1 . Dramas are usually called plays, and their creators are known as “playwrights” or “dramatists”. Some popular types of drama include comedy, tragedy, farce, opera and docudramas. Now, I’d like to tell you some popular types of drama.
Lighter in tone, comedies try to make the audience laugh and usually come to a happy ending. Comedies put unusual characters in special situations, causing them to do and say funny things. Comedies can also be sarcastic (讽刺的) in nature, creating fun serious topics. There are also several different types of comedy, including romantic comedy, a comedy of manners, and tragicomedy — plays in which the characters take on tragedy with humor while bringing serious situations to happy endings.
Tragedy is based on darker themes. Generally, tragedies show serious subjects like death, disaster, and human suffering in a way that makes the audience think. Hardly enjoying happy endings, characters in tragedies, like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, are often troubled by tragic character flaws (缺点) that finally lead to their death.
A farce is a type of drama in which characters overact and present physical humor. Examples of farce include the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and the hit 1980 movie Airplane! written by David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams.
Opera is a type of drama which combines theater, dialogue, music, and dance to tell stories of tragedy or comedy. Since characters express their feelings through singing rather than dialogue, performers must be both skilled actors and singers. The tragedy La boheme by Giacomo Puccini, and the comedy Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi are classic examples of opera.
A docudrama is a relatively new kind of drama. Docudramas talk about historic events or non-fictional situations. More often presented in movies and television than in live theater, popular examples of docudramas include the movies Apollo 13 and Twelve Years a slave.
1. What do we know about comedies?| A．They don’t talk about serious topics. |
| B．They usually don’t have sad endings. |
| C．There’re always some arguments in them. |
| D．There’re four kinds of comedies mentioned. |
| A．They are often sarcastic in nature. |
| B．They usually have character weaknesses. |
| C．They usually suffer a lot before their death. |
| D．They are remembered by their ways of thinking. |
| A．Upset. | B．Cheerful. | C．Worried. | D．Thoughtful |
| A．say something funny | B．present physical humor |
| C．tell stories through dialogue | D．be good at acting and singing |
| A．Girls loving romantic stories. |
| B．Children loving funny stories. |
| C．People interested in fictional situations. |
| D．People interested in true events in history. |
2 . I do think that a book can inspire ideas and ways of thinking that have the power to transform our lives. Here are some books to serve the purpose.
Thinking, Fast and slow
Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel Prize winner who has written an amazing book that dives into the mysterious world of our conscious and unconscious thinking patterns. By reading this book, you’ll gain a deeper understanding about how to make decisions and react to certain things in your life. Yes, this is a super thick book that seems challenging, but somehow the author makes it accessible and really fun to read.
The Power of Habit
Written by award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg, this book is an awesome mix of research, stories, and revelations(启示) about habits: how we form them, how we can change them, and how knowledge about human habits is transforming everything.
The Road Less Traveled
The first words in this classic and powerful book are: Life is difficult. Without hiding the true realities of life which is filled with conflicts, difficulties, and challenging decisions, M. Scott Peck guides us to a deeper level of self-understanding and creates a path we can follow to a fuller, more peaceful life.
The Power of Now
The key message of the book is simple and powerful: The way to true happiness is through learning to live in the now, without reliving the past or racing to the future. Eckhart Tolle helps us understand how our thoughts and emotions get in the way and what to do about it.
1. What do we learn about Thinking, Fast and Slow?| A．It’s too abstract to understand. |
| B．It helps readers to make decisions. |
| C．It divides our thinking patterns into different types. |
| D．It enables readers to understand themselves better. |
| A．Daniel Kahneman’s | B．Charles Duhigg’s |
| C．M. Scott Peck’s | D．Eckhart Tolle’s |
| A．The challenges of life. |
| B．A path to a better life. |
| C．The author’s understanding of humans. |
| D．The best way to settle conflicts. |
| A．Thinking, Fast and Slow | B．The Power of Habit |
| C．The Power of Now | D．The Road Less Traveled |
| A．They are classic and refreshing. |
| B．They are adventurous and challenging. |
| C．They are accessible and full of fun. |
| D．They are inspiring and helpful. |
3 . Originally, I don’t think about getting older. Perhaps it’s because I like to keep busy and just don’t think about it.
I used to be a radio broadcaster and recently I was
One of them, it turns out, is
The thought of being dead doesn’t
| A．Therefore | B．However | C．Though | D．Meanwhile |
| A．believe | B．regret | C．prevent | D．consider |
| A．doubted | B．questioned | C．contacted | D．interviewed |
| A．pay | B．enjoy | C．intend | D．allow |
| A．similar | B．diverse | C．different | D．special |
| A．activity | B．custom | C．tradition | D．routine |
| A．chatting with | B．looking for | C．working with | D．cheering for |
| A．look up to | B．look out for | C．look down upon | D．look back at |
| A．permanently | B．relatively | C．accidentally | D．practically |
| A．show up | B．hold up | C．move about | D．hold on |
| A．worse still | B．what’s more | C．on the contrary | D．on the other hand |
| A．secretly | B．gradually | C．directly | D．suddenly |
| A．related | B．connected | C．bound | D．limited |
| A．independently | B．optimistically | C．comfortably | D．disappointedly |
| A．fed on | B．cared for | C．trained | D．educated |
| A．primitively | B．occasionally | C．instantly | D．rarely |
| A．understanding | B．deciding | C．knowing | D．guessing |
| A．surprise | B．help | C．bother | D．excite |
| A．nervous | B．sorry | C．help | D．great |
| A．tiresome | B．meaningless | C．interesting | D．upsetting |
4 . Utah is the second most wasteful states in the US. Everyone always complains about how much construction there is all the time— on campus you can’t walk ten steps without running into another pit— but no one seems to be doing anything about it. Every year the city has a surplus of money and they spent it on unneeded road construction. Instead, this money should be spent on developing Utah’s solar energy capabilities (能力).
People may think that solar power technology isn’t advanced enough to sustain (维持) an entire state year-round. However, Utah is one of the six states in the country getting more than enough sunlight to run completely on solar power every year according to Solar Nation. For reference, one might look at places similar to the Hotel at Oberlin in Ohio, a hotel remodeled in the summer of 2016 to run completely on solar power. Anywhere west of Ohio has no excuse for not using solar energy.
Many think it would be bad for the economy to switch to solar power because electrical workers would lose their jobs. But this isn’t necessarily true. They could transfer to solar companies. Considering how many panels (电池板，面板) would need to be built and installed (安装) and maintained, there’s plenty of work for electrical workers. Solar panel installation may be expensive at first, but as it stands currently, solar panels are expected to pay for themselves within 11 years of installation, saving solar panel owners up to $700 in electric bills per house in the first year.
Moreover, we, the humans of planet Earth, would never run out of solar energy. The sun will exist long after humanity goes. And while solar panels may be expensive, they cost the Earth much less than using coal and natural gas.
It’s bad enough that Utah is the most wasteful when it comes to the use of water. And the city is killing its citizens with air pollution. But when we have the physical capability of making changes that will ultimately save the environment and deepen our pocketbooks (财力、钱袋子), and we don’t make those changes, we’re actually lazy rather than being cautious.
1. Which of the following statements would the author agree with?| A．Roads in Utah should be repaired. |
| B．Money should be better used in Utah. |
| C．Construction is very important to Utah. |
| D．Schools in Utah are really in poor condition. |
| A．To explain how solar power is used in Ohio. |
| B．To show it is possible to use solar power in summertime. |
| C．To show solar power can be relied on year-round in Utah. |
| D．To prove many hotels are taking advantage of solar power. |
| A．benefit the environment | B．prevent waste in Utah |
| C．improve work efficient | D．lead to many changes in Utah |
| A．To call on people to reduce energy waste. |
| B．To show us the importance of using solar energy. |
| C．To ask government to pay attention to air pollution. |
| D．To appeal to Utah officials to develop solar energy. |
| A．①②-③④-⑤ | B．①-②③-④⑤ |
| C．①-②③④-⑤ | D．①②③-④⑤ |
5 . On one day my grandma died, I went for a walk to clear my mind. The small purse I carried with me was a gift from her. The bag only weighted several pounds but it felt like I was dragging heavy luggage.
As I was walking, I spotted Mary who gave me an excited hug. She asked how I was. “How are you” is a question that can turn meaningless or meaningful, depending on how you answer it. I considered going the meaningless route. Then I remembered that she is a friend from church. We once celebrated an activity together. Maybe I could lean on her for some comfort. I explained that my grandma died and I was feeling in bad shape emotionally.
Mary expressed kind regards. Then she asked the question everyone asks when you tell them someone died, “Were you two close?” It’s the main standard that determines the appropriate size someone’s sadness can take. The answer to this question depends on how someone defines closeness. I tend to feel close to people I can have heart-to-heart with. I nodded to Mary and said, “Yeah, we were.”
She nodded back, playing her role in the cultural script (剧本)we all know. Mary gathered information about the funeral arrangements, and then we parted. Seeing her was a catalyst (催化剂) to my quickly getting in touch with my sorrow. I cried loudly on the street directly.
Later that night I texted my friend Roger to tell him what had happened. I expected a text back with sympathy. Instead, the phone rang. Soon he was asking me what my favorite song was. While I hesitated, he started singing the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.” He finished it and prayed for me over the phone. It really made me exhilarated. I felt that a heavy burden was removed. But I cried again because of the spiritual synchronization(同步). I didn’t share stories of my grandmother or try to explain my complicated emotions over the phone.
Then I realized that courtesy (客套话) is generally good practice, but it can’t compare to personalized, thoughtful communication. And that kind of pat statement really has no place if you want to make a real connection.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．The author used to offer Mary advice to Mary. |
| B．The author and Mary enjoyed social activities. |
| C．The author and Mary often shared their secrets. |
| D．The author hesitated to turn to Mary for comfort. |
| A．judge how sad the author was |
| B．determine what sadness it was |
| C．prove that they were close friends |
| D．see if the author needed comfort |
| A．Mary decided to attend the funeral |
| B．the author felt touched to see Mary |
| C．the author got no real comfort from Mary |
| D．Mary felt helpless about relieving the author’s pain |
| A．Cheered me up | B．Made me satisfied |
| C．Let me down | D．Kept me down |
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．Spiritual communication is better than courtesy. |
| C．Crying is an effective way to ease people’s pain. |
| D．It’s hard to recover from the pain of losing a loved one. |
6 . Last spring, I was fortunate to be chosen to participate in an exchange study program. In my application letter, I was careful to
The moment I arrived in Paris, I was
I left France with many
| A．discuss | B．express | C．announce | D．argue |
| A．approved | B．knew | C．warned | D．denied |
| A．stubborn | B．anxious | C．universal | D．interesting |
| A．boring | B．upsetting | C．thrilling | D．promising |
| A．expected | B．liked | C．doubted | D．feared |
| A．greeted | B．witnessed | C．sponsored | D．supported |
| A．since | B．until | C．when | D．while |
| A．move | B．travel | C．walk | D．rush |
| A．housekeeper | B．leader | C．colleague | D．roommate |
| A．learn | B．appreciate | C．speak | D．master |
| A．contrasted | B．evolved | C．placed | D．fitted |
| A．added | B．introduced | C．devoted | D．adapted |
| A．term | B．week | C．month | D．vacation |
| A．dreams | B．suitcases | C．presents | D．stories |
| A．concerned | B．disturbed | C．embarrassed | D．surprised |
| A．exploring | B．analyzing | C．describing | D．investigating |
| A．need | B．shall | C．must | D．can |
| A．generous | B．independent | C．similar | D．distant |
| A．but | B．or | C．and | D．so |
| A．instructions | B．friendships | C．facts | D．data |
7 . One of my neighbors used to have a beautiful tree in her front yard. Her dad had planted it for her
When the two-day snowstorm struck our town, heavy snow
Still, it was a shock to drive by her house the other day and see
My wonderful neighbor had another plan,
Life by its very nature is a
| A．unless | B．when | C．until | D．because |
| A．circulate | B．chase | C．shoot | D．stand |
| A．wind | B．shade | C．quality | D．system |
| A．fell on | B．took apart | C．got through | D．broke down |
| A．top | B．middle | C．bottom | D．root |
| A．dancing | B．spreading | C．trembling | D．lying |
| A．abnormal | B．bare | C．sick | D．entire |
| A．Originally | B．Doubtfully | C．Thankfully | D．Particularly |
| A．replace | B．renew | C．replant | D．remove |
| A．everything | B．something | C．anything | D．nothing |
| A．falling | B．shaking | C．floating | D．shining |
| A．story | B．expectation | C．reminder | D．view |
| A．though | B．therefore | C．still | D．otherwise |
| A．rest | B．baby | C．date | D．dinner |
| A．see | B．solve | C．approach | D．realize |
| A．beat | B．smile | C．hurt | D．sink |
| A．mixed | B．changeable | C．separated | D．stable |
| A．sorrow | B．wealth | C．pleasure | D．wonder |
| A．split | B．pull | C．benefit | D．attach |
| A．connections | B．families | C．bodies | D．souls |
8 . When I spent the summer with my grandmother, she always set me down to the general store with a list. Behind the counter was a lady like no one I’d ever seen.
“Excuse me,” I said. She looked up and said, “I’m Miss Bee.”
“I need to get these.” I said, holding up my list. “So? Go get them.” Miss Bee pointed to a sign. “There’s no one here except you and me and I’m not your servant, so get yourself a basket from that pile.”
I visited Miss Bee twice a week that summer. Sometimes she shortcharged me. Other times she overcharged. Going to the store was like going into battle. All summer long she found ways to trick me. No sooner had I learned how to pronounce “bicarbonate of soda” and memorized its location on the shelves than she made me hunt for it all over again. But by summer’s end the shopping trip that had once taken me an hour was done in 15 minutes.
“All right, little girl,” she said. “What did you learn this summer?” “That you’re a meanie (小气鬼)!” I replied. Miss Bee just laughed and said, “I know what you think of me. Well, I don’t care! My job is to teach every child I meet life lessons. When you get older you’ll be glad!” Glad I met Miss Bee? Ha! The idea was absurd…
Until one day my daughter came to me with homework troubles. “It’s too hard,” she said. “Could you finish my math problems for me?”
“If I do it for you, how will you ever learn to do it yourself?” I said. Suddenly, I was back at that general store where I had learned the hard way to add up my bill by myself. Had I ever been overcharged since?
1. What did the author’s grandmother always ask her to do during her summer vacation?| A．Go to see the lady in a store. | B．Make lists for her shopping. |
| C．Buy something in the general store. | D．Send lists to the lady in the general store. |
| A．Teaching kids lessons was Miss Bee’s job at that time. |
| B．She neither shortcharged the author nor overcharged her. |
| C．Her tricks made the author finish shopping in a shorter time. |
| D．She used to learn to pronounce the names of some goods in the store. |
| A．express her opposition to Miss Bee |
| B．tell readers Miss Bee’s influence on her |
| C．show her satisfaction with her kid’s homework |
| D．inform readers of her irresponsibility for her kid |
| A．A Precious Lesson By Meanie | B．Being a Responsible Mother |
| C．Making a Meaningful Life List | D．An Unforgettable Summer Travel |
9 . “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity, ” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’s probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’re a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’s most about going to a temple to burn some incense in hopes that the gods will give you good fortune, but practical advice you can follow each day.
Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups: those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper,” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.
It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “lucky”, in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.
In a word, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.
1. Which of the followings most agrees with the writer’s point?| A．Success is for those who are prepared. | B．Rome was not built in a day. |
| C．All is not gold that shines. | D．A good heart defeats ill fortune. |
| A．She became famous through her family background. |
| B．She was very lucky and seldom suffered difficulties in her life. |
| C．She is a British talk show host. |
| D．She became successful by her own effort. |
| A．man can defeat mature | B．luck is your own hand |
| C．bad luck can turn into good | D．never waiting for the chance to come |
| A．lucky people are quick-minded | B．unlucky people are slow to read |
| C．lucky people often have an open mind | D．unlucky people are more creative |
| A．Discover | B．Mark | C．Make | D．Receive |
10 . Backpacking (背包旅行) through Africa, I always carried some food with me
I was
For the next few weeks, when I was feeling the need for a little
Once cold and cloudy afternoon, while I was waiting for a local bus, it started to rain. Everybody spread out for
In my hurry to
I was so sad that I almost cried. And then, in the corner of my eye, I noticed an old woman in rags
My bus arrived shortly after and, as we drove off, I wondered if the jam would taste the same to me.
1.| A．unless | B．if | C．in case | D．in order that |
| A．looking | B．buying | C．getting | D．running |
| A．apple | B．orange | C．peach | D．strawberry |
| A．last | B．best | C．other | D．first |
| A．meal | B．treat | C．rest | D．drink |
| A．remove | B．put | C．take | D．close |
| A．divide | B．eat | C．share | D．separate |
| A．pocket | B．pack | C．corner | D．store |
| A．situations | B．conditions | C．surroundings | D．occasions |
| A．protection | B．space | C．shelter | D．warmth |
| A．beautiful | B．rain | C．warm | D．dry |
| A．avoid | B．experience | C．defeat | D．overcome |
| A．thrown | B．buried | C．covered | D．locked |
| A．expensive | B．useless | C．precious | D．priceless |
| A．going | B．leaving | C．running | D．approaching |
| A．all right | B．bad enough | C．broken | D．damaged |
| A．standing up | B．sitting up | C．bending over | D．watching out |
| A．rest | B．remaining | C．extra | D．spare |
| A．swallowed up | B．brought out | C．ate up | D．spat out |
| A．until | B．unless | C．after | D．since |
