.
The next day, Peter saw the entire school gathered in front of his home. When Peter approached them, Mr. Clark started clapping and everyone joined him. “You are a hero, Peter! You saved the lives of those young children,” he said. “You are the best driver. We hope you can keep the job!”
1. What made Mr. Clark concerned?| A．He couldn’t persuade Peter to retire. |
| B．Taking school bus was unsafe for children. |
| C．Peter was too old to be a school bus driver. |
| D．The school bus driver must be changed regularly. |
| A．Angrily. | B．Carefully. |
| C．Doubtfully. | D．Unwillingly. |
| A．They were caught in the burning bus. | B．They were frightened by the woman. |
| C．They couldn’t find Peter on the bus. | D．They didn’t want a new school bus driver. |
| A．Putting out the fire | B．An old hero driver |
| C．Working after retirement | D．Dangerous journey on school bus |
6 . I remember when I was young, people often asked me, “What are you going to be when you grow up?”
It
We find ourselves just about reaching the top, and a “small”
I always tell my children that you are
So, be true to your dream, and don’t let anyone
| A．kept on | B．insisted on | C．felt like | D．started out |
| A．changed | B．planned | C．failed | D．left |
| A．doctor | B．engineer | C．musician | D．teacher |
| A．But | B．Or | C．So | D．As |
| A．aim | B．agreement | C．decision | D．position |
| A．hardly | B．nearly | C．slightly | D．extremely |
| A．money | B．plan | C．dreams | D．friends |
| A．greatest | B．poorest | C．tallest | D．oldest |
| A．themselves | B．itself | C．yourselves | D．ourselves |
| A．sound | B．noise | C．speech | D．voice |
| A．it | B．her | C．him | D．me |
| A．can | B．can’t | C．must | D．mustn’t |
| A．where | B．who | C．when | D．which |
| A．stages | B．lessons | C．suggestions | D．choices |
| A．to | B．for | C．at | D．with |
| A．able | B．ready | C．likely | D．happy |
| A．interesting | B．important | C．impossible | D．necessary |
| A．many | B．some | C．any | D．no |
| A．spending | B．living | C．planning | D．changing |
| A．buy | B．fool | C．steal | D．borrow |
7 . After inventing a life-saving device, a student is set to stand on the stage of the Global Innovation (创新) Challenge this fall.
Anna McCord, 13, won a top title at the National Innovator Challenge and has become the top story in the news. The National Innovator Challenge is a yearly competition that encourages and celebrates youth innovation where the top 10 inventions are chosen for “Top Innovator” honors. On July 3, the eighth-grader won “Top Innovator” for her invention, “Sea Me Here,” a device that makes anyone lost at sea more visible to the rescue team.
The “Sea Me Here” device is made from plastic and a metal ring. It can be stored in a small pocket or bag. When removed, it spreads into a much larger size behind the user, increasing visibility.
Anna said she came up with the idea for the device from her mother’s past diving experience. “My mom used to div e for a living and she would keep a white plastic bag in her pocket, so if she would ever get lost, she could stick it up on the surface,” Anna said. “I improved on that when she told me about it.”
Jeremy Brannon, Anna’s earth and life science teacher, said when Anna told him about her project, he was impressed. Brannon added that Ann a was independent with her project, asking for guidance only when needed.
The project took six months, Ann a said. “Everyone liked it... I got some good questions, and it helped me improve on the device,” Anna said.
Anna believes her invention has a bright future ahead. “The end goal would probably be to have it built into life jackets, so you could have it at anytime,” she said. “If you had a life jacket on you and you were lost at sea, you could just pop it out.”
1. Why was Anna in the news?| A．She won an honor in a national event. |
| B．She entered an international competition. |
| C．She became the youngest inventor in her school. |
| D．She saved a person’s life with an innovative device. |
| A．Making reusable plastic bags. |
| B．Collecting plastic waste from the sea. |
| C．Protecting the safety of rescue workers. |
| D．Helping rescue workers find people lost at sea. |
| A．From her teacher’s science class. |
| B．From her mother’s diving practice. |
| C．From her mother’s traveling stories. |
| D．From one of her diving experiences. |
| A．Hardworking and polite. | B．Warm-hearted and gifted. |
| C．Confident and smart. | D．Humorous and honest. |
8 . As a photographer, have you thought about entering photo competitions? Which photo competition should you enter? If you’ve found yourself asking the questions, you’re in the right place. This article will introduce some of the most famous photo competitions to you.
World Press Photo AwardsIf you want to test your photojournalism (摄影新闻报道) skills against others in more than one competition, consider joining the World Press Photo Awards. The competition has been hosted each year since 1955 and there are regional and overall winners.
Deadline: JanuaryEntry Fee: Free
Prizes: Regional winners: €1,000. Global winners: €6,000.
Istanbul Photo Awards
The Istanbul Photo Awards is hosted each year by Anadolu Agency, Turkey. But you don’t need to have a base in Istanbul to enter the competition.
You can apply for several categories, including single news, story news, and categories ranging from sports to nature. The competition is organized mainly for news photographers.
Deadline: FebruaryEntry Fee: Free
Prizes: Category winners: $ 3,000. Runners-up (亚军): $1,500. Third-placed: $ 1,000.
Amateur Photographer of the year
The Amateur Photographer of the year award is held every year. You’ll have the opportunity to enter several rounds throughout the year, each of which has a different topic.
Deadline: VariesEntry Fee: Free
Prizes: Winner gets £ 500 (each round); £ 1,000 for the overall winner. Second-placed get £ 100. Third-placed get £ 50.
Landscape Photographer of the Year
If you live in the UK and want to show your country’s beauty, you might want to consider entering the competition. The competition has several categories, including city life, black and wife, and classic view.
Deadline: MayEntry Fee: £ 9.99
Prizes: Winner gets £ 10,000 and a book. Category winners: £ 1,000 and a book. Category runners-up: A book.
1. What do World Press Photo Awards and Istanbul Photo Awards have in common?
| A．They require entry fees. |
| B．They set three levels of prizes. |
| C．They are hosted in the same month each year. |
| D．They are mainly held for news photographers. |
| A．Istanbul Photo Awards. | B．World Press Photo Awards. |
| C．Amateur Photographer of the year. | D．Landscape Photographer of the Year. |
| A．£ 500 | B．£ 1,000 | C．£ 6,000 | D．£ 10,000 |
9 . Language is in a constant state of change. British English shows this clearly. Take the word “Cheerio!” for example. It has been a British way to say goodbye for more than a century, but it’s dying out as the English language evolves. These days, many young people simply say “laters”. Or take the word “marvelous”. At one time it was a common British word meaning “wonderful”, but over the last ten years it’s been overtaken by the American word “awesome”.
So how and why do words come into and fall out of fashion? The influence of US culture is only one explanation for why popular words in British English may change or even stop being used over time. “Awesome” is a good example, but also “fortnight”, a term not used in the US, is now falling out of fashion in British English, and in some cases has been replaced by “two weeks”.
New inventions also bring in new words. As old inventions are replaced by new ones, the words which described them also disappear and are replaced. So it’s out with the “Walkman” (a cassette player from the 80s) and in with MP4 players!
Then there’s the influence of social media. Text messages and emails have reduced words for convenience, with something like ICYMI (“in case you missed it”) becoming words in their own right. Where “friend” was once a noun, we now “friend someone on Facebook” and where we used to “love” something, now we’re “loving it”!
1. In what situation do the British use “Cheerio!”?| A．When they give thanks. | B．When they ask for help. |
| C．When they say goodbye. | D．When they meet new friends. |
| A．Returns. | B．Develops. | C．Follows. | D．Falls. |
| A．To show its importance. | B．To talk about its history. |
| C．To describe how it came into being. | D．To explain how some words are replaced. |
| A．It is changing the way that words are used. | B．It is making language difficult to learn. |
| C．It is bringing in many long words. | D．It is making meanings clearer. |
10 . Small children are easy to throw up in the air and catch — and they
I hope Jacky will always trust me fully, but I know that, as he gets older, it will need more effort and sound judgment
| A．deserve | B．love | C．miss | D．know |
| A．in case | B．even though | C．so that | D．as if |
| A．fear | B．doubt | C．excitement | D．astonishment |
| A．reasonable | B．absolute | C．limited | D．important |
| A．responsibility | B．satisfaction | C．achievement | D．relief |
| A．on my part | B．on my behalf | C．in my honor | D．in my name |
| A．wait | B．choose | C．expect | D．afford |
| A．attach | B．compare | C．introduce | D．adjust |
| A．grateful | B．happy | C．proud | D．safe |
| A．For instance | B．Above all | C．At first | D．In addition |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Similarly | D．Fortunately |
| A．affection | B．leadership | C．friendship | D．determination |
| A．assess | B．understand | C．organize | D．develop |
| A．gesture | B．lack | C．bond | D．measure |
| A．communication | B．personality | C．management | D．education |
