1 . The United States seems to have become extremely enthusiastic about competition. The famous Scripps National Spelling Bee—an annual spelling contest—now allows kids who last in regional competitions but whose parents agree to pay an entry fee (费用) along with their own food and accommodation to compete. And while some kids are working for what they call a spelling “career”, others are approaching chess competitions, dance competitions, cooking or other passions that previous generations developed somewhat later in life.
I’m disturbed by the phenomenon (现象), which seems to be getting worse and more intense.
My teacher always warned us that competition is a destructive quality; that the goal is never to beat anyone else. I think he’ll be cheered by author Peggy Noonan’s idea that a lot of us are running our own races, trying to rise to the occasion and beat some past and limited conception of ourselves by doing something great.
I heartily agree. Instead of paying attention to the accomplishments or possessions of others, we need to focus on our own potential, our own growth and take pleasure in our own particular set of circumstances. The battle for life is not against anyone else but against the darkness inside that tries to bring us down. I wish you only well. Your good doesn’t reduce mine. Your bad gives me no pleasure
Ms. Noonan also suggests that “you’re running your own race alongside others running theirs, and in the same direction. You’re doing something great together.” If we stop worrying about what our neighbor is earning or driving, the size of his house, the success of his marriage, the accomplishments of his children, we can sit back and enjoy our own lives. And if we all focus on what we each can achieve, regardless of anyone else, we have a chance of working as one, of actually being united.
Competition divides us. There are winners and losers. But that’s a very limited picture of reality. It may apply to spelling bees and soccer matches and even in some college classes, but life isn’t about triumphing (战胜) over someone else; it’s about triumphing over ourselves. The only acceptable competition is one where we encourage each other to be the best human being possible, and that’s the only game where “everyone is a winner”.
1. What does the author worry about?| A．Youth competition is fierce. | B．Youth competition is expensive. |
| C．Youth competition lacks fairness. | D．Youth competition lacks diversity. |
| A．She’s also a student of the author’s teacher’s. |
| B．She thinks competition is a destructive quality. |
| C．She taught the author how to understand competition. |
| D．She and the author’s teacher have similar views on competition. |
| A．Know our competitors well. | B．Leave everything to chance. |
| C．Get rid of the bad things inside us. | D．Learn from others’ successes and failures. |
| A．People take turns to lead the race. |
| B．People follow parallel paths to each other. |
| C．One man’s loss is another man’s gain. |
| D．No one goes in the same direction as anyone else. |
| A．Your Real Competition Is With Yourself |
| B．Everyone Is a Winner in the Battle for Life |
| C．Competition Is a Good Thing, But Not to the Youth |
| D．Through Competition, We Become Better Ourselves |
2 . The library of Pharaoh Ramesses II is said to have borne the inscription (碑文) “the house of healing for the soul”. Dylan Thomas, an English writer, reportedly liked to relax by reading Agatha Christie’s detective novels. As for the novelist Yiyun Li, it was War and Peace that helped her get through the toughest times; when she launched a virtual reading group of Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece in lockdown, 3,000 people signed up.
In recent years, a growing body of research has backed up the idea that books not only entertain, but also help us recover and grow. They offer companionship to the lonely, insight to the anxious, and release to those who feel trapped.
This feature has motivated Ann Cleeves to turn her attention to the old long-lasting bibliotherapy. She then co-sponsored such a program in northeast England, working with public health teams. Bibliotherapy is an approach using books and other forms of literature to improve a patient’s mental health. A review of several studies found such programs have a long-term effect on people’s well-being.
But Cleeves has a broader idea in mind. Writing for The Guardian, she described how reading and writing fiction helped her understand her own response and allowed her to escape into a different world. The reading coaches will match their patients with appropriate poetry and novels as well as non-fiction based on patients’ condition, and will introduce them to librarians and other readers. After all, what’s uplifting to one reader will seem twee (花哨的) to another and what one finds unpleasant may be reassuring to the next.
For Cleeves, it is happy to see people seek self-discovery in the world of books. Some may respond to children’s classic The Secret Garden; others will recognize themselves in Toni Morrison’s novels. An ancient idea has found fresh resonance (共鸣).
1. What did Dylan Thomas and Yiyun Li have in common?| A．They sought inspiration in foreign countries. |
| B．They turned to books for spiritual comfort. |
| C．They had a great influence on the world literature. |
| D．They once launched a reading group during tough times. |
| A．The healing power of books. |
| B．The support from public health teams. |
| C．The popularity of the program among people. |
| D．The lack of such a program in northeast England. |
| A．It can greatly improve public health. |
| B．It can bring a boom in book markets. |
| C．It can be used as a cure for depression. |
| D．It can bring in diverse forms of literature. |
| A．By suiting specific books to patients. |
| B．By helping librarians sort out all kinds of books. |
| C．By assisting readers in writing their own fiction. |
| D．By recording readers’ response to different books. |
| A．Virtual reading groups: the rising industry in lockdown |
| B．An inscription: the house of healing for the soul |
| C．Novel reading: two sides to mental troubles |
| D．Bibliotherapy: an old idea finds new life |
3 . How often one hears children wishing they were grown up, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. In addition, life is always presenting new things to the child — things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his parents, he is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is continually being told not to do things or being punished for what he has done wrong.
When the young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of building up for himself his own position in society.
1. According to the second paragraph, the writer thinks that _______.| A．only children are interested in life |
| B．life for a child is comparatively easy |
| C．a child is always loved whatever he does |
| D．if much is given to a child, he must do something in return |
| A．will have little time playing |
| B．has to be successful in finding a job |
| C．can still ask for help in time of trouble |
| D．should be able to take care of himself |
| A．People are often satisfied with their life. |
| B．Life is less interesting for old people. |
| C．Adults are freer to do what they want to do. |
| D．Adults should no longer rely on others. |
| A．life is not enjoyable since each age has some pains |
| B．young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard |
| C．childhood is the more enjoyable time in one’s life |
| D．one is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life |
| A．examples of successful young men |
| B．how to build up one’s position in society |
| C．pleasures and pains of old people |
| D．what to do when one has problems in life |
4 . Heroes Stamp Design Competition
Welcome to the Heroes Stamp Design Competition! Children aged 4-14years are invited to design a stamp. Eight designs will be chosen for this stamp series from the Royal Mail. One of the designs could be yours. There are 120 great prizes on offer for area winners and runners-up. Plus, cash prizes for the winning schools too.
Stamp Designing
The stamp design will be based on your hero or heroes of the coronavirus pandemic. The past year has been very difficult for so many people. There are countless frontline workers and volunteers who have continued to work tirelessly to keep the country moving.
Being a stamp designer is a very skilled job. One of the jobs of a stamp designer is to reduce the size of a picture to fit the stamp. When designing your stamp, have a think about what kind of image of your hero or heroes would make a good miniature (微型的) design for a stamp. The final stamps produced will be about 3.7cm wide×3.5cm high.
Things to consider
Your stamp design must be drawn on the official competition entry form (报名表) which your teacher will give you.
Your design must be your own original work.
Drawings must be flat, so please don’t stick any materials or textures (纹理) to your design.
Please use lots of colour (no black and white images) in your design.
Please avoid using highlighter pens (荧光笔).
Good Luck
The closing date for the competition is 28th May. Please ask your teacher, or parent, for one of the official entry forms. You’re then ready to start designing! We can’t wait to see all of the amazing designs from gifted children across the country.
Good Luck!
1. Who would probably take part in the competition?| A．Students. | B．Doctors. |
| C．School teachers. | D．Professional designers. |
| A．It will begin on 28th May. |
| B．It is for a series of four stamps. |
| C．It asks competitors to honour heroes on their stamps. |
| D．It will provide each competing school with cash prizes. |
| A．About 3.5cm wide×3.5cm high. | B．About 3.7cm wide×3.7cm high. |
| C．About 3.5cm wide×3.7cm high. | D．About 3.7cm wide×3.5cm high. |
| A．It should be black and white. |
| B．It should be drawn with highlighter pens. |
| C．It should be flat with textures. |
| D．It should be drawn on a given form. |
| A．advertise for some newly issued stamps | B．send a notice about designing stamps |
| C．call on people to respect modern heroes | D．encourage people to be frontline workers |
5 . It is easy to get carried away in an argument.
While having a rational conversation with someone who has a different opinion might seem like a challenge, it is possible. One way is to approach the other person with empathy.
The Empathy Challenge is an exercise created by Zoe Chance, senior lecturer at the Yale School of Management. At Yale, Chance teaches a course called “Mastering Influence and Persuasion” where -students learn to communicate more effectively.
In her blog, Chance explains that it’s important to listen to people who disagree with you. “As they explain their position, you listen for their underlying values. Finally, you look for common ground as you reflect those values back. That’s it.”
Chance first took this challenge herself before asking her students to try. As she couldn’t understand why many people chose to vote for Donald Trump, she found three Trump’s voters and spoke with them.
Through asking questions, Chance was able to empathize with them and realize they had similar feelings. One man, an Orthodox Jew, explained that he supported Trump because Trump’s daughter and son-in-law are Jewish. The next man was a Russian immigrant passionate about freedom. The third was a lawyer who believed that authenticity(真诚) was important in political leaders.
Although Chance and Chose people had different political beliefs, they were able to relate to the life values of others. And that’s the point of the exercise-to understand others as fellow human beings.
1. Which of the following does the Empathy Challenge faces on?| A．Leadership skills. | B．Public speaking skills. |
| C．Communication skills. | D．Problem solving skills. |
| A．Defend their position. | B．Find common ground. |
| C．Reflect on their own values. | D．Meet the needs of others. |
| A．The challenge of performing empathy. |
| B．The importance of empathy. |
| C．How Chance practiced empathy. |
| D．How Chance helped people develop empathy. |
| A．Their life values. | B．Their career history. |
| C．Their family background. | D．Their childhood experience. |
| A．Respect different perspectives | B．Zoe Chance’s empathy |
| C．Vote for Trump | D．Chancels challenge |
Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
November 21—December 10, 2022
Wednesday-Sunday: 11:00 am-4:00 pm
19 Mann Island, Liverpool Waterfront, Liverpool.
Travel Photographer of the Year
Chester Cathedral
December 2-28, 2022
Monday to Saturday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Sunday: 11:30 ain-4:00 pm
9 Abbey Square, Chester, Cheshire
An exhibition of selected winning images from the TPOTY awards will be traveling to Chester Cathedral.
Bird Photographer of the Year 2022
September 2022-January 2023
Dates and venues(地点) to be confirmed, more information soon.
An exhibition of 70-80 of the winning images will go on an international tour.
International Photography Exhibition 163
RPS Gallery, Bristol
Until October 21, 2022
Thursday-Sunday 10:00 am-5:00 pm
The Royal Photographic Society, RPS House, Arnos Vale, Bristol
A total of 105 works by 57 photographers will be on display in the International Photography Exhibition 163 at RPS Gallery.
1. Which show is already finished?| A．Sony World Photography Awards. |
| B．Travel Photographer of the Year. |
| C．Bird Photographer of the Year 2022. |
| D．International Photography Exhibition 163. |
| A．A month. | B．27 days. | C．A year. | D．Unknown. |
| A．Its topic. | B．Its exact starting date. |
| C．Its address. | D．Its ticket information. |
| A．Sony World Photography Awards |
| B．Travel Photographer of the Year |
| C．Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 |
| D．International Photography Exhibition 163 |
| A．Photography theoretical study. |
| B．Photography review. |
| C．Photography show. |
| D．Photography award ceremonies. |
7 . A major new facility to pull CO2 out of the atmosphere has started operating in Iceland, which is a boost to an emerging technology that experts say could eventually play an important role in reducing greenhouse gases.
The plant in southwest Iceland is the biggest of its kind, its builder says. It is able to capture 900 tons of CO2 every year but it needs heat and electricity to work. It is using energy produced from waste and is built on the roof of a waste incineration plant, and through the burning of rubbish, energy is generated.
Human-sized fans are built into a series of boxes. They take CO2 out of the air, catching it in spongelike filters (过滤器). The filters are blasted with heat, freeing the gas, which is then mixed with water and pumped deep into deep underground basalt caves, where over time it turns into dark-gray stone. Pumping CO2 into the ground is just one way to deal with it. The makers are also selling the gas to be used again. The CO2 can be captured just a few 100 miles away. It is pumped through an underground pipeline directly into a greenhouse. Vegetables and plants love CO2 and higher concentrations of the gas within the greenhouse improve the growth of plants.
By 2050, humanity will need to pull nearly a billion metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year through direct air capture technology to achieve carbon neutral goals, according to International Energy Agency recommendations. The plant in Iceland will be able to capture 4000 metric tons annually — just a small amount of what will be necessary, but an engineer in Climeworks, the company that built it, says it can grow rapidly as efficiency improves and costs decrease.
“This is a market that does not yet exist, but a market that urgently needs to be built,” said Christoph Gebald who co-founded Climeworks. “This plant that we have here is really the blueprint to further increase the size and really industrialize.”
1. What do we know about the carbon capture facility from paragraph 2?| A．It is built at high altitudes. | B．It uses waste to produce power. |
| C．It makes Iceland free of air pollution. | D．lt produces lots of heat during operation. |
| A．The methods of breaking down CO2. |
| B．The approaches to reusing waste gas. |
| C．The necessity of building greenhouses. |
| D．The workings of the carbon-catching plant. |
| A．It will decrease the cost of energy production. |
| B．It can help reach the carbon neutral goals in advance. |
| C．It will speed up the reduction of CO2 levels in the air. |
| D．It may replace the traditional carbon storage system. |
| A．The capture of CO2 in the atmosphere is able to kill many birds with one stone. |
| B．CO2 will be delivered to greenhouses after being turned into dark-gray stones. |
| C．A major new market to pull CO2 out of the atmosphere has started operating. |
| D．The plants in Iceland greenhouses can capture a small amount of CO2. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Supportive. |
8 . Yesterday after work, the boss told me I was fired. When I walked along a riverbed sadly, I suddenly realized it was New Year’s Day, a day to start afresh.
I passed by a man holding his son, one or two years old. The baby’s face was in pure joy, and his innocent eyes were full of wonder. The simple sweetness of the baby made me moved.
Walking on, I saw a young couple repairing their bicycle. They smiled at me and said, “Happy New Year!” I smiled and wished them the same. It was a simple thing, but for a moment it brought me a sudden joy.
I kept walking, enjoying the cheerful singing of birds. With people around laughing out loud, an old woman immersed herself in her sewing. She didn’t seem either happy or sad. A feeling of timeless peace flowed through me and all fear of what the future might bring disappeared. I thanked her in my heart, and moved on.
As I reached home, I was filled with great thanks and hope for life, which took me a long time to find. Actually, happiness could be simple and easy. Now I knew whatever the New Year would bring, there would be joy and enough love to help me through the hard times we all had to face.
“Happy New Year!” I said to myself.
1. What did the writer’s boss tell him after work?| A．It was New Year’s Day. | B．He was fired. |
| C．He needed a day to relax. | D．He had a day off. |
| A．age | B．laughing | C．innocence | D．crying |
| A．repairing their bicycle | B．waiting for the writer |
| C．watching the passers-by | D．celebrating the New Year |
| A．Lucky. | B．Hopeless. | C．Fearful. | D．Thankful. |
| A．Greetings make people polite. | B．Happiness could be simple and easy. |
| C．Walking makes people energetic. | D．Friendship lies in getting together. |
9 . Club sports provide both a competitive and social sporting experience to any Purdue student. Whether you are looking to continue to be part of a sport you love or looking for new experiences, there is a club for you at every skill level.
The Purdue University Baseball Club
The Purdue University Baseball Club is a student-run organization that participates in intercollegiate(大学间的)athletic competition. We provide students an opportunity to continue their baseball career at a collegiate level.
President: Jack Fitzhugh
Email: jfitzhu@purdue.edu
The Purdue Gymnastics Club
The Purdue Gymnastics Club is a group of normal everyday students who, like yourself, want to stay active while at school. We practice during evening hours four times a week during the fall and spring semesters. We own and operate equipment for four women’s and six men’s events.
President: Maya MeDonald
Email: medon127@purdue.edu
The Purdue Triathlon Club
The Purdue Triathlon Club’s mission is to get together multi—sport athletes who want to train in a social environment and promote interest and participation in triathlons(铁人三项), duathlons(铁人两项), running, swimming and cycling events on the Purdue University campus. We encourage and support members while training together. We travel to races in the spring and summer together and host two races during the school year. We end our year at the Collegiate Nationals in April.
President: Katalin Kovach
Email: kovach 10@ purdue.edu
The Purdue Men’s Club
The Purdue Men’s Club Volleyball allows Purdue undergraduate and graduate students to play volleyball at a competitive, intercollegiate level. Tryouts are held at the beginning of each semester and teams are divided based on skill level. Players come from all over the country, not just the Midwest. The first and second teams travel to tournaments across the Midwest and to the NCVF National tournament each spring. The club is an NCVF and MIVA recognized program and consistently finishes in the top competitive divisions of the region and nation.
President: Ben Bednarczyk
Email: bbednarc@ purdue.edu
1. Who can you contact if you want to participate in a baseball game?| A．Maya MeDonald. | B．Katalin Kovach. | C．Jack Fitzhugh. | D．Ben Bednarczyk. |
| A．It operates equipment for 10 events. |
| B．It is open every day throughout the semester. |
| C．It includes both students and professional athletes. |
| D．It is a student-run organization. |
| A．It aims to popularize three sports. | B．It hosts races annually in April. |
| C．It divides members based on skill level. | D．It allows athletes to train in multiple sports. |
| A．The Purdue Triathlon Club. | B．The Purdue Gymnastics Club. |
| C．The Purdue Men’s Club Volleyball. | D．The Purdue University Baseball Club. |
| A．Students’ Textbooks. | B．School Magazines. |
| C．Travel Agencies. | D．Campus Network. |
10 . Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution for two of her country’s persistent (持续的) problems: garbage and poverty (贫困). It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a (n)
Chip eaters drop off their
It
Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has
Sure, it would be simpler to
And, of course, there’s the symbolism of recycling bags that would otherwise land in the
| A．advice | B．question | C．favor | D．permission |
| A．throw | B．track | C．leak | D．lock |
| A．design | B．detect | C．digest | D．donate |
| A．homeless | B．disabled | C．old | D．sick |
| A．heavy | B．empty | C．luxury | D．full |
| A．moments | B．decisions | C．locations | D．conclusions |
| A．clean | B．load | C．soften | D．resolve |
| A．dig | B．slice | C．lift | D．knock |
| A．pays | B．takes | C．delays | D．wastes |
| A．resulting in | B．figuring out | C．contributing to | D．depending on |
| A．out | B．around | C．over | D．on |
| A．reached | B．related | C．found | D．collected |
| A．destroyed | B．repaired | C．compared | D．created |
| A．lose | B．lend | C．raise | D．drop |
| A．goal | B．income | C．profit | D．way |
| A．risking | B．recommending | C．attaining | D．realizing |
| A．driving | B．devoting | C．enjoying | D．encouraging |
| A．store | B．trash | C．solution | D．family |
| A．day after day | B．step by step | C．face to face | D．hand in hand |
| A．generations | B．inspirations | C．connections | D．expectations |
